Swift made NY ambassador Welcome to New York, Taylor Swift! The locals are kvetching about you already.
Swift’s new gig as New York City’s global welcome ambassador is getting a Bronx cheer (not that she knows what that is) from locals who questioned her street cred and mocked the videos she made for the city’s tourism agency, NYC & Company.
In the videos, she explains how to pronounce Houston Street (HOW-ston, not YOU-ston); defines “bodega’’ as a corner 24-hour store (though the bodega pictured looks spiffier than what most New Yorkers might think of as a bodega), and declares her love for the perfect latte.
“A latte is not like a slice of pizza, or a bagel,’’ declared a writer in the Village Voice. The Daily News called her appointment “absurd.’’ A Brooklyn city councilman, Jumaane D. Williams, asked in a tweet, “Of all the past/present talent and celebrities that are actually native NY’ers explain again why (hash)TaylorSwift is our ambassador?’’ Others wondered why Jay-Z, Jerry Seinfeld or J Lo weren’t tapped.
But NYC & Company spokesman Chris Heywood defended Swift as the perfect choice for the city’s global ambassador.
“She is the No. 1 global pop star in the world right now,” he said in a phone interview Thursday.
“She is a new New Yorker. She came to New York last spring. This is a new approach, all about the wonderment and excitement you have when you first come to New York City. To have this enthusiasm from a global superstar, who has given us her image and influence to promote New York City, is a gift. We are so grateful.’’ AP
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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