Author: Travis

‘Bad Blood’ – A Story of Perspective

All text in a box is from 2025.
Everything else is the original blog, verbatim.
Cringe and all.
'Bad Blood' - A Story of Perspective
November 16, 2015

Until the Bad Blood blog, my stories were about cats and dogs,
being fired, corporate nonsense, dogs, The Voice, Fear the Walking Dead, more dogs, and memes.

Trump was doing Trump things dismantling the GOP
while talking nonsense in the process.

Then terrorist attacks occurred in Paris.
Friday, November 13th, 2015

I used the Paris attack to give perspective on pop culture in America.

The blog alluded to my hypothetical friendship with Taylor Swift. I claimed that I was the inspiration for Bad Blood and owed her an apology.

I used a real tragedy to highlight larger issues than celebrity feuds.
I asked for her and Katy Perry to get back together.
Silly, I know.

Hard to believe that was 10 years ago.

Taylor released Reputation on November 10, 2017. By then, I'd learned a lot more about what happened to my company and its demise. Reputation resonated deeply as it aligned with so much of my life at the time.

In April 2019, I'd summed up the story of my company in two blogs;
Self Made Storyteller and He Gave and Hath Taken Away.
Taylor wasn't mentioned in either story.

Later that year, Katy showed up in the You Need To Calm Down music video.
It was a fun moment, but I didn't think too deeply about it.

Then COVID hit and I stopped writing.
2020 was 2020.

I spent the better part of 2021 reclaiming my mindset.

By the end of 2021, inspiration jolted me to life.

Optimistic as ever, I posted a Future So Bright blog in January 2022.

Midnights dropped in October 21, 2022.
Midnights changed everything.

Swiftie status locked and loaded, I still didn't write. I observed. Midnights led to The Eras Tour led to Travis Kelce led to TTPD led to 2025 led to New Heights led to The Life of a Showgirl.

End Game Gorgeous
The best eggs in life are free.
As far as I'm concerned, it's Easter every day.

Would you believe me if I told you that in 2002 I named my kickball team Swift Kick? True Story.

"As the men masqueraded, I hoped you'd return
With your feet on the ground, tell me all that you'd learned
'Cause love's never lost when perspective is earned"

Peter
Taylor Swift
TTPD

We unite with hashtags. We fight with hashtags. We beg for help with hashtags.

It takes a tragedy like Paris for us to see a wave of humanity. Then, we return to divisive behavior preventing us from learning about, or liking each other.

Technology evolves quicker than our ability to communicate. We read headlines and share them blindly. Online coverage of anything can be spun 50 ways, but our lives shouldn’t be.

I'm a mirrorball
I'll show you every version of yourself
Tonight

Mirrorball
Taylor Swift
Folklore, 2020

This story is an example of how easily we lose perspective. Satire and sarcasm are shared and people believe it’s real. Non-issues become issues overnight. Trolls and stubborn stances ignite vitriol.

You are somebody that I don't know
But you're taking shots at me like it's Patrón
And I'm just like "Damn, it's 7:00 a.m."

You Need To Calm Down
Taylor Swift
Lover, 2019

We need to treat each other better, and it starts with us.

I used to think one day we'd tell the story of us
How we met and the sparks flew instantly
And people would say, "They're the lucky ones"

The Story of Us
Taylor Swift
Speak Now, 2010

Pop lore says Bad Blood is Taylor Swift’s betrayal-anthem to Katy Perry. I think a dancer is involved, possibly a boyfriend. However, this isn’t about them.

This is about my hypothetical former friendship with the most coveted BFF in the world.

The first time I heard Bad Blood, I knew it was about me. I obviously hurt Taylor and I’m on a mission to apologize. I saw all her popular friends in the video and that hurt real bad. I mean I have tits too, I could have been a bad girl supporting a revenge metaphor!

Now go stand in the corner and think about what you did
Ha, time for a little revenge

Better Than Revenge
Taylor Swift
Speak Now, 2010

Here’s the situation.

We were supposed to be just friends
You don't live in my part of town, but maybe I'll see you out some weekend
Depending on what kind of mood and situation-ship I'm in
And what's in my system
I think there's been a glitch, oh, yeah

Glitch
Taylor Swift
Midnights, 2022

Taylor won’t answer my calls, and text apologies are lame; I’m laying it out so we can move on. Besides, there’s nothing more sincere than a public apology, especially, when that’s where the fighting takes place.

I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to the phone right now
Why? Oh, 'cause she's dead (oh)

Look What You Made Me Do
Taylor Swift
Reputation, 2017

The title says it all. Bad is bad and seeing blood isn’t good – let that sink in for a second. Now, think about Katy Perry believing that was about her. It’s been a lot for me to carry and my back is starting to curve.

They say I did something bad
But why's it feel so good
Most fun I ever had
And I'd do it over and over and over again if I could
It just felt so good, good

I Did Something Bad
Taylor Swift
Reputation, 2017

I always intended to apologize but, like Taylor, I’m a giver and I wanted to send the perfect gift with my apology. But, what do you give someone whose other best friend is Hot and Cold who kissed a girl and liked it? I am a boy, after all.

Truth, dare, spin bottles
You know how to ball, I know Aristotle
Brand new, full throttle
Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto
It's true, swear, scouts honor
You knew what you wanted, and, boy, you got her
Brand new, full throttle
You already know, babe

So High School
Taylor Swift
TTPD, 2024

I was watching Dance Moms when the bulb lit. If it were a dancer, it would kicked me in the head.

Create a reality show for Taylor!

REALITY TV (TRAVIS' VERSION)

I’m waiting for Taylor to name the show since it’s her show, and I don’t need another song written about me.

