Taylor Swift Class? UP Diliman Says Why Not!

Yes, you read it right!

As I scroll my Facebook page to find a worthy story, I see this Pep.ph article. If you are not swifties but spending seconds judging this story, I have successfully gotten your attention.

Eras Tour ended last year. But it does not mean no one will talk about Taylor Swift. Whenever you go, it’s all about Taylor Swift, especially this week. Her death stare during the Golden Globe Awards after Jo Koy joked about her is now historical. 

Since many Filipinos are diehard fans of Taylor Swift, and just like any swifties, they follow any discussions, why not hold a class about Taylor Swift? 

Is this serious? Probably, the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman has taken this idea seriously as it is set to hold the first academic class on Taylor Swift in the next semester—the first in the Philippines.

What is BMAS 196 Celebrity Studies: Taylor Swift in Focus?

According to Pep, it is a three-hour weekly lecture focusing on the “conception, construction, and performance of Taylor Swift as a celebrity. If you think studying Tay Tay is related to media’s relationship with class, politics, gender, race, and fantasies of success and mobility,” you are right.

UPD Associate Professor Cherish Aileen Brillon will hold the class in the second semester of AY 2023-2024.

“There have been many courses about Taylor Swift in universities abroad and I think there hasn’t been one in the Philippines yet. This a bit surprising since we are a Taylor Swift nation. We figure prominently in the top listeners and streamers of her songs, we have Taylor Sheesh who’s one of the biggest Taylor drag performers, and right now with her Eras Tour, which is one of the biggest historically, I think it’s time for us here in the Philippines to look at her in an in-depth manner,” Brillon told SPOT.ph in an interview.

What Makes BMAS 196 Celebrity Studies: Taylor Swift in Focus Different From Other T.Swift Class?

Taylor Swift courses have been in the curriculum in some universities. According to the source, most courses on Taylor Swift often focus on her storytelling in music, which actually makes sense because she’s a music artist. Some classes discuss her impact on the commercial side of the music industry. What makes BMAS 196 Celebrity Studies: Taylor Swift in Focus different from other classes — with the help of the UP Department of Broadcast Communication (DBC) — is that it takes a more distinct approach to her career.

So are you going to take the class? Share your thoughts!