We Need More Blunt & Brutally Honest Figures Like Courtney Love
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It’s never shocking when Courtney Love says something polarizing. In her latest interview with The Standard, she managed to piss off Swifties, the BeyHive, and hordes of Lana Del Rey lovers all in one fell swoop. This punk rock legend is infamous for speaking her mind without apology, and even though fans are on the defensive, I think we should celebrate celebrities like Courtney Love who aren’t afraid to be brutally honest. In fact, we need outspoken public figures now more than ever.
I am a 28-year-old woman who came of age on a lawless Internet. My biggest teenage fears were not being rejected by crushes, but getting cancelled by people on the internet who didn’t even know my last name. The tumblr-era blog “Your Fave Is Problematic” instilled a fear in me that if I was a fan of someone who’s been deemed “problematic”, I could, at any point, become an accomplice to a laundry list of sins that I wasn’t even aware of. Suffice to say, I’ve chilled TF out since then. I’m no longer afraid to like who I like or voice my opinion. The constant fear of being “cancelled” has actually made me really appreciate blunt, imperfect honesty. And no one gets to the point quite like punks.
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Courtney Love made headlines this week, thanks to her provocative opinions on a few of today’s hottest pop stars. Among divisive comments about Madonna, Beyoncé, and Lana Del Rey, the most offensive was her statement that Taylor Swift is “not important.” What a headline maker. She followed with: “She might be a safe space for girls, and she’s probably the Madonna of now, but she’s not interesting as an artist.” Now, who the hell can argue with that? Swifties, definitely. But to be honest, they’re kinda losing their street cred with every passing day. Most of them have seemingly never even heard of Courtney Love, who was the lead singer of Hole (one of the most important alt rock bands of the 90s).
As a fan of Taylor Swift myself, I wanna be on your side, but I don’t understand the point you’re trying to make these days. You overanalyze dates, numbers, symbols, and Easter eggs in everything she does. You look for proof that she’s actually a closeted gay. You guys are funny, but sometimes, your eyes twitch when you talk. (And Swifties, I know you won’t come at me, because I listened to the leak of Tortured Poets Society, and it appears the new album is literally all about your worst enemy—Matty Healy. I know you’ve got other things to busy yourselves with.)
This all feels very obvious, but “important” has a lot of definitions. Important to what? To whom? The shareholders at LiveNation and the NFL would certainly agree that she’s important. Are the people who hold the same opinions as you always your friends? Sure, Love’s comment may be kind of mean, but it’s just her opinion. She’s not making you agree. When someone says something, they don’t have to couch it with disclaimers that it’s “just their opinion” and that “you’re allowed to disagree.” Those things are kind of implied when someone fixes their mouth to say their opinion. And I personally would never disrespect my own opinion by calling it “just” anything. Dissenters will have to have the courage to do that themselves.
I was peak online during the “words matter” movement in culture, but I would hardly say Love is punching down on Taylor Swift, who is, by all financial and industry standards, the best in the league. Love is making a judgment on another musician’s artistic merit, which is a beautiful thing that we get to do with each other’s art. Love has made a career and a name and put her handprint on music. She doesn’t need to play the same games that everyone else does because she’s already graduated. We should want people like her—people with nothing to lose—to say some fun, honest, and uncouth stuff about our current circle of champions (because babe, you know the rest of us can’t). And we should argue with each other about whether or not we agree with something. Participating in discourse keeps the mind sharp and stimulated. It’s fun—it’s actually one of the only free forms of fun we have left in this world. Is it misogynistic? I don’t know, but I know I called a bunch of shit misogynistic when I was online too much too.
Speaking of misogyny, it was Courtney Love’s bluntness and big mouth that had her publicly throwing heat on Hollywood pervert Harvey Weinstein back in 2005, saying to a red carpet interviewer: “If Harvey Weinstein invites you to a private party in the Four Seasons, don’t go.”
I am told by Roya Backlund, our resident astrologer, that all of this is because Courtney Love is a Cancer, and Cancers tend to be blunt and protective of what matters to them. In Love’s case, what matters is the artistic integrity of mainstream music. And you know what, I like that because I, too, am a Cancer, and though I don’t know very much about astrology besides the back-of-the-magazine basics, my fatal flaw is that I have always appreciated a blunt opinion. Go ahead and wonder if I’m no fun at parties. I’m invited to plenty anyway.
Here’s the thing—I really do love Taylor Swift’s whole vibe. I like the music (not Midnights, sorry) and I like her attitude. To be honest, I don’t think Taylor Swift cares. Not about Courtney Love’s opinions, or her fans’ opinions, or even mine. I would be hard-pressed to believe Taylor Swift even cares about taking feedback from others these days (maybe that’s her fatal flaw, maybe it’s why she wins). That being said, Courtney Love was in a punk band, like a real punk band. If she’s got a hot take, I’m gonna at least hear it.
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