Owning a home is an immense responsibility, especially in an economy still recovering from last decade’s housing market crash. As a homeowner myself, I can tell you there are a ton of challenges maintaining a home: from mortgage payments, to yard work and home improvements. But there’s some things you just can’t prepare for…
When international pop star and long-time Kanye West nemesis, Taylor Swift changed the privacy settings on her Instagram last week, it meant nothing to me. Not that I’m not a fan, of course. I personally believe she’s created some of the seminal pieces of pop culture this century, from her nostalgic 2015 album 1989 to her public clashes with rapper/producer Kanye West. It’s just that I already follow her on the social media platform so my access to her hasn’t changed a bit.
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But unfortunately for millions of homeowners who haven’t already followed the “Bad Blood” singer, the doors to Taylor’s world have been slammed shut. Whereas I can still “like” a recent photo of her onstage with her guitar staring out to a sea of screaming fans, but millions of less seasoned home owners failed to predict that the T-Swift Instagram bubble would eventually burst. Hard working Americans, wholesome, salt-of-the-earth people who saved their whole lives to afford a home are now left without the ability to comment “yaaass kween” on short snippets of a new song which may or may not reignite her longstanding feud with fellow superstar Kanye West.
Those Americans who worked long hours to put themselves in the position to purchase a home but were merely content with keeping up with Taylor’s exploits via Instagram’s “Explore” page won’t get to see exclusive images of Taylor behind the scenes at Saturday Night Live. Nor will these mortgage payers be able to speculate in the comment section of her photos whether or not a line from her new album was indeed a dig at the rapper behind such hits as “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and “New Slaves”.
When I speak to some of the homeowners who now find themselves barred from Taylor’s photo hub, they feel unfairly targeted and marginalized by the megastar’s move. In their minds, a Taylor Swift could not exist without people like them, upstanding citizens who pay property taxes and admire her from afar. Like the bane of her existence, Yeezy, they feel that they, “made that b*tch famous”.
Do I sympathize? Sure, but I must admit it feels nice being on this side of the wall.