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Ben Shapiro Blasts Taylor Swift for “Acting Like a Teen”
Ben Shapiro Criticizes Taylor Swift and Other Stars for "Masquerading as Teenagers," Sparking Cultural Debate.
Conservative media commentator Ben Shapiro ignited a firestorm this week after targeting pop superstar Taylor Swift and other celebrities for what he described as an ongoing cultural trend of “middle-aged people masquerading as 17-year-olds.” His criticism, delivered during an episode of The Ben Shapiro Show on Wednesday, drew swift backlash online and re-ignited discussion about ageism, celebrity culture, and public expectations around maturity and relevance in the entertainment industry.
Shapiro’s latest tirade zeroed in on Taylor Swift, 35, who he claimed continues to present herself in her music as a lovestruck teenager. “You see it in the lyrics of a Taylor Swift who pretends to be a lovelorn 16-year-old girl, when in fact Taylor Swift is currently age 35,” he said. According to Shapiro, Swift is just one of many aging celebrities who have failed to “grow up” in what he calls a desperate attempt to cling to cultural relevance.
This is not the first time Shapiro has taken aim at Swift. A vocal critic of the singer-songwriter, he previously celebrated online trolls who booed her during a Super Bowl appearance where she was seen supporting her boyfriend, NFL star Travis Kelce. Shapiro's disdain for Swift appears to go beyond her music, touching on what he views as a broader societal problem: the infantilization of adults in modern American culture.
But Swift wasn’t alone in his crosshairs. Shapiro also criticized pop icons Katy Perry and Jennifer Lopez, both of whom have come under scrutiny in recent years for performances that some deemed provocative or age-inappropriate. He pointed to Lopez’s controversial on-stage kiss with two backup dancers at the American Music Awards — a move reminiscent of Madonna’s famous MTV VMA moment in 2003 — as emblematic of the issue.
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“There's this thing that's happening in our culture where a bunch of people are masquerading as 17-year-olds who are actually middle-aged,” Shapiro said. “If you are of middle age, you should act like it. You're not 17, or 21, trying desperately to gain attention.”
While the U.S. generally classifies “middle-aged” as those between the ages of 40 and 60, Shapiro appeared to stretch the label slightly by including Swift in the category. However, he reserved some of his harshest commentary for 40-year-old Katy Perry, whom he mocked for “making a fool of herself” on international tours and enduring a so-called “midlife crisis,” referencing her poorly received music and even a space-related publicity stunt.
In a surprising twist, Shapiro also criticized fellow podcaster and comedian Theo Von, 45, for his youthful fashion choices and comedic persona. “Theo Von is four years older than I am,” said Shapiro, “and in the olden days, Theo Von would be closing in on the gold watch and retirement. But he dresses like a 16-year-old skater and acts like a stoner from junior high. It’s a little weird.”
Shapiro used Von as an example to further his argument that the entertainment and influencer spaces are dominated by adults who refuse to acknowledge their age. “We’re treating 40-year-olds like they’re 20, and 60-year-olds like they’re 30,” he said. “It’s very weird. Are we going to do this forever? Is everybody just going to turn into Madonna, twerking her way to glory with two artificial hips at the age of 92?”
Shapiro’s Madonna reference alluded to the pop icon’s long history of pushing boundaries around sexuality and aging — and to Jennifer Lopez’s apparent revival of her 2003 onstage kiss with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. At the 2024 AMAs, Lopez, 55, recreated the moment with a male and female dancer, prompting speculation that the move was aimed at making ex-husband Ben Affleck jealous. For Shapiro, such stunts highlight what he sees as a cultural obsession with youth and attention at all costs.
Predictably, Shapiro’s comments drew backlash across social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where critics questioned his fixation on celebrities’ personal choices. “You’re jealous, aren’t you?” one user asked. “People flew all over the world to see Taylor Swift, and you’re barely a blip on a list of podcasts. You lose.”
Another detractor wrote, “The st you care about is f*ing ridiculous,” capturing the sentiment of many who viewed Shapiro’s diatribe as out of touch or unnecessarily bitter.
Shapiro, however, anticipated the pushback and addressed it on his show with self-deprecating humor. “I’ve been 80 since I was 15,” he said. “I am a fuddy-duddy. I am a grumpy old man. I’ve always been a grumpy old man — even as a teenager.”
Despite acknowledging his generational divide, Shapiro argued that his criticism is rooted in a deeper observation about American society. “There is something strange about a country that is rapidly aging, and because we don’t have enough kids, we’ve decided that adults are the new kids,” he explained. “It’s a strange look.”
Cultural analysts suggest that Shapiro’s commentary taps into ongoing societal debates about ageism, gender norms, and the evolving nature of fame. While critics accuse him of policing personal expression and reinforcing outdated stereotypes, supporters argue that he raises valid concerns about authenticity and maturity in pop culture.
Regardless of which side of the debate people land on, one thing is clear: celebrities like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, and others continue to dominate cultural discourse — whether through chart-topping hits or provocative performances. And pundits like Ben Shapiro, whether motivated by ideological concerns or sheer provocation, remain eager to critique the evolving dynamics of fame in an increasingly youth-obsessed world.
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