Intro
In this episode of the “Financial Feminist” podcast, Tori Dunlap and special guest Victoria Browne discuss the societal conditioning of women, internalized misogyny, and the impact and success of Taylor Swift. They share their personal journey of becoming Swifties and highlight the importance of challenging biases and celebrating successful women. The episode also touches on the media’s portrayal of women, the significance of women’s choices, and the need for diverse representation in media. Join Tori and Victoria as they delve into the world of Taylor Swift and explore the intersections of feminism, music, and economics.
Main Takeaways
Society conditions women and internalized misogyny
- Society conditions women to believe in a scarcity mindset, perpetuating the idea that there’s only one seat at the table for success and relationships.
- Internalized misogyny can affect even feminist activists, leading to misguided feelings about successful women like Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift’s impact on the economy
- Taylor Swift’s impact on the economy, known as Swiftonomics, is estimated to generate $5 billion indirect and $10 billion interact economic impact for the US economy.
- The Aristor tour has brought in an estimated $2.2 billion in North America ticket sales alone and each concert is expected to bring in $13 million in revenue each.
- Taylor Swift has been performing the equivalent of two to three Super Bowls every weekend for the past five months, with an 80% increase in her music catalog.
- Taylor Swift surpassed Elton John in touring and reached a symbolic billion-dollar threshold.
- She shared $55 million in profit with her entire crew, reflecting a shift in the economy favoring workers.
- Touring is a massive supply chain management exercise that cannot handle major turnover.
Overcoming biases and becoming Swifties
- The podcast episode may turn non-Taylor fans into fans, as the hosts share their own journey of becoming Swifties.
- “Our Song” was the first Taylor Swift song the hosts ever heard and it made them fans.
- The hosts grew up listening to country music and heard Taylor Swift’s early songs before she became famous.
- The hosts initially had internalized misogyny towards Taylor Swift and didn’t think she was talented.
- Olivia Rodrigo’s success made the hosts realize the value in writing about personal experiences, including past relationships.
- The hosts’ journey to becoming Swifties shows the importance of challenging and overcoming biases.
The media’s portrayal of women and female fatigue
- Media’s negative portrayal of women and female fatigue.
- Internalized misogyny and tearing down successful women.
- Importance of challenging biases and respecting successful women.
- Jamila Jamil’s advocacy for women’s rights and representation.
Taylor Swift’s career and success
- Taylor Swift started as a country star and pivoted to pop.
- Her career milestones were often overshadowed by controversy and media perceptions of her personal life.
- She released albums Fearless, Speak Now, Red, and 1989.
- The shift from country to pop was met with skepticism, particularly for a young female artist.
- Despite writing her own music, the media focused on her dating life instead of her career accomplishments.
- Swift’s interviews were uncomfortable as she was asked to confirm if she dated certain men.
- Swift’s song “You’re on Your Own Kid” references the jokes made at her expense.
- Swift was a representation of internalized misogyny for many women.
Appreciating and respecting successful women
- It’s important to celebrate women’s choices without judgment, whether it’s having a career or being a stay-at-home parent.
- Women’s choices should be celebrated without judgment.
- Taylor Swift’s quote about the different vocabulary for men and women in the music industry.
- Men are seen as strategic while women doing the same thing are seen as calculated.
- The song “The Man” flips the narrative and highlights the double standards between men and women.
- Taylor Swift’s success as a businesswoman is often overlooked and judged through a microscope.
- Comparing female artists like Beyonce and Taylor Swift becomes a competition, while male artists are viewed as their own thing.
- It’s easy to compare ourselves to other women and make it a competition, but everyone is on their own path.
- Female artists have different styles and music, and should be appreciated for their own talents.
- We should appreciate and respect the talents of different artists without comparing them.
Women’s economic power and representation
- Society conditions women to believe in a scarcity mindset and that there can only be one woman who can make it in their field.
- Mean girl hierarchy is prevalent in media and can lead to women seeing each other as enemies.
- There is room for everyone at the table and we should appreciate and respect the talents of different artists without comparing them.
- New Romantics by Taylor Swift is one of the best pop songs ever written.
- Being confident and feeling sexy is important for personal growth and development.
- A story about being treated like a China cup or a Styrofoam cup shaped the speaker’s perspective on not wanting to be objectified or seen as trashy.
- Feeling confident and sexy is important for personal growth and development.
- The speaker was inspired by Taylor Swift’s journey towards embracing her sexy side and pushing boundaries.
- The speaker attended Taylor Swift’s concert and dressed up her husband as the iconic scarf from “All Too Well”.
- The speaker enjoys making costumes and being creative in expressing her love for Taylor’s music.
- The speaker’s husband was obsessed with trying to figure out the significance of a scarf in Taylor Swift’s song.
- The speaker made her husband a costume of the scarf, which he wore to a Taylor Swift concert.
- The speaker’s husband was converted into a Swiftie after attending a Taylor Swift concert.
- The speaker’s husband made a video defending Taylor Swift’s talent.
- The speaker’s husband, who initially did not fully understand Taylor Swift’s music, now loves her music and is willing to travel to see her perform again.
- Some people struggle to remember lyrics to songs, even if they like them.
- Attending a Taylor Swift concert solidified the speaker’s husband’s love for her music.
- Miss Americana is a perfect concert opener, especially after COVID.
- Taylor Swift’s concerts are more like theatrical productions, with no real intermissions.
- The concert was three and a half hours long, with only brief breaks for Taylor to change and get water.
- Taylor Swift’s ability to consistently perform with high energy night after night is impressive and intriguing.
- Beyonce’s routine includes a morning workout before performing later in the day.
- The summer of 2018 brought a boost to the economy with successful tours from Taylor Swift and Beyonce, among others.
- Women’s economic power and the communities they create are being recognized more widely.
- Taylor Swift’s star power brought an influx of attention from women to the NFL.
- Women are often told that the things they enjoy are not as valuable as stereotypically male things.
- Romance novels are the number one genre of books in terms of sales and popularity, yet they are often judged as frivolous and lacking substance.
- The word frivolous is only associated with women’s spending, such as lattes and manicures, while purchases like NFL season tickets and video games are not seen as frivolous.
- Women and the things they like deserve funding, attention, and a platform.
- Taylor Swift’s decision to re-record her old albums showcases her brilliance and power as an artist.
- The album “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” is a smart move that highlights Swift’s star power.
- “Mad Woman” and “Nobody No Crime” are standout tracks on the album “Evermore”.
- “Reputation” is a great era and “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” is about Kanye West.
- “Look What You Made Me Do” is a given, but there are other next-level tracks worth exploring.
- “Begin Again” is the favorite Taylor Swift song of the speaker, Victoria Brown.
- Victoria Brown has a podcast called RealPod and a nonprofit called The Hidden Opponents.
- The Hidden Opponents focuses on mental health in athletes.
- Financial Feminist is hosted by Tori Dunlap and produced by Kristen Fields.
- The podcast features a team of producers, researchers, and audio engineers who work together to create the show.
Summary
Society conditions women and internalized misogyny
Society conditions women to believe in a scarcity mindset, perpetuating the idea that there’s only one seat at the table for success and relationships. Even feminist activists can fall victim to internalized misogyny, leading to misguided feelings about successful women like Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift’s impact on the economy
Taylor Swift’s impact on the economy, known as Swiftonomics, is estimated to generate $5 billion indirect and $10 billion interact economic impact for the US economy. Her Aristor tour has brought in an estimated $2.2 billion in North America ticket sales alone, with each concert expected to bring in $13 million in revenue. Taylor Swift’s consistent performances and increase in her music catalog have solidified her success, surpassing Elton John in touring and reaching a symbolic billion-dollar threshold. She has also shared her profits with her entire crew, reflecting a shift in the economy favoring workers. However, touring is a massive supply chain management exercise that cannot handle major turnover.
Overcoming biases and becoming Swifties
The podcast episode explores the hosts’ personal journey of becoming Swifties and highlights the importance of challenging biases. Initially, they had internalized misogyny towards Taylor Swift, doubting her talent. However, they realized the value in writing about personal experiences, including past relationships, through the success of artists like Olivia Rodrigo. This journey showcases the significance of challenging and overcoming biases.
The media’s portrayal of women and female fatigue
The episode delves into the negative portrayal of women in the media and the prevalence of female fatigue. Internalized misogyny often leads to tearing down successful women instead of celebrating their achievements. The hosts discuss the importance of challenging biases and respecting successful women, highlighting the advocacy of Jamila Jamil for women’s rights and representation.
Taylor Swift’s career and success
The hosts explore Taylor Swift’s career and the challenges she faced. Starting as a country star and pivoting to pop, Swift’s milestones were often overshadowed by controversy and media scrutiny of her personal life. Despite writing her own music, the media focused more on her dating life than her career accomplishments. Swift’s interviews were uncomfortable as she was repeatedly asked to confirm if she dated certain men. Her song “You’re on Your Own Kid” reflects the jokes made at her expense. Swift became a representation of internalized misogyny for many women, highlighting the need to celebrate women’s choices without judgment.
Appreciating and respecting successful women
The episode emphasizes the importance of appreciating and respecting successful women without comparing them. Taylor Swift’s success as a businesswoman is often overlooked and judged through a microscope. Comparisons between female artists like Beyonce and Taylor Swift become competitions, while male artists are viewed as their own entities. The hosts encourage celebrating women’s choices and talents, recognizing that everyone is on their own path.
Women’s economic power and representation
Society conditions women to believe in a scarcity mindset, but there is room for everyone at the table. Mean girl hierarchy prevalent in media can lead to women seeing each other as enemies, but it’s crucial to appreciate and respect the talents of different artists without comparing them. The episode also highlights the need for diverse representation in media and the recognition of women’s economic power. Women should be able to enjoy the things they like without judgment, and their interests deserve funding, attention, and a platform.
Taylor Swift’s music and impact
The hosts discuss Taylor Swift’s music and its impact. They highlight the brilliance of songs like “New Romantics” and the importance of feeling confident and sexy for personal growth. They share personal stories of attending Taylor Swift concerts, expressing their love for her music through creative costumes. The episode also touches on the significance of Taylor Swift’s decision to re-record her old albums, showcasing her brilliance and power as an artist. Specific tracks and eras are mentioned, including “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)”, “Evermore”, and “Reputation”.
Guest speaker and podcast details
The episode features guest speaker Victoria Brown, who shares her favorite Taylor Swift song and discusses her podcast, RealPod, and nonprofit organization, The Hidden Opponents, which focuses on mental health in athletes. The “Financial Feminist” podcast is hosted by Tori Dunlap and produced by Kristen Fields, with a dedicated team of producers, researchers, and audio engineers working together to create the show.
Conclusion
Through discussing Taylor Swift’s impact, the hosts explore the intersections of feminism, music, and economics. They highlight the importance of challenging biases, celebrating successful women, and recognizing women’s economic power. The episode serves as a reminder to appreciate and respect the talents of different artists without comparing them, while also shedding light on the negative portrayal of women in the media and the need for diverse representation. Join Tori Dunlap, Victoria Brown, and the “Financial Feminist” podcast as they navigate the complexities of society’s conditioning and the journey towards empowerment and equality.
