The Subtle Way Piers Morgan Was Called Out At Taylor Swift's Eras Tour
Saying that Piers Morgan is outspoken would be underselling him quite a bit. The journalist and media personality is well known for his over-the-top, critical views on everything from Disney's attempts to bring diversity to its productions to pretty much anything that Meghan Markle does or says.
Still, Morgan seems to have spared the scathing takes thus far when it comes to Taylor Swift. After attending a show during the singer's Eras tour stop at Wembley Stadium in London, Morgan wrote a rather glowing review for The Sun on June 24, complimenting Swift's stage presence, the show's theatrics, and the happiness she brought to the crowd. "There's no denying her incredible talent; she sings, plays the guitar and piano, dances, acts, and switches dresses faster than a catwalk model," he wrote. "To emphasize just how happy she herself now is, Taylor even wheeled out her boyfriend, NFL superstar Travis Kelce, in top hat and tails for a funny skit."
Still, Morgan claimed that one thing soured the show for him. At the end of the show, as attendees departed, staffers handed out free friendship bracelets — one of Swift's signature accessories which many fans trade at her shows. Morgan said that, while his daughter Elise and her friend got complimentary messages, his was a little more pointed. "Mine said simply: 'Y U gotta be so mean?'" he wrote. "There's no hiding place from Taylor Swift." Whether someone intentionally gave that specific bracelet to Morgan or not, maybe it is a message that the broadcaster should take to heart.
Piers Morgan can dish it out, but can he take it?
Piers Morgan was bothered enough to mention that he got the only negative message among his group's gifted friendship bracelets. Was it just a coincidence? A bit of karma in action? Did someone have that specific bracelet ready to go? Either way, it's rather amusing that a media personality known for being mean and critical would get that particular message.
Almost 90,000 people attended the Wembley shows, so giving out specific bracelets to those leaving the concert sounds like it would be a logistical nightmare. Also, Morgan was far from the only notable person at Taylor Swift's London shows, as attendees over the tour stop included Prince William — who really let loose — and musical legend Paul McCartney. Did they all get coded friendship bracelets as well? If someone did hand out that specific bracelet to Morgan as a spur-of-the-moment pointed message, their quick thinking was impressive.
Writer Katie Edwards also took issue with Morgan's support for Swift in an opinion piece for The Independent, as she found it distasteful to have something in common with the controversial figure such as being a fan of Swift. However, she wondered how long it would be before the prickly Morgan turned to criticizing the "Cardigan" singer. "Still, Piers Morgan's newfound admiration for Taylor Swift may be short-lived: just look at his sustained campaign of hatred against Meghan Markle," Edwards wrote. "Doesn't matter, though, Taylor will just shake it off. It's what she does best."
Taylor Swift wrote Mean to chastise the overly-critical
The lyric "Y U gotta be so mean?" comes from the song "Mean" — a song off Taylor Swift's third album "Speak Now" — in response to a music critic who called the singer "too young and dumb to understand the mistake she'd made" after claiming Swift's singing was bad during a live duet with Stevie Nicks (via CBS News). So it seems that the "Bad Blood" singer would, in fact, take issue with someone like Piers Morgan who makes a living tearing other people down.
The lyrics to "Mean" make her stance clear, as she refers to critics with their "words like knives / and swords and weapons that you use against me." In the song, she wonders how they got that way, suggesting "I bet you got pushed around / Somebody made you cold / But the cycle ends right now." The "Shake It Off" singer was also quite prescient with the line, "Someday, I'll be big enough so you can't hit me / And all you're ever gonna be is mean," as she went on to win two Grammys for the song.
Piers Morgan wrote in his column for The Sun that "[Swift] writes great pop because she understands what people go through in the relentless emotional rollercoaster of life, having experienced it herself." As that includes dealing with overly critical media personalities, all things considered, Morgan should probably take the hint.