Taylor Swift Studies, Paris Hilton, and Almost Getting Hitler

October 6, 2024 Lehan Edirisinghe

I bounce between Taylor Swift worship and the fantasy of history turning out differently, and I leave those obsessions unresolved. I rank Madonna, Britney, Gaga, Lana, and the rest, name Taylor my hero, joke that Harvard should give me a PhD in Taylor Swift Studies, and then veer into gratitude that Hitler was almost stopped sooner. The day shows how my mind moves when pop devotion, grand seriousness, and ridiculous confidence all share the same room.

The screenshot is from a Wikipedia page titled "20 July plot," which covers the historical event of an attempted assassination of Adolf Hitler. The page includes a black and white photograph from the aftermath of the bombing in a conference room. In the image, several military officers, identified as Martin Bormann, Hermann Göring, and Bruno Loerzer, are inspecting the wreckage. The room is heavily damaged, with debris scattered across the floor and structural elements exposed. The officers are dressed in military uniforms, indicative of the era, and their postures suggest they are surveying the scene to assess the damage.
The text on the page highlights the plot as a coup d'état and mentions the location as several places, including Wolf's Lair in East Prussia. The screenshot includes visible options for font size and color settings, indicating that it's taken from a web browser, specifically Wikipedia, with the standard font size and light color mode selected. The photo provides a historical glimpse into the aftermath of one of the most significant assassination attempts during World War II.

Almost Getting Hitler on 20 July

Almost got Hitler!

If they had got Hitler on 20 July:

It would have saved a lot of people's lives.

The screenshot is from a YouTube video titled "Rapture (Remastered)" on the BlondieMusicOfficial channel. It prominently features the cover of Blondie's "Greatest Hits" album. The image displays the band members of Blondie in a group photo against a vibrant red background. The members are styled in retro fashion typical of the era, with bold hairstyles and expressive poses. The band name "Blondie" is written in a cursive white font at the top, followed by "GREATEST HITS" in smaller block letters. The image conveys a nostalgic and energetic aesthetic, capturing the iconic style of the band.
- Title: "Rapture (Remastered)"
- Channel / profile: "BlondieMusicOfficial"
- Site / app: "YouTube"

Face to Face, Sightless Solitude

Face to face, sightless solitude

This screenshot is from the IMDb website displaying the official trailer for the film "Azrael" (2024). The central image shows a rustic cabin situated among tall trees, suggesting a remote forest setting. The text "AFTER THE RAPTURE" is prominently displayed over the scene, indicating a thematic or narrative element of the film. On the right, there's a brief synopsis of the film, describing a world where no one speaks, and a devout female hunts down a young woman who has escaped imprisonment.
The visual design of the trailer thumbnail is moody and atmospheric, with subdued colors that create a mysterious and tense ambiance. The player interface shows that the video has garnered various reactions, including likes and dislikes, hinting at audience engagement. Below the main video, related video thumbnails are visible, but they’re not detailed in this image.
- Title: "Azrael - Official Trailer"
- Site / app: "IMDb"

Wall to Wall, People Hypnotized

Wall to wall, people hypnotized

The image is a screenshot from YouTube Shorts, featuring a video from the channel @TaylorSwift. The setting is an indoor stage or rehearsal area, with a woman playing a piano covered in a textured, possibly furry material. The environment suggests a preparation for a large event or concert, with an empty stadium or large venue visible in the background.
The person is seated at the piano, focused on playing, with her back to the camera. She is wearing casual attire, including overalls and a sleeveless top, suggesting a relaxed rehearsal atmosphere. The lighting is natural and bright, highlighting the stage area and creating a professional yet casual ambiance.
Important on-screen text includes "A fortnight til Paris 💕 Brought to you by YouTube Shorts," indicating an upcoming event or theme related to Paris. The hashtag "#ForAFortnightChallenge" suggests a social media challenge or campaign. Additionally, the text mentions "🎵 Fortnight: Taylor Swift (ft. Post Malone)," possibly indicating a musical collaboration or theme associated with the video.
- Site / app: "YouTube"
- Channel / profile: "@TaylorSwift"
- Key OCR lines: "A fortnight til Paris 💕 Brought to you by YouTube Shorts", "#ForAFortnightChallenge", "🎵 Fortnight: Taylor Swift (ft. Post Malone)"

Ranking Twelve All-Time Great Women Pop Stars

I think she's just one of the greatest of all time

1. Madonna

2. Taylor

3. Britney

4. Blondie

5. Gaga

6. Avril

7. Katy

8. Cyndi

9. Miley

10. Lana

11. Amy

12. Paris

The image is a screenshot of a webpage from VoteLehan.com titled "19. Education." The page lists names alongside song titles and artists, giving a sense of a themed selection or playlist. Rebecca's entry highlights "Maneater" by Daryl Hall and John Oates and "Nothing In This World" by Paris Hilton, with a personal note regarding her experience as a school teacher in Florida. Other entries include Asita with "Where Is The Love?" by the Black Eyed Peas and Dhara with "Memory" by Barbra Streisand. The background is a typical browser interface, with visible tabs and a URL, indicating it's a computer screen capture. The webpage is plain, focusing on text in a simple, organized layout.

