Ever since Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce became a thing last September, I keep saying that if this were a movie, we’d call it unrealistic. But in the rom-com we’ve been watching in real time, also referred to as TNT, none of this is scripted…and yet, how is it not a fairy tale? Taylor Swift’s personal fairy tale! Now with a fairy tale ending to season one.
She won the f-cking Super Bowl?! It was the 13th game she attended – and it happened to be the biggest game, and she won, she watched her boyfriend’s team win their second Super Bowl title in a row, and third overall. In dramatic fashion, tying it near the end of the fourth quarter, and going into overtime to finish it off with a touchdown. Are we sure this didn’t come out of a book?
Yes, we are totally sure. Despite what MAGA supporters are trying to conspiracy-theory, this is UNscripted, totally real – which is why Sarah’s convinced Taylor is some kind of white witch, because it’s crazy how this all lined up for her, and for us, the audience. No editor or studio executive reading a summary of this story would have ever believed that anyone would believe this could happen and then it proceeded to happen on live television, lol.
Maybe, though, it’s not all accidental. Like I’m not saying it’s fake or scripted – it is real and not scripted – but perhaps this has to do with choice, in the choices that they each made. In Taylor’s case, this is the first time she’s publicly dated a winner in the most conventional sense, in the conventional way she writes about winning and goes about winning herself: in the form of scoreboards and trophies. For him it’s points per play and the Vince Lombardi; for her it’s chart and streaming stats, representing albums sold, and tickets sold, and Grammys. Their choices brought them to their environments, and even in their behaviour in those environments, they’ve somehow found a mirror.
Last week Taylor made an unforced error when accepting the Album of the Year Award from Celine Dion; this week Travis matched her with his own unforced error on the sidelines when he got rough with his coach, Andy Reid:
Travis Kelce was HEATED with Andy Reid after the Chiefs turnover 😳pic.twitter.com/Wa9FLp1wqQ
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 12, 2024
There’s been a lot of criticism about this outburst and both Travis and Andy have downplayed the moment – apparently there was an apology and no subsequent resentment, but it’s easy to forgive when in the end the result is in your favour. Who knows how differently, or not, they’d be handling it had Kansas City not come through with the victory.
"Imma keep it between us ... I was just telling him how much I love him."
— ESPN (@espn) February 12, 2024
—Travis Kelce on the in-game interaction with Andy Reid pic.twitter.com/oKGkJfGhWc
For the purposes of our rom-com though… I mean… if anyone can understand a moment of emotion that resulted in not a good look, Travis doesn’t have to look far. So even when they fumble… THEY FUMBLE TOGETHER.
Omg, did I do that? I called her mistake last week a fumble, LOLOLOLOL. Sorry, let me exit out of this rom-com now and put the spotlight back on the two winners who found their way to each other.
My point is, they f-ck up, or fumble (ha!), the same, and they flex the same. Some people at The Squawk were a bit put off by Travis on the mic during the trophy presentation (I did not watch this live because BEYONCÉ and I’ve just seen a few clips here and there so many that’s why I’m not as bothered?) but all I can see is same Taylor energy and it only matters whether or not she’s put off by it and, well, I don’t think that she would be. This woman likes traditional markers of success. The only thing she would be responding to in his moment at the mic is the fact that he’s a champion, on stage, holding a trophy, and boasting about how he deserves it. Because it’s a reflection of herself. Winning makes people horny. Ego makes people horny. And horny is a distraction.
🎥| Taylor and Travis kissing pic.twitter.com/rkPEEV8O3I
— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) February 12, 2024
🚨| Travis Kelce after seeing Taylor Swift for the first time since his Super Bowl win!
— The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) February 12, 2024
"Come here girl" 🥺
pic.twitter.com/ZyADdtgpmL
Best way to get people talking about something else but just in case, TNT hit up the after-party circuit and, knowing all eyes would be on them, padded their victory with some more ooey gooey:
Its “you belong with me†but it’s TAYLOR AND TRAVIS SINGING IT TO EACH OTHER pic.twitter.com/9o0RvfeQab
— val • (@karmaszone) February 12, 2024
Patty wasn’t lying when he said Taylor likes Travis’ hair pic.twitter.com/qeWZj8uynW
— holls ⸆⸉ (@holltoleratesit) February 12, 2024
TAYLOR POINTING AT TRAVIS DURING “you’ll be the prince†AND HIM POINTING AT HER DURING “and i’ll be the princess†THIS IS AMERICAN ROYALTY
— mirrorball 🪩 (@penthouseheart) February 12, 2024
pic.twitter.com/BCEhitvQGb
🎥| Travis Kelce putting his jacket on Taylor Swift pic.twitter.com/g09yExq9H6
— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) February 12, 2024
📲| Travis Kelce hugging Taylor Swift pic.twitter.com/i2LyegAEjC
— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) February 12, 2024
You can find more of this online – they were being filmed everywhere because that’s another thing these two have in common: they like being outside!
Taylor loved inside for six years. She is now in a relationship with someone who enjoys putting himself on blast as much as she does. But what now and what next?
Savour it for a few days, savour the season that TNT just gave us. We can talk tomorrow about what happens in season two.