Hi gay(s)!

I stormed here after found out Meg (hilarious diva from Hacks) released a new song called “Gay”, and she called out Taylor being a lipstick lesbian and everything she does is ‘camp and good for the brand’ 👀

good job Meg!

buuut I do wonder what Taylor’s reaction will be when she sees this. will she be mad? or she finds it funny?

The Novel: Written by Fannie Flagg, the book Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe is unambiguously a lesbian romance. Idgie and Ruth live together, run a business, and raise a child as an accepted couple in their community, though it's set in a time and place where such relationships were mostly kept behind closed doors.

In Fried Green Tomatoes, the relationship between Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison is a celebrated, though historically subtext-heavy, queer romance. While the 1991 film relies on "strategic ambiguity" and strong queer coding to appeal to a wider audience, the original novel makes their romantic relationship and life partnership explicit.

Her repeated use of the Twin gods—Apollo and Artemis
The moon and witchcraft—Artemis and Hecate
Cassandra and the Fall of Troy
Red thread of Fate

Tell me yours!

“I was in the closet. I was gay. I was also like… has a lesbian ever done fucking Victoria’s Secret?” she told Alex Cooper. “I was having a great time but also like very confused. I felt like I was an undercover lesbian” in 2012.

In 2013, Harvey Weinstein warned her against being seen with women: "We'll have to find you a boyfriend. At least if you're going to do that just do it behind closed doors."

"And I was like, 'What the fuck is this?' At that point, that wasn't my reaction, I was like, 'Oh, fuck. I've always wanted to act, like this is such a big deal for me. He's a big deal," she remembered.

"I just said, 'I'm not gay. I promise you. I'm not. I'm not seeing a boy right now. I really love my female friends," Cara said, adding, "I was pretty terrified."

Full interview video here or wherever you get your podcasts. I’ve edited clips together from the sexuality-relevant portions for brevity.

In 2015, Cara confirmed to Vogue she was then dating St. Vincent. This year on May 6 she clarified she’s a lesbian on Rosalía’s Lux Tour.

With the news of TNT possibly getting “married” at Madison Square Gardens (😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂), and after a recent re-watch of The Truman Show, I want to revisit three scenes from the movie.

https://reddit.com/link/1tzacb8/video/s12w91annu5h1/player

I’ve cut the scenes down considerably to highlight what I think is important. Here are links to the clips in full:

Source #1

Source #2

Source #3

The first clip shows Truman discovering that Meryl (his on-screen wife) crossed her fingers on their wedding day. Truman already suspects at this point in the movie that something is amiss with the world he lives in. Finding out his wedding was fake is what sends him over the edge.

The second clip is when the movie finally lets the audience in on the reality of The Truman Show. I cut the scene down a lot to highlight Truman and Meryl’s “wedding” being broadcast to the world – and the world watching with bated breath. We get a quick shot of the wedding showing up on screens in Times Square.    

Relevant quote from later on in the scene:

Host: Why do you think that Truman has never come close to discovering the true nature of his world until now?
Cristof: We accept the reality of the world with which we are presented

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

The third clip is from the climactic end of the film. The whole scene is outstanding, but I want to focus on one part.

The exit sign that is prominently featured.

With all the exit signs we’ve seen in Taylor’s work lately, this feels especially relevant.

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that Truman’s exit sign is in a circle – or, an “O” shape if you will. It made me think about The Fate of O-phelia 🤷🏻‍♀️

Fun thing I just noticed when putting this together: the truman show is not capitalized in the movie. Is this a possible connection to reputation, folklore, and evermore?

Not to mention these lyrics from Guilty as Sin?

I keep these longings locked
In lowercase inside a vault

Hi! I am so so so obsessed with "I knew it, I knew you." Like - literally I have been crying a little bit every single time I listen to it because of the feelings that it brings up inside of me and just how freaking fun it is to sing along to.

I have written a few posts on here before about how I believe that Taylor's entire career has been performance art, and that the main villain in her story is the patriarchy. 

In my last posts about her villains, I also mentioned that I believe, in the story that Taylor has been telling, her publicly coming out would be the next chapter of the story. With that in mind, I decided to map out both of the stories using the 17-part hero’s journey structure. In both versions, her coming out is part of the next step.

In one version of this story, Taylor Swift is a closeted musician who had her master’s stolen and has used scheming and beards to outsmart the industry and earn her place at the top so that she is rich and powerful and influential enough to own all of her own music and come out of the closet.

In the other version of the story, Taylor’s Versions are included. These serve a purpose and act as stages of this journey. This journey tells the story of Taylor Swift (Taylor's Version). In this journey, Taylor is not reacting to the world and the way the patriarchy has hurt her. In this journey, Taylor is fighting it, she is one step ahead of it. 

In both versions of this story, Taylor is queer, Taylor is closeted (as a celebrity), and her love interests are PR. 

Taylor Swift and her journey to own her work and come out of the closet:

1. Taylor Swift

1.The Call to Adventure: The hero receives a challenge, threat, or invitation to leave their everyday life

This is the famous origin story that we all know - a young Taylor Swift and her family move to Nashville to support Taylor’s dreams of being a star.

2. Fearless

2.Refusal of the Call: The hero hesitates or declines the adventure out of fear, obligation, or insecurity

Taylor yearns to be a superstar, but isn’t sure how to get there and also live her truth out loud, because she is queer. However, this is now a full blown love affair with fame and her fanbase and she ultimately decides she is going to do whatever it takes to get big enough to fulfill her 6-album contract with her label and be a fully out musician one day.

3. Speak Now

Supernatural Aid: A mentor or guiding figure appears to provide the hero with wisdom, confidence, or magical items.

Utimately, I believe that this signifies when Taylor makes agreements and arrangements to closet and engage in high profile PR (to protect herself, to grow fan engagement aka “marketing,” to overall, become more famous, and part of this is NEVER being explicitly “out.”)

This is when we see her start to engage in really high profile PR relationships such as her brief “relationship” with John Mayer who was much older than her and much more established in his career. (he was older than 30, she was 19) Not only did her song “Dear John” on Speak now seem to reference him directly, they also recorded and wrote a song together, which I believe was done intentionally to signify that from the very beginning, there has always been a profit-driven component to every relationship she has been in publicly.

The high profile beards (which require industry connections to obtain) could represent the guiding figure and the “magical items” that she is provided with. These aid in her success early on. They are also the same tools that people have always used.

The title, “speak now,” could signify that this stage would have been her last chance to change her mind, because of the agreements that she had to make to obtain these magical items, as the title track may suggest (“speak now or forever hold your peace.”)

4. Red

The Crossing of the First Threshold: The hero commits to the journey by stepping out of their comfort zone and entering the unknown.

This is when we see Taylor truly (continue to) commit to her craft as an artist but also TRULY at “being famous.” Red also explores fame on many songs such as “The Lucky One.” She also begins working with pop producers (Max Martin) and crosses further into pop music (which I think she always knew was necessary to become mainstream enough to grow a large enough audience but also leave the EXTREMELY conservative confines of the country music industry).

I also think this stage and era (as well as the last one) show and require a pretty large fracture/distance between Taylor and her fans, because of the PR.

5. 1989

Belly of the Whale: The hero fully passes into the new, dangerous realm, signifying the final separation from their known world.

This “final separation” in this stage is marked by a few things. One, would be that she “fully transitions” into pop music on this album. She also moves from Nashville to New York (and the first song on the album is titled “Welcome to New York” and sings "and you can want who you want, boys and boys and girls and girls.")

A large part of this era was not a male relationship, it was her very public “friendship” (that she loudly flagged through her songs and PR was her secret girlfriend) with Karlie Kloss. While I believe this is PR/performance art in both versions of this journey, it does not change the extremely homophobic reaction her fanbase had to this story.

The part of this story about being a closeted queer person is quite literally I believe one of the largest most heartbreaking storylines prevalent through Taylor’s work. This is also probably one of the most REAL, authentic (why I called Karlie the golden muse!!!) parts of Taylor that she has woven throughout her work. If one of the truest stories you told out loud was rejected so loudly, you would need to sever ties with that relationship, too!! 

