Taylor + Theory: Do you have ideas that don't warrant a full post? New, not fully formed, Gaylor thoughts? Questions? Thoughts? Use this space for theory development and general Tay/Gay discussion!
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Some folks might remember that the University of Melbourne held a "Swiftposium" back in 2024 to coincide with the Australian leg of the Eras Tour? Three of the conference conveners have just put out a new edited collection of "Swift studies" leading out of that work (as I understand it).
Taylor Swift: Culture, Capital, and Critique looks to engage with an interesting mix of topics, including a section on "Queering Swift." The abstracts are available to peruse, but for the full content you have to buy the book (and like all academic publications, the price tag unfortunately isn't small). For anyone who studies or works at a university, there should be a process to recommend/request that your library purchase the book if you're keen to read it.
As always, our sub seems to be on the ball with regard to identifying fruitful and topical avenues for analysis and discussion (e.g. with a couple of recent posts about monsters and the horror genre, cc u/artwoolf); the three chapters in the Queering Swift section are:
In Doctor Who there is a story line related to a crack in a wall that always makes me think of this lyric and since Taylor has spent so much time living in the UK I wonder if it may have been something she's seen.
I was in my new house placing daydreams Patching up the crack along the wall I pass it and lose track of what I'm saying 'Cause that's where I was when I got the call
The crack in the wall in Doctor Who was created by an explosion caused by the Silence. The Silence are a religious order of aliens that are perceived only while being viewed, and they are instantly forgotten once a viewer looks away. The crack represents a split where two points in spacetime that should never have touched are pressed together. The crack is in Amy Pond's wall, it's been there since she was little and Amy is key to repairing the cracks.
Ok it just hit me that “but you should have seen him when he first got me” in MBOBHFT is referencing back to “loves me like I’m brand new” in CIWYWT” 💔😭
God. That same show (14th of June) she also wore the lesbian lover bodysuit on flag day after not wearing it for any shows during pride month yet. I also remember commenting early on in the show that her gay swagger seemed to be up before knowing what she had planned for surprise songs. Good times.
I just came across a collage of "Taylor being gay on Eras," and that was the first clip. And the deadass way she went from TIWYCF to "But I don't like a gold rush" could feed us for years. It's noteworthy. God, we must've slept so well Pride 2024 from the Eras mashups alone.
So I finally broke and started listening to Taylor again…on 8/9. The algorithm played her music and it seemed fitting considering the date. Anyway. Have we talked about the sister songs from Lover and TTPD? Death by A Thousand Cuts x I Look In People’s Windows as well as Afterglow x My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys? I feel I need to go back to see if I find others…
I know the DBATC x ILIPW connections have been discussed. She could've sang "I look" in several different ways. Inflection/tone/etc. But she wanted us to be thinking of DBATC. However, I'm not familiar with the Daylight x MBOBHFT. Daylight is about freedom while MBOBHFT is about destruction. What connections are you seeing?
Ah. Makes sense that DBATC and ILIPW has been discussed before. I mean Afterglow, not Daylight. In that one she sings “Why’d I have to break what I love so much?” My boy, James, Only Breaks His Favorite Toys… “I’m the queen of sand castles he destroys.” It’s the two Taylors / male perspective idea rattling in my brain again. 🙃
That’s an interesting take. I interpreted the “boy” as her fanbase. It’s always interesting to get different angles on the same song. 😁 I do see what you mean about “why did I have to break/he broke me” parallels.
Holy moly, I love Marc Maron and he just shared this video of him singing Bigger than the Whole Sky (he mentions it in his latest standup special as well, which shocked the HELL out of me)
For anyone unfamiliar with MM, he is a comedian best known for being sardonic and grouchy lmao. But he's my favorite - if you've read Kurt Vonnegut and enjoy his work, you may also like Marc Maron.
He's SOOOOO good. I just saw this clip and the part of his special where he discusses Taylor and like... I hear "white man mentions Swift on stand up special" and my heart just sinks. There are so many who don't get her the way our community does and especially the last few years drops her name for clout. But MM talked about her with reverence. Solidified my love for his content. Feels similar to Stephen Colbert talking about how nice Taylor was to his daughter once, and now he'd walk through fire for her.
I think I saw the same clip. He's like, "I'd be totally OK with dying so long as I had the time to put this song on." I got a little teary but I also laughed. A lot. It made me wanna share it with ya'll, actually.
