I forgot about this when I covered Taylor Swift’s VMA domination earlier, but it’s worth an individual story. Not only did Swifty dominate the VMAs and make everything #AllAboutSwifty, she also dropped her new music video during the pre-show, just before the beginning of the VMAs. The video is for her newest single “Wildest Dreams” and we already knew that Scott Eastwood was her costar. Before I show you this video, you should know one thing: Taylor Swift is an absolutely awful actress. In video after video, she is unnatural, she is awkward, she is a graduate from The Madonna School of Actressing. She is so bad that she makes Scott Eastwood look like Robert Redford. Like, you’ll watch this video and appreciate Scott Eastwood’s talent. No joke. Here’s the video:
The video’s premise is: Taylor Swift is a very famous starlet filming an ‘Out of Africa’ type love story with a famous, handsome actor played by Scott Eastwood. She falls in love with him for real and then they have an affair and then she’s really hurt when he has a girlfriend/fiancée.
Should we even analyze why Taylor is a brunette in this video? She has a well-documented hatred of brown-haired girls. I think it’s a subconscious thing for Swifty – if she’s going to do a video where she doesn’t get the guy, she’s going to have brown hair. Brown hair = no boyfriend. Blonde = boyfriend.
This video was also the most I’ve ever liked Scott Eastwood. Although I do wonder which actors turned it down before she finally asked Scott?
Photos courtesy of Taylor’s Instagram, Fame/Flynet.
Don’t discriminate: they both are equally awful in it. I cringed so much i had to take a magnesium pill after watching this video.
Magnesium oil works much faster, and without all the tummy troubles. 😉
Kaiser,
Some funny gossip about this song. Swift is long-rumored to have had an affair with Mandy Moore’s ex-husband, Adam something. Kept completely under wraps, much like her relationship with John Mayer for fear of destroying her lily-white amazing, feminist reputation. ::rolls eyes::
And I honestly think this song is harkening back to that time.
And lol. Yes, to Swift, when she has brown hair, she’s the “bitch” doing wrong. Or maybe she was going for a more Liz Taylor look.
What? Links?
Ryan Adams. And it was L ainey with blind items that started that rumor.
Pretty sure the gal was Jenny Lewis in the blind,not tay.
Magpie: L ainey confirmed the Taytay guess with this http://www.laineygossip.com/Smutty-Tingles-for-August-7–2015/40294
Sounds a bit like Lana Del Rey does Robyn’s “With every heartbeat”
Made me think of Lana del Rey too ! Taylor looks really better , more mature and interesting as a brunette IMO
Why does Taylor use her lyrics as dialogue in her videos? It’s so distracting and comical.
Kanye continues to be correct about Taylor’s music videos.
Scott Eastwood has the right look (and last name). But he’s so corny.
Call me corny – go ahead. I LOVED this.
+1
Add me to that list! I loved it. Unabashedly so!
I loved it too. The clothes! Swift may be boring but whoever styled her for the video needs an award. And she looked good with dark hait.
I liked it too. But Taylor is a horrible horrible actress.
Count me in, I loved it too. Who cares if it is corny? Both of them look gorgeous.
And this is another one of the reasons I love TayTay. She is not shaking her naked booty in my face here, the video is stunning! The whole vibe, the gorgeous African landscape , the clothes, everything was perfect.
Btw she looks so much more beautiful and striking with dark hair! Why doesn’t she always look like this?? I find the blue eye, dark hair combo really attractive, and the period clothes, fantastic.
I thought she looked very pretty as a brunette, too.
Me too. Lovely old glamour.
I can see that it has awkward and corny moments, but I also thought it was pretty with the clothes and the animals. I loved at the very end that it said all of the profits from the video would go to help endangered wild animals.
I enjoyed it, too!
Camp and ridiculous, plus all the proceeds are going onwards animal conservation within the national Parks of Africa 🐘
+1. I really don’t get the TSwift hate.
Seriously. It’s just fun and she ALWAYS does something interesting with what’s she’s wearing. So nice to see someone actually do a video and not just shake their big FAKE butt all over the place.
Y’all kids get off my lawn, too!
Me too! I’m 36 and proud to call myself a fan of all things Swifty!
I loved it! But, as T Swift said haters gonna hate.
THANK YOU.
I *LOVED* this.
Agreed. Loved it. The landscapes are breathtaking. And the costumes/plane scenes remind me of Kate Beckinsale in Pearl Harbor. Very sweeping and romantic. (I think it could have been done without the dramatic fighting, too soon after similar fight scenes in Blank Space.)
Me too, it was cheesy enjoyableness.
Me too!
I could only watch half- and I actually like this song. It’s so boring. The part where she’s fake flying in a plane looks like a SNL stunt. So embarrassing.
Ps why must she drop her videos during these award shows? Can the world have one moment where Swifty is not pushing her self into one?
Have you seen Tygas new video to his vulgar song featuring Kylie? This family smh
Madonna may not have been a great movie actress, but by God, she was an amazing music video actress. Wooden, awkward never evah in music videos. She was amazing and should be the gold standard for these girls in their videos. Madonna inhabited her parts in her videos. Taylor just looks like she’s a girl trying to playact a sensual woman. Not happening.
Madonna mini movie music video, Bad Girl, directed by David Fincher and Christopher Walken in it. You can’t stop watching this video. Whereas, the Taylor video I was bored by the middle and didn’t even finish it. So cheesy and blah and no heat or passion between those two..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUII7DTACf4
I thought she was good in Desperately Seeking Susan, actually.
And A League of their Own.
I loved her in A League of Their Own. That scene where she’s using a romance novel to teach one of her teammates how to read cracks me up every time!
I thought she was the best possible choice for Evita (who cares if they had to change one or two notes for her to hit) and she and Antonio Banderas were ELECTRIC.
Yup. Madonna in “Take A Bow” was everything.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees! That whole era of Madonna was my absolute FAVORITE!! She looked amazing and it was the best her voice ever sounded. I’ve actually thought that Swifty’s 40’s throwback look is like her trying to channel that part of Madonna’s career.
Tar and feather me, but Evita is one of my favorite stage-to-screen musicals, Madonna included.
Madonna was incredible in music videos. Simply phenomenal. She was amazing at playing herself.
“great music video” actress is the best way to describe classic Madonna. Her early ’90s videos are just fascinating to watch.
Meh. Christopher Walken is the only reason I made it to minute 3 of that video. Madonna was… wooden. I’m sorry to have to disagree with you.
I loved that video and song!!! I actually grew up loving Madonna but I missed that single because I would have been like 5ish when it came out but I discovered it a couple years ago and whenever I’m having a hard time I’ll listen to it on repeat. Freaking love it
I like it. It’s very Clark Gable/Ava Gardner “Mogambo” ish. Perhaps that’s the reason for the brown hair on Taylor? I much prefer a video like this than one where all the ladies do is shake their naked asses. At least this tells a story and is worth watching more than once.
Didn’t see your comment and made a similar one above. It looks so beautiful and it tells the story without butts shaking, or using language you don’t want your kids to hear. I loved it.
I love this song and found the video to be okay. I also wonder who else Taylor asked to be in the video as I doubt Scott was her first choice.
Why are people saying this? Who else would she have had that makes it obvious he wasn’t first pick? His career is hot right now and he fits into that Old Hollywood Glamour vibe.
I kinda kept hoping the lion would eat her character. Ugh, I hate myself for watching that. I need to go listen to some Rush or Grandmaster Flash now.
Awful.
I thought her freaking out at the guy in “Blank Space” was pretty well-acted. Well. “Acted.” I have a feeling she had some experiences to draw on there.
Man, Swifty’s hatred of brunettes is so hilarious and juvenile. It’s exactly the same thing as Stephenie Meyer’s hatred of blondes. You can’t be all about liking women when you despise women just for having a certain hair color. Nor can you be all about girl power when you’ve built your career on playing the pure perfect virgin against those nasty horrible sluts who are evil because they have teh sex.
Lol, Blank Space is probably her best video, imo. The acting was absolutely awful but given the concept of the video it was brilliant.
I’m not a fan but a friend told me I had to watch this for the laugh. She was right, I almost choked on my coffee. It’s terrible and terribly funny.
Is there a male actor thirstier than Scott Eastwood? It’s painful. He’s not good (but that’s never stopped anyone). To see second generation Hollywood so desperate for attention is always uncomfortable.
Yeah I loved it but I’m a sucker for Swift videos and I have a soft spot for Eastwoods face! Douche or not lol
+1 haha
You know, I’m not going to slam Taylor’s music, or her persona. You can’t win if you’re a successful woman, people are going to find ways to pull you down to their level; sadly, it’s human nature. I will say this: Taylor fascinates me for exactly two reasons. The first is the ever present Hair Flap. For some odd reason, just about every hairstyle she sports includes a cemented flap of hair over her forehead. It’s so odd. And second, on paper, Taylor is not an unattractive girl. She’s tall and slim, has nice legs, her face isn’t ugly, nice teeth, etc. so why is it that she has zero sex appeal? I mean, zero? Despite good wardrobe and makeup (the ever present Hair Flap notwithstanding), she is the least sexy woman I think I’ve ever seen. Awkward, boyish, I don’t know what it is, but it always amazes me.
