I missed the origin of the Swift jokes (Off-Topic)

by stabbim , Des Moines, IA, USA, Tuesday, August 29, 2017, 13:49 (2441 days ago) @ General Vagueness

that's where the joke started

Incorrect, the avatars were a thing for a while, and there were actual discussions going on. The April Fools' joke came from that, it didn't start anything (though it was phenomenally well-executed).

the thing is none of this seems like a joke, people are saying they're just plain looking forward to her new music

We are. As far as I know, everyone who uses those avatars is an actual fan.

and I'm curious why because I always thought she was a generic pop star, the kind the music industry pumps out every 5-10 years

Again, incorrect. While certainly business focused at times, she does actually bother to make her own music. Personally, my tastes generally lean towards punk rock, and I used to be someone who claimed I didn't listen to popular music at all, but Taylor changed my mind.