Ryan Bautista | Head Editor/Layout Manager & Audrey Folia | Editor-in-Chief
September 12, 2025
On August 10, 2025, the internet broke at the announcement of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement. After two years of dating, with Kelce going to concerts and Swift attending NFL games, the couple made it official. But, with both of them being such prominent figures, the engagement has sparked discussion online, especially in the pop culture and sports spheres.
With both individuals also having such high profiles, attention will follow them wherever they go. Especially when they are in proximity, which obviously includes when they are over 100 feet away from each other in a crowded stadium. Of course, this is when Swift attended Kelce’s football games and met his mom and brother, former NFL star Jason Kelce. The action was legitimate, with Swift wanting to attend to support her now fiancé. Unfortunately, the NFL’s camera crews saw the influential pop star Swift and directed their cameras to only focus on her. For the entire game. Junior Erik Troester described it as “unnecessary and annoying.” He said how he “just wants to watch football, and this is not what [he] came to see or pay a subscription for.” For the NFL, however, this one additional person attending games led to viewership spiking across the board, as more people were tuning in to watch the games. Well, maybe not so much as to watch the games, but to see if Swift was there supporting Kelce. Rumors are also growing in the NFL about Swift performing at this year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show in celebration of the wedding, which people have mixed feelings about, to say the least.
Thankfully, like most trends, it started hot and then faded out as time went on. Now, Swift is just a part of the game. Cameras may cut to her after Kelce makes a big play, but they aren’t glued to her for the entire time. Diehard NFL fans have calmed down about the supposed “Swiftie invasion,” and other than a few memes, they all seem to celebrate the engagement as well. How that may change with the football season starting is yet to be seen, but NFL fans and their daughters can make sure to have their phones out whenever a Chiefs game flashes on screen.
So, what does this really mean for the pop culture world? Many users view this engagement as much more than just a marriage proposal. Since her debut, Taylor Swift has fought accusations of being a bad influence on her listeners. Throughout her career, it seems as though everyone has had something negative to say, with Taylor Swift herself commenting about others accusing her music of being a “trick rather than a skill and a craft.” The most pertinent claim has been that Swift’s dating history makes her a poor role model for her younger fans. The engagement, however, has sparked discussion about this aspect of her reputation, with critics now rejoicing in the idea that her marriage could lead to a shift towards more traditional values. Others agree that it could make her a better role model, but for different reasons. Senior Caiya McAlister, for example, stated that “there are a lot of people that insinuate that women are useless if they’re not married by their early twenties and having kids. Taylor Swift is showing that you can wait until you find the right person and that it’s okay to get married later.”
Some are also debating what this means for her future songwriting career, though this isn’t entirely fair. While it is true that Swift has written a plethora of songs about past relationships and breakups, she has also written many songs about other, often poetic topics. Still, the more negative bunch online are jokingly anticipating a future “divorce album,” revealing that Swift will never be able to truly escape online hate.
Their wedding might just be one of the most awaited of all time. It’s clear that a wide variety of people, ranging from sports fans to Swifties, will be impacted by their “English teacher and gym teacher” getting married.
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