A Texas man who went viral after he bought a Taylor Swift-themed guitar at auction for US$4,000, only to destroy it with a hammer seconds later, says he pulled off the stunt for a laugh and claims there’s no ill will intended.
Gary Estes, 67, garnered the ire of many Swifties over the weekend when video was posted to social media that showed him smashing through a Swift-branded guitar at a charity event.
He’d won the coveted instrument, emblazoned with images of the pop superstar, at the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner in Waxahachie, Texas. Seconds after approaching the stage to retrieve the item, he smashed it with a hammer 17 times.
“Guess we don’t need the wall hanger,” the auctioneer joked before saying, “Hey, Gary, now take that and hang up that busted thing.”
The video, uploaded to TikTok by event attendee JD Cobb, immediately went viral. Many saw it as an act of debasement related to Swift’s recent endorsement of Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris.
“We’re in an area (Ellis County) where Trump is pretty prevalent,” Cobb told USA Today, confirming he also thought it was meant as a slight against Swift. “Especially among country type folk, not a lot of people here like Taylor Swift.”
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But Estes insists it was just a joke and “nothing mean about it.”
“There was nothing malicious or anything about it,” he told NBC News on Tuesday. “It was just a joke at an auction that we had to raise money for kids, right? And that’s all it was. There was nothing mean about it, nothing bad about it. It was just a joke that they were making up on the stage, and we just followed through with a joke.”
However, he did say that he’s a Donald Trump supporter and hasn’t been keen on Swift’s support for Harris.
“Yes, you can connect the dots there,” Estes said.
Auctioneer Craig Meier, a spokesperson for the event, told USA Today he’s been taken aback by the online reaction.
“It has been surprising to me how big of a deal people are making it out to be. It wasn’t meant to be mean or malicious,” he said in a statement. “He was just making a lighthearted statement showing disapproval of people in the entertainment industry trying to influence politics…. It was just a funny thing that happened at our annual event. The crowd thought it was hilarious.”
Swift’s fans, however, don’t seem to agree.
“These old boys sure are setting an incredible example for their children,” one fan commented under Cobb’s video. “Desecrating a women’s worth. Their wives must be so proud.”
“Bunch of old men mocking a young accomplished woman – compensating for their inadequacy,” wrote another.
Swift fans, however, might get the last laugh in the saga – while initial reports said that the guitar was signed by Swift, sources close to her merch company told Variety the instrument did not bear her signature, nor was it ever used by her.
It appears that the guitar is once again being auctioned off, but this time on eBay. A listing shows a guitar covered in smashed-in holes and promises all proceeds will go to helping local kids participate in agriculture education programs. As of publication, bids for the smashed-up guitar have reached $4,400.
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