4chan And Reddit Team Up To Make Taylor Swift Perform At School For The Deaf

Perpetual high-school sophomore Taylor Swift has teamed up with textbook supplier Chegg and pizza company Papa John's for the Taylor Swift on Campus contest, allowing college students to vote on which college Taylor Swift will visit.

But thanks to the pranksters at 4chan and Reddit, the leading school in the poll is currently the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Allston, Mass. Not exactly the best venue for a live music event, right?

Of course, that's the point.                                                

Some Reddit users are pointing out that even if the attempt is successful, Taylor Swift still may not stage a concert at the Horace Mann School for the Deaf. One user points out that both the school and the corporate sponsors can decline the concert if there is any potential conflict or disagreement.

The official contest rules read, "Sponsors cannot guarantee that a school, if selected as the Grand Prize Winning School, will agree to participate in this Promotion or accept the Music Event as a prize or, if selected as a top five school, will agree to accept the Grant as a prize...If Music Event details cannot be agreed upon with Taylor Swift and the Grand Prize Winning School, Chegg may award the Music Event to another school (time permitting). "

Another Redditor clarifies that despite the point of the prank, the Horace Mann students may enjoy a concert from Taylor Swift, as many deaf people are able to appreciate music.

User Sanderf90 writes, "I used to volunteer with deaf people. There were concerts designed for deaf people. With floors adjusted to vibrate to the music (speakers under the floor) and everyone holding a balloon in their hands. I'm not deaf myself, but from the reactions I could tell they were able to enjoy the music."

Another user, No-Coast-Punk, chimed in to explain exactly how balloons can help the deaf experience music. "Balloons have a very wide resonant frequency," the user writes. "This means they vibrate at the same frequency as any surrounding sounds (and not just the low frequency sounds that most materials typically resonate at). Holding a balloon would allow a deaf person to feel all of the sound"

So really, it sounds like everyone wins with this contest. Internet trolls get to have fun at Taylor Swift's expense, and deaf students may get the concert of a lifetime. What's not to like?