Swifties and non-Swifties unite: ‘Look What You Made Me Do: A Love Letter to the Fandom Era’
I was so excited when I heard about Kat McKenna’s new book, Look What You Made Me Do: A Love Letter to the Fandom Era. I’d seen an influencer describe it as “a book about Taylor Swift”, and as a massive fan, I was intrigued.
Although Taylor’s name isn’t explicitly mentioned on the cover, the cover is suitably Taylor coded, with snakes and sparkles, the title a track from her 5th album, Reputation, and the golden word of the year: “era”.
However, the book is not all about Taylor. It is an exploration of fandom culture, looking at the history, culture and controversy of being a modern fan. While different groups of fans throughout pop history are analysed, the main objects of observation are Taylor Swift fans.
Kat herself is a huge Swiftie. She starts the book by sharing how her interest in Taylor began, and later describes how she went from a 11-year-old writing songs in her bedroom to the global powerhouse that she currently is.
From a fan’s perspective, Kat hits all the marks, including obscure facts about Taylor that I did not know while marking out the biggest moments in the timeline for new fans. She sprinkles her own magic throughout the book, casually dropping song titles into sentences, which keeps it exciting for long-time fans.
Kat proceeds to step back and examines why fans hang onto these details in the first place. She observes how being part of a fandom used to be secret and something to be ashamed about (I remember from my teenage years endlessly watching Taylor Swift music videos alone in my room).
“This is a fun and thought provoking read for Swifties and non-Swifties, who are looking to learn the lore or for a detailed observation of fandom culture. ”
Nowadays, it is a lot more accepted to be a fan of something. Celebrities like Taylor stand to benefit from having strong fandoms who will buy their merch, pack their stadiums and support their causes. Their keep their fans interested and value them which is crucial.
Yet, Kat shines a light on the darker side of fandom. The removal of the “fourth wall” has allowed celebrities to become closer to their fans than ever before, but this becomes problematic when the line of openness and privacy is blurred.
An example given in the book is when Taylor dated Matty Healy last year and fans started a hashtag questioning her relationship given his previously problematic behaviour. They felt they were owed an explanation, when really, Taylor's love life is no one’s business. Her song writing abilities makes fans feel close to her, so much so that they think they know every thought in her head, because she seems to know theirs. Taylor’s fans are in a parasocial relationship with her, but it’s very much one way.
This fact was hammered home to me when I went to the Eras Tour. I was one of 92,000 fans that night, each one of us screaming for Taylor to look our way just for a second. It was an amazing experience that made me blissfully happy for days afterwards.
But as Kat points out, anything that makes young women happy is always going to be judged slightly more critically. Kat covers not only the endless sexism Taylor has faced throughout her career, but the sexism against female fans. Excited, screaming female fans are seen as “out of their minds”, where anything that makes women feel emotions is dismissed as trivial.
This is a fun and thought provoking read for Swifties and non-Swifties, who are looking to learn the lore or for a detailed observation of fandom culture.
This review was written by book club member, Erin.
Erin lives in Tooting Bec and works as a Marketing Manager for a non-fiction publisher.
She's from Scotland and moved to London 3 years ago. You'll find her zoning out to an audiobook around Tooting Common or enjoying a pint at the Wheatsheaf.
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