DN has mapped the phenomenon of “swiftie dadsâ€

On Father’s Day 2021 tweeted Taylor Swift: “Congratulations to all the dads today but especially mine, who called to remind me that he still has the plectrum from the “Red†tour just in case. I would need some.â€

That tour ended in 2014.

Dads saving old things for seven years because you “never know when they might come in handy†is so archetypal that it should be included in the table of contents of fatherhood; in line with refusing to throw away old charger cables or nuts.

On the surface, it may look like stupidity, a manic housekeeping. In fact, it is a special preparedness and concern that characterizes fathers raised in the early post-war years. This applies even if their children are multi-billionaires and a dominant force in both popular culture and American domestic politics as well as global economics.

Scott Swift, born in 1952, is frequently sung about by his daughter: “I have an excellent father/his strength is making me stronger†, it says in “The best day†.

Even between Swift’s fans and their fathers there is a well-documented bond. In recent years, the term “swiftie dads†has emerged as a phenomenon and a market in its own right.

Videos and hashtags spread in social media. Merchandise and handicrafts are aimed specifically at the (often economically strong) target group. “It’s me. Hi. I’m the swiftie dad. It’s me†, for example, is the name of a popular shirt print that paraphrases one of the artist’s most famous lines from “Anti hero†.

Taylor Swift is certainly far from the first teen idol to create strong relationships between generations. The difference is that swiftie dads themselves are devoted fans. And they don’t shy away from saying it.

Singer and pianist Billy Joel has, for example, talked about how he earned “very cool dad points†the time he took his two daughters to a concert in Florida – and there got three ffa the idol. Bruce Springsteen usually cites his daughter Jessica as the reason why he opened his eyes to Swift’s songwriting and “high-quality pop music†.

And in the music magazine Mojo, Pearl Jam’s frontman Eddie Vedder described the realization that hit him during the first concert with his daughter: That swifties have a lot in common with the audience at the punk concerts he attended as a youngster.

– If you want to be a little mean, you can describe Taylor Swift as the perfect family entertainer. She comes originally from country music, is not sexually challenging or provocative. She is cool enough for teenagers, while her craftsmanship impresses the adults, says Lucas Gottzén.

He is a professor at Stockholm University and a masculinity researcher, and has, among other things, studied the relationship of middle-class fathers to their children in the USA. It shows how today’s generation of fathers values ​​such things as commitment and responsibility highly. At the same time, both his and others’ research shows that fathers are worse at taking that responsibility in practice.

– American fathers’ involvement is primarily expressed in various social contexts. You want to coach and be seen at public events with your children. The ground service is still taken care of by the mother.

Maybe that’s an explanation to why the concept has caught on internationally, says Gottzén, while the corresponding “swiftie moms†have not – even though they exist.

– When fathers get involved with their children, there are still exclamation marks. When women do it, it is taken for granted.

Meanwhile, swiftie describes dads itself how the common interest together with the daughter has created bonds and helped to strengthen the relationship. And this in a period when many teenagers tend to slip away from their parents, especially the fathers.

– The modern father role makes higher demands. It’s not just about taking responsibility, but also about building a close and intimate relationship with your children, which is rather a relationship of friends that should last a long time. Then it is perfect, especially in the teens, that you have something to bond around.

The displacement of the traditional male role in recent decades, where a man can now show more emotions, Lucas Gottzén sees as decisive:

– Today’s fathers are probably the first generation that can enter the feminine coded worlds, on the terms of toning. Traditionally, men have not been able to devote themselves to this, especially not in an American context. Now we see fathers who take their daughter’s side and perspective, not least aesthetically. The feminine is no longer a threat.