Journalist reacts to Taylor Swift's TIME Person of the Year Interview 👀

NEW EVOLUTION OF A SNAKE EPISODE: shorturl.at/jqwK4
nodaysoffologist returns with a video on the interview of the year....covering the whole scope of her career, Sam Lansky talks with the head reptile in charge about every little thing: from The Eras Tour to Travis Kelce, Taylor’s Version, and her ongoing redemption narrative
Don't be a stranger!
📸 INSTAGRAM: bit.ly/3RKOF5u
💻 TWITCH: shorturl.at/fxW39
📹 TIKTOK: shorturl.at/buzG3
💰 PATREON: shorturl.at/uILT3
🎙️ MY TAYLOR SWIFT PODCAST: spoti.fi/3U1pu06
📸 PODCAST INSTAGRAM: bit.ly/3QDNt2x
📧 EMAIL (biz only): [e-mail]
💌 EMAIL (everything else): [e-mail]

[@Vzr13]

benjamin buttom being on time’s person of the year cover was not in my 2023 bingo card but i appreciate it

[@beingthisyoungisart13]

He’s so cute 🥺

[@chunli6197]

shouldve been meredith.

[@chunli6197]

benji flopped

[@blank157]

There are no bingo cards. Ewwww….

[@Regina_Filanji]

I have that Bingo Card....

[@Kpup]

I think you make an interesting point about how Taylor's family remains close while being involved with her brand, and how it doesn't happen that way often in the world of child stardom. Britney Spears and Jennette McCurdy recently published memoirs detailing the opposite of this family dynamic. It seems notable to me that Taylor's family was relatively well off financially prior to her rise to fame, unlike Britney and Jennette. Though I'm sure the Swifts never imagined Taylor's fame would be THIS lucrative, I'm sure that has a lot to do with it, they weren't depending on Taylor to support them financially.

[@makaylamacleod2962]

you’re totally right. Taylor is famous because it was her dream, they didn’t need her to be for financial gain. they were just good parents supporting their daughter and it went really, really well for them

[@Sacto1654]

@@makaylamacleod2962 Correct. Both of Taylor Swift's parents were involved in the financial services industry and lived a upper middle class life (they lived on what amounted to a Christmas tree farm near Reading, PA for many years). As such, Scott and Andrea Swift didn't need their daughter's income, and that allowed Taylor to develop her skills with way less distractions.

[@user-gp9es3rd3e]

Oh absolutely it does. Her success or lack thereof wasn't going to make or break them financially. They'd have had a comfortable life either way (not wealthy necessarily, but secure and comfortable)

[@cattd00]

⁠@@GhostOfEvermorei dont agree. None of us live in a vacuum. I can guarantee you that many people with talent and intelligence akin to taylor swift are unable to be discovered or follow their dreams successfully because they are poor and have to pursue conventional jobs in order to put food on the table. Taylor coming from a financially comfortable family with very supportive and loving parents that have tremendous knowledge concerning business strategy and financial literacy hugely lessened the burden for her. it doesn’t take away from the fact that without her ambition and diligence, she wouldn’t have gotten this far. but her background, and generally, luck, had a large part to play in her success.

[@Sacto1654]

@@GhostOfEvermore While Taylor Swift does have a "once in a blue moon" talent, could she have developed it if her parents essentially lived of Swift's earninngs? That was the issue eventually bogged down and ruined Britney Spears' career.

[@keatonhayes6636]

the way you film a video every time she does something and they're all so well worded and thought out amazes me. you're my hero

[@AlyLourim]

true journalist right here 👏

[@itsonlysound]

Get a grip.

[@st4rsholl0w]

exactly. EVERY time something happens realted to taylor i just sit and patiently wait for zach to make a video about it

[@meriboberi]

This and the billionaire video are some of your best work. I love that you don't unconditionally gush over Taylor- you give thought and consideration to all your opinions and so thoroughly explain your reasoning. I don't care if there's an official Taylor Swift reporter out there- you're the Taylor Swift reporter we want and need.

[@stevenstewart782]

Wow Taylor swift becoming a billionaire may not seem all that ethical I think she has a reason for it she's told us that the more things she can do herself For her career she will so I think She's purposely trying to draw in enough money To bankroll everything she wants to do in the future Completely by Herself For example her interested in making movies now If the 1st 1 does well I think she'll decide to bankroll the next 1 on her own

[@jackielehman8945]

When she said " we would never be so psychotic..." 😂 i was like "omg... she's listening to the Swiftologist!!!! 😂❤

[@taylor.adalyn]

so true! Taylor gave us a hint that she's listening to the Swiftologist! Pretty sure she watched the Matty Healy video and loved the chaos of the Swiftologist proclaiming "this is mental illness"

[@ltovarro]

Her and her marketing team need to teach some kind of master class and win some awards. Because to take a pretty, tall, thin, blonde, wealthy and famous woman from a well-off upbringing and successfully market her as the relatable, scrappy underdog is marketing genius. Her storytelling and her team’s branding deserve their own graduate courses.