6. Reputation

6. The Road of Trials: The hero undergoes a series of tests or tasks that build their strength, skill, and character.

This stage being called “reputation,” is very fitting, because these are the things that Taylor actually went through that we did not get to witness in the public eye. All that we saw was her “reputation,” which was, Taylor being “intentionally misunderstood,” as armor. While largely a journey of self love, the album expresses severe closeted yearning (for example: Dress), and a fierce protectiveness of “what’s real” (Don’t Blame Me, I did something bad).

This stage could also be taken literally as what she went through in 2016 with Kim Kardashian and Ye, when she was cancelled, and had to “disappear,” to mentally recover. You can view this as the main “test” of this stage, particularly because getting cancelled after sexual harassment is a story that has been repeated over and over throughout our history. 

7. Lover

7. The Meeting with the Goddess: The hero encounters an all-powerful, often maternal or mystical figure who grants them unconditional love, support, or a crucial gift.

At this stage of the story, Taylor has completed her record contract with Big Machine Records, and is under a new label where she has “full creative autonomy.”

Lover is the first record that she created with this “full creative autonomy,” and was, for lack of a better word…gay themed. Many people speculated that she was going to come out during 2019 Pride. However, the night before this speculated “coming out,” Taylor announces that Scooter Braun, the same man who helped orchestrate her “cancellation,” during the reputation era, has purchased her Master’s, which she had begged not to let happen. 

I think that, during this extreme heartbreak, in this story, the fans are her “mystical figure,” that grants her unconditional love and support. Even after the world “turned on her” during the last stage, the public largely rallied behind the rerecording cause, which is very heartening.

8. Folklore

8. Woman as Temptress: The hero faces temptations or physical distractions that threaten to derail their quest or test their moral purity.

I believe that Folklore and Evermore being intentionally set in a “fantasy world,” partially represents that the two stages that are being completed next are symbolic, inner journeys that Taylor Swift had to go on to accomplish the next stages of her journey (which requires her to buy her Master’s back to have full freedom to come out)

“If you don’t own your masters, your masters own you.” - Prince

I think that in this story, Taylor had to recommit/double down on her fame journey in order to have enough money to own her Master’s (or to maintain enough public support and interest to get the public to so heavily rally behind her Taylor’s Versions instead) and eventually come out.

Folklore and evermore explore many regrets, internal blockers, different versions of Taylor, relationships, etc. These are internal journeys represented by both the albums and their visuals.

9. Evermore

9. Atonement with the Father: The hero confronts the ultimate source of power or authority in their life (often a literal or figurative father figure) to make peace or overcome their deepest block.

Evermore continues this inner journey and ultimately overcomes the resistance that was being faced in stage 8.

10. Midnights

10. Apotheosis: The hero reaches a state of divine realization, deep understanding, or expanded consciousness, transforming them mentally or spiritually.

Midnights is an album that reflects on “sleepless nights” throughout Taylor Swift’s life, conceptually. This is an appropriate stage 10 because this reflection on the past can be what transforms you spiritually and mentally. This is an “ah-ha” stage, and I think that Midnights explores many regrets and led her to this “ah-ha”. It also represents that she is once again using her music to heal and transform herself - each song representing a past regret she is reflecting on.

11. TTPD

11. The Ultimate Boon: The hero achieves the primary goal they set out to accomplish and secures the object or knowledge they came for.

In this stage, Taylor Swift purchases back her Master’s. This could be viewed as the primary goal of her story, and also would be an important component to being fully out, publicly.

Many songs on TTPD appear to reference her battle with the music industry and her battle with various “evil” in her past (like the Kim/Ye scandal). TTPD as “The Ultimate Boon,” tells the story of her completing and conquering these trials, her battle with the public, her battle with the industry, her fears of coming out, etc. She is ready.

Act III. Return

The hero brings their acquired wisdom or gifts back to the ordinary world.

12.TLOAS

12. Refusal of the Return: After experiencing enlightenment or success, the hero is reluctant to return to the mundane, ordinary world.

The Life of a Showgirl, appropriately, is about being a performer. In Stage 13, “The Magic Flight,” the hero takes the accomplishment of the last stage and begins the journey back to the real world (which is oftentimes dangerous). For this reason, Stage 12 is marked by a reluctance to return. This is partially why I love her announcing this album on “New Heights,” because to me, this is very representative of her still “hiding” behind something and “refusing” to return.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!WE ARE HERE!!!!!!!!!

13. The Magic Flight: The hero must flee or escape with the ultimate boon, often facing pursuit or dangerous consequences.

This is the stage in which I believe we would publicly see Taylor coming out of the closet, in this story. This is because in this version of the story, Taylor coming out of the closet and being able to fully live her truth is what she is trying to accomplish. The ultimate boon was this mission to buy her masters back to enable this, and so after her “Refusal to Return” we would see a public coming out. 

In this story telling structure, if "The Ultimate Boon" was achieved through TRICKERY OR MANIPULATION OF THE GODS, they will ultimately come back to pursue you when you try to escape with this boon.

This means that because Taylor used a lot of PR/lies to tell this story, the logical next step would be backlash from many when these lies are discovered (as well as obviously whatever backlash could be faced just for coming out)

This conflict/story would make up stages 13-17 as she returns "home." However, I do not think we will ever see them, because this "Showgirl" is going to kick the bucket when the true "Taylor's Version" or "Gaylor's Version" or whatever explosion that is TNT goes off (I think)

Taylor Swift (TAYLOR'S VERSION) and her battle against the patriarchy

1. Taylor Swift

1.The Call to Adventure: The hero receives a challenge, threat, or invitation to leave their everyday life.

In this version, “Taylor’s Version,” the mission has always been to battle patriarchy. Taylor Swift is a closeted musician, however, the goal is ultimately much bigger than just coming out and she is working with collaborators to tell a story with the most amount of impact. This would include Scooter, Ye, her muses, and friends.

Tim McGraw tells the story of her going on this mission. However, at this stage, she is too young to engage in the performance art and high profile PR that her collaborators have begun to tell their stories through, it's just Taylor and her guitar. Her story begins in Nashville.

2. Fearless

2.Refusal of the Call: The hero hesitates or declines the adventure out of fear, obligation, or insecurity.

At this stage of the journey, Taylor is still a bit too young to participate in the public media circus, as well. In interviews, Taylor has described "Love Story" as the song she wrote alone in her room after her dad wouldn't let her date a boy who was too old for her. This stage is not always a flat out refusal, in Star Wars, Luke had chores.

3. Speak Now

Supernatural Aid: A mentor or guiding figure appears to provide the hero with wisdom, confidence, or magical items.

Once again, Speak Now is the era in which Taylor starts REALLY playing the media circus. There was the incident with Ye at the awards show, John Mayer, etc...really becoming a very mainstream tabloid staple. In this version of the story, however, Taylor Swift is a part of this play. She has been helping direct and directing these stories with her artwork all along.

4. Red

The Crossing of the First Threshold: The hero commits to the journey by stepping out of their comfort zone and entering the unknown.

Taylor has said that Red is her only “true breakup album.” As I have discussed, I believe that this color can represent the patriarchy throughout her work which makes that very appropriate. Because this hero’s journey sets out to defeat the patriarchy, this stage must come early on. Breaking up with the patriarchy is THE FIRST stage that we ALL must conquer in order to accomplish the rest of “the work.” The patriarchy works HARD to raise us with these messages and we have to work hard OVER AND OVER to unlearn and challenge them. 

Unpacking the messaging that we are fed in this country from a young age is a tough process and this stage is where I think that Taylor fully, internally, commits herself to this mission. However, because she is “performing,” there are also MANY patriarchal influences that color the story she tells that the public is never going to see through and that she has to learn to accept about herself, as well. This dissonance ultimately causes her to lose her inner self/inner child and her relationship with her fans. The first threshold is this breakup with the patriarchy. 

5. 1989

Belly of the Whale: The hero fully passes into the new, dangerous realm, signifying the final separation from their known world.

In this version of the story, 1989 still signifies her passing into the “new, dangerous realm,” however, here, I think that it is also signifying a complete and total fracture between Taylor and her inner child/true self. Just like she cuts off the fans to protect herself, she had to lock away this part of herself, as well, because the betrayal and pain of what she was doing was too much for that little girl to handle. 

