So I loved Taylor Swift's Miss Americana documentary, but I want to apologise for an article I wrote that appears in the film, and give context for its headline, which I did not write.
In July 2016, I wrote a piece for Noisey/VICE Australia about the Kim/Kanye/Taylor feud, in the wake of Kim leaking their "Famous" phone call on Snapchat. The popular opinion at the time was that Kim had "exposed" Taylor - but I didn't think Taylor had lied.
I wanted to deconstruct the pettiness of the celebrity-industrial complex, and offer a path forward for Taylor. Here's the contention of the piece (it's no wonder I'd later love Reputation): 
Here are the two original headlines I submitted in 2016:
And here's the headline VICE ran instead, to my surprise. It appears midway through Miss Americana, as an example of casually cruel celebrity journalism:
In 2016, I laughed it off and let it slide, but the headline nagged at me that day, and ever since. It got clicks, but it never accurately reflected the piece - nor my complex feelings as a fan of Taylor's since 2010.
And though the article itself was my honest perspective at the time, with what I've learned about life, art, and Taylor's point of view since, much of the writing hasn't aged well.
I was mortified by its inclusion in the film, but it was a fair call - director Lana Wilson did a great job contextualising the situation. No one wants to be reduced to a headline...
So I want to apologise to Taylor and her team for any grief the article caused, and for contributing to the oft-toxic media narrative that's followed her. As a journalist, critic, and a musician myself, we should strive to be honest - but not uncritical, flippant or, well, mean.
I've learned so much from Taylor's artistry over the years, and remain a huge fan.
- Richard S. He 💙
- Richard S. He 💙
Will leave some further notes here:
My article was an attempt to critique all the writing about Taylor that boiled down to “she’s a genuinely bad person and my opinion is fact.” A media persona is a construction, not the entirety of who you are...
My article was an attempt to critique all the writing about Taylor that boiled down to “she’s a genuinely bad person and my opinion is fact.” A media persona is a construction, not the entirety of who you are...
So it is ironic, though fitting, to see my piece alongside that BuzzFeed one in particular, which I strongly disliked as a journalist and a fan.
I’m going to bed but if you have any questions, or are just curious about how pop journalism works, feel free to leave them and I’ll try to respond 🙏🏽
I genuinely forgot I already responded to this when I reviewed Reputation, haha vice.com/en_au/article/…
This is more a fun fact/humblebrag than anything else, but Reputation Tour reviewers had to be approved by management, and I got emailed my tickets by Tree! 😵So... not persona non grata in the Taylor camp
This is a headline of my own! And a response to the many early Reputation reviews that pre-judged rather than listening to its message
I guess I should state on the record that I was a freelance contributor to VICE/Noisey Australia, not a staff writer.
Tweet from the week of publication
@threadreaderapp unroll
Super grateful for all the nice responses. It's surreal, but very glad so many people get the nuances of it all.
Quick clarification:
I don’t regret the content of the article itself - it had, and still has, some valuable critical insight. I do wish the tone had been a bit less flippant. I wouldn’t write it the same way today.
I don’t regret the content of the article itself - it had, and still has, some valuable critical insight. I do wish the tone had been a bit less flippant. I wouldn’t write it the same way today.
What I do regret is inadvertently being swept up into the dynamic I was supposed to be critiquing.
I’m not saying we need to give celebrities softball, favourable PR. I’ve never done that. My gripe is that petty, kneejerk coverage, positive or negative, leads to lazy journalism, which affects everyone.
Tip for writers, artists, anyone: learn to follow your thoughts to their conclusions.
I think that some journalists are very defensive about their profession because of declining budgets, hostile artist relationships, click rates etc. True. But the journalists I most look up to are the ones who are MOST critical of journalism
For those who suggested I post it on Instagram: instagram.com/p/B8EYZnYhjsP/
Here’s one of my favourite pieces I’ve ever written:
Me for the last 24 hrs