[@cemo98]

I think initially it probably wasn't a marketing strategy bc if you watch early interviews with taylor she's very awkward and she didn't have many friends/was bullied in school. but I think her team realized early on how that part of her personality made her relatable and played into it even after she became incredibly famous. she also seems to have imposter syndrome and is motivated by proving people wrong which feeds into that underdog mentality even though she isn't actually an underdog

[@0min]

As a marketer I have to agree. This year alone offered many moments of insanely clever marketing moves that other brands wish to think of. Do not get me wrong, I am a Swiftie since day one but it is quite obvious that her relationship with her fans is also a meticulously crafted marketing strategy. No matter what she does or puts out, her fans will eat it up. Kids plays her music on mute all night long just to be in her top 0.01% listeners on Spotify which basically means nothing but money for her. Absolutely genius.

[@rosanaconta3416]

@@cemo98 This story of being intimidated seems to be a lie for marketing

[@whitepouch0904]

@@cemo98 it is her team from the beginning. Her debut “Tim McGraw”, their marketing about how she learned her guitar from a computer technician. That was not entirely true and you could see in her eyes during those times that she was uncomfortable talking about it as it was a lie. Her mother hired a guitarist that also owned a computer shop to teach her guitar every week end. They made it sounded like she was destined to be a start like it was magical but really it was her team who was the mastermind 😉

[@whitepouch0904]

@@0minI agree I’m not a marketer but I can see it. I’m her fan since her debut. When I read about her album intro about how she started playing guitar because of a computer technician repairing her pc teach him how to for a few hours and everything was self- taught it had an impression on me that she was destined to be a the pop princess like it’s magical moment. Looking about now that I know that wasn’t entirely true that her mother hired their town’s guitarist that also owned a computer shop to teach her every weekends for 2 years. If you go back to that days she talked about during that during her interviews but you could see there’s awkwardness because she knew it wasn’t all true. And that reinforced my guess that they chose to name her debut song Tim McGraw to catch country music listeners. It’s always been her team that’s the master mind and she learned from them. She should credit them more tbh.

[@bad_revecula]

Nodaysoffologist fr. With the way you keep delivering such insightful and well researched videos literally every other day you should be a contender for person of the year yourself

[@donardodavinci6126]

I was just going to comment this myself. Like damn

[@lfior]

THIS❤I hope he knows we don’t have this expectation constantly, like if he ever has to slow down we will understand, but I’m obviously loving this rn

[@Maryb-j5k]

I second that! Zach’s analytical and critical thinking skills are truly one of a kind! 🏆🏆💪🏻😍

[@Regina_Filanji]

😂😂 NodaysOffOlogist

[@madamjubilee2229]

idk, i clicked on your profile, and i really love your name! there is something about your vibe that made me click! lol this is your sign to do whatever creative project you have in mind :P

[@Gaviotatube]

I read/hear criticism of how Taylor is over-reacting to what happened with Kanye West. But to me, I see it as a perspective of her age at the time and how memory works. She was around 24-25 when they shared the edited phone call, I think. At a younger age, things that you don't expect will be monumental to you, at that time and as time goes on. I had breast cancer for the first time at 23 - I still cry when I even think about it. It literally obliterated the life I had built up to then. Then I had breast cancer at 41 - and it again obliterated my life. But when I think of having breast cancer at 41, I don't cry about it (I'm 50 now). I see it in a different light - and the memory of it while it's more recent is actually not at "big" to me as the memory of having cancer at 23. It's easy to criticize and dive into every little detail, but she's a human being with flaws and she's incredibly strong to withstand the hour by hour pressure of it all.

[@monstercat3628]

I think it also stems from the fact that when we look back as a grown up person, we realize that we weren't ready or mature enough for what happened and us knowing what we went through we feel more sympathy and more anger. its kind of being protective about our inner child. We grow up, we learn more about life and with our learned knowledge we look back and realize much more stuffs which hurt us more. Taylor definitely looks back and realizes she was so naive and kind to people who deserved the worst.

[@madamjubilee2229]

so grateful you are still here!!!

