Has the media really painted it as a "shocking" video? I believe you, but that's just fucking stupid. It's over-the-top and goofy as hell, but there's absolutely nothing shocking about it. If one watches closely, it's pretty damn self-deprecating and actually stays true to what she's been about since the start. Those people in the video are fans she's met throughout the years, who now get to say they were in a film with their favorite singer. She's playing dress up which she's ALWAYS loved to do in videos and promo things. It might be on a bigger scale and a bit more ostentatious, but it's very Taylor. This might sound douchey but it's true: Real fans will recognize this.
I think its mindless pop drivel.
But that style of music is not and has never been my cup of tea.
I know it's not your cup of tea and I hear you. But I do think that "mindless" is the wrong word. This is a girl who has been a truly thoughtful songwriter for many years now. This isn't a pop princess like Britney or Miley or someone like that who doesn't have any input in the creative side of the art. She's known for being a stubborn perfectionist with her craft, and she's a very serious songwriter.
It's the lead single to her self-proclaimed "pop" album, so it stands to reason for it to be more on the shallow end than most of her stuff, but there's no way that she just threw this thing together or that it came off of a conveyor belt. That's just not how she works, and it's well documented.
The song is repetitive, has a sheen to it, and it's almost annoyingly catchy, but in my opinion all of that stuff belies some real sad truths in the lyric. I think it's a genius track.
Taylor Swift ain't mindless pop drivel. Never has been and never will be.