Therapist Analyzes: Betty by Taylor Swift - From a Straight Lens

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HERE IT IS!!! I have analyzed Betty from a straight lens. I hope you all enjoy because it was fun being brutal, lol. As always, I encourage everyone to discuss their perspective of the song in the comments below. Don't forget to leave a like and subscribe :)
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[@mendwithmere]

Treat yourself to an amazing Butterfly Button Shaped Cervical pillow! Use my code MERE15 and get 15% off! Use the link bit.ly/meredith-zamat You can thank me later :)

[@AiSayuriChan]

I think it's interesting Betty sings "When you're young, they assume you know nothing" implying SHE knew. So she's got a rather mature stance - or at least she's trying to. While james is making up excuses with the "I'm only 17, I don't know anything but I know I miss you". Like?? Betty's like "Take me seriously! I might be young but I still know a lot!!" while James is trying to use his age as an excuse. You know what I mean? To me, it hints at the different maturity levels of girls and boys. I mean, I don't know for sure but it's a common saying that girls grow up faster and boys are about 2 years behind them regarding their mental age? I hope you know what I mean xD

[@marinac3549]

James' audacity was actually insane I swear to god lmao

[@adeyemoifemade7832]

NAH FR

[@NoName-ei7ou]

This is one of you're best videos, i swear i couldn't stop laughing. Whenever i'm bored i try to justify james behaviour but i'm proud to say that not once did i suceed.😂😂The little improv was also iconic😍.

[@mendwithmere]

Thank you!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I had a blast making it and especially editing it on my own this time ♥️

[@literature4me-k6r]

I listened to some of your older reviews and came across Betty. I'm so glad you addressed James. "I am only 17" - that's not an excuse.

[@anetfuchidzhieva]

The shade we're throwing at James, I love that, it's such a good song but he's such an awful person, the audacity to want her back. Calling him out on his excuses, I loved your comments!

[@evergreenforestwitch]

How in the world did Taylor write a song where, from a queer lens I have such sympathy for all characters and it's so poignant and meaningful whereas from a straight lens he's a fukboi dbag and his words ring hollow like empty excuses BUT THEY BOTH STILL SOMEHOW MAKE SENSE? How does she do this? Because I prefer the queer interpretation but Idk if it's what she intended or if she intended it to be both because she's just on another level than us mere mortals LOL Loved the reaction, second another request for Cowboy Like Me. Very Breakfast at Tiffany's meets southern country club,but that's just my take

[@kellye.5678]

I don’t know. I feel like for me it doesn’t matter what the gender of James is. It doesn’t change how I feel about the character. If you want to know how taylor meant to write it she said James was a boy in an interview, but I feel like either way it doesn’t make a difference to me.

[@evergreenforestwitch]

@@kellye.5678 interesting. I think it matters a lot in the context of the song, but to each their own.

[@lindabernau3568]

It’s cute that Taylor put all three daughters in this song from her friend Blake Lively 😍 James, Inez and Betty 🥰🥹

[@FloN.]

I have a lot of affection and compassion for all three characters in this love triangle, including James (I should probably hold teenage boys to higher standards lol) but it always feels like a slap in Augustine's face when I hear him say to Betty "the worst thing that I ever did was what I did to you". Augustine is over there like "what am I, chopped liver??"

[@HealLoudly0911]

Yes! I’ve been married to a narc for 5 years and I finally escaped and filed for divorce, but the most addicting and confusing part of the relationship was that he would intentionally cause fights and hurt me but then he would turn around and tell me he loved me, and that if I didn’t make him so mad he wouldn’t have to hurt me… He was the only one who could make me feel okay… even though he was the reason I didn’t feel okay to begin with… ughhhh it’s so effed up!!! I can see this so clear now, hindsight. I’m still trying to break the trauma bond. It’s so hard and it sucks so much!!

[@aubreevibat8315]

“Who does he think he is John Mayer? Kanye West?” The one liners. I was dyingggggg😂😂😂

[@MarvinBla]

James as a guy is such an ass. Firstly - yes, the emotional depth for a boy this age is questionable, especially given the things he does. If it was an impulse decision, that would probably be one night - but no, he spent the whole summer with the other girl and only came back 'when the thrill expired'. And then he 'planned for weeks' to just crash her party and thinks his kiss 'will patch her broken wings' - WTF? Sadly I would've fallen for this bullshit when I was 17.

[@mendwithmere]

I would have fallen for it too at that age. Thank you for sharing and I second everything you wrote! ♥️

[@MarvinBla]

@@mendwithmere thank you for these videos! I've been binge-watching your content as the way to escape from my everyday horror. remembering such 'trivial' problems as love life has been therapeutic for my mental health, while I'm trying to stay alive amidst war

[@mendwithmere]

@@MarvinBla I’m so glad you are alive and safe. It is a horror and I wish we were doing more as a country to help. How can you be supported right now?