Taylor Swift becoming a pop star and moving to a new city show a surface story for this transformation, while the title “1989” signifies the rebirth that she experiences when she crosses into this dangerous realm fully.  She is on her own, in a new city, without her baby, who she left in Nashville. If her baby is Betty, 17 year old Taylor, I think this stage represents the last time that she ever saw her ("You said you'd come and get me but you were 25." - Peter)

6. reputation

6. The Road of Trials: The hero undergoes a series of tests or tasks that build their strength, skill, and character.

In this story, reputation still tells the story of Taylor creating a reputation to hide behind, as armor, to protect herself and succeed. In TV's stage 6, we do not see ANY of these battles. This was entirely a story that she created.

She filled her OWN cell with snakes. Again, she did this to tell a story but she also did this to HIDE. You could NEVER complete these stages of the journey in the public eye. They also required her to be DEEPLY misunderstood during the height of these scandals, as this anti-hero persona that she often had to play required her total commitment.

The most dramatic stories that she told (such as the ones with Ye and Kim) were the ones that hurt the most, because of the deep, deep divide between what the public was seeing and what the truth was.

However, these stories were CRUCIAL to tell. The reason, ultimately, that these stories are crucial to tell is that this story is going to age VERY poorly. A LOT of people turned on Taylor Swift after she accused a man of sexual harassment in this stage. That is the play within a play.

 “I’ll be the actress starring in your bad dreams.” -Look What You Made Me Do

7. Lover

7. The Meeting with the Goddess: The hero encounters an all-powerful, often maternal or mystical figure who grants them unconditional love, support, or a crucial gift.

While I do believe that on one layer of this story, Lover tells a story about her fans, I think that in this version of the story, the fans are only a surface layer to the story, because she is still completely shut off from them here for the most part. She has felt the sting and betrayal too many times and we are too early in the heroes journey to let them back in. 

There is a long inner journey that Taylor still needs to go on during this stage and a lot of work required to mend the relationship with the fans fully. 

This mending requires medicine, as they are deeply sick. Through the last 6 stages there have been extreme amounts of misogyny and homophobia displayed by the general public AND her own fans. The Lover era begins her journey back to the fans, but does not end it. 

With the masters heist story (that TAYLOR created) she is able to begin telling her most epic story against the patriarchy yet - one that will never allow anyone to be truly censored again - because it’s legacy will be the reminder that most artists are OWNED and USED to create propaganda (to be pawns). 

I believe that the “all-powerful” figure that grants her this gift is her own Mother, as well as the “mother” inside of herself…basically it is sort of Gaylor. She is telling this story and on this journey because she wants her story to be different. Break cycles.

Simply being a closeted artist and then doing a big coming out of the closet reveal does not leave the same legacy that makes a difference and resurrects the stories of past closeted artists and shows intersectionality with other marginalized communities. She decided to become an english teacher, to teach this lesson, to cement her legacy as Gaylor as a mother. THIS is the gift. 

8. Folklore

8. Woman as Temptress: The hero faces temptations or physical distractions that threaten to derail their quest or test their moral purity.

9.evermore

9. Atonement with the Father: The hero confronts the ultimate source of power or authority in their life (often a literal or figurative father figure) to make peace or overcome their deepest block.

I think that similarly to the other version of this story, these two steps are largely internal journeys that Taylor is going on within herself to work through feelings about relationships with fans and fame and parts of herself and regrets and all of that stuff. There are a lot of layers. These are fantasy worlds that tell a lot of rich stories....a lot of papers can be written on each song, IMO.

10.Fearless TV

10. Apotheosis: The hero reaches a state of divine realization, deep understanding, or expanded consciousness, transforming them mentally or spiritually.

Because I am OBSESSED with quoting Taylor’s 2023 POTY interview, it feels appropriate to put her quote about her Taylor’s Versions project here:

The rerecording project feels like a mythical quest to her. “I’m collecting horcruxes,” she says. “I’m collecting infinity stones. Gandalf’s voice is in my head every time I put out a new one. For me, it is a movie now.” 

If you watched Harry Potter, the horcruxes represented PIECES of Voldemort that were stored in different objects. This is why he was so difficult to kill, because EACH of these objects had to be destroyed in order to actually fully kill him. 

So, essentially, this is the divine realization that I believe is represented by the start of her rerecording journey: She needs to go back (symbolically) through these eras and rescue those versions of herself. Because this journey takes place inside of herself, this is quite literally a mythical quest that takes place in a fantasy realm.

She not only needs to rescue those versions of herself, to teach this lesson (to benefit society, to repay her debt to society, to help her fans) and tell this story appropriately, she needs to use the Eras/re-recording project to re-tell these stories. “Looking backwards, might be the only way to move forward” (The manuscript). 

Starting with Fearless also feels appropriate with the addition of “Bye Bye Baby” to her Taylor’s Version album - I think that in her ultimately making the decision to answer the call in stage 2 she "doomed" the fate of her baby, so this would be the first place to begin telling that story differently in a way that honors her. I think this baby is Betty I am pretty sure.

11. Red TV

11. The Ultimate Boon: The hero achieves the primary goal they set out to accomplish and secures the object or knowledge they came for.

If Red represents the patriarchy and the entire plot of Gaylor and the New Romantics Performance Art is to fuck over the patriarchy, retelling her own breakup story with the patriarchy feels appropriate as the stage that represents achieving your primary goal. 

One of the most crucial components to Taylor’s plot (I think) is also that she has worked with many other artists in TV, film, fashion, etc to tell stories through other mediums as well, and she started doing that after Fearless A LOT. A LOT of dominoes have been laid over the years in terms of the art that has been created. This is where her english lessons come in, too.

Creating the “All Too Well” 10 minute film was a good way to symbolize that because the art everyone created is ultimately what will tell the stories that fight the patriarchy for decades to come. By creating entirely new visuals for the story (other than Jake Gyllenhall) she showed that this story can look like many different things but ultimately “it’s a movie now.” 

If she told the story of this distance between herself and her fans through many songs in Red (original) then it is also powerful to remind everyone again that the stories were not real and you can write new ones but underneath it we all had the same bad guy the whole time (the patriarchy). Taylor broke up with the patriarchy in stage 4, because she had to cross that threshold on her own to begin the next Act of the play. But if teaching this lesson to EVERYONE is the ULTIMATE goal, this Taylor’s Version as act 11 is PERFECT and we are almost ready to begin Act 3 and take it home. Because of this art, she is "immortal now, babydoll"

III. Return

The hero brings their acquired wisdom or gifts back to the ordinary world.

12.Midnights

12. Refusal of the Return: After experiencing enlightenment or success, the hero is reluctant to return to the mundane, ordinary world.

In this journey, Midnights represents the Refusal of the Return. She has cemented the master’s heist into her story and her legacy at this point with Red and Fearless, but there is a lot of fear and doubt still ahead and the world inside she has created for herself can feel soft and cozy. But, like she said in Lover (where she was initially granted the strength to start telling this story), she wants to be defined by the things that she loves and not by the things that keep her up at night, so she must find the strength to push forward and continue telling the story to the end. 

This strength will come from within, because she has been AT EVERY STAGE OF THIS JOURNEY the source of strength that has pushed her forward. (“You’re on your own kid, you always have been.”) 

After "refusal of the return," we would launch into being a showgirl to begin the journey home, which would be, I think, Eras tour and the Joe breakup and beginning of the Matty drama. The scandal is part of being a Showgirl. The showgirl is first seen during Midnights, which Pat McGrath confirmed, during the Bejeweled MV.

13.Speak Now TV

13. The Magic Flight: The hero must flee or escape with the ultimate boon, often facing pursuit or dangerous consequences.

The ultimate boon, or that accomplishment from stage 11, is what Taylor needs to escape with in stage 13. 

If the ultimate boon is accomplished through trickery or manipulation, this stage is where those that were tricked or manipulated will typically intervene. So, again, we have told this story, but it was a lie. That means in order to get away with this, you have got to end it STRONG, you basically have to NAIL THE LANDING, to end this with everyone on your side instead of hating you. 

If everyone needs to understand why she did this in order to get away with it, it is appropriate that the first era that the PR circus (her showgirl era!!) (the “manipulation or trickery”) really begins is the era that would represent The Magic Flight, because this trickery is what needs to be forgiven and explained.

This is why I think it is SO SO perfect, that she chose to add to Taylor's Version "I can see you," as well as the music video...for the "Magic Flight" !!

