Why Taylor Swift–Tom Hiddleston hook-up is bigger paparazzi gold mine than usual

Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston’s very sudden and very public parade of love (from the US to England to Italy) has raised eyebrows around the world, not even because of the fact that they’re dating. She’s an attractive celebrity; he’s an attractive celebrity. She’s due for a new album; he might be the next James Bond. Yeah, seems about right.

The unusual part is the way it’s being presented. While Swift has had a slew of high-profile relationships, from Jake Gyllenhaal to her recent split with Calvin Harris, she’s also one of the most image-savvy stars around.

Her public displays of affection are a relatively new phenomenon, which is why the internet went ballistic two weeks ago when UK rag The Sun released photos of the couple making out on a rock in Rhode Island, US. Since then, the web has been flooded with pictures of Swift and Hiddleston kissing, cuddling and hand-holding all over the globe as they dance at a Selena Gomez concert, tour the Colosseum and meet each other’s parents on the beach.

Are they really just that in love? It is at all pure publicity? Is it, as gossip blog Dlisted suggested, a “performance art piece and Taylor’s artistic commentary on how her relationships are perceived by the media”?