Taylor Swift, Fellow 'Silence Breakers' Named 'TIME' Person of the Year
Matthew Scott Donnelly Published: December 6, 2017
Pascal Le Segretain, Getty Images
Taylor Swift has landed a spot among Time's annual "Person of the Year" honors, but it's not for record-breaking sales or an armful of Grammys.
The magazine, which has previously named Barack Obama, Ebola fighters and the Enron whistleblowers as its pick for Person of the Year, has landed on the "Silence Breakers" as its 2017 honorees. The group, which includes Ashley Judd, Rose McGowan and many others who exist outside of the celebrity world, account for the women who have come forward in recent months to boldly identify the men who have sexually assaulted them, lewdly propositioned them or extorted them, typically in the workplace. By naming those responsible, women frequently faced career blackballing or additional danger. Still, for their efforts, men like Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose have faced unprecedented consequences.
"This reckoning appears to have sprung up overnight. But it has actually been simmering for years, decades, centuries," the piece reads. "Women have had it with bosses and co-workers who not only cross boundaries but don't even seem to know that boundaries exist. They've had it with the fear of retaliation, of being blackballed, of being fired from a job they can't afford to lose. They've had it with the code of going along to get along. They've had it with men who use their power to take what they want from women. These silence breakers have started a revolution of refusal, gathering strength by the day, and in the past two months alone, their collective anger has spurred immediate and shocking results: nearly every day, CEOs have been fired, moguls toppled, icons disgraced. In some cases, criminal charges have been brought."
Swift was included for her speaking up about a Denver radio DJ's harassment. She claimed David Mueller grabbed her lewdly during a press photo stop — Mueller was consequently fired and sued Swift for millions. Swift, in turn, countersued for only $1 to make a point.
"I figured that if he would be brazen enough to assault me under these risky circumstances," Swift told Time, "imagine what he might do to a vulnerable, young artist if given the chance."
Followers seemed to be mixed on Taylor's inclusion in the category — one wrote "Not a big fan of Taylor's, in general, but she was very brave during that trial and her voice matters," while another noted "Has @taylorswift13 fought for rights in general or specifically related to her own case? Honestly just curious. @rosemcgowan and many others were much more vocal in this movement?"
Followers also thought President Donald Trump's landing on the year's shortlist sent mixed messages, as Trump, himself, still faces more than a dozen accusations of sexual assault.
A Look at Taylor Swift's Expansive Squad:
Next: Taylor Swift Describes Alleged Assault in Deposition
Source: Taylor Swift, Fellow 'Silence Breakers' Named 'TIME' Person of the Year
Filed Under: ashley judd, Taylor Swift, time
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