This Was the Week That Was

This year's Grammys awards were a bit like Ladies Night at a popular tavern. Except for one unlucky rapster, the women cleaned up with the awards. Just for starters, Miley Cyrus got Record of the Year, Taylor Swift got Album of the Year, Billie Ellish shared Best Song of the Year with her brother, Victoria Monet received Best New Artist and Boy Genius (a trio of three women) received Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance awards.

And then just to make things interesting, Killer Mike, a male recipient of three awards, was handcuffed by the LAPD and escorted out of the building for taking part in an altercation with a security guard. To Killer Mike's benefit, I do believe he was released later that evening after charges were dropped. Nonetheless, having the leading male arrested, while the women clean-up was a different scenario from what we are used to seeing at this prestigious event.

Ladies Night at the Grammys

The Awards Were Just The Beginning

Taylor Swift at the 2024 Grammy Awards

The Grammys were just the beginning for what had to be a very strange and unusual week for one very successful songwriter and stage performer, named Taylor Swift. In fact, the music awards were just a mild warm-up for a bizarre series of events that culminated in a four-hour American sports spectacle that we all know as the Super Bowl.

The weirdness started with the requests (borderline threats) that Ms. Swift stay out of politics and not endorse Joe Biden, like she did in 2020. Notables, who sounded off on this issue included the usual suspects such as Fox News, Donald Trump, Steve Bannon and Judge Jeanine Piro. At the same time Taylor drew much public support from people like Anne Coulter, David Letterman, Joe Biden, a host of U.S. senators and Hollywood entertainers.

And just when you didn't think things couldn't get any weirder, they most certainly did. I think it started with Donald Trump saying that he helped make Taylor the success that she is today. So important was Donald's role that he believed she at least owed him some kind words and public support.

Then came the icing on the cake, the Super Bowl conspiracy theories, for it seems that all kinds of imaginative free thinkers came up with the idea that the Super Bowl was rigged on behalf of the Kansas City Chiefs, so Taylor Swift could use the spotlight to endorse Joe Biden. With all this going down, Taylor probably couldn't wait to leave the country for her upcoming Tokyo concert.

Not Strong Enough by Boygenius

Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift from her Midnights album

The Madness Ends

Maybe it was sharing an expensive suite at the Super Bowl with Paul McCarthy, but whatever the reason, the madness that has surrounded Taylor Swift for the past week seems to have subsided. And for this talented songwriter, this day has probably come, none too soon.

After doing a Saturday night concert in Japan, the young lady flew direct to LA and made it over to Las Vegas, just in time to watch her new beau, Travis Kelce, compete in the big game as a Tight End for the Kansas City Chiefs. Although it was a wild and woolly affair, the Chiefs prevailed with a three point victory. The aftermath included numerous news pics of Taylor together on the playing field, celebrating the big win with a uniformed Travis.

At least for now, the conspiracy theorists have gone back down their rabbit holes, Donald Trump has other things to worry about, Ms. Swift has a Friday tour date in Melbourne, Australia and Travis is about to enter the off-season. Life returns to normal or something similar, but as election day approaches, some of these issues may magically reappear on the not-so-distant horizon. Stay tuned, it might get interesting.

Taylor Swift and friends at the Super Bowl