Ginny and Georgia’s Not-So-Grand Debut

The+new+show%2C+Ginny+%26+Georgia%2C+has+faced+much+controversy+after+Taylor+Swift+calls+them+out+for+an+offensive+joke+about+her+dating+life.+

Noa Belenhssen

The new show, “Ginny & Georgia,” has faced much controversy after Taylor Swift calls them out for an offensive joke about her dating life.

Ingrid Moises, Staff Writer

For the past several weeks, “Ginny & Georgia” has soared to the top of the Netflix Originals trending charts. According to Netflix, the show reached first on the list for “Top 10 Watched in the U.S.” Since its release on Feb. 24, the show has been off to a rocky start due to claims of misogyny from popstar Taylor Swift herself after making an outdated joke about her love life.

In one of the episodes, Ginny joked to her mother, “You go through men faster than Taylor Swift.” This joke has been around for over a decade, starting at the beginning of Taylor Swift’s career in 2010. Swift’s illustrious career has often been taken as a joke because she is a woman and it is alarming that a show promoting social justice repeated this joke like a broken record.

Prior to the show, Taylor Swift has previously spoken out and said that these jokes made about her and her dating history have been based on misogyny. She believes that because she was so young in the music industry there were ways to tear her down, and shame her for the things that her male counterparts also do. She has stated it is a sexist angle to take when giving her a reputation. In 2014, Swift said to an interviewer,“No one says that about Ed Sheeran. No one says it about Bruno Mars. They’re all writing songs about their exes, their current girlfriends, their love-life, and no one raises a red flag there.” Many people speculate that Swift is singled out about her romantic life just because she is a young woman.

“I think that the drama with Swift has actually given the show much more attention,” senior Neil Toloza said.

In the show, there are many references to social justice issues. The main character, Ginny, is an outspoken young adult that appears to care about what is going on in today’s society. However, it has been noted to be ironic to make a joke about Swift’s dating history, considering those criticisms have been deemed misogynistic by many. In the past, these jokes unfairly gave Swift a negative reputation at a young age. She often has mentioned that her male counterparts do not receive the same treatment.

“I understand why Taylor feels offended. She has been hearing the same negative things about her for many years,” junior Abigail Colodner said.

After Taylor heard about this joke, she spoke out on Twitter regarding how she felt. This comment clearly offended Swift and it has been made clear she is tired of hearing this joke constantly through the course of her career. Considering two Taylor Swift documentaries have been Netflix Originals, it is clear Swift feels taken advantage of. In addition, the “Miss Americana” documentary Swift referred to actually highlighted her struggles in the industry due to her unjustly placed bad reputation. This was not a good look on Netflix producers, or the writers of “Ginny and Georgia.”

All in all, it’s safe to say Swift has always stood up against the negative narratives put on her, and has set an example for others in the same predicament. Although this controversy was not a great debut for the show, it does not appear to be facing any repercussions because of it.