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Comment by johnwheeler | Hacker News Reader

I thought the exact same thing. I think Taylor’s real error was in saying anything at all. When someone rich and famous (or even just famous) makes a case for making money, no matter how sound, they open themselves up for attack. I’m not saying they’re wrong to do so, just that the populace isn’t inclined to understand.

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Taylor Swift has made very successful arguments in favor of making money throughout her career. She made Apple Music pay artists during a user's trial period. She has the clear moral and financial win in the whole album rights affair. She has always advocated for bigger payouts for streaming.

Two things she does right:

- she is always fighting on behalf of every artist, not just herself

- her beef is always with much larger companies (Apple, Spotify, record labels) so it's easy for people to take her side

So some people believed in her and gave her a chance... backed her with their money ..invested in her and she re-pays them by attacking them and their investment.

I used to be a fan of her and her persona but now comes off as spoiled and unappreciative!

Nothing says that just because one person paid another person--even at a risk to the person doing the paying--that the person who got paid owes them undying gratitude and appreciation forever.

Look at how many of us got hired as an employee or who got investment to try doing a startup and that relationship ended poorly. Are we, because we are not famous, obligated to always speak kindly of the person who paid us? Even if we perceive that the relationship turned out to not be good?

Just because someone is rich and famous doesn't mean they don't have the same human emotional responses as the rest of us; it just means theirs are more visible and open to attack.

I will never claim to know what Taylor Swift truly thinks of the Big Machine purchase of her masters. But, having made art of my own before, I do very much understand the emotional attachment to that art and the incredible difficulty in separating the art from the business transaction of making money from that art. That's something that the "money men" in the artistic endeavors don't usually seem to get.

People “attack” (read: criticize) their investors publicly all the time. Do you have a problem with all criticism of investors? Because that seems silly. Certainly they aren’t all above criticism. And contract disputes and negotiations play out in the public eye every single day.

And if you aren’t opposed to the WhatsApp or Instagram founders criticizing Facebook but you are opposed to Taylor Swift criticizing various stakeholders in the music industry you might ask yourself why you’re holding Taylor Swift to a different standard.

Ummm Facebook was the acquirer of those companies not it's investors. I said investors not acquirers.. acquirers bought something of value your investors invested and believed in you when you were nothing. Helped you make it valuable! Believed in you!

I have never would never spat on any or would spit on any investor of mine even if we didnt see eye to eye. The acquiring company sure as they bought something valuable my investor help me create.

No double standard here and if Justin Bieber did the same thing I'd feel the same way ... so no gender double standard here.

It's a business arrangement, not an emotional relationship. They backed her because they thought they'd make a profit, and they did. They owe each other absolutely nothing else.

Most people can't afford to stand up for themselves, I'm glad she's doing it.

> They owe each other absolutely nothing else.

So hang on, why should Taylor Swift be demanding more then?

She isn't demanding what she is owed. She's demanding what she chooses to demand. TFA indicates she is well-placed to have her demands satisfied.

Im not one to bite the hand that feeds me. Even if I became rich and powerful...

There are 1,000s and more artist out there that want to be in her shoes and those who had the cash had confidence/believed in her outside of the other 1000s. I would be gracious, humble and appreciative!

Also, I'm not aware of any startups on the level of a Taylor Swift who publicly spat on their investors (not the companies who bought them)? Can anyone name such startup now mega-popular companies (as big as Swift) who publicly spat on it's investors?

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