Wednesday Mar 05, 2025

E79: Show and Tell - Feminist Theory

"Girls go out and have your fun, then they hunt and slay the ones who actually do it." What does it mean to view Taylor Swift's music through a feminist lens? On this week’s show and tell episode, we look at three songs from the lens of Feminist Theory—"Mean," "Nothing New," and "Mirrorball"—to examine how they critique patriarchal expectations, the limitations placed on women, and the struggle for self-definition. From the societal obsession with youth and likability to the emotional labor of constantly adjusting to fit in, this discussion unpacks the deeper layers of feminist literary criticism embedded in Swift’s songwriting.

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Mentioned in this episode:

E70: Harry Potter Holidays Special Episode

- Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
- Middlemarch, George Elliot

Mean Girls

- Unlikable Female Characters by Anna Bogutskaya
- The Handmaids Tale, Margaret Atwood

Hamlet

Romeo and Juliet
Grease
It’s a Man’s (Celluloid) World: Portrayals of Female Characters in the Top Grossing U.S. Films of 2022, Dr. Martha M. Lauzen San Diego State University
Britney Spears, Circus

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Episode Highlights:

[01:36] Introduction to Feminist Theory

[04:12] “Mean”

[17:17] “Nothing New”

[30:35] “Mirrorball”

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This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

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