Ranking Taylor Swift First and Calling Her a Hero

My Top 12:

1. Taylor

2. Britney

3. Madonna

4. Blondie

5. Gaga

6. Avril

7. Lana

8. Paris

9. Katy

10. Cyndi

11. Miley

12. Amy

***

Taylor Swift is my hero.

I would vote for her over Trump and Kamala.

Paris Hilton is featured prominently in this screenshot from a YouTube video, specifically titled "Paris Hilton - Nothing In This World (Official Music Video) | Paris Hilton." The image captures a close-up of her face, highlighting her expressive features and confident persona. Her blonde hair is styled in soft waves, adding a glamorous touch to her look. She appears to be interacting with someone off-screen, with a playful and engaging expression.
The background is blurred, focusing attention on Paris Hilton, who is wearing makeup that accentuates her eyes and lips. The lighting is warm, complementing the overall aesthetic of the music video. The video player interface is visible, showing the progress bar at 1:29 of the video, along with options such as like, share, and save.
On-screen text includes the video title and channel name, "Paris Hilton," confirming her central role in the content. The screenshot is taken from the YouTube platform, as indicated by the browser interface at the top.

Saying There Will Never Be Another Taylor Swift

And you just know, I'm serious.

Obviously.

She's

After Taylor Swift, there will never be another Taylor Swift

Paris Hilton is prominently featured in this video frame from the music video "Nothing In This World." The scene captures her in a close-up shot, highlighting her glamorous and sophisticated look. She is adorned in sparkling jewelry, including a large, shimmering bracelet and matching earrings, which complement her elegant silver top. Her long, blonde hair is styled in loose waves, framing her face beautifully. The background is slightly blurred, with a white football helmet visible, adding a contrasting element to the otherwise glamorous setting. The lighting is soft, emphasizing the smoothness of her skin and the refined makeup look she is wearing, which includes a dramatic eye makeup style. This video is hosted on YouTube, under Paris Hilton's official channel, reflecting her persona as a celebrity and musician. Her expression is poised and confident, embodying the pop and fashion-forward style that she is known for. The overall mood of the frame is one of luxury and allure, typical of her music video aesthetics.
- Title: "Paris Hilton - Nothing In This World (Official Music Video) | Paris Hilton"
- Channel / profile: "Paris Hilton"
- Site / app: "YouTube"

Liking Paris Hilton’s Music

I always liked Paris Hilton's music

The screenshot is from a YouTube video titled "Bigger Than The Whole Sky" on Taylor Swift's official channel. The focus is on Taylor Swift's album "Midnights," featuring an image of Taylor Swift with a serious expression, holding a lighter with the flame visible. She has a glamorous look with bold eye makeup and neutral lips, suggesting an introspective or contemplative mood. The album cover on the left lists tracks from "Midnights," including songs like "Lavender Haze," "Maroon," and "Anti-Hero," as well as bonus tracks like "Bigger Than The Whole Sky." The YouTube interface shows the video duration and interaction buttons such as like, share, and save. The overall composition is balanced with the album cover text and Taylor Swift's image, capturing the theme and aesthetic of the album effectively.
- Title: "Bigger Than The Whole Sky"
- Channel / profile: "Taylor Swift"
- Site / app: "YouTube"

Asking Larry Summers for a Taylor Swift Studies PhD

Did some bird, ████████████████████████████

███████████████████████████████████████████████

***

Goodbye, ████████████████

██████████████████████████████████

██████████████████████████████

***

Wow

Larry Summers, give me the Harvard Uni PhD in Taylor Swift Studies

The image is a screenshot from a Wikipedia page titled "20 July plot." The page discusses a historical conspiracy to assassinate Adolf Hitler during World War II. The screenshot captures a section highlighting the co-conspirators involved in the plot, featuring black and white photographs of several key figures. These figures are organized in a grid format, each accompanied by their names and titles.
From left to right, the individuals are identified as Generaloberst Ludwig Beck, General der Nachrichtentruppe Erich Fellgiebel, Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, Oberleutnant Werner von Haeften, General der Infanterie Friedrich Olbricht, Generalmajor Hans Oster, Oberst Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim, Generalmajor Henning von Tresckow, General der Artillerie Eduard Wagner, and Generalfeldmarschall Erwin von Witzleben. Each person is portrayed in formal military attire, reflecting the serious and historical significance of their involvement. The layout is clean and organized, with text in blue for names and titles, contrasting against the monochromatic images, providing a clear visual representation of the historical figures associated with the plot.
- Title: "20 July plot - Wikipedia"
- Site / app: "Wikipedia"

Thanking the Attempt on Hitler’s Life

Nice attempt on Hitler's life!

Thank you for your courage.

3 matched names linked to the Names index.