By: Nelson Kramer

Local News Editor

Taylor Swift has been a top fan all season long at Kansas City Chief football games as she supports her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, the team’s tight end. Due to her celebrity status, the cameras often pan to her between plays. Some Chiefs fans argue that she is taking attention away from the players and the game. It’s worth noting that other celebrities frequently earn substantial screen time without facing a similar backlash. High-profile celebrities, ranging from actors to musicians, are often featured prominently on camera during sporting events. The contrast between these reactions begs the question, “What are people afraid of?”

On average, Swift gets 25 seconds of screen time from a three-hour football game. Compared to commercial breaks, she is a minute detail. Why are NFL fans criticizing Swift for just attending the games? Sporting companies inviting celebrities to events is widespread, especially in sports like basketball. Inviting celebrities widens the viewership and makes the broadcast more enjoyable.

The root cause for these criticisms aimed at Swift is sexism and discomfort with successful women in the public eye. People might assume that she isn’t interested in watching the sport, and that she is just there for the attention. However, would people think the same if an A-list male celebrity consistently attended games?

Highlighting the far-reaching impact of Taylor Swift’s presence at Kansas City Chief football games, Apex Marketing Group stated that “Swift has generated an equivalent brand value of $331.5 million for the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL.” Swift also widens the viewership scope of football games. Many of Swift’s fans started streaming games for the chance to see her in the stands. Swift has a reputation for bringing a broader audience to music genres, like when she revived country music in 2007 by bringing it to a younger audience. Now, she is getting her fans, specifically young girls, into watching the sport. Dads have been posting on Twitter, remarking on how they love that their daughters are watching the game with them. A recent tweet reposted by USA Today said, “My nieces were visiting this week, and they [and] my daughter (all teens) were talking about how cool it is to watch football and see their hero Taylor Swift cheering. It made me smile; I love the whole thing, and I can’t imagine being grouchy about it.”

The scrutiny Swift faces at these football games raises important questions about our perception of successful women in society. Despite being a devoted fan, people still argue about Swift getting too much screen time without seeing her positive impact on the NFL. The undeserved scrutiny of Taylor Swift’s football game appearances, despite her positive impact, unveils the underlying issues of misogyny and sexism directly built into our social climate, perpetuating gender biases within public perception. As a small part of a large society, it’s easy to comment negatively about people who don’t align with your beliefs. As a whole society, we must look within ourselves and ask why we fear the success of others, especially women.