My Somewhat Twisted Perspective on Taylor Swift's Song You Belong with Me

There is a catchy little single that is all the rage on the radio recently called "You Belong with Me", sung by the beautiful singer Taylor Swift. As talented as the singer is, I can't help but feel a tinge of annoyance whenever I hear this song; maybe I'm just getting old, or maybe I'm too much of a no-nonsense kind of person, since I'm pretty sure I would've rolled my eyes even as a teenager. Whatever is the case, the lyrics grate me.

If I may summarize the story for the song, it goes something like this:

I'm a down to earth, cool, t-shirt-wearing kind of girl, and I'm completely in love with my male BFF who incidentally has a girlfriend. The girlfriend is (surprise, surprise) the captain of the cheerleading squad and fashionable. Oh, and mean and humourless, according to me. She is not good enough for him, not like I would be, the main reason being that she has no taste in music, unlike me and her boyfriend, who should be mine, by the way. And in case I haven't been clear, he belongs with me, even if I just stay in the shadow and complain to myself.

Cliché, much? I'm surprised that the lyrics don't include the cheerleader's hair colour (blond, naturally), how she uses her boyfriend and anyone in her path, how the boyfriend is the lead guitarist in a garage band, or how Taylor Swift's character is the darker-haired, black eyeliner-wearing (but supposedly make-up free) chick who is low maintenance and one of the guys.

Mental note: I really need to stop watching movies about hip teenagers and their one-noted hot blond nemeses.

What I find most annoying is the main character's holier-than-thou attitude and the idea that her observations are incontrovertibly true; what makes her think that she is the epitome of what her guy friend wants in a relationship?

"You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset
She's going off about something that you said
She doesn't get your humour like I do"

Of course. When a girl is upset about something her boyfriend said, it is obviously her fault and has to do with her being humourless or oversensitive. It couldn't possibly have been a case of him being a thoughtless boob or making the same lame joke for the billionth time. No. High school boys who listen to hip (likely indie) music don't do that. Besides, this guy has a really cute smile, what could he possibly say that can upset anyone?

I can nitpick at the entire song, but I won't, because I would probably want to start slapping teenage girls in puppy dog love.

Look. I was never the hot and popular cheerleader. In fact, I have been one of the guys for the better part of my life, but this is unfair - cheerleaders have feelings too! Just because she wears short skirts and high heels doesn't mean that she's superficial; maybe she just likes to take care of herself and look pretty. Why should she be penalized for liking girly clothes?

While we're at it, why does Taylor's character think she's better than the girlfriend because she's not a cheerleader? Did she ever stop to think that maybe the boy in question wants a girlfriend who is active, fit, flexible, and participates in extracurricular activities that can possibly get her a scholarship when she heads off to college?

All this talk about how the main character is the one who understands him while she waits at his back door, dreams about him finally seeing who he belongs with (i.e. her), how easy it is for him to be with her, and how she is what he's been looking for all along ... these things just make her sound like a fool in denial who thinks she's better than others but doesn't have the guts to do anything.

On the upside, my twisted little heart is warmed by the fact that the cheerleader did not compromise her interests and tolerance to appease her boyfriend.

I give my kudos to Taylor Swift and her lyricist for creating such a vivid storyline in my head, even if it makes me want to bang my head against the steering wheel as I drive to work every morning. Perhaps I should be more forgiving; this is probably very relatable to many young women. However, it is the fact that this is so relatable to young girls that bothers me. Such a situation takes up a lot of a girl's energy and spirit, which are valuable things that can be utilized to bring herself to greater heights instead of pining for some perfectly-coifed walking hormone in a vintage t-shirt.

In conclusion, I guess my annoyance has more to do with what the song represents - a society of narcissistic youth that is wasting its most valuable resource - themselves.