[@GabrielaCenturionNeumann]

I am in no way trying to justify what James did because cheating is not acceptable at any age, no matter how immature. However, when I heard this song I thought about people who have not had good role models, people who basically had to grow up on their own, learning by making mistakes. Not everyone has parents that teach them how to be decent human beings. Not everyone is emotionally mature enough to learn by watching other people and say "Hey, this is how I want to be" or "This isn't who I want to become". Some people really mess up and learn the hard way. I don't know if that was the case with James, but he was definitely confused and he definitely messed up. And in this song he is trying to explain himself and explain why he messed up. You can explain yourself without justifying your behavior. You can explain what led you to your mistakes without blaming others for what you ultimately decided to do. And that is what he was doing, for what I can see from the lyrics. He wasn't blaming Betty nor August nor anyone else but himself. That is why he could even acknowledge the fact that it was the worst thing he ever did

[@cheezyb92]

I feel like the time period of the story of the love triangle is really important. August and Betty really feel like they're rooted in like the 50's. An Era where dating around was common if you weren't "going steady" with someone. That's where I've always thought the song came from, queer or straight And specifically the 'I'm only 17 I don't know anything' like i feel like that's him admitting in his own words "i'm a dumbass and i messed up"

[@firstlast1932]

What would be the High Line mentioned in Cardigan, if the story was set in the 50's? I thought it was the High Line park, because that is pretty much the only result I get in Google.

[@cheezyb92]

@firstlast1932 the High Line was still active as a railway in the 50's. "Heartbeat on the High Line" is the lyrics which likely references either taking the train or sitting on the (maybe edge) of the tracks when the train isn't running

[@firstlast1932]

@@cheezyb92 Thank you. 50's make sense. I imagine the story taking place during late 80's to early 00's period, but I guess that is because of my own age.

[@cheezyb92]

@firstlast1932 80's could also make sense! It was also a time of not-so-serious relationships

[@HM-rw5dz]

Been so excited for this one

[@mendwithmere]

♥️♥️♥️

[@keymeko95]

Also love how James acknowledges that he wasn't there. Like it makes me think he told her no I won't go or be there, and then he gets upset that when he shows up she is having an okay time and having fun as if she is just supposed to be miserable without him.

[@cOmAtOrAn]

I always interpreted the sequence of events a little differently. In my head, it goes like this: James and Betty have a fight because of the dance, so Betty dumps James. Then when James is walking home heartbroken on broken cobblestones, August shows up. James tries to make it work with August, but can't because he's still dreaming of Betty. Meanwhile, Betty decides she doesn't want to dump James after all, but learns from Inez that James has moved on already, and so Betty becomes heartbroken. At the end of the summer, James calls it off with August and goes back to Betty all apologetic. It makes a huge difference whether or not they were broken up before James ran off with August! If they were, James is a lot more sympathetic. If they weren't, he can just go eff off. Now I think I need to listen to "Cardigan" again, because I barely remember any of the lyrics to that song and they might change my interpretation of "Betty".

[@josieluvlife]

Thank you so much for bringing us this! Get to know Taylor more in your perspective! She has so much magic and so do you

[@tammyclay2220]

My immediate thought from a straight perspective was that it was cheating… but the more I’ve listened to it I’ve realized it could also be a similar situation to how you saw it in the “queer lens”video: That Betty had heard rumors James liked her, but he was awkward or unsure that she felt the same way and while Betty was waiting for him to, James never made a move.. then summer rolled around and Betty heard he was with someone else and when James realized Betty had liked him all along, he’d missed his chance and hurt her, he desperately wanted to make up for it. Just another perspective. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It’s interesting how differently everyone interprets stories like this. * also the “stupid friends” comment always made me think of the corny teenage love stories where the S.O. Refers to friends in that manner as a silly joke and not in a serious or mean way.

[@NevaehDevos]

How come this was Sweet & Genuine with girl James but not guy James? Seems a little unfair

[@sarahcarry4037]

I love how much you are hating on James in this video, your not giving him an inch to bs you. I love it.

[@mcneleon]

My wife will love this pillow, ordered!

[@mendwithmere]

I hope she loves it!! ♥️🤍

[@aasthasharma8392]

even though Inez is telling the truth James still felt the need to drag her name and call her a gossip girl who just spreads rumors. Just showing a pattern of disrespecting women

[@maggieo1683]

I love this song just because the music is so nice, I love the chords and the general melody and overall, musically, I think it is very entertaining and satisfying in general, as a music nerd. But I definitely agree with you that James is an asshole, and you make many good points here. Treating both women like their thoughts and feelings don't matter, only his do.

[@ginnethhinojosa650]

As someone who has grown out of irresponsible behaviour like cheating I cried like a baby when I heard Betty for the first time because of how it's written with such simplicity, and at that moment it did reflected my sincere regret for what I personally did at that time but now seeing your take on it there are definitely some narcicistic undertones to it, I guess I do have a little simpathy for him because I know how it feels to do something like that and feel like you'll never be able to be a good person again, also I was exactly 17 when it happened and the song came out exactly around the same timeframe lol, but yeah, boy probably needs to really understand his actions and its implications

[@madwoman1989]

Hi! Would you ever do Cowboy Like Me? It’s one of my faves!☺️

[@richardh776]

I loved this video. It's very entertaining. Taylor confirms that with these songs, she is a genius storyteller.

