Taylor Swift Called 'Middle-Aged' by MAGA Ally Who Says She's 'Pretending to Be 17'

Taylor Swift was targeted by right-wing commentator Ben Shapiro, who suggested the pop icon was pretending to be a teenager when she was an adult.

The Daily Wire host slammed the 14-time Grammy winner and others for what he called an unwillingness be mature on his podcast this week.

"You see it in the lyrics of a Taylor Swift also who pretends to be a lovelorn 16-year-old girl, when in fact Taylor Swift is currently age 35," Shapiro said.

The Conservative commentator has often slammed Swift, most recently applauding football fans who booed her during the Super Bowl as she cheered on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce. This time, however, Shapiro expanded his assault to also include Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, and his fellow podcaster, Theo Von.

"There is 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 you are middle age... Like you're not a 17-year-old, or a 21-year-old trying desperately to gain attention."

Shapiro did not hold back when discussing Perry, 40, saying, "She's making a fool of herself doing her international tours right now."

He also referenced her "midlife crisis" and mocked her recent low album sales and space-related publicity stunts.

Shapiro also criticized Jennifer Lopez, 50, her display at the 2025 American Music Awards, where she kissed both a male and female backup dancer while on stage. The commentator compared the moment to Madonna's 2003 MTV VMA smooch with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

"Are we gonna do this forever?" Shapiro asked.

"Is everybody just gonna turn into Madonna, twerking her way to glory with two artificial hips at the age of 92?"

The harshest jab may have been aimed at 45-year-old comedian and podcaster Von. While acknowledging he finds Von entertaining, Shapiro remarked, "Theo Von's a comedian. That's fine, it's also worth noting Theo Von is 45 years old."

"In the olden days, Theo Von would be closing in on the gold watch and retirement," he continued. "He dresses like a skater who's 16 years old, wears his hat backwards, and acts as though he's a refugee from the stoners club in junior high. It's a little weird."

Sensing The Criticism

Shapiro said he'd grown out of touch with his generation.

"I've been 80 since I was 15," he joked. "I am a fuddy-duddy. I am a grumpy old man. I've always been a grumpy old man. I was a grumpy old man when I was a teenager."

Still, he argued that his broader point spoke to deeper societal issues. He argued that the US is experiencing a cultural shift driven by demographic changes, where aging adults are increasingly adopting immature behaviors to stay relevant.

"Because we are rapidly aging, and we don't have enough kids, we have decided that adults are going to be the new kids."

According to Shapiro, middle-aged and older individuals are now often treated — and act — as if they are significantly younger than their actual age, which he described as an odd and unsettling development in modern culture.

"We're going to treat 40-year-olds as though they are 20, and 60-year-olds as though they are 30."

Tags

Taylor Swift, Katy Perry