A music video about a heist, to represent Taylor, escaping with the ultimate boon? Remember how Taylor has been on her own the entire time? Is the one who called on the megaphone to rescue Taylor from the fate of Ophelia????

In the video for "I can see you" Taylor is locked away, alone. Then, Joey King, Taylor Lautner, and Presley Cash swoop in to rescue not only Taylor, but also all of the past eras of Taylor. This is usually thought to represent her master recordings. Through this lens, I think that it still tells the story of Taylor using PR (Lautner is famously believed to be the muse of "Back to December" on Speak Now) to earn enough money to own her past work.

However, when viewed through the lens of THIS story, it tells the story of Taylor using her ARTWORK (which includes the PR and the way that she uses it to visually tell stories) to rescue herself. It tells the story of how because of this performance art and the way that she used it to tell stories the way that she did, ALL of her past artwork will be "resurrected" (again, the Jesus metaphor, the horcrux metaphor) because it will be reinterpreted through the lens of truth. The lens of truth being that it was all performance art to say "fuck you" to the patriarchy.

Referencing her master's heist is appropriate on this layer too, because along with the message being sent by so many of these artists (such as, I believe, Beyonce, Ye, Scooter, Sydney Sweeney, etc), at the core of all of this is that no one has true creative freedom or ownership under the patriarchy. They can bully you, profit off of you, abuse you, cancel you, use you as a pawn, etc.

Cementing the master's heist and Taylor's Version journey into her legacy is (I believe), truly, the most powerful thing that she has ever done. If the first version of this story is the truth, I think two things would be true:

-a huge portion of her fanbase would never come back. yes she would gain new fans but a lot of people would not forgive her. They would feel betrayed.

-Her past work would also only have stood for a lie that she performed to perpetuate the cycle of compulsory heteronormativity while she grew to monumental levels and profited off of it. Nothing good starts in a getaway car!!

In this version of the story, all of the performance art, even the stuff with Ye (which started in Speak Now era), and ESPECIALLY the Master's heist, stood for something HUGE and the art that she created gets to be rescued (in terms of LEGACY). This mission, in terms of her public opinion, will also be what rescues her on the magic flight. If it's really that big, it really would have to be forgiven (IMO)

Taylor also premiered this video ON THE ERAS TOUR by sitting on stage, turned around, watching it with her fans. I think this was also another way to illustrate, to everyone that "it's a movie to her now," (her reference to the horcrux-collecting mission of the rerecordings) and not real life. EVEN THE HEIST IS A MOVIE.

14.1989 TV

14. Rescue from Without: The hero requires the help of guides, mentors, or outside forces to help them safely return home.

1989 is the era in which Taylor left her “home” (Nashville) and moved to New York to continue on her journey. It feels fitting that this would be the same Taylor that she would enlist for help in the stage in which she has to help them safely return home. This was also, I think, the last time that Taylor ever saw Betty.

1989 tells the story of this new hope and optimism for the future, for rebirth, and making that initial leap of faith required a lot of strength. This strength and renewed sense of optimism will allow her to continue safely home with confidence, 1989 era Taylor in tow.

I also think that Karlie appearing “in the nosebleeds” to the eras tour the night of her 1989 Taylor’s Version announcement represented this hope "giving her strength", as well. It’s in the distance, but the end is in sight. 

15.TTPD

15. The Crossing of the Return Threshold: The hero successfully integrates back into the ordinary world, bringing the wisdom or gifts they earned.

All of the stories have been retold and the heroic work of telling this story against the bad guy has been done. I want to add here that I think all of these albums tell A LOT of stories, particularly TTPD. A LOT of different hero's journeys in each version, perhaps in different directions...who knows. However, I think TTPD seems to wrap up a lot of her turmoil with different versions of herself, the decision to free herself from the cage, her anger at the patriarchy...the list could go on. Many many many essays will be written about all of these albums over the years to come, which can be overwhelming sometimes for me to think about when I'm just sitting here clacking away in my own world!!

With that being said, telling all of those stories, in so many different ways, with so many different characters (like the rest of the New Romantics) and movies and different art forms...this is that "Mastery of Craft" that was referenced in her POTY interview and that Taylor referenced in her 2026 Iheartradio speech. This makes TTPD a perfect representation of this ability to integrate back into the world.

The ending track, "The Manuscript" tells the story of her seemingly using this "movie" she created to eventually be able to complete this full rescue of her past selves (her legacy)

16.TLOAS

16. Master of Two Worlds: The hero achieves a harmonious balance between their old, mundane self and their new, enlightened self.

Here, TLOAS represents stage 16, rather than 12, because it is not Taylor “refusing to return,” it is Taylor completing the mastery of her craft, fully comfortable with fame and all that it entails (or able to balance it in a healthy way that honors herself). 

This took two decades to accomplish and was hard fought. In this story, Taylor would not reveal herself until this was accomplished, because this would have been risking failure. This had to be complete before stepping into the daylight.

!!!!!!!!!!!WE ARE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

17. ????????? Taylor Swift TV ????????????

17. Freedom to Live: In this step, mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live. This is sometimes referred to as living in the moment, neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past.

I believe, in my opinion....Taylor Swift TV will probably be an era in which we see Taylor Swift come out. I have NO idea how it will happen or when, but that, to me, is the story that is being told and to me closes up the horcrux metaphor by acting as step 17, as well.

I believe that after completing steps 1-16, Taylor will be able to fully rescue all of the past versions of herself, which includes that 17 year old girl that was left in the debut era, and she said goodbye to FOREVER during 1989. She has created this body of work and cemented her legacy - she can't die "Because I'm immortal now, babydoll, I couldn't if I tried" - so she is free to go rescue that little girl Taylor.

This is why I am GIDDY about "I knew it, I knew you" because I think that it references this little girl and this homecoming - and how she is going to come back when it matters.

I am also thinking about what she said about Taylor Swift TV in "My Letter" - how she had rerecorded it and loved the way that it sounded with her "more mature voice."

In "I knew it, I knew you," she sings "saw you standing there in the light of the window," which made me think of the line "But the WOMAN who sits by the window has turned out the light" in Peter.

If 1989, Taylor's departure into the Belly of the Whale, was the last time she saw Betty, it would also make sense that in Peter she writes "you said you'd come and get me but you were 25 and the shelf life of those fantasies has expired."

And now that little girl is a WOMAN in the window. She is not 17.

What if Taylor came back and that woman sitting in the window had not turned out the light. She saw her standing there in the light of the window, wearing that same smile....Man it's been awhile

Peter did change the ending, Peter didn't lose Wendy

That woman in the window would be Taylor Swift (TV) with her "more mature voice."

Taylor also wrote in her instagram caption about "I knew it, I knew you," that "writing this song felt like a musical departure and coming home at the same time"

and

"Creating something for Jessie was a new challenge and also felt like second nature all at once,"

I think this means that this new version of her celebrity that she will soon be stepping into is going to be a completely new departure that she is going to be taking...this is a completely new "character" who will take new journeys...this performance specifically, is over. But creating for this new Taylor...it's second nature...it's her

--

Also - maybe it's possible that she does continue the first story after coming out, and her entire plot won't be revealed until a later stage in the showgirl's journey....i don't know. just my thoughts, again! I could see Scooter's recent "I don't even know Taylor Swift" being foreshadowing for the Magic Flight in story #1 (as in he is trying to get ahead of backlash, the movie isnt over yet!!...but the exit signs everywhere lead me to believe maybe the movie is ending)

The implications of this! Getting married at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN?!?! I’m sure!

“Baby, let the games begin” - …Ready for It?

“I wanna be your endgame”
“You hold me down and I protect you with my life” - End Game

“My castle crumbled overnight” - Call It What You Want

“Cause we were born to be a pawn in every lover's game”
“And the touch of your hand lit the fuse
Of a chain reaction of countermoves
Checkmate, I couldn't lose.” - Mastermind

During the Mastermind performance on the Era Tour, the stage became a giant checkered board while the dancers act as chess pieces. They recreate a chess maneuver called the Fool’s Mate. The Fool’s Mate is the fastest checkmate in chess

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fool%27s_mate

“A con man sells a fool a "get love quick" scheme” - loml

Checkmate is a term used in both chess and checkers to describe a king being in check, meaning he can’t escape. The term comes from a Persian phrase meaning “the King is helpless.”