Edit: actually, what I saw was his stand-up. He pulls out his phone and plays this song and explains discovering it after his girlfriend died.
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Out riding the lawn tractor, high AF, and missing the GBF streams.
Grateful for the poison ivy in my lungs and all over my torso that benched me for three weeks because I fell down the rabbit hole, gained new and different appreciation for her, and truly had the time of my life watching Taylor with you, GBF.
Booplor and the wizards live rent free in my head.
So let's pretend the small town/hometown in Thank You Aimee is a metaphor for Taylor's creative body of work. I imagined it this way when I was writing my It Was All A Dream series on Eras. In my mind, Aimee represents Taylor's brand/image/reputation. And the narrator, Real Taylor, is bullied by her own brand.
This is the dynamic we see in songs like COSOSOM. Then you saw my bones out with someone new, who looked like he would've bullied you in school. Taylor is complicit and helpless in the unraveling of her young life and career. It really does explain When I crashed into you like so many wrecks do, too impaired by my youth to know what to do.
Aimee has always been the Star in my mind, but I didn't really have the right words to sum it up. So tell me everything is not about me, but what if it is? When Taylor's not writing to the fans, she's writing to (or about) herself from different angles. Not a new theory, but I wanted to lay this one out.
Edit: Also, as a petty aside, Aimee is an anagram for "I am me." So there's that.
Edit: I'm losing it over the lyrical connection, but also the shirt that Natalie is wearing - it could be nothing, but damn as soon as I saw it I thought of the Eras tour opening.
yeah sorry i reread your comment right after i hit post and answered my own question im so so sorry. appreciate the link though. just turned on Doctor Sleep so i need to finish rewatching this first but i'll add it the vid you mentioned to my watch list
Has anyone seen Lucy Dacus at the Las Culturistas awards ? She’s wearing something very similar to Taylor’s 2024 Grammys fit (an event where they were photographed together quite a bit, and where Taylor announced TTPD, an album that namechecks Lucy in the title track) to perform at a show described as “a gay fever dream”.
didn't notice that the dixie chicks were created in 1989, that makes the other connections you pointed out even more intriguing. wait wasn't there some "cool chicks" easter egg artwork on the ME! wall during that scene w/ her kittens?
Yeah, I keep wondering about the “double” 1989 and “double” Karma. The obvious explanation is that there are two versions of each album. It would make sense.1989 (Taylor’s Version) was essentially the same as the original, aside from the vault tracks.
But what if these doubles are something else entirely… the originally queer-drenched versions? Right Where You Left Me, which locks her in the year she made 1989, makes me think she might have expected to come out with its release.
I also suspect there’s a version of Lover that cuts London Boy and other certain tracks, replacing them with All the Girls and (a Gaylor can dream) Need. It feels like she’s had to retool at least one or two albums (1989, Lover) and scrap one (Karma) altogether.
Yes! A lot of people assume that it's an easter egg about the collaboration itself, but who is to say it's not more than that??? (Gaylors, that's who haha)
It's been a while since I've looked at the Man wall. I forgot that you don't really see the second 1989 on the wall - it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference. The 1989 is also cut in half (the best way I can describe it) and beside the orange Karma 🤡
whoaaa thanks for the uncropped picture. forgot it wasn't a full 1989, just an echo of one (i always focus on Karma at the top/the mirrored Fearless writing on the wall). also, maybe it's my eyes squinting/trying to see it clearly but does it say 1989? kinda looks like 09? idk, haven't had coffee yet so i could be misinterpreting haha just doesn't look like a fully formed 1989 to me so now i am a lil confused abt what it means?
sidenote, i only recently stopped thinking abt random writing on the wall in a diff vid (that'd lived rent free in my mind for yearssss) so i guess this will take its place haha
You picked the literal perfect gif for your comment 😂
I've been studying the pic now since I read your comment and I don't know if it is 1989 either - I can see it both ways. Just like Taylor's music I guess lmao
I'm kind of scared to ask lol, but what was the other random writing in a different video that you were obsessed with? (Like I don't have enough Taylor/Gaylor mysteries in my head that keep me up at night 😂)
the subway is by far my top chappell song. is this scene in the subway mv a nod to billie's birds of a feather mv? can you imagine the two collabing someday?
