Earlier this week, Congress held hearings to probe Ticketmaster, which has long been one of the most hated companies in America. Members of Congress were ostensibly there to grill Ticketmaster’s parent company Live Nation over its “monopoly” power and poor business practices that have led to website crashes, ticket fees, and long wait times for concertgoers. Legislators deemed the antitrust inquisition necessary after the ticket distribution giant angered millions of fans with its online meltdown after tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour recently went on sale.
Despite the serious nature of the investigation into Ticketmaster, the legislators leading the hearing often laced their questioning with performative puns and cringey zingers from Swift’s songs. “May I suggest, respectfully, that Ticketmaster ought to look in the mirror and say, ‘I’m the problem. It’s me,’” said Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, quoting one of Swift’s latest hits. These cringe-inducing soundbites were quickly posted on the legislators’ respective social media pages, amplified by the corporate media, and celebrated by Twitter users who don’t appreciate the irony of members of Congress calling out others for running a corrupt and dysfunctional organization.
However, the attempts to appeal to the youths are not just cringey, they expose how much performative nonsense perverts serious hearings. Ticketmaster is clearly a growing problem for Americans and could very well be in violation of U.S. law. Will Congress take action to sate the ire of pop star fans and save Americans from yet another out-of-control company? History says no.
Long before distressed Swifties were deprived of a chance to see their childhood idol on stage and more
