The capital of the Philippines is now home to a top institution offering a celebrity studies course that explores singer Taylor Swift’s influence on pop culture worldwide. More than 300 students enrolled in the University of the Philippines’ elective course during the performer’s visit to Asia this week, quickly filling the few available spots and forcing the administration to add another session.
Following her first lecture, Cherish Brillon, a professor in the broadcast communications department, declared, “We’re going to treat Taylor Swift like a celebrity, which means we’re going to look at her from the lens of various ways of thinking such as the intersection of sex, gender, and class.”
Brillon, who refers to herself as a “Swiftie” to the singer’s devoted followers, said the course will also examine how Swift is portrayed in the media and how she is perceived as a “transnational” figure in the Philippines. A portion of the two dozen pupils flaunted Swift memorabilia and put stickers of the 14-time Grammy Award winner on their laptops and notebooks.
Shyne Cañezal, a student who has been a “Swiftie” since elementary school, expressed her desire to explore the social concerns surrounding Taylor Swift in greater detail. Universities in the United States have taught classes on Swift, covering her songwriting and literary interpretations of her discography, among other subjects. These include Harvard, Stanford, and Berklee College of Music.
From March 2 to 9, Swift will make her lone visit in Southeast Asia: six sold-out “Eras Tour” gigs in Singapore. Despite the intense tropical heat, almost 300,000 tickets were sold to enthusiasts who waited in line overnight.
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