[@lisao2416]

"Feminine ideas becoming lucrative means more female art will get made." When Zach said this is her justification for her own billionairism, it makes TOTAL sense. Due to the way she's been treated, Taylor has resisted the patriarchy ever since Lena Dunham taught her about feminism. I thought it was random how Gerwig is quoted in this piece, but I'm sure it's because they have a project cooking. I believe she has plans to use her money to fund female-driven cinema. It tracks with the "heroes journey" narrative and her pledge to keep making stuff. So even though being a billionaire is deleterious on so many levels, it couldn't be more classic Taylor than to be coming from this morally righteous "heroic" place that can be seen as admirable albeit a little pollyanna.

[@Trenchant468]

Interesting. Where can I read about Lena Durham educating her about feminism? (I’ll be curious to see how this jives in her Travis relationship- he’s maybe a mixed bag).

[@verycool6022]

⁠@@Trenchant468Lena Durham is a rather interesting feminist (not in a good way per se)

[@vs6584]

I just see it as Time getting the director of the biggest movie of the year to talk about the biggest artist of the year because they are both (blonde) women who made incredibly successful art based on the feminine experience. Hey but I'd be down for some Taylor OST tracks from Susan, Lucy and The White Witch's POV for Gerwig's upcoming Narnia series for Netflix.

[@madamjubilee2229]

literally. i feel like we will see her big moves philanthropy in her 40s. i bet she gets into education or something and creates an university

[@NeedMoreCoffeeOG]

I think you grossly underestimate Taylor's understanding of and care for feminism. It's only ever quoted by her in an effort to dismantle personal criticism on specifically her one way or another.

[@caitlazers46]

“Keep making art” brings me back to her speech at the billboards for woman of the decade when she praises Lana for not giving up when everyone was bullying her. She literally says “she just kept. Making. Art.” And it makes me smile. 💕

[@abhinavupadhyay3738]

sam lansky doing this profile was literally everything i could have asked for, his book broken people and also britney's memoir were arguably one of my best reads of this year, and i totally agree he could have pushed further at times but I'd say I'm definitely not disapointed, also 2 videos in a row? no-days-offologist for the win!!! ✨

[@bethblr]

You have been DELIVERING this month, quality and quantity. I've been listening Evolution of a Snake everyday for about a week and you and Madelaine are some of the funniest and most insightful content creators out there and I love listening to that side of you after watching this channel only for so long. ❤

[@user-jd9qn2yc4z]

Maybe this is a hot take, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the photoshoot. She looked almost washed out, and the neutral colors were kind of boring…

[@LWYMMD]

I think by “frat guy” she wasn’t necessarily implying being unprepared as far as practicing. I think she meant going out, eating what’s convenient and not focusing on nutrition as fuel, drinking, not getting proper sleep or enough hydration - just getting back out there and doing it again the next night - these are all frat guy behaviors.

[@jaimeroop839]

To be fair she was also young!

[@LWYMMD]

@@jaimeroop839 oh yeah, I’m not criticizing her at all! I operated the same way in my 20s 💯

[@homidjohn]

I wish we as a fandom were clear about the folklore factoring hugely to getting her where she's at now. Yes, the two events that she brought up are key. I just feel like she neglects this third key event, and I've seen a lot of other nerd Swifties that have been keeping up slowly wake up to this fact.

[@homidjohn]

When I say folklore, obviously I mean everything that lead to that album's making as well as what that album has meant to people in that year and how that contributed to her career.

[@hayleysmith3113]

Yep the pandemic kind of saved / cemented her as a legacy

[@jaimeroop839]

For sure

[@sofiaramirez4509]

I mean I don’t know, but I speculate she has mixed feelings about the times she composed the pandemic albums since she wrote some songs with Joe and in her interview she implies she felt secluded and is regretful of the time she spent isolated. The pandemic was an emotionally charged time in general, maybe she’s still dealing with these feelings post- Joe breakup.

[@coryharbour57]

As someone also born in 1989, “millennial behavior” had me cackling. It’s real and I live it every day.

[@candacetirado2514]

Same 😂 . It’s like staring in a mirror every time she says something deemed “cringe”

[@imk3879]

love your pfp, so cute!!

[@DonnaLena1]

A month or so ago I looked into the Kanye Kim Taylor thing. I vaguely remember when it happened but after seeing the tape of Kim laughing while taking pictures of the fake nude body of Taylor - WELL THAT IS DISGUSTING 🤢 And Kim followed that up with helping Kanye twist the whole phone call to make Taylor seem the liar - what kind of woman does that? A nasty woman, that’s who.

[@jaimeroop839]

Also a woman in an emotionally insecure marriage…

[@DonnaLena1]

@@jaimeroop839 Good point!