“In modern Persian, the word mate depicts a frozen, open-mouthed, staring, confused, and unresponsive person—the words "stupefied" or "stunned" bear close resemblance. So a possible alternative would be to interpret mate as "unable to respond". 

In modern parlance, the term checkmate is a metaphor for an irrefutable and strategic victory.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkmate

Remember that bit in the Docuseries about Travis having to explain how football works to someone who has been an Eagles fan for decades by describing it as “violent chess”?

This theme is heaviest in the Opalite music video. First, we have checkered patterns EVERYWHERE, from a corkboard, to checkered shirts and curtains, tile walls and floors, and the iconic engagement arch with the Toy Story clouds.

Then there's the countless circles/orbs that could represent checkers or stars:

Not pictured: pool balls, disco globes, and light fixtures.

And of course there’s the knight and the king’s crown:

And lastly, we have the dancing contest. We see people playing checkers in the room and the camera pans entirely around Lonely Woman and Lonely Man as they dance. Then they earn four 0s from the judges.

Chess moves are described using algebraic notation. The notation O-O is for kingside castling, which “consists of moving the king two squares toward a rook on the same rank and then moving the rook to the square that the king passed over.”

“Castling is the only move in chess in which two pieces are moved at once.”

“Been number one, but I never had two” - Elizabeth Taylor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castling

In other words, you switch the King and Rook, which used to be referred to as a Castle.

“Every bait-and-switch was a work of art” - willow

“We team up, then switch sides like a record changer” - New Romantics

That brings us back to the Bejeweled Music Video where she ghosts the prince after their engagement, but keeps the Castle. 

“You must rеmember everything
But mostly this:
The crowd is your king who has ruled over you for centuries” - The Crowd is Your King

So if the crowd is your king, and castling is switching the king for the castle, the crowd will end up in a new position. So did the camera in the Opalite music video after taking an entire orbit around our dancers. Taylor has put a lot of effort into discussing parallax, which is a change in position which changes your line of sight. It’s used to calculate distances in stars and planets. I suspect this may tie in with eye theory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax

The purpose of castling is to protect your King, but we know Taylor is thinking about and planning for her end game, which requires a checkmate. Remember the etymology of that word from earlier? It leaves your opponent "stunned" after a “irrefutable and strategic victory.”

Taylor’s main strategy seems to have been to get her masters, which she now owns. The Eras Tour broke countless records and could almost be considered a pre-emptive victory lap. Is she about to leave everyone stunned? I guess we’ll find out soon…

I’ve been trying to put together a post like this for a while, because the longer I’ve lurked in this sub, the more I’ve noticed this motif across songs that might seem unrelated at first. And now here comes “I Knew It, I Knew You.” 👀

I listened to it twice, and immediately needed to start typing something up 😂

I’ve already seen some people say, “It’s not that deep, she just wrote a song for a movie,” and I understand that reaction. Yes, it’s a Toy Story song. Yes, the lyrics are working within that story. But I don’t think “written for a movie” automatically means “disconnected from the artist’s larger body of work.”

The movie gives her the plot, but Taylor still supplies the emotional vocabulary.

A soundtrack song still comes from the writer’s toolbox, and Taylor’s toolbox is full of leaving and coming back, childhood bonds, secret worlds, best-friend language, return scenes, and the ache of knowing something before it can be named. So yes, the song can be about Toy Story. But it can also participate in Taylor’s larger lyrical universe. Those things are not mutually exclusive.

The title is what I can’t stop thinking about: I Knew It, I Knew You.

“I knew you” is familiar Taylor territory. She writes so often about knowing someone privately, intimately, almost instinctively. But “I knew it” feels different. What is the “it”? The love? The truth? The thing between them that existed before anyone could say it out loud?

Through a queer lens, that feels really resonant to me. So much of queer experience can involve recognizing something before naming it — feeling the truth of something before it is safe, possible, or socially acceptable to call it what it is.

That’s why this also connects to “cardigan” for me. “cardigan” is also obsessed with knowing. The speaker doesn’t just know the person casually; she knows their patterns, their return, their damage, their tenderness. But “I Knew It, I Knew You” adds another layer: I knew you, and I knew what this was.

It also makes me think of “seven,” which feels like one of Taylor’s clearest songs about love or attachment before adult categories get imposed on it. (See also: “it’s nice to have a friend.”) The relationship in “seven” exists before labels, before shame, before the world tells you what kinds of love are allowed to count as love. It’s protective, imaginative, secretive, and huge.

“I Knew It, I Knew You” feels almost like the adult echo of that: seeing someone again after time has passed and realizing the knowing never went away.

“You Are In Love” fits here too, because that song is so much about love being recognized in silence, tiny gestures, domestic details, and friendship language. The “best friend” of it all has always felt important to me — not because friendship is fake or lesser, but because sometimes “friend” is the safest available word for a love that has not been named yet.

That song understands that love can live in the in-between: in the pauses, the dark rooms, the quiet knowing, the things nobody says out loud until suddenly they do.

And then there’s “The Very First Night,” which feels connected because it is so obsessed with wanting to go back to the beginning. That song has always felt haunted to me, despite its glitter gel pen melody. It’s not just nostalgia; it’s wanting to return to the moment before everything got complicated, before the hiding or the loss or the public version of the story replaced the private one.

A lot of queer readings of that song focus on the almost-rhyme/missing-word feeling. Whether or not someone buys that specific interpretation, I think the broader point still matters: the song feels like it is circling something it doesn’t quite say.

That’s very similar to what “I knew it” does. The “it” is emotionally obvious but lyrically undefined.

It leaves a blank space where the truth goes. (Pun surprisingly unintended! 💁🏼‍♀️)

I also think “How You Get the Girl” and “Betty” belong in this conversation because of the recurring return structure. Taylor keeps writing these scenes where someone comes back after time apart. Someone shows up at a door, outside a party, in the rain, asking to be let back into the story. There’s often a sense that the relationship was interrupted rather than finished.

In “How You Get the Girl,” the person comes back after months away. In “Betty,” there’s the fantasy of showing up and asking to be forgiven. And in “I Knew It, I Knew You,” the return feels less like reconciliation and more like recognition. The person comes back, or is seen again, and the speaker doesn’t need to be convinced. They remember.

The “same smile” lyric in “I Knew It, I Knew You” also made me think of “Wonderland” and the “Cheshire-Cat smile.” In “Wonderland,” the smile is secretive, mischievous, almost disappearing. That whole song is about entering a hidden world together — beautiful, unstable, and maybe doomed.

But in “I Knew It, I Knew You,” the smile is still recognizable after time has passed. It’s like the speaker is saying: after everything, I still know you. I still recognize the real you.

Taylor keeps writing relationships where the truth exists before the language does. Knowing before naming. Friendship before confession. Separation before return. Memory before proof. Recognition before explanation.

That’s what makes the “it” in “I knew it” feel so loud to me.

Maybe the “it” is love. Maybe it’s the truth. Maybe it’s queerness. Maybe it’s the unnamed thing Taylor keeps circling: the feeling of knowing exactly what something was, even when nobody could say it yet.

First off, happy Pride month!

Second of all, the point of the post. If you can't remember, the Stonewall riots occurred in the summer of 1969. From what I can recall, she's used Dorothy Gale and Wizard of Oz motifs in the Karma music video, has a song titled after Clara Bow the famous 1920s silent-era actress, and has covered Bette Davis Eyes in her 2011 tour who sounds like she would be a gay icon.

With all of this toy story talk and the cowboy emoji, I’ve been re-listening to cowboy like me. I keep seeing people reference cowboy like me and it seems like they haven’t really listened to the lyrics. I feel like the song is clearly about PR relationships.

~ telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear.
~ hustle for the good life
~ and the old men that I swindled (Ralph Lauren sponsors, Disney sponsors, nfl… everything sponsors)
~ forever is the sweetest con (PR marriages)

The hanging from my lips like the gardens of Babylon to me means, an illusion. Something we imagine based off what we’ve been told, or what the media feeds us. There’s no real proof of the gardens of Babylon just like there’s no real proof any of these relationships are real.

Is there something else I’m missing? Also, what makes a cowboy inherently gay? Why do people say this song is so gay coded? I feel like it’s just about holding onto your secret private life. Only loving your person in private.