[@mendwithmere]

So glad you loved it!

[@alainhenrique]

Now that i know James from queer lens makes more sense Betty and James ended together! There's no way Betty, the girl who knows everything would get together again with this stupid boy! Never could understand why Taylor would want Betty to get back together with James! The Spice Girls part.... LOVED IT!

[@SarahClaire]

Oh my gosh thank you! This is why I can't listen to this song happily anymore. 🥲 James needs to get his head on straight. You hit the nail on the head girl.

[@mariak6209]

when i listen to betty i interpret james as a girl, because i feel sympathetic towards them and it also makes the song deeper, however, when i listen to cardigan and august james turnes into a dude, so i can hate on him

[@alexh5619]

I’m so tracking with the Spice Girls. They were my first concert ever! 🎉 This definitely sucks as a heterosexual song but can be sweeter from a homosexual lense.

[@rturney6376]

Karlie Kloss was born in August ❤😊🎉

[@kozlo513]

Can you review the song "Scar" by Missy Higgins, way back then when the song first released lots of teenage fans went to take "am I a lesbian quiz" 😂

[@jamesgeary4294]

Loving your channel, and this one gave me a good laugh. Think I gave James too much slack because I'm also a James!

[@gabrielalaparra6017]

Honestly i agree with everything you say about James, however i do think that it can also apply to girl James, i think that, for example what you said about being a summer fling, like saying that Augustine was not that important would be equally as bad for girl James to say it, i would actually consider it a bit more cruel, or the part of" i slept with her but dreamt of you" sounds even more cruel if a girl would say that. I think that you didn't use the same judgement for boy james than girl james, and at least for me, in this case it should not matter if its a boy or a girl. But that is just my opinion, i still loved the videos.

[@andreaschrfol]

Mereeee

[@mendwithmere]

😂❤❤❤❤

[@girtbysea7831]

Sorry. A bit late to listen to this one. Probably noone will read this comment. I think this video falls short of asking the pointy questions: what was Swift's intent with James' character, and did she succeed? Clearly Swift is portraying James as an immature teen behaving badly. Did she intend for him to be quite so toxic? If not, is that a blind spot of hers? Does Swift want us to empathise with James to some extent? I think so. But Is it possible to empathise with him? When Betty and Augustine write their versions, they harbour no resentment towards James, and Cardigan is almost a redemption of James. Can he be redeemed? It seems like Swift is telling us that James is OK despite his behaviour because "boys will be boys." I am not sure i like that message.

[@justinbush4482]

So...i know this is probably either going to get hate sent to me or people to think about james in a new light. I think james is nuro divergent. Doesnt exuse what he did. But it feels also though to me he doesnt think through things and has a hard time in socail situations. Plus as you pointed out. It was probably modled to him. He also comes off as...akward. you say self centered. But as someone on the autism spectrum what comes off as Self centeredness. Is probably himself trying to not get hurt himself. It took me years to realize that me trying to protect myself might end up hurting other people. And hes trying to fix it the only way he knows. "Im only seventeen" hes also probably behind developmentally. So thats why he Semmes...childish and doesnt respect boundaries yet. Again. This is mostly informed by my experience.

[@rturney6376]

I ❤️your facial expressions in this video 😍😍😘

[@crystalkadletc1944]

This video is great

[@katiehaleyeah]

James as a girl gives confused queer teen struggling with her feelings (realizing she has a crush on her friend?) James as a boy gives f*boy who cheated or ghosted and is now gaslighting to get what/who he wants

[@Thearchergomez]

y pensar que esta cancion la escribio con joe xd

[@wendyshoup8539]

I love your videos so much! It bothers me that whoever edits your videos plays with your voice though. To me, the voice changes really distract from what you're saying. That's my only complaint. Otherwise, I love what you do!

[@mendwithmere]

Thanks for the feedback!! We’ll cut back on that. Thank you for the support ♥️

[@GabrielaCenturionNeumann]

I wanna know why you think it is OK for James the girl to say "I dreamed of you all summer long" when she was with another but it's not OK for James the boy. It shouldn't be OK for neither to use someone like that

[@alixrizzo6855]

exactly!!

[@crystallight196]

Totally agree. Double standard anyone?

[@roberto-zw6ru]

You have ruined this song for me. LOL I used to have some empathy for young dumb James but now not so much. In his defense, there is only one thing highly developed on a 17 year old young man.😉I picture him losing both Betty and August and learning from his experience and in his mid twenties getting back together with Betty after growing up emotionally. Love your channel. ❤

[@Viktorjaco13]

Lol why you so mad to straight James and not to female James lol 🤨

[@NevaehDevos]

Seriously that’s a little unfair IMO