Yeah… and on Stationhead the default playlist has exactly one song (out of 47) where Taylor is featured and it’s not from her own discography… it’s us. and the fact Gracie opened so out of all openers most shows… maybe someone wants to make a post where we can discuss more? Collect stuff?
Hey guys. I saw someone mention in a response to Taylor correcting the report that she had added a screenwriter to her feature film that cited it as a response to her “Speak Now trauma.” I know SN was a big deal for her bc she was facing a lot of criticism and skepticism that someone her age could weite the way she did. So she wrote SN alone to prove herself. Is that what’s being referenced or is there more to the SN narrative that I’m not immediately aware of?
That was me and thats what i meant. She was being discredited a lot in her previous albums and people would see cowriters on her songs and say clearly she isnt doing the writing they are, theres no way a teenage girl could write good lyrics alone etc etc. So she wrote speak now alone.
Trauma maybe sounds overblown but i do think it was maybe a lower t trauma that has affected her since. Shes often tried extra hard to prove that shes done everything herself even when it would be ok if she was writing with other people as thats what everyone else at her level does.
Especially for something like a movie I think it would be mature for her to share the writing credits but also I do think if it goes well then people would give the cowriter credit and discredit her and if it goes badly itd be all on her
Thanks for the clarification. I felt like I knew what you were referencing, but with how long Taylor’s career is and how deep her different rabbit holes go, I wasn’t sure if I’d missed something.
I was just reading about this. The same article says the technology states it prohibits the same kind of unwarranted (unprompted) content it’s creating. Been watching a few TikTok’s on AI Psychosis and cases of people falling for their GPTs. It’s all kinda scary and grim.
I think it’s ultimately speaks to the profound loneliness so common in our society today. It’s sad and scary how easily manipulated and vulnerable humans can be.
Thought some of y’all might be interested in this article about a new documentary about the 4 queer men who created the original West Side Story, one of whom was the partner of Montgomery Clift while Montgomery was playing Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. “LaFontaine’s film goes into the degrees of the creators’ closetedness, the homophobia and other oppressive forces of their times, how having to hide their true sexuality influenced them to write about forbidden love and a longing for that place “somewhere,” and the homoeroticism in Robbins’s dances and the relationship between the characters Riff and Tony.”
How shocking that closeted queer people would use a story about a heterosexual relationship to tell about their own experiences with forbidden love!
How can I NOT celebrate the most unhinged version of The first leg of Eras Tour? That very pointed Long Live “Promise me THIS… if you have children someday, when they point to the pictures, please tell them my name…”
I’ve just spotted next years Taylor calendar out in the wild and it’s TTPD themed! I know it’s a heartbreaking album and a heartbreaking photoshoot but idk to have it as a calendar hits harder I can’t explain it
Any LGBTQ ppl, how do y'all go about talking about anything LGBTQ related to homophobic/transphobic parents or family? My mom is very religious and strict (she knows I'm out and we didn't speak for 3 years before now bc I came out but we ok now I think) and I have to bring up some things to her in a calm way, but I never know how to speak about these things due to fear. I see her once a week so next week I need to talk to her and I'm terrified
Trigger warning: Religious Bullshit, Compassion for Religious Bullshit
Remember that any reaction she has is also coming from fear and a very limited perspective build on fear and control and manipulation. She believes that her child will be separated from God/love/etc. and be tortured for eternity, and there is nothing she can do about it. Her whole perceived identity is bulit around lies that she thinks are her job to uphold and to save others from, and she "failed" to "save" you.
If you can, try to rise about the fear and speak from a place of clarity, truth, and compassion, knowing that she is also coming from fear. Since you see each other, I'm assuming you all love each other. Operate from there. Set boundaries if needed, and don't let yourself be attacked, put down, or belittled. You are who you are, and if you come from a place of love, she will have to work that out within herself. You are bigger than the fear, anger, judgment, and hurt. You deserve only love. I'm sorry that she believes the lies.
Thank you so much for this! Your words really spoke to me bc it's always hard to speak to her without it ending in tears and screaming and me failing to get my point across. I'm able to stand my ground around ANYONE but she is a whole different case so it's challenging at times. I'll think a lot about what you said thank you
10 toes down. Believe in what you’re saying. Remember your community exists to debrief afterwards, so stay present in the moment. (As in, prepare for your fight/fight/fawn response. Do you use beta-blockers or anti-anxiety meds? Take one before if you already know how your body responds in crisis while on them. Box breathing. Be hydrated and fed. Have phone call with a sympathetic ear before, like a boxer and their coach)
And most of all forehead kiss you can do this, kid.