[@harryyarrow4110]

Kim and Kanye were a little self-centered and narcisstic,at the time,and probably still are.🤷‍♀️🤷🙆‍♂️

[@justwonder1404]

​@@jaimeroop839she was an adult, and she's long since out of that marriage. I didn't hear a public apology. Or any indications of a private one.

[@wwpetko-6760]

Have you seen the video of where her mother, Kris. Is telling Kim that she (Kris) likes Taylor, likes her team and likes Taylor’s mother and that Kim needs to apologize. Kim just laughed at her. She should have listened to her mother.

[@paperbackenthusiast]

One day when we’re old and grey and she is ready for a (guarded) tell all, I hope it’s YOU, Z. This was sooo thoughtful and well spoken as always. 💞

[@majucarvalho5558]

THAT would be absolutely insane

[@takemetothelakes13]

now THAT would be something indeed.

[@meghansullivan6812]

like evelyn hugo !!!

[@candacetirado2514]

I think it’s worth noting that Taylor has mentioned watching The Last Dance (the Michael Jordan docuseries) and it impacting her. I have always thought of her and how her mind works very similar to a premier/ all-time athlete. Kobe even admired and respected her. Her focus (maybe even obsession), even on the KK/SB/BM is a very similar trait to many top athletes that either fabricate or mentally intensify feuds or slights to fuel them. I respect her experience and its clear traumatic impact on her, but she has definitely kept the emotional intensity high on this to carry her through this mission. It’s competitive, it’s vindictive, it’s calculated. I say this all as a cheerleader. I just think when people want to compare her to ones before her it makes more sense to compare her to Kobe Bryant than it does to Beyoncé. IMHO.

[@dreamchaser7603]

Great point!! Well, now she’s imerging herself into the world of athletes 😉

[@candacetirado2514]

@@dreamchaser7603 thank you. And yessss. Her schedule is more similar to Travis’ than one might think. I could imagine their post “game” recovery routines and competitive edges overlap nicely. Not to make it about a guy. It’s just been an interesting year of better understanding her

[@cat.fourdaysinoktobergang1323]

I noticed that Kobe Bryant was not given shit for taking a helicopter through LA to run an errand, because he hated LA traffic. Taylor gets crap for taking private jet rides. Kobe owned a helicopter and had a place to land it at his mansion.

[@candacetirado2514]

@@cat.fourdaysinoktobergang1323 well a helicopter does not emit as much as a private jet and it cost him his life, so maybe pick a different example. That topic is for a different post altogether

[@jaimeroop839]

Good point!

[@philjan23]

I'm so comforted and glad she mentioned Ana in the interview -- and the article went out with her full name. It's subtle, but if you think about it, her name and memory is gonna be forever printed in none less than effing Time effing magazine. She definitely mentions or doesn't mention things on purpose, and this was better than anything she could have said that day. Long live, Ana!

[@maridl8807]

she didn't. the interviewer did.

[@calliemarie13]

I hope she pulls an Evelyn Hugo and someday when she’s old and retiring she releases a book full of her secrets, relationships both romantic and friendships, and other just random facts people always wanted to know.

[@scarletwitch616]

That would be iconic

[@tarathoughts13]

this would actually be so cool - especially bc the author said she was inspired by Taylor Swift when writing Evelyn Hugo and i see a lot of taylor in evelyn as a character.

[@JRobert1402]

No matter how many times you get cancelled you'll always be my favorite swiftie because you know when to criticize Taylor and also when to give her the credit she deserves. I also love your brutal honesty. More people need to be like that

[@girlmiaful]

I’ve just recently (in the last year) started to fall for Taylor. I admire her so much and find her more relatable now. I just turned 50 and I didn’t give her the attention she most likely deserved in her early-mid career. I did know her popular songs and found them catchy, but I wasn’t going outta my way to make it personal, if ya know what I mean. Fast forward to now and I can’t get enough….I’m enjoying her albums, watching her performances and this whole new relationship she’s in. I’m still getting caught up on a lot and your channel definitely helps and is so contagious in the love for Taylor. Your take on Taylor, all the different facets, is really helping me grow as a new fan. Another amazing thing that I’ve found about SWIFTIES is how welcoming they seem to be. They want to share their love for her and all the reasons she’s amazing. I appreciate that, as someone still hanging out in the shallow end. Really enjoying your channel and wanted to say THANK YOU 😊 as well!!

[@nickd2557]

i’ve been checking your channel for the past day waiting for this video! you have such brilliant, important commentary. this is the best channel i’ve found this year!

[@beccac6812]

I think one of Taylor infinity stones is also stroytelling; telling her own story, telling others stories, her songwriting and how much it tells a story of her growth

[@hanasouljaboy5949]

were yall not there when she got cancelled? like everyone hated her...i remember random people who are far removed from the drama in middle school shitting on her bc of this, her friends turned against her, people internationally were sending her death threats and burning her cds and merch. i wouldn't say she was being overdramatic in her feelings, even if she were wrong at the end of the day.

