To quote the greatest living writer of our life and times, you need to calm down.
And just so we’re clear from the outset, the “you” I’m referring to here are the doomsayers who have been wringing their hands and ominously warning that in bringing her Eras Tour to Australia during a time of heightened inflation, pop sensation Taylor Swift is set to single-handedly bring our nation’s economy to its knees. Apparently, all it takes is three shows in Melbourne and four shows in Sydney. Who knew?
It’s time to dispel the lazy and misogynistic accusations that Taylor Swift is set to single-handedly bring our economy to its knees. Credit: Dionne Gain
As a refresher, the root causes for the inflation pain Australians are currently suffering through are – and I quote the Reserve Bank of Australia here: “supply issues related to the war in Ukraine; other global supply disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic; and domestic supply disruptions from poor weather.” I don’t know about you, but to me, that reads like Swift is not responsible for the day-to-day pain we were already feeling with or without her visit.
If it’s not already clear, I am unapologetically and quite proudly a Taylor Swift superfan – or what you might call a Swiftie. Though I appreciate her entire back catalogue, my favourite songs are Right Where You Left Me and I Know Places. I consider her decision to re-record her early albums and circumvent business deals that denied her the rights to her own music a business masterstroke.
And like every other self-respecting Swiftie, I’ve watched the video of her spontaneously changing the Karma lyrics to reference her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, live on stage more times than I care to admit (if you know, you know).
With that out of the way, you can rest assured that I’m not trying to convert you into a Swiftie. Really, I shouldn’t have to. If you don’t already get it, she’s not for you, and that’s okay (though I do feel sorry for you). But I am going to say this once and firmly: Taylor Swift will not contribute to Australia’s inflation problem.
Just as no one suggested we cancel the AFL Grand Final or Christmas to avoid upsetting the economy last year, this too shall pass.
Of course, any additional injection into the economy at an already volatile time comes with risk. And make no mistake, Swifties are spending big. This week, this masthead spoke to fans who estimated spending between $1500 and $8000 for Swift across concert tickets, accommodation, and merchandise.
If that sounds like a crazy amount of money to spend on one night of entertainment, consider this: last month, the cheapest ticket to the men’s final of the Australian Open retailed for just under $2000, while the most expensive for $5999 thanks to Ticketmaster’s “dynamic pricing” model, in which ticket prices are set by demand.
Think Taylor’s tour will tank the economy? You need to calm down
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17.02.2024
To quote the greatest living writer of our life and times, you need to calm down.
And just so we’re clear from the outset, the “you” I’m referring to here are the doomsayers who have been wringing their hands and ominously warning that in bringing her Eras Tour to Australia during a time of heightened inflation, pop sensation Taylor Swift is set to single-handedly bring our nation’s economy to its knees. Apparently, all it takes is three shows in Melbourne and four shows in Sydney. Who knew?
It’s time to dispel the lazy and misogynistic accusations that Taylor Swift is set to single-handedly bring our economy to its knees. Credit: Dionne Gain
As a refresher, the root causes for the inflation pain Australians........
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