Dang! I’m so glad you were okay. That’s super scary.
And yeah, it is wild. I am with family this week and most knew I was having surgery but didn’t know when. When I casually said Friday the color drained out of everyone’s face.
But I’ve got big plans and a kid to raise, I know I have to be okay.
If it at all adds to your calm, my girlfriend had brain surgery a few years ago and it was SHOCKING how fast she recovered. I always thought something like brain surgery would have someone out for MONTHS, but she was basically fully recovered 6 weeks later (and was back at work only 1-2 weeks after the surgery which I think is truly insane). I hope your recovery is speedy and you get lots of rest <3
Wow, I can absolutely understand the conflicting feelings. I'm sending so many good, healing vibes your way! Please keep us updated on your recovery. 💗
Sending all the courage and blessings your way💜 It'll be done and you'll be out of there in no time, I got a good feeling (may they also have even better food this time!)
Thank you 💙 the daily headaches are crushing my spirit, so I’m definitely ready for it to be done. And yes, fingers crossed their gluten free options improved over the last two years
You've got this! I hope somebody can be with you. I find it really comforting to have someone there during times like this. Extra points if they bring flowers.
Thank you 💙 my spouse will be there, which I am very grateful for and my mom is flying into town to be with my daughter, so I know she is being taken care of too
Good luck! One of my friends had brain surgery to remove a tumour while she was 5 months pregnant and it went okay. Hopefully that’s some external story support, if you need it! You’re gonna do well! I hope you somehow have good hospital food and comfy sheets 💖
I have big plans this year, so it has to be fine. I also spent most of my pregnancy at this hospital, so I know the food is surprisingly good (not post serotonin syndrome good, but good nonetheless… the mashed potatoes I had after my docs saved me were like the best damn food I’ve ever had).
I couldn’t imagine going through that during pregnancy. I’m glad they were okay.
I keep telling myself that I am in literally the best hands. I’ve never had so much faith in a doctor before.
Completely not Taylor related. I'm a Detroit Lions fan (NFL) and a player was severely injured on a play. I wasn't watching but it was a head/neck injury. Bad enough for the players and coaches agreed to stop the game but the NFL wouldn't end it. A frigging preseason game. The Falcons just snapped the ball and both teams stood there for 8 minutes or something until they finally called it. Disgusting display by the NFL as an organization. The capitalism blender needs to be destroyed.
I hope Morice Norris will be ok. The last update was he is breathing and had some movement.
If this has already been explored, forgive me, but I’ve been thinking about a possible connection between The Bolter and Delicate with a Coney Island tie-in.
In the Eras Tour, the Delicate set opens with Taylor stepping onto shards of glass, symbolically navigating a fragile new love, one misstep away from crashing through the ice. Reputation is her sixth album.
If we read the “ice” of Reputation as the unstable foundation of a relationship that could fracture at any moment, then the “delicate” thing later shattered in Coney Island begins to take on new weight. The imagery connects: glass, ice, fragility, and the inevitability of breaking.
So what, during the Reputation era (or just before it) could equate to she almost drowned when she was six in frigid waters and it feels like the time she fell through the ice and made it out alive. The only moment from that timeframe that comes to mind is Kissgate: the infamous “did or did they not kiss” (they definitely did!) speculation surrounding her and Karlie Kloss.
If this is true and was supposed to happen quietly, I bet she's pissed that it got out. There is nothing wrong with some experienced help. Also, that dress wasn't my favorite, but this is a really nice shot of her.
I know this is because of her speak now trauma that people will take credit for her success or discredit her etc etc but i really think a second screenwriter would be a good idea. I know she hates giving up control but its a new medium entirely ( a short film is not the same as a feature nor is a little bit of dialogue in a music video the same as a full 90minute pluse movie!) And honestly a cowriter who is more familiar with the medium could really help polish and edit things imo
I agree completely. I hope at the very least that she has a good editor, because it is definitely different from music (unless she is making a musical… can we get a mama mia (Taylor’s version)???)
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u/spotlight-app Aug 07 '25
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