The University of the Philippines (UP) is set to offer a course dedicated to American pop star Taylor Swift. The elective, which falls under the BA Broadcast Media Arts and Studies program, will be taught by Cherish Aileen Brillon from the UP College of Mass Communication.
Brillon explained that the course, scheduled for the second semester of the academic year 2023-2024, aims to explore Taylor Swift’s role as a celebrity. It will delve into how Swift represents various aspects of society, including class, politics, gender, race, and the pursuit of success and mobility. “This course is a study of Taylor Swift as a celebrity and her impact on media and society,” said Brillon.
The initiative marks the first of its kind in the Philippines, a country where Swift enjoys immense popularity, evidenced by the high number of Filipino fans streaming her music. “It’s a bit surprising that such a course hasn’t been introduced in the Philippines earlier, given the nation’s love for Taylor Swift,” Brillon added.
Internationally, courses focusing on Swift have been mostly literary, analyzing her songwriting, while others have approached her career from a business perspective. Brillon, a self-proclaimed Swiftie since the “Red” album era, believes it’s time for a deeper, more localized analysis of Swift’s influence in the Philippines. “We aim to explore how Filipinos relate to Swift not just as an international icon but also in terms of local fandom and activism,” she stated.
Swift-themed courses have been previously offered at prestigious institutions like Stanford University, New York University (where Swift also received an honorary Doctor of Arts), Harvard University, University of Texas, and Ghent University in Belgium.
Brillon, who has a keen interest in popular culture, expressed her excitement about the course. “I’ve always been fascinated by pop culture, and after focusing on Darna during my graduate studies, I’m thrilled to now turn my attention to Taylor Swift,” she concluded.