It’s like she never grew out of that ‘coltish’ phase that lanky pubescent girls go through. And I agree 100%…its like she’s asexual
Honestly, I think it’s her hair. That haircut/color is terrible on her. Back when she had her long wavy hair, she had some sex appeal, IMO. She went from long wavy hair and sundresses to short straight hair with body suits. It was all part of revamping her image from teen country star to adult pop star. I get it. But I liked the long hair better.
Concur with this. She appears almost more androgynous now, versus her former, more feminine look. She should soften her appearance and not move her body in such a gawky/awkward manner if she wants more sex appeal.
Ziggy Stardust comes to mind. No one has to agree. But that is what see. Sexless androgyny.
and why do all women have to be sexy, exactly?
She down plays her looks, to be more relatable to her fans.
When she started her career, she looked really good, then as time passed, she started doing her own hair, and make up, to be closer to her fans.
She has someone doing her hair and all now, but she uses older styles, even her clothes are the same way.
You can find photo shoots she’s done, where she really shows just how good she looks. But like the next day, she changes back to her down played look.
I have the same problem, I know she is hot, yet, I don’t really seem attracted to her. But if she does a photo shoot, she can show just how attractive she really is. She could easily afford to look that good all the time, yet, she doesn’t want too, and she does it all for her fans. She doesn’t want to look unapproachable to them, and I respect that.
I respectfully disagree with this. She tries very very hard in photo shoots to come across as sexy. Some pics came out about 2 weeks ago where she is sprawled out on a couch, trying to look like a sexy, vampy goddess. and it does not work for her at all. It falls flat and just looks really awkward..like a 13 year old playing dress up in her big sister’s clothes.
I compare her to a giraffe. They are beautiful creatures, scientifically amazing (I mean, the blood pressure required to reach their head! Being able to walk so soon after birth! Can decapitate a lion with one kick!) but they’re not often someone’s favorite animal.
Brilliant!
And they can’t dance.
Kaiser, your hair-color analysis is amazingly on point. Bravo. She hasn’t changed a bit since her “You Belong With Me” video, in which the brunette is the evil, shallow girlfriend who just doesn’t understand the boy the way saintly Taylor can. The brunette is the one who doesn’t get/doesn’t deserve the guy. She’s either the home wrecker or the one who deserves to be home-wrecked. Maybe that’s why I can’t stand her to such a degree– brunette squad 4 life!
On another note: SQUINT EASTWOOD RETURNS!
I think it has more to do with good guys wear white hats, and bad guys wear black hats imagery. I don’t think it has anything to do with hating the color of someone’s hair. Considering this whole hair color thought seems to be linked with her supposed dislike of Katy Perry. Who she didn’t have a problem with, during the making of most of those videos.
Selena Gomez is a brunette, and so is Lorde’s. Both good friends with Taylor. Come to think of it, most of Taylor’s friends are brunettes’.
I hope that youtube guy make a parody of this video.. always prefer his parody lyrics to Taylor’s original ones.
Bart Baker right? He’s the go-to guy when it comes to Swifty parodies.
I think the Key of Awesome guys do the best parodies.
Wait–Swifty is pals with Selena Gomez but detests (Katy Perry) brunettes?
Well, I like the biplane and the classic car. =]
The video wasn’t that bad…all the acting was bad though. Yikes.
I loved it. It was beautifully shot and I thought they were good enough in it. Scott looks hauntingly like Clint.
I like that yellow dress and the scarf/cat eye glasses combo…she looks good in that style of clothing. But yes she’s absolutely ridiculous and try hard.
So much better than KanYe’s rehersed speech.
If you have to pick a classic beauty to
channel, you could do much worse than Ava Gardner- she was an amazing beauty. I enjoyed the video for what it was- an homage to those swooney romantic movies. And I think it was great that she gave the director of the video his moment- tho he did get a bit carried away gushing over Taylor. It was still fun tho bec you could tell this was a big moment for him.
Well… this is my favourite song from 1989, right with “Style”, “I know places”.
And, the video is OK, but early this morning (it’s almost 4pm here now) I saw some articles saying she was making fun of colonialism or something like that.
i mean REALLY??? Are we THAT sensitive that we now see a music video that is clearly about two movie stars playing in a movie and whatever else, and making it about race?
This girl can be annoying for many reasons, but people must just chill. I’m African and I did NOT find it offensive at all.
People are reaching…
If anyone is interested, it was the Huffpo.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/taylor-swift-wildest-dreams-video_55e3a899e4b0c818f6183d6c
To me, just the first line shows they were determined to give a bad review.
Wow, they’re really reaching on that one.
I read an article by a white, female liberal shaming Bernie Sanders for hiring a black female because it was “tokenism.”