The show is about a dancer and Paula Abdul is the choreographer. Paula was at the height of her music career in ’89 when the world received Taylor – it’s poetic.

The show is in Vegas – every dancer’s wildest dream!

I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere
Fell behind all my classmates, and I ended up here
Pouring out my heart to a stranger
But I didn't pour the whiskey

This Is Me Trying
Taylor Swift
Folklore, 2020

Taylor is mama bird and she nurtures baby bird – a dancer discovered on Instagram – resulting in baby bird signing a Vegas contract without any drama!

I hit you like "Bang"
We tried to forget it, but we just couldn't
And I bury hatchets but I keep maps of where I put em'
Reputation precedes me, they told you I'm crazy
I swear I don't love the drama, it loves me
And I can't let you go, your handprint's on my soul
It's like your eyes are liquor, it's like your body is gold
You've been calling my bluff on all my usual tricks
So here's the truth from my red lips

End Game
Taylor Swift
Reputation, 2017

My wildest dream is for baby bird to land on Katy’s very own Vegas stage and perform an interpretive dance to Roar.

Imagine Taylor in the front row while she and Katy crinkle their noses and paw at each other all cute like!

This will prove their blood is, in fact, good and she never expected any contract dancer (or boyfriend) to be loyal.

Lofty goals, right? I best get to apologizing.

The reason I didn’t name Taylor’s show (I’m thinking The Bird Nurturer) is because naming things caused our falling out. Taylor names everything. She names her songs. She names her cats. She probably names her fans’ cats. I think there’s a hashtag for that.

I was born in 1974 which was the year of the Tiger.
My elementary school mascot was a Tiger. (The colors were Orange and Black)
My junior high mascot was a Panther.(The colors were Black and Gold)
My high school mascot was a Lynx.(The colors were Maroon and Gold)
My college mascot was also a Panther.(The colors were Black and Gold)
Midnights was released in 2022 which was the year of the Tiger.

I even suggested she choose whether Katy’s fans are Kats or Cats. Bring a litter box for that shit storm! Fans of pop stars are a protective bunch, even with infighting.

Kansas City?

Even more protective are pop starts, themselves, when it comes to what they call their fans.

I see the typo. I said verbatim.

Our turmoil began when I told Taylor I thought she should call her fans The Swizzle Sticks with the hashtag #tswizzlesticks to unite their online musings. I told her I thought her name should be Mother Swizzle Sticks because she is like their mother.

Her face went blank space. Never question an accomplished artist’s creativity and definitely lay off their fans. Role models with millions of underage fans won’t refer to them as drink accessories.

She accused me of trying to turn parents against her by encouraging underage drinking. She reminded me she’s a role model. Then, she asked me, persistently, if I knew what she was and wouldn’t relent until I screamed, “Role model!”

She accused me of talking to Katy because pop star espionage is real.

The damage was done. Trust flew out the window like a baby bird.

She told me it was so sad to think about the good times she and I had, but now we got problems.

I asked her, can we solve them? She said she didn’t think we could.

I asked her, do we still have mad love? She said we used to.

That’s a no. I hope we can put this behind us; we were so good together.

In addition to her show (hopefully called The Bird Nurturer), I created a new app because she needs more cash. It’s called Pocket Squad.

Your squad walks around your screen while you control everything about them. It’s perfect for members of squads. You can make them get eaten by a shark or pace back and forth all day. You can make birds poop on them or strike them with lightning. They can live on a beach or jungle. It’s your squad!

Basically, it’s what you wish you could do to your real life squad.

Taylor, I’m sorry. Call your fans whatever you want. Come on, old friend – I miss our mad love! #think-about-the-good-times-you-and-i-had!

It shouldn’t take a coordinated attack to remind us the hostility among ourselves is senseless.

I hope we can learn to keep perspective without the harsh reminders.

After I wrote this blog in 2015, I never read it again until 2025.
I told people about it, as I did with many stories, but nobody cared.
I didn't have the drive to do anything. 

I noticed Katy Perry's cameo in the You Need To Calm Down music video.
That made me smile, but I was in a bad head space. I didn't even care.
By that time, I thought the world was against me. Nothing made sense. 

I knew, deep in my soul, something nefarious was ongoing.
I chalked it up to being larger than anything I could fathom.
But COVID extinguished any drive I had left for caring.

I never listened to folklore or evermore until Midnights. 
But a switch flipped with the Eras Tour.
And it's been a crazy super added level of my awakening.
And here we are.

Maybe someday we can have nice things.

Today is August 31, 2025.
10 YEARS AGO TODAY, I POSTED MY FIRST BLOG
ON DEVILISH SMIRK

I am currently working on a Devilishly Clever something
to share the results of this 10-year project.
More to come, but I am very much looking forward to sharing.
With that, I leave you with a snippet from earlier today.
Still nailing down the date.

It’s never too late to dream.
You can always discover, create, tweak, fine-tune, evolve, enhance, and achieve dreams.

However, there’s a caveat.
It’s work,
and not necessarily work you get paid to do.
At least, not at first.
It’s work that might pay off down the road.

Your imagination becomes exponentially more active
the more you open, stretch, strengthen,
and train your imagination.

Imagination training is exhausting for an activity
that doesn’t involve physical exertion.
The only thing you lift is your spirit,
which ultimately lifts you.

Whatever you do, do not abandon your dreams,
even if you pause for five years.

I haven’t made a penny with this hobby.
This was pure passion.

I didn’t start this for money.
I did it because it was so f***ing fun.
The only reason I’m here today is because
I poured my heart and soul into something
I was deeply passionate about;
my own life.