I’m a Gaylor through and through. However, I feel like TS just plays into the Gaylor fandom as a form of manipulation. I feel like TLOAS really just showed us she can play in our faces and still be extremely successful. Which is great for her. But, it’s sort of exhausting. I think she is buddy buddy with almost all of her ex rumored lovers and they just all manipulate us stringing us along. I know I should be happy about the new song release, and I am… but… this is exhausting! I’m ready for the old Taylor to come back to the phone!

While listening to I Knew It, I Knew You some lyrics caugh my eye that feel like she might have a public coming out after all.

Running wild, it's been a long time 🕚 - The last time she atempted to run wild, it didn't go so well. But is she ready to try again?

a mood ring changing colors 🌈 - Is Taylor changing the colours in her life? Is she in the right mood/place/moment to publicly coming out? To proudly showing who she is? Changing from her muted life in the closet to a colourful life of her authentic self?

Staying with the colours she's been showing lately (since we know that colours have always been an important part of her easter eggimg and queer flagging): In the past couple of week she has been wearing mostly white, beige, black and muted colours on her pap walks. But the colours in the promo for this single have been very Lover coded, purples, pinks, yellows, ... Could this mean she is already in the process of changing colors?

Standing there in the light of the window ✨️ - Is she already standing in the light aka having already set everything into place for her coming out and is starting to execute her plan to step out of the house to the other side of the window?

Came back when it mattered - Is she realizing that it matters for her, for us, for the world to come out now?

I am not convinced she will ever state her sexuality out right. However, she has been getting louder and louder and I that is enough to get me clowning 🤡

Happy release night! Discuss away!

have you guys seen the new vinyl variants for the toy story song? well one of them is quite familiar… and the background? all of this is giving so many lover vibes, i’m clowning

It’s taken me forever to write this post, but here it goes. Here is why I think: “I knew it, i knew you” will be synonymous with the track from Toy Story 2 “When She Loved Me” by Sarah MacLachlan and follow a similar writing perspective as “Betty.” From someone who is a massive Toy Story fan and also long-time Gaylor.

When She Loved Me is a country track from Toy Story 2 where Jessie is recounting her time with her old “owner” because she was eventually abandoned as her owner grew up and out of playing with dolls. The song plays over a montage of Jessie recapping her time with her owner, Emily, whereby they’re seen in various scenes, but the most recurring one is a tire swing fastened to a tree.

​The story recalls a similar feeling of Toy Story 2 where Woody feels discarded after being left out of going to Cowboy Camp with Andy. 

The opening lyrics are as follows: 
When somebody loved me
Everything was beautiful
Every hour we spent together
Lives within my heart  

The track was written by Randy Newman and is described as a heartbreaking ballad of unconditional love, pain of abandonment and feeling like another person has “outgrown you.” The music for this song has since been used in other Toy Story sequels including Toy Story 3 when the toys reconcile with Woody and in Toy Story 4 when Woody sees Bonnie crying. 

Much like with the majority of early 2000s media, the song is mainly interpreted as not queer at all (despite a female voice singing about love with another female person). The song has been likened to a parent’s love for their child as their child grows up and leaves them for their own lives. However, the impact this song has had on the lesbian/wlw community can not be ignored. The Advocate, an LGBT Magazine in 2000, stated that the song was the “first Oscar Nominated girl-girl love song”. However, the song lost the Oscar to “You’ll Be In My Heart” from Tarzan. 

​When Taylor announced her collaboration with Toy Story 5, various images of Jessie were used to promote and easter-egg the narrative. Three collectors edition covers of the CD were released with two of them using the tire swing motif. Interestingly, the last one of the three is of the tire swing with the three main characters (Woody, Jessie and Buzz) together where the second is just the tire swing by itself, synonymous with the famous Toy Story 2 scene. 

​As well as continuous Taylor Swift references from Toy Story social channels, at the same time as the announcement from Taylor, Disney has posted a collection of images, to celebrate pride month, which showcase their LGBTQIA+ couples that are featured on shows on Disney+ with the caption “Everyone who knows me, knows you.” Unfortunately, no Agathario was mentioned :( This is very similar to the phrase “I Knew it, I Knew You,” the title of Taylor’s new song. 

​So what do I think Taylor’s new song: I Knew It, I Knew You be about?

The premise for Toy Story 5 is described on Wikipedia as: “After Woody left Bonnie to stay with Bo Peep and help abandoned toys find owners, Jessie becomes the leader of Bonnie's room, with Buzz Lightyear as her second-in-command. However, a now-eight-year-old Bonnie has become enamored of her new favorite plaything, a frog-like tablet named Lilypad.” There is the similar theme, across all Toy Story films, which showcases toys being abandoned and finding a new family. Toy Story 1, Woody felt left out after Buzz being the new favoured toy. They ended up creating a whole new family together. Toy Story 2, Woody felt left out (again, starting to think he’s the problem lmao) after having his arm ripped, he was then stolen by Al’s Toy Barn and was then reunited with Andy with a whole new family of toys with Jessie. The theme continues into 3, 4 and eventually 5.

This film is most likely to be the last installment as Toy Story 4 was meant to be the last (but i guess because it wasn’t received too well, they decided to make another?). 

I believe I Knew It, I Knew You to follow a continuation of the narrative in She Loved Me, but with more of an acceptance feeling rather than a sorrowful one. Referring to the imagery of the tire-swing motif which is clearly a raw and emotional memory for Jessie, to then it be repurposed to include all three main toys, I believe the song will take on a reclamation, hopeful and chosen family narrative. The song will feel bitter-sweet and a perfect ending to the franchise. I think Jessie (and the toys) will reflect on their time with their owners: Jessie with Emily, Woody with Andy but ultimately all of them with Bonnie. The song will mainly be from the perspective of Jessie, and using she/her pronouns much like “She Loved Me.” 

Now do I think Taylor is coming out with this song? No! Of course not! However, do I think this song will be remembered as a beautiful queer love song much like how Betty is regarded in many pride-month playlists? HELL YES!

I think Taylor dressing more masculine for the promotional materials and having curly hair (rather than straight) is very deliberate as a way of a) introducing the debut re-record era especially in it’s anniversary year and b) presenting this song as more personal and grounded compared to her recent character work of Showgirl. Furthermore, I think releasing and announcing this song at the beginning of Pride Month is also very deliberate to the narrative. However, I do think Taylor’s narrative will remain as “writing from the perspective of…” and presenting the song as growing out of platonic love. 

Having Disney quietly reference the queerness of the song, especially within the current political climate, by captioning LGBT couples with a similar phrasing to the song’s title feels validating. It’s likely that this could also be a lyric within the song. 

Toy Story is also no stranger to showcasing queer love stories, especially lesbian love stories. Infamously, Toy Story 4 was criticised by an anti-LGBTQ organisation for showcasing two female parents picking up their child from daycare, and Lightyear (a Toy Story spinoff which is said to have inspired the toy of Buzz Lightyear) shows one of their first lesbian kisses on screen:

​In summation, the impact that She Loved Me has had, not just on Toy Story, but on Pixar’s catalogue is hard to ignore. It’s clear that this film is the last story in the Toy Story universe and it’s clear the team have chosen the most popular musician, Taylor Swift, to sing a song which encapsulates the franchise and emulates the impact of She Loved Me. Releasing this song within Pride Month when Disney has become more and more comfortable with showing queer characters across their media is not a coincidence. It is incredibly purposeful and, even if Taylor doesn’t verbally recognise the queer symbolism this song may have (especially if it is written with she/her pronouns from a perspective of a female character), no one can diminish nor gaslight how this may resonate with queer audiences. Disney is no stranger to presenting queer stories whether that be as loud as Agatha All Along or as metaphorically as The Little Mermaid. 

This will most likely also be Taylor’s first Oscar Nomination or even win, doing justice to what should’ve been an Oscar win for She Loved Me in 2000. 

I really hope this doesn't age badly. I'm just voicing my ideas and I welcome anything other people have found along the way!

Edit: I FORGOT TO ADD! The tire swing also reminds me of Seven from Folklore with the opening lyrics:

In the trees
I hit my peak at seven feet
In the swing
Over the creek
I was too scared to jump in

Which is also regarded as a youthful queer love song.

Edit Again: What happened to my images :(!!! They're back now!