[@sayhitosyd]

Zach, I loved this thorough analysis. One part that stood out to me was how you talked about what questions were left on and left off of the interview and the surface-level depth to which these topics were probed. I'm no journalist, but I'm speculating this is a good, long-term strategy. What you sacrifice in depth today, you gain in trust tomorrow. Therapeutic relationships must be earned. These relationships seem as important to journalistic endeavors of this caliber as they are between a doctor and a patient. I wonder if this article will open a door for future interviews because some trust was earned in this piece. Fabulous job on this video!

[@janaross]

Preface: I think your content is EXCELLENT. I love that your baseline is critical thinking. It’s clear that not blindly loving every move she makes is actually a gesture of respect from you as a fan. That said, there were moments in this video where I was surprised to have the thought that maybe you were coming up against the bounds of what you can understand about her experience not being a woman yourself. The other week, my boyfriend asked me to look up a certain sweater on my phone and was like ‘Wow, I’m really struck by the fact that your algorithm shows you both male and female models when you search bc I only get fed male.’

[@janaross]

I think you have a similar blind spot to the extent that, at the end of the day, you’re not recognizing that her career WAS taken away-not because she was making less money or was literally forced to go into hiding, but because her driving force is to make great work and have it VALIDATED as being great (in spite of coming from a woman’s perspective). In a world that-like his summary says-undermines women in such deeply personal ways, taking away identity, I understood why she allowed her feelings to be ‘more important than anything else’. Logic and facts should never be abandoned, but they also don’t deserve supremacy over other kinds of knowing-esp for an artist.

[@janaross]

Sorry, I’m not doing a great job making this point… it’s hard to theorize on a male entertainer going through the snakegate experience because no male entertainers are currently on her level, but the entire crux of snakegate being a referendum on her personality and not her work is just so deeply gendered. Her career depends on people liking her just like all women’s success depends on being liked and performing an acceptable form of socialization, so imo the shift of public opinion against her took away what her career was to her in the realest way it could have - for better or worse

[@lunawolf6288]

There are so many part of Taylor swift 1. Her life 2. Her love life 3. Her childhood 4. Her songs 5. The lore 6. And more Theres so much lore to Taylor and you can hear this in her songs

[@Inessss_]

I’ve been waaaaiting for that one!!!! Jumped on that notification so quickly!

[@hannaharstories]

I have to disagree a little bit here ....at least from my perspective during her reputation era, it really did feel like her career was dead. She was made out to be the liar and the mass cancellation of her is almost the opposite pendulum swing to what we are seeing today of her mass stardom. If you think of the cancelling of her being THAT huge, it does actually seem like a career death. I dont doubt at all that she experienced this as the end of her career. And reputation was only born out of total annihilation and the energy of throwing up your hands and basically going crazy with some female rage. Unleashing the beast despite the consequences. For someone as calculated and modest in her music as swift is, reputation is an album that kinda throws the bomb behind her, blows up what she already thought was dead, and walks away. And in that death is her rebirth.

[@jaimeroop839]

The Grammy’s snub

[@SavageSummer777]

I agree with you Hannah reputation is 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@pavilova29]

I was also thinking how Travis recently said that “if she is putting up with all of this attention and criticism, I have no right to act weird” and I think this really is the opposite of the Joe situation we had 42:50

[@katferrari5309]

I think Taylor has learned to become comfortable “looking better in the rear view” - I don’t think Taylor is perfect, but I also think it’s plausible that she keeps things close to the vest when a situation is still actively playing out (i.e. labels making it more difficult for artists to re-record) and that situation requires strategy. Not allowing the industry to anticipate her next move is a proven strategy for her and could still define, to some degree, her approach to business to this day. …or maybe she will never do or say anything about it- we might find out some day! 😅

[@aaliyahfoster2705]

I think it's better for her right now to not say anything publicly with the record labels lengthening or removing the access for re-recording because she's still under the same label that did that too (UMG). The labels still have the power to deny in a very petty fashion over the artist at the end of the day. Halsey called her previous label Capitol Records out last year publicly about the Tik Tok viral "quota" and got dropped by them a few months ago.

[@gathered-h]

The deal with the Masters was based on ego and money. Her label had a bruised ego because she and her family's initial investment made that company from the ground up. And Scooter just wanted money. Unless we're missing some HUGE piece of information regarding her ex label, there's nothing else I can think of other than Scott wanted to one-up her after she likely let him know she was leaving.

