Author: Hattie

Taylor Swift’s “mad woman” Alongside “The Yellow Wallpaper”

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“What is the matter?” the narrator’s husband asks in one of the last paragraphs of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, The Yellow Wallpaper. It’s the first time he asks his wife what is wrong. But by that point, it’s too late. You see, no one likes a mad woman. And in the end of The Yellow Wallpaper (*spoilers*) our female narrator ends up quite mad. But she also takes back her own power and, in a way, her freedom.  When Taylor Swift released folklore in July 2020, listeners got a few more glimpses into the painful battle for her masters that was coupled alongside the heartbreaking betrayal of someone she trusted for years. Swift’s song mad woman is a calm, steady, methodical descent into the special kind of insanity fueled by pain and anger. For centuries, women have been minimized and ostracized, hunted and blamed, burned, lobotomized, isolated, and shamed, themes Swift has explored in countless songs. When looking at lyrics of mad woman and certain aspects of reputation and Lover through the lens of …

My Long Overdue Apology to Taylor Swift (that no one asked for but I still felt compelled to write)

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All right, buckle up, it’s been over a year since I last posted and that last post was (you guessed it) also about Taylor Swift. I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while, but felt embarrassed/ashamed to write it. “All these people think love’s for show” I’ll try to keep it simple: Back in 2016 I developed a theory involving Taylor and one of her exes. I clung to that theory for a long time and wrote thorough posts with all of my evidence (aka confirmation bias). The last one I wrote was as recent as last summer, though, that one strays a bit. Someone once told me I only became interested in Taylor Swift when people started to tear her down, that I joined the mob. I felt defensive because the truth was it was because of how much I liked her that my theory arose. “The devil’s in the details” I wanted to believe she was one step ahead of us, that she was laughing at the pitchforks and torches from up …

Taylor Swift Predicted Her Own Future When She Wrote “The Lucky One” in 2012

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If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to Instagram it, does it make a sound? – Taylor Swift, Oct. 2108 A handful of summers back, I found myself on a boat on a large river in northern Idaho. As we motored along the water, someone pointed to a large brown home that sat at the water’s edge with pastures and a beautiful barn. The home had a breathtaking steeple roof, divided by large glass slats—you can just imagine the warmth of the sun streaming into the living space. “Shania Twain lived there.” The pre-teen ghost of my past squealed in my heart, though my exterior just casually said, “oh cool.” But seriously…the Shania Twain? I have no idea if that home ever belonged to Shania Twain (something tells me no). But, over the years, I continually think of that spot along the river in quiet Idaho when I listen to Taylor Swift’s song “The Lucky One.” For those a bit unfamiliar with Shania Twain’s story: she was a huge. massive. …

Talking About Dating Anxiety + Love on GROUP Podcast

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When Rebecca Lee Douglas first reached out to me to ask if she could interview me for her podcast, GROUP, my knee-jerk reaction was to politely say “thank you, but no thank you.” I sometimes don’t even answer the phone when it’s people I love, what makes you think I wana jump on a call with a stranger? Actually, I don’t even think I responded to her first email. Rebecca Lee Douglas is the founder and producer of the podcast GROUP, which focuses on mental health. She brings experts in and discusses important mental health issues in a relatable, empathetic, and often humorous way. There are episodes on thought distortions, Seasonal Affective Disorder, and even emotional support animals. She’s amazing. Buzzfeed recently named GROUP as one of the 27 Podcasts You Need to Start Listening To In 2018. In other words: Yas Qween!! So when she said she wanted to talk with me for a mini-Valentine’s Day episode my inner-voice-slash-confidence-that-I’m-still-working-on-everyday was like “nah, she doesn’t actually want to talk to me.” But guys, Rebecca Lee Douglas is …

Taylor Swift Calvin Harris

Analysis of Lightning Bolts & Taylor Swift’s “…Ready for It?”

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Let’s go back to the lightning bolts. But first, I need to acknowledge how amazing this one theory is and how much it’s helped me put some things in perspective. This beautiful and insightful theory, by Fearlesslove13 & @shesdeads (brought to my attention via Buzzfeed) dove into the idea that the Taylors in the video are not good vs. evil. But instead, she is training. YES YES YES. In their post they say: this means that the darker taylor, the one in the hoodie, represents all of the old taylors, and the media’s perception of them.  she’s the one that recognizes the world is cruel, and trains the caged taylor because she wants her to be able to survive.  and by sacrificing that version of herself to protect her, she gives the now freed taylor the opportunity to start fresh, and maybe not end up the same way she did. What I particularly love about this is their insight into the concept of “rebirth.” On how Taylor made the choice to redefine herself. In a …