T-Swift’s Eras Tour Debacle
I’ve never been so desperate, heartbroken, and furious at the same time. Then came the overwhelming defeat. There were so many things wrong with Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour ticket plan and process.
The amount of time that fans from all around the country spent waiting in the now infamous “2000+” queue is astounding. Every single thing about the whole fiasco has upset me; the incredible wait time, the fact that Ticketmaster royally screwed up everything, Swift’s (she/her) extremely delayed response – it all left me seething.
As a fan that spent hours between both days of presale, I have never wanted to throw my laptop at the wall more than I did trying to buy Taylor Swift tickets. With absolutely every chance possible (a Verified Fan Code, and two Capital One codes), I spent hours just to come up empty handed.
I wholeheartedly understand that this is not Swift’s fault – and I don’t blame her for Ticketmaster’s egregious mishandlings. However, I’m not okay with the delayed response (three days after the first day of presale) that made no apology to her fans – fans willing to spend incredible amounts of money to see her. It’s not her fault, but in her role as arguably the biggest musician of our generation, there is an obligation to take accountability. As a celebrity, that’s just how it is. Not once in the statement released did she say “I’m sorry.” Not for the long wait time, not for the cancellation of the general public sale. Nothing.
I’m glad Ticketmaster is getting the backlash it deserved; its poor planning led to this catastrophe. I hope Congress will be able to do something about the monopoly Ticketmaster has on the live event industry, along with the lawsuits being filed against the company by fans.
As a lifelong Swiftie (I dressed up as her for a school project in fourth grade), I am extremely disappointed in her careless response in the situation. I have lost respect from her in what seemed to me as a desultory and halfhearted attempt as crisis management.
Will I ever stop listening to her, or stop loving her? I don’t think so. But I’m saddened by how she did incredibly little to defend her fans. No compassion to the people who made her what she is. I know there is only so much she legally can do or say, but at least some sympathy to her fans would’ve been nice.
