How do you really know when you've hit the peak of fame? Well, in Taylor Swift's case, when people start frantically conjuring up items about you in order to get everyone all hot and bothered.
Case in point: Friday, several gossipy outlets published "news items" suggesting that Swift "has released home video of herself on vacation, in a bikini"...soaking wet, looking hot, yadda yadda.
Searches for "Taylor Swift bikini" went through the roof. The Huffington Post got in on the action, proclaiming provocatively, "Looks like she had a good time!" while E! Online noted primly, "Her wholesomeness always shines through."
Good marketing, folks, but you're all a little late on the ball with this one. The oh-so-frantically searched "home video footage" was merely cut and patched together from the video for "I'm Only Me When I'm With You," which was released in 2008. Fans of the singer immediately identified this silly little fact, but others (more easily fooled) continued to discuss the content as if it really were private material leaked onto the Internets, a la one of those Vanessa Hudgens nude photos.
The punchline of this entire story? Taylor's supah-sexy shots are actually pretty tame. Sure, she's wearing a bikini, but bikinis are hardly a salacious wardrobe choice for a teenager swimming at the beach.
Even when someone (ahem, HuffPo) carefully chooses screengrabs of her bending over in what would be a compromising position, if it weren't merely part of her jetskiing activity.
The actual official video could have been shot by her mom--who in fact does appear in "I'm Only Me When I'm With You." So I'm guessing even Mom didn't have a problem with the swimwear. Which kind of takes all the spice out of it, no?
Try, try again, blogosphere.
If you'd like some news about Taylor's non-beach fashion choices, click here.
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