One item caught the eyes of many at the annual charity event at the Ellis County Wild Game Dinner in Waxahachie, Texas. The charity event benefits agriculturual-based education efforts for the areas youth. The autographed Taylor Swift guitar earned an impressive $4,000 bid by Gary Estes.
While many people would have plans to hang or mount the impressive collectible, Gary had other plans in mind. While getting the guitar, Estes took a hammer to it and smashed it into pieces.
In an interview with NBC News, Estes insists he has no ill will against Taylor Swift:
“There was nothing malicious or anything about it. 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.”
At the head of the auction, auctioneer Creig Meier believes the joke of smashing the guitar went well in the room. While Meier thought it was a lighthearted joke, he also believes it was a political statement:
“Taylor Swift, it became a political thing, and that was kind of the gist of it, just a light-hearted bit of a dig at Taylor for coming out politically and entertainers using their influence to influence politics.”
Taylor is known for being a staunch Kamala Harris supporter, which is against the Ellis County typical voting patterns.
In terms of the charity event, the dinner and auction earned an impressive $250,000. Aside from the Taylor Swift guitar, there were a wide assortment of items available. This includes big game hunting experiences, food and the “hot mama package”, day at the spa, and a Smith & Wesson .380.
Regardless of the politics associated with this event, people from the charity are grateful for how much money they were able to procure for the foundation.
