A 39-year-old man fails to meet Taylor backstage after a radio contest to win the chance was canceled because 'the integrity of their biggest fan competition had been compromised.'
- Jul 24, 2013
AceShowbiz - A contest to win a chance to meet Taylor Swift backstage and take pictures together got canceled after a 39-year-old man called Charles Z. gained most votes. Boston's KISS 108 radio announced that the contest got called off because its integrity "had been compromised."
Contestants previously were required to write descriptions of why they were Taylor's biggest fans. In addition to meeting the "22" singer, the author who received most votes from others would get tickets to Taylor's concert in Foxboro, Mass. Charles wrote at that time, "I'm a 39 year old man and I love Taylor so much and don't care that both adults and children mock me for it. But I feel 22 if that helps."
According to a screengrab posted by Gawker, an internet user at 4chan, who apparently is Charles' companion, asked other users to help Charles "crush the dreams of these girls and give him a chance to make a complete a** of himself by blatantly just sniffing her hair with cameras rolling." The campaign later was spread to Reddit. The users reportedly used an automated voting script to boost Charles' position.
"Disappointingly, we have determined that the integrity of the 'Taylor Swift's Biggest Fan' contest has been compromised. In accordance with our contest rules, effective immediately, the contest has been terminated. We apologize to all of our loyal listeners who have participated," KISS 108 radio's statement read.
Taylor also experienced similar incident in 2012. Massachusetts' Horace Mann School for the Deaf was stripped from its prize after 4chan users rigged the contest for the students. Taylor did not perform at the school, but she sent $10,000 donation instead.