[@alisonchristie5338]

Taylor chose to be in a relationship with a reserved person. She made a choice. He seems perfectly content to interact with fans in small doses. The zoo-madhouse that is the Swifty fandom (intruding on Jack Antonoff’s wedding, e.g.) doesn’t /have/ to be suffered by a partner. And if that level of attention is where Taylor wants to spend her life, she is free to do that. I feel disappointed that she seems to blame him for her own choices. She has sufficient wealth, resources, agency, transportation, and homes to move around when she wants to. Joe has not uttered a word about what it’s like to be in a relationship with TS. I hope that book will come. I’m delighted for Taylor’s success in general and to see her receive this distinction. I’m curious to see what her next chapter will bring in the areas of philanthropy, sustainability, and use of her platform.. Thank you for your high quality content, Zach. Another great commentary.

[@sassy6498]

It is more than that , like Zach said Taylor is implying that Joe was not proud of her. He may have been using the excuse of wanting to be private to hide the fact he didn't want to be seen together in events as a couple because it was not " cool" enough for him and she was not " arty" enough . Jack Antonoff remix of anti-hero mentioning " an art bro who judges everyone and talks shit about his famous baby" can be interpreted as a dig to Joe . At the moment is speculation, nobody should hate on Joe for wanting to be private but let's not putting him on a pedestal because he may have lied to her all those years about his real reasons for privacy . The truth will come out eventually. All Taylor's friends unfollowed him before the break up , including Ryan Reynolds who wrote a piece in a magazine supporting him as an actor. So it is not that unreasonable to think something must have happened.

[@Rosie-rx5ry]

​​@@sassy6498She wasn't cool enough for him? This is very junior high drama. Joe is shy and reserved. Taylor was fine with it in the beginning. She needed it bc she got cancelled. If she wanted something different that is totally fine but to diss Joe really shows she is petty and immature

[@sassy6498]

@@Rosie-rx5ry if you have read my message I said based on Jack Antonoff"s remix of anti-hero talking about " an art bro who talks shit about his famous baby" could be about Joe and it may have been a factor on wanting to be that private . We really don't know , and it is not that high school drama because something similar happened with Jake Gillienhal . In the future maybe we see further songs from Taylor's POV that doesn't portray Joe in a good light in the last two years of the relationship . Everybody thought they had no problems and then " you are losing me " shows the relationship in a different way . So I keep all possibiities open , it is ok if you don't want to do it.

[@Rosie-rx5ry]

@@sassy6498 I find it hard to believe Jue was taking ish about Taylor when he was so private. I don't know them but I'm just going by common sense.

[@sassy6498]

@@Rosie-rx5ry that is your prerrogative , as I said we don't know all the details so I wouldn't be surprised if something like this comes up in future Taylor's songs.

[@bip5395]

Ok, this disclaimer is necessary: I struggle with public persona of Taylor Swift and it causes strong negative feelings towards her . On one hand I have mad respect for her artistic process, business talent, agency over her career, working hard to get better. On the other: she looses me whenever she stops talking strictly work, when she still presents things as world is being agains her despite being on top of it. Now, I loved your complex and balanced take on things! I will stay here for longer because it is great to, for once, listen to somebody who is a fan, but not uncritical and blind to some more questionable aspects of her career. I appreciate pushback on ‘career being taken away from her’ - was her contract ended? Was she unable to record next album? Was she rejected by media? No, she wasn’t. She was able to come back with new album, and very first music video was something EVERYBODY talked about as huge success and ultimate come back. I may not be her fan, but I will definately be yours. It was a pleasure to listen to your analysis!

[@swiftiey]

u're literally just a misogynist

[@Random-vd8wu]

Every single video of yours - in this day and age with dangerously short attention spans - has blown me away with how much I go without a break. Zack, you've probably heard this a million times, but you truly have a gift for words. You really know how to construct an interesting analysis that keeps me listening for looooong periods of time, so much so that I'm actually a little sad when I reach the end of a video. You mix insightful conversation with a sense of humour very nicely and that makes for such entertaining content. Can't wait for the Snammy's in a few hours!!

[@ahmeddamdami5569]

To your point, mariah carey was and is very referential to her old eras and albums. When you write and produce your albums there’s a sense of ownership and connection that is created; that’s why taylor and mariah are my favorite artists.

[@aaliyahfoster2705]

I've been huge Mariah fan since I was born, and it's so frustrating that the public has reduced her down to the "All I Want For Christmas Is You lady". She did not write the Emancipation of Mimi to be relegated to a holiday artist.

