Sick Of Everything (Or "Are You Ready For It?)

 

I don't have it in me to tell you the same story that I've told you before.

And, frankly, you don't want to read that.

You know: Go to Brunswick and call basketball. But, before that, I also set up for hockey.

Then call the basketball game, break down quickly, go upstairs, and call hockey.

Five hours or whatever on the air, break down again, drive home, pick up cat food on the food.

I mean, you get it.

You're also quite right to be sick of it.

No wonder reads are way down on this page. I suck.

So, instead, we can talk about an act so famous that people got sick of them! It's a case of being constantly on TV and other media.

Charming, yes, but also tiring.

So, am I talking about Taylor Swift or The Beatles?

Sixty years ago tonight

The Beatles made their U.S. debut on The Ed Sullivan Show 60 years ago tonight. A whopping, ridiculous 73 million people watched, which was a monstrous audience for 1964. We can prattle on about how they changed literally everything of course.

Music. Fashion. Marketing. Movies. Merchandise. It was a total pop culture explosion and started The British Invasion.

But, inevitably, there was pushback. People got tired. Certainly, there was the "more popular than Jesus" stuff of 1966 and that might have been a breaking point. 

One had to exist.

If they had attended a soccer (football) game to watch their loved one, it would have attracted attention. TV directors would have had their camerapeople zooming in on the Beatle in question.

Does any of this ring a bell?

Let's flash forward to 2024.

(Found online)

You might know a certain T.A. Swift, formerly of Wyomissing, PA has taken a stronger interest in football due to her dating one Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mass hysteria has of course ensued and any director worth their time has covered it with a few reaction shots.

Frankly, it's been no worse than shots of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones or New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. 

The reaction shot has existed for years, dating back to the likes of player's wives and families. I mean, for what it's worth, I saw countless reaction shots of Derek Jeter's parents.

But, as it often happens, a certain exhaustion creeps in and then the complaining begins. 

I've heard the moaning about basically all of the above reaction shots I just mentioned and so I wasn't the least bit surprised when Taylor Swift found herself in the target.

If you want to believe it's some "MAGA/Trump/Conservative/White Man" thing, rock on. That's your business. If you think it's "white men afraid of powerful women," have at it. Who am I to say otherwise?

Seems kind of sad and petty if that's your take but so be it. That's how this all works.

But, perhaps, just maybe, you know, it's people are just tired of seeing Taylor Swift -- even for 30 seconds -- because they're just tired of seeing Taylor Swift? That it isn't some GRAND conspiracy or hatred of women or whatever else? 

That maybe posting a picture of her every day is 1) unnecessary and 2) pandering to your trusty collection of social media enablers who pat you on the head?

Look, I don't want to listen to Taylor Swift's music. I have nothing against it necessarily. "Shake it Off" is fine and there are a few other things that I've heard that I appreciate. I own one album because my niece gave me her music collection and that was in it. I've never played it.

Go see her in concert? Politely, let me just say no. It would require certain incentives. I'll leave it at that.

But she's charming and harmless and funny and kind and wonderful to her fans and seems -- what do I know? -- pretty down to Earth (as much as one can be in her shoes). Seems like she'd be fun to just talk to.

She sort of seems like a female Paul McCartney.

(Rolling Stone)

Honestly, if she somehow makes it to Las Vegas for super-duper whatever on Sunday, who is being harmed? 

It will be covered on social media and TV and it might seem insufferable. But a lot of people will enjoy it and it has brought new eyes to the screen. I mean, can we get her involved with baseball (preferably, the Yankees)?

Frankly, I'll get a laugh out of it all. 

But I also might roll my eyes.

It's OK to suffer from Taylor exhaustion. Nobody gets to be the gatekeeper of that. Given I'm the home office for being tired of overplayed songs (looking at you, "Jack and Diane"), I totally get that.

When Taylor announced at the Grammy's that another new album was coming out, I asked to be put out of my misery. Not because I have anything against her. Far from it.

I'm just tired of it. 

And that's sort of what I feel detractors of the Liverpool lads must have felt. Whether they were putting two or three albums out per year or some record company was releasing compilations, Beatlemania was very much a supernova.

And, in some ways, still is. After all, they won a Grammy last Sunday and two members are dead.

So is it really that hard to just watch the game Sunday and ignore her? Root for the 49ers if that brings you peace.

Maybe make it a drinking game or an eating game every time she's on the screen?

Or maybe just embrace it as these two people are on whatever journey they're on, leading to the possible breakup song one day?

My advice would be that you're on your own, kid.

Don't be a hater.

Shake it off.