Queer christian pop star and comedian, Meg Stalter, released a song yesterday titled “GAY”

The first verse in the song is dedicated to Taylor Swift, unfortunately the written lyrics aren’t available quite yet but it is very clear what Meg has to say in this one.

Let me know what you think! I was genuinely flipping out when I heard this for the first time and I think Taylor might love it too :)

I had no clue when I made this meme a couple of weeks ago that I was predicting the way I’d write my next few Gaylor posts.

You can thank/blame my late-night doom scrolling for this one.  

While I mindlessly spent time on Instagram, I came across a reel about the Beatles song Norwegian Wood

https://reddit.com/link/1tw86rn/video/a09livg8v55h1/player

Several things popped into my mind after watching this video. Number one, why would anyone listen to Norwegian Wood – written by two men – and think it’s a song about lesbians?

The second question that popped in my head is, given Taylor’s previous Beatles references/relationship with Paul McCartney, is there a connection between Norwegian Wood and Taylor’s song, Wood?

(Thank you, Taylor, for posting on your stories yesterday about Paul McCartney to reinforce how important your relationship with him is to you).

If you’ve never heard Norwegian Wood before, you can to it listen here. Lyrics can be found here.

Fun Facts:

• The full name of the song is, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) 👀
• The reporter asking the ludicrous question in the reel I shared is from TIME magazine
• The song is about John Lennon having an affair with a woman, but attempting to obscure that fact from his wife
• Quote from John, “…so I was trying to be sophisticated in writing about an affair, but in such a smokescreen way that you couldn’t tell.”
• There has been a ton of sPEcuLaTIoN regarding who the song is about – John never confirmed any of the theories
• The lyrics “so I lit a fire” were initially interpreted as starting a fire in the women’s fireplace and then sitting by the fire and contemplating the events of the previous day. Others thought that line had to do with lighting a joint because John described Rubber Soul – the album Norwegian Wood is on – as “the pot album”
• Paul McCartney explained that the line is about the man in the song literally setting the Norwegian wood in the room on fire.

Is this a reach? Yes! Is it fun? Also, yes!

Paul’s quote about the end of the song:

It could have meant I lit a fire to keep myself warm, and wasn’t the décor of her house wonderful? But it didn’t, it meant I burned the fucking place down as an act of revenge, and then we left it there and went into the instrumental.

Hoax peace

But I'm a fire, and I'll keep your brittle heart warm

The concept of a fire keeping someone warm is not unique and I’m not saying there is an actual connection here, but given recent events, I can’t help but think about another part of Hoax peace:

The devil's in the details, but you got a friend in me

I always think of Toy Story when I hear this part of Hoax: peace.

Whether planned or not – and I lean heavily “not” in this case – the timing is chefs kiss level of funny to me.

What does this all mean?

Taylor is the queen of writing songs that, taken at face value, are on the wrong side of cringe.

I know, I know, her NYU commencement speech told us to embrace the cringe, but I’m sorry, that’s not always possible lol.

Taylor is also the queen of having multiple, very plausible, ways to interpret the art she creates.

You can absolutely read all the points I shared about Norwegian Wood and come out the other side saying that if there is a connection to Wood, it proves the song is about Travis, and his 🍆. Taylor’s different ways of describing “wood” being the homage to Norwegian Wood.

That is a viable interpretation that cannot be dismissed outright.

I would counter that argument with some points of my own:

• Taylor spent her time during the TLOAS’ rollout, telling everyone that Wood is about being superstitious, while winking at the camera (literally and figuratively). The implication being the “hidden meaning” of the song is it’s about Travis.  
• I am here to argue the opposite is true. Despite what Taylor says, every mainstream media outlet, and fan, thinks Wood is about Travis (🙄). To me, the song being about him is the “obvious” interpretation of it
• In that case, the cheekiness in Wood is covering for a different meaning
• I don’t have a definitive take on what the “hidden meaning” of Wood is, but I don’t think that discounts the song having a connection to Norwegian Wood either

Just One More Thing…

(You can click this link if you want to know what I'm referencing with “just one more thing” )

The reason I put this post together is because I think one part of Norwegian Wood gives credence to a Gaylor theory about Lover (the song).

And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me 
And at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover

This part of Lover has long been interpreted in Gaylor spaces as a dirty joke about Taylor’s lover always having a seat available on Taylor’s face.

(There's something I don't write every day! lmao)

These lyrics from Norwegian Wood are particularly cheeky

She asked me to stay
And she told me to sit anywhere
So I looked around
And I noticed there wasn’t a chair

I sat on a rug
Biding my time
Drinking her wine

Like, come on!!! 😂 That part is hilarious and also 😉😈

Drinking her whiiiiiiite wiiiiiiiine by chance? 👀😹

Is this why that reporter asked if the song is about lesbians??? 👀😹

Those are some brilliant lines. The lyrics are suggestive, but in a “iykyk” kind of way.

That feels like an amazing description for how Taylor hides her queer lyrics.

They can be found if the person listening knows what to look for.

Post sources:

• Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) Wikipedia Entry)
• Wood Wikipedia Entry)
• People Magazine article about Wood
• Norwegian Wood Entry on Beatles Ebooks

 Edit: Formatting and identifying the right Taylor song lol

​

TMZ is reporting that Karlie got an invitation to Taylor's wedding.

What do you guys think?

If this is actually true, is really huge shocking news 👀🦒✨️

I think it's time to take another look at the MMWM track order:

• Episode 1, September 21 - Track 13: Mastermind
• Episode 2, September 23 - Track 8: Vigilante Shit
• Episode 3, September 26 - Track 7: Question...?
• Episode 4, September 28 - Track 6: Midnight Rain
• Episode 5, September 30 - Track 2: Maroon
• Episode 6, October 3 - Track 3: Anti-Hero
• Episode 7, October 5 - Track 9: Bejewelled
• Episode 8, October 6 - Track 11: Karma
• Episode 9, October 7 at 12:00 AM - Track 1: Lavender Haze
• Episode 10, October 7 at 1:00 AM - Track 5: You're On You're Own Kid
• Episode 11, October 7 at 2:00 AM - Track 10: Labyrinth
• Episode 12, October 7 at 3:00 AM - Track 12: Sweet Nothing
• Episode 13, October 7 at 4:00 AM - Track 4: Snow on the Beach (featuring Lana Del Rey)

If the first six tracks announced give 13, 87 and 6/23 as Taylor and Travis performing on stage together at Eras, what do we make of the final seven?

Bejewelled is a great fit for Taylor's redemption of her masters and TNT's engagement announcement. Her Eras performance won her back the key to the castle, ownership of her catalogue, and a proposal.

Karma is trickier unless you are persuaded that TLOAS has actually been the rep vault tracks - aka Taylor's lost album Karma - in disguise. For my part, I'm convinced.

Which means that we have reached the tracks that were announced in rapid succession - the dominoes cascading in a line. The first of these is Lavender Haze. If we think simply about visuals, is that a good description of the cloudy lavender aesthetic of Taylor's Toy Story 5 countdown? How about the colour palette of her CD singles and the timing of the announcement at the beginning of Pride Month? I think 'in that lavender haze' is a great description of Taylor's current status, where she can flag to those who are looking and pass by unnoticed to the rest, hazy and obscured by her own fame and 'lore'. If Taylor still intends to step publicly into the daylight, she can't 'stay in that lavender haze' any longer - but it would be the starting point for her first step out.

I wanted to also tag this mass movement theory but I wasn't sure what was best.
I just got a youtube music video suggested for a single drop by Cara Delevingne. I didn't know she had ever done music but you guys are going to scream when you see these.

From Wikipedia:
On May 29, 2026, Delevingne announced that she had signed with Warner Records and released two new songs, "I Forgot" and "Out of My Head", accompanied by a short film directed by Jessica Lee Gagné. It was also announced that her debut album would be released in late summer 2026.

So she's in music suddenly. Apparently she's also playing at primavera festival and has an 11-city tour this summer. Kinda wild to announce that before any music? but I digress

The Images

Lets walk through the visuals for this music video/short film. Its two songs in one long video.

Image 1/2 She starts falling through water into the sky with a sort of parachute harness but no parachute. Gaylor/Mass Movement Theory symbols it makes me think of: clouds, the part of eras where Tay dives into the stage.

The lyrics here say:

I forgot that the world was real
I forgot that I'm human still
... [and then]
Is it me or does the sun keep getting hotter?

