Bill Maher, never one to be shy about making contentious comments, recently directed his satirical eye toward pop sensation Taylor Swift, mocking her romance with Travis Kelce. On his show, ‘Real Time With Bill Maher,’ he joked that Swift had been holding onto “the same boyfriend for more than a year,” prompting a storm of responses throughout social media. This swipe puts Maher’s name on the continually growing list of comedians and public personalities who have made Swift’s love life a punchline.
Maher’s joke was packaged as part of a larger political commentary. He said that, “President Donald Trump took three weeks to break up with Ukraine, Mexico, and Canada, but for more than a year, Taylor Swift has been dating the same guy.”
This is not the first instance of Swift’s romances being the subject of public consumption. Her reputation as a songwriter whose work is frequently drawn from previous relationships has turned her romantic life into a perpetual gossip piece and, on occasion, source of ridicule. Other comedians, such as Hannah Berner, have been called out for jokes that have been labeled sexist, demonstrating the thin line between humor and hurtful stereotypes. Berner chuckled, “Who knew other than Travis Kelce that you could get so popular with women shooting loads into a billionaire?”
Even outside the comedy sphere, people have commented. Abby Lee Miller of ‘Dance Moms ‘ infamy panned Swift’s routines, while Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl made a sly suggestion Swift doesn’t tour.
Swift herself has not stayed quiet on the issue. She criticized the show ‘Ginny & Georgia’ in 2021 for a “sl**-shaming” joke about her past relationships, calling it “lazy” and “deeply sexist.” This reaction was supported by her fanbase, who have long defended her against what they perceive as biased and sexist judgments made about the singer. Ginny, in the series, says to her mom that she dates “faster than Taylor Swift.”
The continued interest in Swift’s love life probably has to do with a mix of things: her enormous popularity, her songwriting that so often is based on her own experience, and the ever-present societal bias to criticize the sexual choices of women. Whether the comments of Maher will set off more controversy or just become part of the background hum of celebrity rumor mill remains to be determined.
