Taylor Swift’s fans in Rio de Janeiro organized a charitable act to welcome the pop superstar to Brazil during her Eras Tour.
They successfully petitioned Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes to project an image of a Swift-inspired T-shirt onto the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue. In return, the fans, known as Swifties, raised about $37,000 through crowdfunding to buy food and drinks for Rio’s homeless population, aligning with the upcoming Catholic Church’s World Day of the Poor.
The statue was illuminated with the message, and the food distribution took place, showcasing a unique blend of fandom enthusiasm and charitable outreach.
The Associated Press reports:
Welcome to Brazil, Taylor Swift, it’s been waiting for you.
As her sweep of Rio de Janeiro shows got underway this week, the pop superstar and her legions of devoted fans were greeted by the wide-open arms of the world’s most-famous Christ statue, sporting a projected image of a Swift-inspired T-shirt.
The 125-foot Christ the Redeemer was illuminated Thursday night with a towering message welcoming the singer to the country for the latest leg of her Eras Tour. The grand show of hospitality was thanks to a charitable act by her fans and orchestrated by the Christ the Redeemer Archdiocesan Sanctuary, which manages the iconic statue.
On social media, Swifties asked Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes to project onto the statue a likeness of the “Junior Jewels” shirt from Swift’s “You Belong with Me” music video. Their plea went viral. Paes, who once called the singer the “Madonna of our times,” said he’d take the matter to the Rev. Omar Raposo, the rector of the sanctuary.
“Okay, I did my part!” said Paes on X, formerly known as Twitter. “From today onwards, I ask all fan clubs to direct their requests about the Sanctuary of Christ the Redeemer to our beloved Archdiocese. Friend Father Omar, the ball is in your court!”
In exchange for the projection, the priest, who runs the popular Catholic site, challenged Swifties to raise money to buy food and drinks for the upcoming Catholic Church’s World Day of the Poor, which will be marked on Sunday.
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How embarrassing – to project Taylor Swift’s likeness on a statue of Jesus (which in itself if close to idolatrous). Glad they gave to the poor, but there is something unseemly about such a negotiation.
Some people color things with a negative outlook. Instead, you could lighten up and think: the statue is a tribute, not an idol. The temporary projection was cute, not embarrassing. The giving to the poor was a beautiful gesture.