The Belfield Banter April, 5, 2024
Issue V
The St. Anne’s-Belfield Student Newspaper
Taylor Swift’s Impact on Modern Feminism
Mariya Oktyabrskaya and the ‘Fighting Girlfriend’
by Cadigan Perriello
by Carter Kelly
— As she graced the stage after the announcement of the best album of the year, Taylor Swift made history as the first artist to win the award four times. With her current tour, the Eras Tour, grossing roughly 1 billion dollars in revenue already, a new album coming out on April 19th, and her sweeping of the award season, Taylor Swift’s dominance over the music industry remains unparalleled. However, the ways in which she has utilized her influence and spanned past the boundaries of her current industry cement her role as a women’s history icon. The Eras tour did not simply bring immense joy to every viewer, it also boosted the economy of every city visited through hotels, food venues, and tourism. Moreover, her ability to use her prominence in the media to speak out for her beliefs, whether social justice reform or politics, illuminates her understanding of both her impact and the good she can bring into the world. With her 2019 album, Lover, encompassing many themes of LGBTQ+ rights and speaking out against Trump in the 2020 election, Taylor Swift used her undeniable influence to make real change in the world.
— Maria Oktyabrskaya was one of the many Russian women during the Second World War who was forced to say goodbye to her husband as he was drafted into the Russian army. As the German Army advanced into Russian land, she was required to leave her home and live in the city of Tomsk. The Germans’ attack on Russia killed her husband leaving her feeling alone and powerless. She, however, would not allow this feeling to control her. She first sold all her possessions to donate towards the Russian war effort, but she would not accept being sidelined from the war any longer only because of her gender. Mariya wrote to the Russian State Defense Committee, requesting a tank, for it to be named ‘Fighting Girlfriend,’ and to allow her to drive it. She wrote that she wanted to take revenge for the people the Germans had hurt. Likely sensing an opportunity for much-needed propaganda, the State Defense Committee agreed to all of Mariya’s requests. Like most crews, she and her three fellow tankmen were quickly rushed to the frontline, in their T-34, a common tank used by the Russian army. However, many of those around her doubted her abilities, claiming she was only there for the publicity. Page 1