The Inevitable Ugliness of Sin
"Daughters, objectify yourselves" - Christian mothers
These are some of the lyrics from Taylor Swift’s new album. An album which I have seen moms bring their 6 year old daughters to launch parties for. Eight out of the twelve songs on “The Life of a Showgirl” are labeled explicit, marking the most Swift has sworn on one album in her career. But Christian women can’t wait to serve it up to their little sweeties! Because #beats and #vibes.
Let’s take a look at what’s lurking in those good vibes for your little cuties.
Wood
Forgive me, it sounds cocky
He ah-matized me and opened my еyes
Redwood tree, it ain’t hard to see
His love was thе key that opened my thighs
Father Figure
I’ll be your father figure, I drink that brown liquor
I can make deals with the devil because my dick’s bigger
This love is pure profit, just step into my office
They’ll know your name in the streets
Honey
Honey, I’m home, we could play house
We can bed down, pick me up
Who’s the baddest in the land? What’s the plan? (What’s the plan?)
You could be my forever-night stand, honey
Ruin the Friendship
And it was not an invitation
Should’ve kissed you anyway
Should’ve kissed you anyway
And it was not convenient, no
But your girlfriend was away
Should’ve kissed you anyway, hey
Actually Romantic
I heard you call me “Boring Barbie” when the coke’s got you brave
High-fived my ex and then you said you’re glad he ghosted me
Wrote me a song saying it makes you sick to see my face
Some people might be offended
Wi$h Li$t
They want that yacht life, under chopper blades
They want those bright lights and Balenci’ shades
And a fat ass with a baby face
They want it all
They want that complex female character
They want that critical smash Palme d’Or
And an Oscar on their bathroom floor
They want it all
The Life of a Showgirl
Taylor Swift’s new album released yesterday and the internet is ablaze with its thoughts. Of course there’s always a plentiful abundance of hot takes, but what has surprised me is the many fans who are calling the album objectively terrible. I guess it only serves to highlight the reality that sin - when pursued to its final end - actually ends up quite hideous and ugly.
I know she has plenty of fans loving the new album — that she has people who hate it isn’t the point of this article or even a detraction from her skill as an artist. But there is a clear degradation of the content of her art and even fans are seeing it. Why is that? Because sin is a rush to the bottom. Who can show the most skin, reveal the most “free spiritedness,” create the edgiest content… it’s why we have seen the amount of cursing increase with each album. Sin offers a slow descent into the abyss.
And it only leads to ugly places.
I imagine Eve felt that way about the fruit that was so pleasing to the eye, but once a taste was had, turned bitter on her tongue.
I’m not saying that non-Christians are reacting this way because they realize that what is wrong with her music is departure from truth (which has been there for a long, long time), but I am saying that departure from truth, goodness and beauty leads you to one end: ugliness. Both aesthetically and morally.
I am grateful for the further slide down the slippery slope of depravity exposed by this album because it gives Christians no excuse to cover for her. Yes, there is a hint of a desire for something more and deeper with a song about how she still believes in marriage and wants kids. So being a tradwife is suddenly en vogue. I’m sure Christian fans of Taylor will latch onto that song and cling for dear life as justification of some “transition” into womanhood Taylor is finally making.
Mothers, what are you doing?
Regardless of the positive message of that song and the very mixed reviews from internet critics, the album as a whole is not edifying or something Christian women should be letting their daughters listen to. It makes sense why the world would love this. It does not make sense why Christians would. And yet, my Facebook feed is filled with images and videos shared of moms who took their very young daughters to a launch party for the album, complete with fringe showgirl dresses and heavy makeup and hair done.
It makes sense why the world would love this. It does not make sense why Christians would.
What is it we are applauding here? What are we teaching our daughters to love and to emulate?
I am the mother of four girls. I can appreciate the desire to have fun with my kids, and I can understand how one might make a slip up here or there in effort to please or appeal to her kids’ desires, even when one knows they are base. This is not that. This is not a slip up or mistake in judgment. The women and mothers not just allowing but PROMOTING this type of depraved content to their daughters are lacking moral clarity and abdicating their role as parents.
I am beginning to wonder if there is any line Taylor could cross that would make these mothers question feeding her music to their hungry daughters?
To daughters thirsty for role models, longing for female figures to look up to, eager to emulate what the world finds beautiful. We must offer them better options than Taylor. And there is no shortage of better options. Role models abound! But here we are feeding them slop. Why? Could it be that we are the ones who need to consider OUR tastebuds? Ask if what we crave is really the issue here?
Fathers, where are you?
Even more concerning than the mothers that have gone full bore into not just creating but supporting their young daughters’ Taylor Swift addition, even despite this newest album chocked full of shallow thoughts and moral rot is the lack of fathers protecting their daughters from its decay. Just like Adam in the garden, failure to lead (and instead turning their role over to women) is man’s achilles heel and it’s no different today than it was then.
It is sad, disappointing and shameful that fathers have failed to protect the daughters they are charged with keeping safe. It’s prophetic of things to come in those girls’ lives in regards to all things that have to do with boys. If you will not protect your daughter from predatory lyrics that teach her to objectify herself, her body and her relationships, what makes you think you will protect her from a predator in the real world? I see no difference. The apathy is at an all-time high, most of all for Christians.
“We’re just having a good time” and “It’s tay tay!” are reason enough for fathers everywhere to shut their eyes and ears to what feels too difficult to confront and they can’t be bothered to discern. Just let them watch their Monday night football in peace, thankyouverymuch.
It’s not just the children
Again, I’m not surprised to see this degradation in Taylor’s language, content and aesthetic. I’ve been warning about it for years. But the blindness of many believers to call it what it is and hold their musical tastes to a higher standard will hurt their children hardest. Children whose moral imaginations are still being shaped and formed. Children whose tastes and affinities are still being honed. Children whose ethos is largely undeveloped will be the victims of their mothers’ and fathers’ indiscretion. And it’s a shame.
But it’s not just the children who are negatively affected by feeding their souls this type of content.
Philippians 4:8 comes to mind.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
It’s bad for adults for the same reason it’s bad for children. We crave what we consume.
“Why are you critiquing Taylor instead of praying for her?” they cry in the comments sections of anyone urging discernment.
As Christians, we should pray for Taylor. But praying for someone doesn’t require you to consume their content. You don’t have to baptize her music for your kindergartner in order to pray God reveals truth to her, and to argue as much is a straw man you’re using because you WANT to listen to it and feel virtuous at the same time.
In a day and age with so many catchy and upbeat Christian artists to choose from (Forrest Frank comes to mind) there is simply no excuse to deliver trash thoughts and words on a platter to your children or yourselves. But even if there were NO good alternatives, it wouldn’t justify letting discernment lapse in order to have a good time.
Scripture is clear that it is through what we put into our MIND that we are transformed, for better or worse.
Romans 12:2:
2 Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[b]
What we listen to and think about shapes who we are and who we become. It affects our ability to glorify God with our heart, soul, and mind. (Matt. 22:37) It affects our ability to bring glory to God with whatever we are doing. (1 Cor. 10:31)
We cannot detach the content we consume visually or audibly from the effect it has on us as people. Music is powerful. It is programming. This is why false churches like Bethel and Hillsong use it to draw followers to their “ministries.” They recognize the power of music.
Why can’t Christians do the same?