[@tbizzzy]

@@aaliyahfoster2705I feel like it’s because of the younger generation not knowing how amazing Mariah Carey is as an artist all I want for Christmas is only a sliver of how great she is the fact that she wrote this song in like 20 minutes … talent stands the true test of time

[@aaliyahfoster2705]

@@tbizzzy I know some older people in their 40s who treat Mariah like she was a nobody before that song (Mariah would be big in their teen years). It's very sad. I got into her because my mom is a huge Mariah stan/Lamb (before stan was even a thing) and owns all her physical CDs, even now her new ones like Caution, so I grew up listening to her at a very early age. I Don't Wanna Cry from her debut album is absolutely my favorite song of hers and atmospheric for late-night drives.

[@tbizzzy]

@@aaliyahfoster2705 you have impeccable taste 🤎

[@strudelnish]

i think horcruxes and infinity stones as examples is soooo interesting actually because like. divided parts of a soul that exist in the narrative to be destroyed in order to defeat the villain and objects of immense power read to me as a view of the original recordings vs the taylor’s versions

[@indiefairy6951]

One thing about Taylor’s posts engagement on her instagram: she doesn’t and she never will let the comments define her post’s reach. She deactivated the comments when she came back with the snake posts, and this was one of the smartest things she ever did a few years ago, without even knowing that instagram’s comments would eventually define people’s engagement. If she ever activates her comments again, she will be opening this door that can never be closed, once her visibility will be affected. Right now, everything is organic and her reach is ENORMOUS. I hope she knows this better than me and keeps it that way.

[@katelynnrice4983]

Not only am I well fed by Taylor but I’m also well fed by you! Thanks for the constant videos and podcast episodes!

[@Isabeltiful_da_bel]

I still can't believe how your analyses surrounding Taylor Swift in general are so entertaining. For example I would not have the time or, being more honest, the patience to read this whole thing but I caught myself watching an almost 1 hour video of you eloquently dissecting it. Great job! that's why your work's so good to watch.

[@cemo98]

I think it's fascinating that we expect taylor to be relatable and 'normal' when she hasn't lived a normal life. like how are we surprised that that she comes across as out of touch at times when she's been famous since she was literally a teenager? at the end of the day she's a product of her life experiences. not saying we shouldn't critique her but I just think sometimes are expectations of celebs are not realistic. even she's admitted that she feels frozen at the age she got famous and has to continuously work on maturing. there's nothing normal about fame

[@conversations_with_kara]

i'm constantly impressed by how eloquent and logical these videos are. nobullshitologist fr

[@LostinTranslation479]

Off topic but this shade of green is TOTALLY your color! It suits you so well

[@angelamarie4137]

Oh, I totally psychoanalzed her reference to the movie "Gladiator" when she said, "Are you not entertained?" I think she said that for a reason, and it was more than a Milennial answer.

[@harryyarrow4110]

Taylor really captured my heart,this year.She's thoughtful,generous,funny,captivating,and down-to-earth,at the same time.💛🧡💜 Congratulations,Taylor.💙💛💙

[@dollythelama]

EXCELLENT Video Zach! I always enjoy hearing u speak bc I ADORE intellectual people! I always learn a new word, a new perspective from you. I didn’t realize this was basically your full time job; that makes me so happy!

[@mystrawberryrush]

I literally went and bought chips right before this dropped, what a nice surprise!! You're killing it. December swiftologist truly shows how good a break is. You're back better than ever and I love how productive you're being

[@dolphin7282]

As someone who went through a similar reputation death that same era, i empathize with her feeling her career was over. If you arent psychologically well, you cant work. Something like that can fuck u up mentally really bad where its just not fun anymore and you HAVE to hide away. I didnt want to hide either. I truly think she bounced back because of the inner circle emotional support with her family she had with all the accusations and scrutiny. I unfortunately, was not so lucky, so i developed an illness. Ppl really underestimate the dangers of the psychological edge. But i guess my luck is turning cause im a swiftie and gaining strength through this story. So thanks taylor for making art when i could not for myself.

[@kristakahlo]

Thx for sharing your experience. I've gone through similar in past 3 years & Swift's music has helped me emotionally get stronger & find my voice. Sending Love ❤

[@aditipankaj3553]

what did i do right in this life to deserve these back to back videos 😭

[@maryann2970]

Pretty sure this is his full time job now. Also, the pay per view rate goes up during December b/c the holiday advertising. That's why you see people doing things like Vlogmas.

[@takemetothelakes13]

​@@maryann2970you learn something new every day wow

[@ericagoforth8793]

Thank you for the thorough review. Interesting that her family and Joe had a huge influence in her career. She had nurture and was grounded. So important for growing up.

