Recently I once again made the mistake of reading online comments, this time about a beautiful, rock and roll-ish photoshoot of Taylor Swift for Vogue. A variation on “Eww, she’s so awkward” seemed to be a popular opinion. My first thought while reading these comments was how very sad it is, this reflex to immediately attack a beautiful young woman, if not by scrutinizing her body, then by lashing out at the vibe anonymous internet twats think it exudes.
What on earth is wrong with awkwardness anyway? I happen to love noticing it in other people. It’s so freakin’ relatable.
And I love that Taylor seems to embrace hers. Like when she’s dancing alone at award shows, all enthusiastic and free – and yes, also awkwardly. But that’s part of what makes it so beautiful. No wonder there’s an awesome Tumblr blog called awkwardtaylorswiftdancing devoted to just her dancing splendor[1].
I’m in awe everytime I see Beyoncé dancing, with all that power and sensuality. I could never in a gazillion years dance like her and I’ve (almost) come to terms with that; after all not being able to bend like Bey makes me admire her moves even more.
But dancing like Taylor, that might still be within the realm of possibilities for me. It takes a lot of courage too, because as women we are so often told that we should be sexy and sensual all day every day. So showing another side, one we all have and that is very vulnerable, is almost a rebellious act.
So I applaud you, Taylor, for owning your vulnerability like a boss and having fun with it, and for realizing the strenght that lies within all your glorious awkwardness.
Taytay has sung it many times before: haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate; so let’s shake it off together as awkwardly and joyfully as possible.
Ruth Van de steene 