Unless you've been completely offline, you know that Taylor Swift recently released two songs from her new album, "Reputation". There have been thousands of responses to the songs, and the album itself, ranging from outstanding complements to hateful criticism. I happen to be a devoted Taylor Swift fan, but even if you aren't, you should be bothered by the way the way she has been treated by the media and the general public. Taylor has gone from a small town girl to America's Sweetheart, to Public Enemy Number One, and everywhere in between over the last decade.

When her first album, "Taylor Swift", started gaining popularity, she was only 16. She uprooted her life as a young teen to pursue her music career and make a name for herself. After the success of "Taylor Swift" and her infamous 2009 VMA experience, she was thrust into the public eye. This is a girl who had been working on her music career since about freshman year of high school. My point here is not anything negative against Kanye or anyone else, I just want to remind people of Taylor's humble beginnings.

As Taylor's career continued, she was embraced by the media. Everyone loved the new shining star, and people of all ages could relate to her honest and meaningful music. Taylor Swift became a household name, and, for the most part, the media loved her too. Her only negative press came from her relationships. To clarify, Taylor has had eight boyfriends in the past decade. If you think that is completely unreasonable, then that's fine. But to call her a slut or to imply she uses her boyfriends to get more famous is both rude and inaccurate. Taylor is either more or just as famous as each of her ex's. Aside from this reality, the fact that this accusation even exists is a problem. No one ever accused Harry Styles of dating Taylor because she was more famous than him (yes, she is). The shaming that Taylor endures shouldn't exist in a culture that claims to be accepting and supportive of women.

After Harry and Taylor dated and broke up, the media turned away from focusing on her music to her relationships, and it was all downhill from there. The media slammed her every time she was seen in public with a male friend. They vilified her every chance they got. At the same time, there was a small resistance to the Taylor hating. Her fans rallied behind her and pointed out all of the good Taylor does (advocating for equality, standing up for herself, donating money to disaster relief funds, etc.). Unfortunately, the anti-Taylor movement persevered.

Now here we are in 2017. Taylor is about to release her sixth album, and the media is polluted with negative commentary. In her newest music video, Look What You Made Me Do, Taylor acknowledges every name she has been called and every accusation against her. As one of her fans, I could not be more proud of her. She refuses to let anyone have power over her, or tell her what kind of music she should make.

If you don't think the Taylor hating is a problem, please consider her recent trial against the radio DJ who inappropriately grabbed her. If almost any other female celebrity was going to trial against someone because they sexually assaulted her, the whole internet would be behind them. Did the media rally behind Taylor? No. The whole trial was largely ignored. It wasn't looked at as a victory for feminism and equality, it was disregarded because anything positive about Taylor would contrast the negative image the media is painting of her.

So whether you like Taylor Swift as a musician or not, remember that we still need to respect her as a person. Calling her a snake or a slut is degrading, and there is enough hate in our world without people taking the time to hate someone they've never met.