"You don’t get to tell me about sad.” This week, we deep dive into Taylor Swift's song “Who's Afraid of Little Old Me” from The Tortured Poets Department. For this TTPD and Eras Tour favorite, we unpack the song’s references to fame, power dynamics, and female identity. We explore how this song brings up our experiences of passive-aggressive workplaces, and being asked to change our behavior to fit other’s expectations. It’s a meaty episode–listen and let us know what you think!

Mentioned in this episode:

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Edward Albee

Apex Predator, Mean Girls

E23: Mad Women

The Great Gatsby

Pirates of the Caribbean

Les Misérables

Wicked

Episode Highlights:

[01:52] How we do a deep dive

[03:19] Unpacking references in the song’s title

[07:49] “The who’s who of who’s that”

[13:01] “If you wanted me dead, you should have just said”

[18:56] “So I leap from the gallows”

[21:20] “At all costs, keep your good name”

[32:25] “So tell me everything is not about me”

[37:57] "That's why you're still singing along"

[42:39] The purpose of the song

[52:00] Listener homework!

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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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“They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one.” Happy spooky season! This week, we dive into the topic of witches. From historical midwives to fantasy heroines, Taylor’s music has a little bit for everyone. In this episode, we look at the fiery witch imagery in “I Did Something Bad,” explore the visual choice of witchiness in “willow,” and discuss the fantasy of owning your power in “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me.” With plenty of Harry Potter references for all, this episode is perfect for the inner Hermione in us all. Because at the end of the day, aren’t we all just powerful witches who are also kind of giant nerds?

Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe

Mentioned in this episode:

E7: Ecocriticism

E23: Mad Women

E19: Satire

Pride and Prejudice

Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English

Harry Potter

Willow Music Video

Outlander

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

E9: Fall Songs

Les Miserables

The Crucible

The Power, Naomi Alderman

Shit Cassandra Saw, Gwen E. Kirby

Jennifer’s Body

Great Expectations

Invisible Women, Caroline Criado-Perez

***

Episode Highlights:

[01:15] Introduction to Witches

[07:34] I Did Something Bad - “They’re burning all the witches even if you aren’t one”

[19:36] Willow - “Wait for the signal and I’ll meet you after dark”

[34:30] Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me - “So I leap from the gallows and I levitate down your street”

Follow us on social!

• TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
• Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
• YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
• Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
• Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
• Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro

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.

Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro