"Never be so kind, you forget to be clever; Never be so clever, you forget to be kind." We're celebrating Women's History Month the only way we know how: looking at strong women in Taylor Swift’s music. Jenn traces the wisdom and boldness Taylor inherited from her grandmother in "Marjorie" (evermore, 2020), Jodi unpacks the resilience hiding in plain sight throughout "I Can Do It with a Broken Heart" (The Tortured Poets Department, 2024), and Maansi makes the case that "Eldest Daughter" (The Life of a Showgirl, 2025) is basically the anthem of every firstborn girl who had to figure it out before anyone else did. Plus: why the Iceland women's strike of 1975 worked, and why Taylor Swift might be the only person capable of organizing a global one.

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Mentioned in this episode:

• Unlikable Female Characters, Anna Bogutskaya
• Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
• Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
• The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
• Play the Patriarchy, Reductress
• "The End of an Era" Documentary
• "Marjorie," evermore (2020)
• "I Can Do It with a Broken Heart," The Tortured Poets Department (2024)
• "Eldest Daughter," The Life of a Showgirl (2025)
• Iceland Women's Strike, 1975

Episode Highlights:

[00:34] Introduction to strong women

[05:59] "Marjorie," evermore (2020)

[16:03] "I Can Do It with a Broken Heart," The Tortured Poets Department (2024)

[23:42] "Eldest Daughter," The Life of a Showgirl (2025)

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This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.