Notions of Inclusivity and Exclusivity as Observed in Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Nineteenth Century Berlin Salons
As I write this blog, Taylor Swift is wrapping up the Toronto leg of her sweeping Eras Tour. Over the course of two weeks, she put on six shows, performing each night to a sold-out stadium of 50,000 fans who were unequivocally dazzled.
Upon her arrival in Toronto’s airport, Taylor traveled by motorcade with a full police escort. As of today, on resale sites like StubHub, a single ticket for her show starts at $4,654, and prices have risen as high as $33,000. (Toronto bylaw officers eventually cracked down on price gauging.) The Eras Tour, which began in March 2023, has earned $1.04 billion (thus far), making it the highest-grossing tour of all time.
Pop star Taylor Swift
All this to say, Taylor Swift is undeniable. She is a phenomenon.
But what accounts for her popularity?
Her voice is nice, but generic. Her melodies are catchy, but not mind-blowing. Her lyrics are clever, but not profound. The answer, I believe, is wrapped up in her wide accessibility—the fact that she appeals to many disparate social groups and demographics. In the spirit of openness and inclusivity, she adeptly unifies them all beneath her rubric. The same can’t be said of other talented artists with passionate but narrower fanbases, such as Lana Del Ray, SZA, or Charli XCX.
The Taylor Swift sensation stands in stark contrast to a very different social movement stemming from a very different time: the Berlin salons. I had some background knowledge of European salons from their depiction in Woody Allen’s 2011 film Midnight in Paris. But I learned much more about them in the course of reading The Pity of It All: A Portrait of the German-Jewish Epoch, 1743-1933, a fascinating book by the late Israeli historian, Amos Elon.
In The Pity of It All, Elon describes the shifting status of German Jews over period of two hundred years. He details their plight, their successes, and above all, their steadfast efforts to assimilate into their host country.
After their emancipation in the nineteenth century, Jews were granted legal equality. They immediately left the ghettos where they’d been sequestered for hundreds of years and began to participate more fully in German society. Desperate to escape generations of poverty and oppression, they looked forward to the newfound possibility of upward mobility.
One segment of the Jewish population attempted to assimilate via the Berlin salons. Salons were social gatherings where a mixture of guests came together to discuss ideas, share literature and music, and debate politics and philosophy. Many of the salons were hosted by Jewish women. (Famous salonnières included Henriette Herz, Sara Grotthuis, and Rahel Varnhagen.) But salons were attended by Jewish and non-Jewish guests alike. As such, they served as an important venue in which Jews could mingle with non-Jews and immerse themselves in Germany’s rich culture life.
Salonnière Rahel Varnhagen
The Taylor Swift universe is marked by mass appeal and inclusivity. The only barrier for entry is a love of Swift’s music. The elements of the culture—the songs, the fashion, the bracelets—are laid bare for public consumption. They are accessible to anyone. The Berlin salon, by contrast, was marked by prestige, status, and exclusivity. Salons were elite spaces, largely restricted to those who were educated, affluent, and well-connected. Part of the salonnière’s role was act as a gatekeeper, permitting only “respectable” guests to enter. The goings-on within the salons were shrouded by an air of mystery. Only a select few were “in the know.” Unlike Taylor Swift fandom, the barrier for entry was steep. Participation required a high level of education, unique talents, and deep engagement with the culture.
In reflecting on these two approaches to art and community, both strike me as equally valuable, and both contribute to a flourishing society. We need figures like Taylor Swift who create environments where all are welcome. This allows for a sense of unity and belonging. But to elevate our society to new heights, to break barriers in the arts and sciences, we also need intimate, challenging, and exclusive environments, such as the European salons of yore.