Taylor Swift found herself as the face of a brand new meme template after being unexpectedly booed at the Super Bowl.
The 35-year-old singer was attending the game to support her boyfriend, Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs when she was met with a wave of boos right when she appeared on the jumbotron for the first time at the Caesars Superdome.
The uncomfortable yet relatable side-eye Swift gave the camera was quickly cropped and used on social media as users reacted to the Chiefs’ crushing 22-40 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.
“This is my new favorite Taylor Swift reaction meme!” one user wrote.
Taylor Swift became the face of a new meme after her reaction to being booed at the Super Bowl went viral
Netizens soon drew comparisons between Swift’s funny expression and the widely used meme of an awkward monkey puppet from a Japanese TV show, commonly used to make fun of uncomfortable situations.
According to a lip reader, the singer was seen mouthing, “Aww, what? What’s going on?” expressing disbelief and confusion over being booed.
Viewers took to social media to share their theories as to why the singer was met with such a harsh reaction from the Superdome’s attendants.
Some chalked it up to Swift’s support of Blake Lively in her legal battle with former It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni.
“It’s been due to the publicity with Blake Lively. Anyone associated with her leads to questions of why would you be friends with someone so nasty to others,” one user wrote.
“Maybe people are just sick of her face?” another replied. “Once you are at the top, the only way left to go is down.”
Some netizens argued that the boos were driven by a segment of the public rejecting the singer’s political beliefs
On the other hand, some netizens believe the reason the singer was booed was specifically because of her political beliefs and her express support of the Democratic candidate during the United States’ recent presidential election.
“This is what happens when an out-of-touch celebrity gets into politics and starts preaching to people,” one viewer argued.
“All of these celebrities would be wise to keep their politics to themselves,” another stated.
“The sooner these Hollywood lunatics realize that we don’t look to them for wisdom or political views, the better!” a reader stated.
Cashing in on the awkward moment, President Trump took to Truth Social to gloat about the booing.
“The only one that had a tougher night than the Kansas City Chiefs was Taylor Swift,” the Head of State wrote. “She got BOOED out of the stadium. MAGA is very unforgiving!”
A body language expert explained that Swift’s funny expression was the result of a very tense and stressful night
According to body language expert Judi James, the singer’s reaction was simply the end result of a very tough game for her boyfriend, Travis Kelce.
James explained to the Daily Mail that Swift started the game in high spirits, showcasing the bubbly and positive attitude people associate her with, but that her demeanor changed drastically as the game slipped out of Kelce’s hands.
Taylor Swift laughed off being booed at the Super Bowl 😅 pic.twitter.com/Zdc5fHKc0A
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 10, 2025
“The mood music changed dramatically, though,” the expert explained.
“With her boyfriend’s team losing badly by halftime and Travis standing dejected below her, wincing as he wiped his hand over his forehead in a gesture of bewilderment, Taylor looked more like a haunting presence.”
The boos, coupled with the results of the match, tensed the singer, who was already “gripping the rail in a gesture of grim support,” culminating in the meme-able expression captured by cameras.
“I love her energy!” one of her fans wrote, with many others leaving similar supportive comments for the singer
