As the Era of Cyndi Lauper comes to an end with her final tour she passes the torch to Taylor Swift who is on her Eras tour! When I asked for reader feedback and ideas for Fem Fridays, Gen X Watch reader Charity asked for articles where I project who the future Fem Fridays would be.
I am going to defer to the women who shaped pop culture and influenced me when I was growing up.
Cyndi Lauper on Taylor Swift
Cyndi Lauper, who is currently featured in a documentary called “Let the Canary Sing” and on her farewell tour at the age of 71 has a remarkable career. Her influence makes her possibly one of the greatest female pop icons of my time. With over 50 million records sold and awards that include Grammys, Emmys, Tonys, the New York’s Outer Critics Circle, MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), Billboard Awards, and American Music Awards (AMAs) her 4 octave voice and creative skills have made her a force of nature. Lauper’s feminism, queer rights advocacy, and unflinching and unapologetic life has created songs that are anthems for the marginalized and backed social movements that have affected change.
Cyndi Lauper first mentioned Taylor Swift in a 2021 interview with Rolling Stone. Her mention was brief but significant. “She’s always been a wonderful writer, but that album was poetry,” she said at the time. She was referring to Taylor’s album Folklore that had just released at the time of the interview.
In June of 2024, Lauper would mention her again in an interview on BBC’s The One Show. When asked about Taylor Swift, Lauper did not hesitate.
“Look, I like her! I think she’s terrific. As an artist, she writes some wonderful songs. I first started listening during the pandemic, when she went and hibernated and did that wonderful folk record. It was wonderful. I’m proud of her.“
The interview would go on with mutual agreement that she is a superstar and a poet deserving of all accolades.
Cyndi Lauper is not the only one from my era to give props to the Eras touring icon.
Other Icons From My Era on Taylor
Last year Stevie Nicks thanked Taylor on stage for writing You’re on Your Own Now Kid. She praised the song and the songwriter for being able to reach into her emotions and make her think of her friendship with Christine McVie and life without her.
In 2019 Carole King would speak of Taylor Swift. “Over the years, I have known some great songwriters and I have also known some great singers and performers. It’s rare to see all those talents in one person. Taylor Swift. She is one of the only modern pop artists whose name appears as the sole songwriter in her song credits. Her lyrics resonate across all generations, her songs touch everyone and her impact around the world is extraordinary.“
Two years later she would thank Taylor Swift for “Carrying the torch forward!“
While accepting a Billboard award in 2020, Dolly Parton included Taylor Swift in esteemed company as she gave a shout out to women who write songs. “Cindy Walker, who wrote some of the greatest songs ever and of course Loretta Lynn, wonderful wonderful songwriter. And this day in time, of course, Taylor Swift, she’s just right up there, probably number one.“
There are more women from my era that speak highly of her, but I will close out this section with the continued discovery of a powerful woman of my time.
Susanna Hoffs, of Bangles fame with a recently released NYT bestselling book, has reached out to her fans on Instagram asking them for their favorite songs and albums in Taylor Swift’s library. She admits that she is “very very late to the party and she is sorry for that“, but thinks she is great and her albums are great and it matters to take notice of what is happening today.
Passing Torches Is What We Should Be About
What these powerful women did is what we are all supposed to do. We fight against systems, clear paths, and celebrate what the next generation does with those cleared paths as they continue to break new ground and clear new paths.
We don’t do that as often as we should. It is harder to buy a house for them than it was for us. It is more difficult to find a good job after college. Speaking of college, getting out from under loans is far more difficult for them than it was for us. When something is proposed that will ease those burdens many of our generation rage.
How is it unfair for their lives to have a slightly reduced burden? When one of them achieves success we should be celebrating the changes that allowed them to have opportunity as opposed to being a jack ass and insulting them for achievement.
We have choices regarding the generations after us. To choose to support and celebrate or choose to dismiss and disparage. We can be mentors or gatekeepers.
The women listed above made the right choices.
Curation of Quotes and What About isms
The last two times we have mentioned Taylor Swift on Gen X Watch, people got unhappy. The reactions have been weird and unkind and even led to attacks to the website.
I chose the quotes and the women deliberately and with careful curation. If someone decides to engage in get off my lawn keyboard courage infused Karen and Chad mode I hope they count to ten first and consider their feelings on Cyndi Lauper, Carole King, Dolly Parton, Stevie Knicks and Susanna Hoffs. Are they daft women who know nothing about the arts and have done nothing for women and others? Do they have some insights that we may not have?
The other thing I wish to address is the what about-isms.
Over the years I have seen many critiques about her as a human from people that I normally respect. The level of thoughtlessness and lack of research in most of these critiques are cruel, callous, often not based in fact, or does not discuss nuance in a situation.
If her music is not your style of music, that is valid but can be expressed without character assassination.
If the environment is a concern and you do not like her frequent travel by private jet that is valid, but when bringing that up you may also want to consider that she does double the carbon credit offsets. Al Gore’s home uses more electricity in a month than an average family will use in decades, but he offsets with carbon credits as well. Are these efforts enough? That is a nuanced discussion. It may be worth considering her inspiration on others in that conversation. Many of her fans, known as Swifties, made their presence known at the UN’s COP28 so powerfully that they made international news in regards to supporting initiatives that reduce the impact of climate change.
The Vile Vilification of Our Icons
Many of the heroes of our time faced harsh and undue criticism as well. Al Gore’s wife, Tipper Gore, placed Cyndi Lauper on the filthy 15 list of musicians who should be banned. Lauper shared this list with other women. Madonna, Sheena Easton, and the Mary Jane Girls. What did they do that was so horrible that a progressive liberal with influence in the democrat controlled houses at the time wanted their music banned? They spoke of their bodies and their sexuality from a space of autonomy.
Lauper has been savagely attacked by the media and the Boomers when her star was rising in the 1980’s. The right hated her feminism and queer allyship and felt she was satanic, the left wanted her off the radio and off the record store shelves for what can only be described as slut shaming.
From the very first article at Gen X Watch I have had a theme. The choices the older generation has regarding the youth. In our first article I told the story where I just wanted to buy a watch. A clerk named Roxanne dismissed me and it hurt my feelings. A store manager named Jeff stopped me from leaving and helped me find a way to afford that watch. In the process I learned how to goal set, save, and work towards something. I learned kindness and found a sense of accomplishment.
We have choices. Choose wisely.
More to Come!
Joan Jett feels strongly the next Fem Friday’s are here right now. She feels they are everywhere. “Go to any city and there’s an all-girl rock band — it’s just a matter of society wanting to hear that kind of music,” she told Billboard.
I want to hear this kind of music. Women creating, writing, and performing. Many of you do as well. It is easy to shit on artists and their fans. It seems it is easier to do that for some than to live out their espoused convictions of women mattering.
We’re going to revisit the future Fem Fridays as I do a deep dive into the current music scene in Chicago. But for this first salvo into future Femme’s I thought I would let the women of my era pick their favorite successor.
Make Fem Friday Yours!
Is there a pop culture icon you want us to (dis)cover for Fem Friday, let us know in the comments. Are you a woman or friend beyond the binary that wants to write a Fem Friday? Let us know in the comments! We want to hear from you!
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