Netflix was in Swifties’ crosshairs over the weekend when #RespectTaylorSwift became a worldwide trend in reaction to jokes on two series that mocked the singer’s dating history.
Swift herself weighed in on Monday (March 1) with a pointed tweet that read, “Hey Ginny & Georgia, 2010 called and it wants its lazy, deeply sexist joke back. How about we stop degrading hard working women by defining this horse s–t as FuNnY. Also, @netflix after Miss Americana this outfit doesn’t look cute on you Happy Women’s History Month I guess.”
Netflix exclusively released Swift’s documentary Miss Americana in January 2020.
The series finale of the streaming service’s original show featured a scene in which Ginny Miller (Antonia Gentry) and her mom, Georgia (Brianne Howey), get into a discussion about Ginny’s boyfriend Hunter. Georgia assumes her daughter has broken up with him, which leads to an annoyed Ginny quipping, “What do you care? You go through men faster than Taylor Swift.”
The line led to the launch of the #Respect tag, which quickly became a worldwide trend, with some fans also calling out a scene from another Netflix series, Degrassi: Next Class, in which a character says, “Taylor Swift made an entire career off her exes.”
The dual references, which Swift’s fans felt were insulting and misogynistic, led to such comments as, “She knew it when she said ‘no one says that about ed sheeran, no one says that about bruno mars, they’re all writing song about their exes, their current gf’s, their love life, and no one raises a red flag there.'”
Billboard has reached out to Netflix and Swift for comment.
Check out some of the tweets below.
Hey Ginny & Georgia, 2010 called and it wants its lazy, deeply sexist joke back. How about we stop degrading hard working women by defining this horse shit as FuNnY. Also, @netflix after Miss Americana this outfit doesn’t look cute on you 💔 Happy Women’s History Month I guess pic.twitter.com/2X0jEOXIWp
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) March 1, 2021
She knew it when she said “no one says that about ed sheeran, no one says that about bruno mars, they're all writing song about their exes, their current gf's, their love life, and no one raises a red flag there”
RESPECT TAYLOR SWIFT pic.twitter.com/rIFASm4kkW
— #ItsRedSeason🧣🎀 (@eliazarxyz) March 1, 2021
we are in 2021 and people are still making these disgusting jokes this is ridiculously misogynistic and disrespectful and the fact that the writers are women is making me SPEECHLESS.
RESPECT TAYLOR SWIFT #respecttaylorswift pic.twitter.com/kqVYWaooDc
— jarvis (the role model) hart (9-1)🐘 (3-6 #bears (@jarvishart) February 28, 2021
https://twitter.com/haveyoumetbuseo/status/1366202627177009155
How is this still happening? How do you throw out “slut-shaming” and try to disguise it as a joke? Shaming women for a dating life that should never concern you to begin with is not okay.
And giving those voices a platform is sickening.
Respect Taylor Swift#respecttaylorswift pic.twitter.com/omTXvgeL1k— TobiLovesTay (@tay_tobi) March 1, 2021
How long do women have to wait to get respect, what this show said was disgusting. Respect Taylor Swift #respecttaylorswift pic.twitter.com/ZBZWkTlsqX
— Priscila (@loverred13) March 1, 2021
it’s 2021, it’s been past time to stop being so misogynistic to women 🙂 get it together. #RESPECTTAYLORSWIFT pic.twitter.com/W4uuBoc3Pr
— Maddie ⊬ (@maddiegturner) February 28, 2021
The power of Swifties 🥰#TaylorSwift #respecttaylorswift pic.twitter.com/3onjb4S2vV
— yasmin/swiftie ❣ (@SwiftieYasmin) March 1, 2021
Damn it looked interesting too! But that doesn’t mean you can be misogynistic. RESPECT TAYLOR SWIFT #CancelGinnyandGeorgia #respecttaylorswift pic.twitter.com/1pQyHeAhe2
— Caviar|| So it FUCKING goes (@caviarsmemes) February 28, 2021
FYI Taylor Swift's success is a product of her hardwork & talent. She doesn't deserve to be treated this way. Arghhh I'm really mad right now. Shame to the writers of these shows!!! I'm disgusted.
😡😤😡#RespectTaylorSwift pic.twitter.com/dwVmKvNk7k
— People of Saturn (@multifangrl97) March 1, 2021
TV shows mentioning Taylor Swift in a respectful way: pic.twitter.com/S4DlZcBnay
— Kusum🧣 (@fearlesstaylena) March 1, 2021