She looks quite good in a high collar, doesn’t she? But I didn’t love this Zuhair Murad dress. To me it was a cheap imitation of Alexander McQueen. Like McQueen for Stars On Ice. Still, she has a lovely neck. And when her hair is swept back, right off her face, as it was on the carpet, it’s a strong styling move. I don’t know why they brought back the fringe later on, but I think that was a mistake.
Is it better to live life in appreciation of it? Of course. Should we all aspire to be awed by the world every day, to find delight in its small gifts, to be grateful for every minute? It’s a greeting card, sure, but in its purest form, it’s a beautiful idea. When it’s real, it’s a beautiful idea. I guess the problem here is that it so easily and often feels fake.
Is it fair to decide for someone else if their feelings are fake? I don’t doubt that there’s some part of Taylor Swift that genuinely wants to be surprised when she’s always surprised. She was surprised last night after her performance because they gave her a standing ovation. (Ok, can we agree that we’re getting too liberal with the standing ovations these days? Everyone gets a standing ovation. Chris f-cking Brown received a standing ovation.) Here’s a girl who cleaned up at the Grammys a couple of years ago. And there it is, that open mouth of disbelief, aw shucksing, once again surprised by life.
Oh my God, is it still a surprise?
Does it mean she’s cynical and jaded if it’s NOT a surprise? I don’t think so. I think you can be modest about success without appearing as though you expect it. I think you can accept accolades without appearing to be ungrateful and not humble. When it looks like it came from a textbook, it’s just so hard to swallow, you know?
But it’s all part of the packaging of Taylor Swift, these constant surprises, the perpetual awe. If Taylor is still surprised, always surprised, it means that she’s still innocent. She’s not a woman yet! Don’t let her turn into a woman yet! This message has been brought to you by the Obvious School of Purity.
