Some of Taylor Swift’s fans want you to know three things: They are not still 16; they have careers and resources; and right now, they are angry.
That is a powerful political motivator, researchers say.
Look at what Ticketmaster made them do.
It started on November 15, when millions crowded early online sales for Swift’s long-awaited Eras Tour, resulting in systems crashes, prolonged waits and frantic purchases.
By Thursday, Ticketmaster had cancelled the general sale, saying there were insufficient remaining tickets.
That sparked a firestorm of outrage from fans. Swift herself said the ordeal really made her mad.
Ticketmaster apologised but the bad blood had already been sowed. And now fans — and politicians — have started acting on it.
US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez directed "Swifties" to where they could make complaints to the US Department of Justice.
State attorneys general — including in Pennsylvania and Tennessee, key states in Swift’s origin story — have announced investigations.
Stephanie Aly, a New York professional who has worked on community organising for progressive politics, for years has thought mobilising fans for social progress could be beneficial.
“Fandoms are natural organisers,” said Ms Aly, 33, a Swiftie. “If you find the right issues and you activate them and engage them then you can effect real change.”
In 2020, for instance, K-pop fans organised to back the Black Lives Matter movement and sought to inflate registration for a Donald Trump rally.
Ms Aly and fans from different industries — law, public relations, cyber security and more — have joined forces to form Vigilante Legal.
The group is lobbying to create policy change around Ticketmaster and organise the Swifties, while creating email templates to petition attorneys general and providing antitrust information.
Thousands have expressed interest in helping or learning more.
“The level of anger that you’ve just seen in the country around this issue is astounding,” said Jean Sinzdak, associate director for the Centre for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University.
“People are really sharing their feelings about that and building a movement about that online.
"Whether it lasts is hard to say, but it certainly feels like a real opportunity.”
And a demographic that is seldom courted by politicians during election season is getting recognised.
“Nobody goes out and thinks, ‘Let’s target young women',” said Gwen Nisbett, a University of North Texas professor who researches the intersection of political engagement and pop culture.
“Be it about abortion or student loans, that age group is super mobilised and young women are super mobilised.”
Fan culture and community has boosted that tendency towards mobilisation.
Ms Nisbett was studying parasocial relationships, when fans have strong one-way relationships with celebrities, in 2018, when the previously apolitical Swift posted an endorsement of Democratic candidates to social media.
Ms Nisbett found that while such posts may not determine fans’ votes, they still led to the increased likelihood that fans would look for more information about voting, and actually vote.
AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the US electorate, showed about a third of Tennessee voters in 2018 said they had a favourable opinion of Swift, and among them, about 70 per cent backed Democrat Phil Bredesen in the Senate contest.
That was in clear contrast to about a third of voters who had an unfavourable opinion of Swift and overwhelmingly backed Republican Marsha Blackburn.
This is not the first time a fandom or an artist has attacked Ticketmaster. Pearl Jam took aim at the company in 1994, although the Justice Department ultimately declined to bring a case.
“It’s not just about getting vengeance for Swifties. It’s not about getting an extra million Taylor Swift fans tickets, or all of us going to a secret session,” said Jordan Burger who is using his law background to help the cause.
“It’s about fundamental equality. And when you have a monopolist like that, it’s just so representative of the class structure of a society where there isn’t equality any more, there isn’t fairness.”
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The specs: Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 850Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 15L / 100km
All you need to know about Formula E in Saudi Arabia
What The Saudia Ad Diriyah E-Prix
When Saturday
Where Diriyah in Saudi Arabia
What time Qualifying takes place from 11.50am UAE time through until the Super Pole session, which is due to end at 12.55pm. The race, which will last for 45 minutes, starts at 4.05pm.
Who is competing There are 22 drivers, from 11 teams, on the grid, with each vehicle run solely on electronic power.
Brief scores:
Manchester United 4
Young 13', Mata 28', Lukaku 42', Rashford 82'
Fulham 1
Kamara 67' (pen),
Red card: Anguissa (68')
Man of the match: Juan Mata (Man Utd)