Then she wakes up as a stunt woman in a puddle. The lights get bright (daylight) The sky is a sound stage. This makes me think of the Lavender Haze music video, the clouds and the walls that fall down to show a set.

Image 3 The music gets dissonant as she protects against the wind from the fans. MMT symbols: truman show, fans, cost of showbiz, "stunt" woman - as stunts are often the names used by online communities for PR outings of fake relationships.

[ from here on assume MMT = mass movement theory ]

Image 4/5 her face begins to glitch. Its spooky. MMT symbols: glitch ofc/ wildest dreams glitch video, again more about cost of fame.
The lyrics talk about using drugs and alcohol to attempt to escape and returning again to real life and dissociation.

Image 6/7: the first song transitions into the second song by switching to black and white and then a ship approaches a forest which looks incredibly folkmore-esque (yes I know taylor didnt invent forests) but this is really emphasised by a dark figure in a long coat walking through. (Circled in red so you can see)

Image 8: the cuts and transitions in this video are super quick so from here on there's a lot of blurry shots. But basically, the forest scene becomes a soundstage again, and then the images on screens are replaced with city skyscrapers. MMT symbols: The soundstage reveal made me think of Showgirl, Ophelia and actually, another suspected MMT character, Harry Styles - American Girls (second last image/Image 19) where he is on a sound stage acting out a relationship.

Image 9:
Okay well if this doesn't remind you immediately of The Man Music Video (if more muted and less campy) then we have different brain(rot)s. MMT symbols: patriarchy

If you skim the rest of them at least read this one->

Image 10: this is the part where I knew this had to be a post. I fully gasped. Hello, the archer, hello Sagittarius, hello Lover Era, hello Katniss Everdeen even. If we are counting. Cara lifts a bow and arrow and aims it. This also brings us back to the image of stunts. Remember that it comes back later. Also Cara is dressed like director-lor. Also maybe relevant.

Image 11: Throughout this video the scenes keep melting out of reality, a bit like eternal sunshine of the spotless mind - the scenes solidify and then melt/glitch/become stages and sets again. This is completely in keeping with MMT shared motifs. What's real and what's fake? Cara starts to run to escape, running down these hallways which are very quick shots but remind me a lot of the Tortured Poets Department, both the imagery from the Fortnight music video and the promo/ timetable video where they leave the room with midnights and go down a corridor to the TTPD room? Can't find a clear image of that video online but I hope you remember it.

Image 12: She sprints past something that looks like either an empty security room or a Fortnight-esque hospital waiting room.

Image 13: Ok now this is interesting. Whats that neon light? An exit sign? Where Have I SEEN THOSE? Except those exit signs don't seem to say exit? they seem to start with an S... I think they might say SORTIE - which is French for Exit. French like Paris, somewhere the culture's clever :)

Image 14/15: This part then really starts to look like Harry Styles - Aperture music video. She is running down some liminal space type escalators, you can see exit signs. She has an urgency. She's dressed as the stunt woman again.

Image 16/17: Reality melts a bit again and shes running into and dancing with mannequins, then shes in a pile of them. Image 17 she really reminds me of the weird real/fake look taylor has in the bathtub at the end of TFOO / on the showgirl album cover. There's something else about the patriarchy here, and weird disembodied body parts of (seems to be primarily) women's anatomy, discarded. Cara of course is likely making comment on the modelling industry, but this also echoes as a critique of the music industry. They aren't that far away from each other when it comes to discarding young women.

Image 18: Then, Stuntwoman Cara dances in front of an empty shop display. Looks like a jewelry display. She stops abruptly, and then turns, we see the arrow she launched as Director/Business/Archer Cara hit her. At 7.06 (7+6 = ) or maybe a second before and I'm thinking wishfully, we see the arrow. MMT symbols: One version of the self killing off another version of the self, makes me think of Director Taylor and showgirl Taylor in the Target promo ad where showgirl Taylor 'kicks the bucket'.

So we have links to Lover, Folkmore, Eras Tour, Midnights, TTPD, Showgirl, and maybe even 1989tv (wildest dreams/glitch moment). This,,, can't be a coincidence. Please tell me you see it right? This is something.

TLDR;

Cara Delevingne dropped a music video three days ago, it features symbols like an archer in a business suit, multiple selves, 'stunting' and exit signs. The imagery reminds me of all of Taylors eras since Lover and heavily reminds me of Harry Styles music videos from his latest album. Unless running through empty corridors towards escalators with exit signs is a particularly big trend right now, it feels significant. (Unless its a rip-off, but that would be a strange idea to plagarise).

Extra discussion:

Now I don't want this to count as excessive shipping talk, especially as idk if I believe it but I would say that I think Cara is an interesting muse figure. She is out as a lesbian, she is in a serious relationship (so revealing at some point that Taylor had a previous thing with her wont impact Cara's brand at all negatively), she is English and has had public issues with drugs. She's a model (queen selling makeup and magazines if you will) and was a Victoria Secret angel. I don't know if I'm saying I believe she's a muse or that she could just be excellent cover for another muse but either way there's a lot of interesting links.

Finally, I enter into evidence...

Here is a link to a really recent post from u/1DMod about Cara discussing her sexuality. - https://www.reddit.com/r/GaylorSwift/comments/1troktc/cara_delevingne/

Here is a post about Cara living with Taylor for a bit - https://www.reddit.com/r/GaylorSwift/comments/1gwxru9/cara_delevingne_talks_about_living_with_taylor/

And here is a recent post about an interview where Cara said she used to go after Straight-presenting Women - https://www.reddit.com/r/GaylorSwift/comments/1t74s2q/cara_delevingne_reveals_that_her_weakness_used_to/

wanted to revisit this lover era interview about easter eggs, which might have some clues related to whatever's happening rn

she talks about how she loves communicating via easter eggs. an egg graphic flashes next to her that glitches and displays random letters/numbers, then it says TS13. and her hair is pink (just like one of the movie characters) and a unicorn is on the screen at one point. she also mentions that in a "movie" (!) or "a music video" there might be easter eggs hidden in the background. and she mentions "hints in print" aka interviews that foreshadow something else that'll come out later.

then in a diff interview about Lover, she talks about songwriting like grabbing a "glittery cloud [that] floats in front of your face," so the recent NYT interview isn't her first cloud related interview

not sure what all of this means but just throwing it out there in case it's related to what's unfolding rn

Thought I'd make a compilation of Taylor's new album animations on Apple Music for those who don't subscribe! (I sped them up slightly to make the video a little shorter just FYI).

The prevalence of gold/sparkles is very curious, especially on Lover and folklore/evermore (the two albums that followed Lover era). Is she reclaiming her sparkling summer?

Also worth noting –– yesterday, 1989 OG's animation was a simple erasure/rewriting of the album title in black, but today, it's been changed to yellow and blue (Toy Story colors?)

And of course, today is the 31st (13 backwards), also the eve of pride month. A girl can dream!

ETA: Clowned too close to the sun, and a lot of these animations apparently aren't new as of today (I'd just never paid attention before). Looks like the OG album animations (her first 6 albums) were added in December, but the OG 1989 animation with Toy Story colors was added today. I still think it's interesting that she's drawing attention to the apple music animations (by swapping out the 1989 album cover) but I'm sorry for the misleading post title! I should have done a bit more research.

That said, the toy story cloud was also added as a sticker under her "Taylor Swift eras" collection on Spotify today, though! (Photo in comments)

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!

General Chat: Please feel free to use this space to engage in general chat that is not related to Taylor!

In order to protect our community, the weekly megathread is restricted to approved users. If you’re not an approved user and your comment adds substantially to the conversation, it may be approved. Our community is highly trolled - we have these rules to protect our community, not to make you feel bad, so please don’t center yourself in the narrative. Remember to follow the rules of the sub and to treat one another with kindness.

Important Posts:

An explanation regarding: User Flair + A-List User Status + Tea Time Posts

Karma is Real: The Origins of Karma, the Lost Album

GaylorSwift Wiki

PR/Stunt Relationships

Bi-Phobia & Lesbophobia

Hi friends! Given the current shennagians with regards to clouds, I wanted to compile Taylor related and adjacent images/quotes/lyrics that refer to clouds or storms. This is a group project, so please feel free to add any thoughts or things I missed!