- Taylor Swift fans will flock to the movies on Friday when "The Eras Tour" arrives on the big screen.
- Swift said singing and dancing is "encouraged," but as a fan, I think that would ruin the experience.
I know I'm about to sound like a hater, so let's make one thing clear: I, too, am a Taylor Swift fan. I attended The Eras Tour back in May and I sang my little heart out.
That's what you're supposed to do at a concert, especially one of Swift's. It wouldn't have been so beautiful and cathartic if I didn't belt "You Belong With Me" like a teenager singing into her hairbrush, scream the bridge of "Cruel Summer" at the top of my lungs, or perform the obligatory chant at the beginning of "Delicate." ("One, two, three, let's go bitch!")
But that's not what you're supposed to do at a movie theater.
"Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" arrives in theaters on Friday and it's already primed for record-high attendance. As soon as tickets became available, AMC Theaters said it "shattered records for single-day advance ticket sales revenue." It has since surpassed $100 million in worldwide presales.
So there's a pretty high chance my theater will be packed, and honestly, I'm worried it'll suck. According to Rolling Stone, employees are wearily anticipating feral behavior from fans, largely thanks to Swift's own words. When she announced the cinematic event, the superstar declared, "Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged."
I hate to disagree with the woman who wrote "All Too Well," but there's a huge difference between singing and dancing at a live stadium show, anonymous in a crowd of 70,000 people, and doing that in a dark auditorium with maybe a couple hundred other moviegoers, at most. The latter environment is designed for viewing, not participating.
I paid $19.89 to see a concert I already paid hundreds to see in person. Why? Because I want to enjoy the spectacle.
The Eras Tour is a feat of performance, and it can be difficult to catch everything when you're swept up in the moment: the outfits, the vocals, the references weaved into Swift's elaborate visuals.
Now, we get to appreciate those details from the comfy vantage of a reclining armchair. Why wouldn't I want to take advantage of that? The movie will surely be edited to Swift's specifications, giving every fan an intimate, front-row view. The whole point is to sit back and soak it in, without suffering the symptoms of sore feet, hoarse voice, and post-concert amnesia.
I want to actually hear the key change in "Illicit Affairs," the transition from "Don't Blame Me" to "Look What You Made Me Do," and the simmering fury in "Tolerate It." I do not want to hear a room full of people singing with abandon, drowning out Swift's voice. I do not want to hear tone-deaf shrieks echoing inside AMC's four walls. (It's not personal! Most of us aren't professional singers.)
I know I'm not the only fan who feels this way, so I'm here to plead for common sense.
AMC echoed Swift's statement and said they "encourage" dancing and singing, as long as you are "respectful of other guests." But let's be honest. Of course, there's no way to be loud in a movie theater and respectful of others, especially when etiquette is already at an all-time low.
Unless you luck out with a showing that's attended exclusively by die-hard Swifties in sparkly bodysuits, there will be someone who walks away disappointed because they couldn't hear Swift sing their favorite song. I would be that person.
I can already hear the chorus of dissent, telling me to "let people enjoy things" and wait until the movie is available to stream. Sorry, but yours isn't the only experience that matters, and I want to see Swift perform "Vigilante Shit" on the big screen. Sue me!