*hangs head*
Okay, so should he just hire white people then? Calling this “imperialism” is the same lunacy. The video ends with a note saying all proceeds will go to African wild life. That’s gonna be a nice chunk of change. But you’d rather that NOT happen because you can kinda sorta make an argument for why this could maybe somehow kinda be offensive? CHILL.
Add me to those who like this video. I really, really, really don’t like Taylor Swift but I can get behind some of her music and Style is a fave of mine too.
I liked it! And she does look beautiful as a brunette. Scott Eastwood does absolutely nothing for my lady bits.
I love taylor’s music, but I literally never liked one of her videos.
Boring, predictable video and another song about her red lips.
Meh- I don’t think there’s much to read into with the hair colour. I think it’s supposed to be like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. That’s all.
Am I prude in that I don’t need my 10-year old daughter hearing a song with the phrase “handsome as hell” and parts about his clothes in her room and their bodies being twisted together all night or whatever that was? Maybe as Swifty’s grown up her original fan base has as well and the younger fans like my daughter are too young?
No, I think part of it might go over her head, but I think 10 is a little young to be hearing that. I don’t know, I have no kids, but I think it must be really hard in today’s world to keep them from hearing and seeing things that are inappropriate for their age. I feel for ya.
I remember asking my parents what “did she go down on you in a theater” meant, but thankfully my parents were immigrants and had no clue what “go down on” meant. Ahhhh, to be young and clueless to innuendo in music again. 🙂
I have to say I agree. I think about this lyric in particular, “his hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room..Tangled up with you all night, burning it down..” when I ask myself if little girls actually pay attention to it. If there are parents out there who are uncomfortable about those lyrics, maybe 8 year old girls/preteens should find another, more Disney-esque artist to follow. Even though she is arguably the cleanest pop act out there right now, Taylor is 25 and shouldn’t have to apologize for her lyrics. Parents are responsible for what little girls are singing along with at the end of the day.
Cecil
Is it really Cecil??????
Nah, a stand-in Lion actor, but he has a black mane to look like Cecil.
That…song. I mean, it’s fine as music, but the lyrics? All she yearns for is the guy to remember how pretty-looking and nicely-dressed she was? Like, never mind her personality or the good times they had–just remember that she was super-decorative.
And yeah, regarding Scott Eastwood looking like a talented actor compared to Taylor. I thought the acting in Blank Space’s video was supposed to be campy, but that’s the best she can do, because she gives the same performance here.
Although, seeing that note at the end about donating profits to conservation, I am reminded again of the dichotomy of Taylor Swift — I think she’s pretty into herself, but I also honestly think she’s a generous-hearted and moral person who tries to do good in this world.
I do criticize her, but mostly she gets a pass from me for being absurd, because there are so many other celebrities who are absurd in mean-spirited and/or hedonistic ways. I prefer Taylor’s sort of harmless drama (backed up with apparently-genuine concern for others) to theirs.
The cynic in me feels it’s a very calculated move designed to make her look good specially after the whole Cecil outrage.
Wow. What awful and needy lyrics.
She comes across as the deranged girl who practises her married name signature and googles wedding dress after two dates.
As for the video I’ve started watching Zoo on UK TV so every time the lion was on screen I was waiting for him to eat everyone.
Loved it
So Taylor is Lana Del Rey now?
She’s kinda ripping off her schtick, let’s be honest.
Beautiful video, but I feel like Swifty doesn’t understand her own music. The video for style goes much better with the song wildest dreams
You could tell Style was rushed – she was putting together her tour then and everything about it was, “okay, what can we shoot in one single sound stage in like, a day?”
+1
What is up with all the Scott Eastwood hate? Wow lol. After ‘The Longest Ride,’ I am definitely a sucker for him. I think part of it is that he is very masculine and a lot of the actors we adore right now have a very metro look – Cumberbatch, Leto, Redmayne. The manly, gritty cowboy-esque persona – that worked well for his father and yes, Robert Redford – seems rare anymore. Matthew McC. comes to mind, but he’s getting older. We need more manly men in HWood to balance out all the Brit/Metro that’s happening right now.
All I can see especially from the photo above is that she is starting to look more and more like her cats.
Put me in the ‘love it’ camp. Agree with all the positive comments already made and happily admit to being a Swifty (recent convert).
And yes, Madonna was queen of the music video. If only she would make great pop music again. *sigh*
Sounds like a Lana Del Rey knock-off.
Damn! Scott Eastwood is HOT! I would like to see him more!
I think the hair analysis is a bit of a stretch, frankly.
She is blonde. If she wants to portray a “character” rather than herself, then the easiest way to do this is to change her hair colour to brown. Psychologically, the audience is able to immediately identify that she is not playing “taylor swift” in the video, but someone else.
The lyrics are so vapid and shallow. How did it make it to the cutting room?