[@hattie143]

You have literally been the best part of my 2023! Your "Revisiting Midnights after the break up" video was suggested to me back in April and the.rest.is.history! I am obsessed with you and Madeline on EOAS too. What a time to be a Swifty with the Swiftologist keeping us critically engaged. Thank you!! 💙

[@queenofpeass]

I have experience with the time magazine process and I can assure the interviews absolutely happened well before November, therefore before Brazil.

[@otilialampman7850]

I love your points. I love how you use your critical thinking. Things that should have been dug into. The businesswoman, playing the game, and being the underdog are things that are hard to reconcile with the singer-songwriter/ entertainer parts of her.

[@SwiftZilla]

"I didn't leave a rental house for a year" then you say thats not true - uh.. did you think about how she most likely was just 'summarizing' or saying it in that way because the times she didn't leave probably feel a lot longer to her than they might've been/probably were? I understand what you're saying but I wouldn't say that her saying that is a (intentional) lie or 'fake drama'....

[@Wilrain]

Truth I love the way she takes the events of her life and has an honest refreshing way of establishing herself in her music. Whether it's a story or otherwise she's an amazing artist

[@leathehatless]

Our trusted reporter. I feel that there was number of important questions to ask from Taylor about her fans, the environmental impact she has, the business side of things but I understand why they kept a positive note. They choose her for Person of the Year because she was a positive light in a very hard and difficult year, so having a more "serious" interview would be a strange editorial choice. I think the angle was trying "sell" why Taylor is such a big deal for so many people and overall, i think it worked. Time did a very interesting video about the unseen impact of Taylor you should see, is very interesting. (Business created around the Eras tour) As the infinity stones, there are six in total (five for each finger and one in the center). The person that collects all the infinity stones controls the universe. There are six stolen albums. It might seem to Taylor that once she rerecords all the albums, she is once again in full control of her (cinematic universe). More intriguing for me are the horcruxes, since there are seven. Can she be fueling the Karma album theory?

[@BreakawayBackpacker]

I just stated lisenting to Evolution of a Snake podcast and am loving it. I love your take on Taylor. Read the interview the moment it came out. I personally love that she mentioned my Queen Kelly Clarkson for pushing the idea of the re-records. I knew about the Tweet but always wondered if they talked. I loved this interview so much & glad she did share a bit more than normal. I would like to know though... if YOU could sit down and INTERVIEW Taylor A. Swift... what would you ask her? PS love when you put the mic in our face. I crack up!

[@AllTheArtsy]

The reason Taylor can work with family and they come out of it okay, if not better, as a family unit is because they are already rich, without her success. This ism privilege in the spotlight.

[@ingridbrandt7710]

Thank you, Zack! I was hoping to be able to ”read” this article and interview. As your excellent analysis emphasized, the author was quite talented and made some excellent points. Great also to hear from Taylor herself after her years of quiet seclusion with Joe. 10/10 🎉

[@LWYMMD]

You’re completely right that her perception may be that her career was stolen from her, but that wasn’t the actual reality. That was the only line from the article that made me wince a little. She’s so powerful and she’s taking away all of her own agency saying that it was “stolen” from her. It was absolutely a takedown attempt and objectively wrong (illegally recording her, sharing it in the first place let alone editing the video and sharing that version to best support Ye’s narrative) - but she chose to take the step back from public view, reassess, recalibrate, and reform herself before coming back to reclaim her place in the music industry and larger culture. I think she could re-frame the way she hindsights what happened and and view it as an attempted takedown that *could have* permanently ruined her career, and instead of feeding into that and forcing herself to remain at the center of public discourse, she *chose* to take a step back, a hard look and a long break from her public life. An artist can have a career without any public life at all aside from their work. I think she’s doing herself a disservice and discounting her willpower and sheer force of determination by saying that her career “was stolen away from her.” It’s not an object, and only she possesses it. Her popularity was taken away from her temporarily (or perhaps more accurately, it was diluted and in some aspects, dissolved for a time), but that is not the same thing as her career being GONE.

[@SOSO_SSTANCE]

Have you just imagined if she didn’t release a an albumbthinking the whole world hates her, it was taken away but she didn’t stay away completely

[@maridl8807]

imo to her being popular is actually her career and most important aim.

[@mircat530]

This is the video I’ve been waiting for since the article came out!!! Thank you!!

[@rech3771]

"the story has dust on every page" you speak poetry... beautiful

[@julianaramirez1103]

I literally read the article and was waiting to hear what you thought! Always so fun to hear your opinion!

[@bammmitsrachel]

i could be wrong but i think age plays a huge part in being open in the public eye, not hiding, not caring anymore what people think. im 36 and i've hit the point in my life where i'll do what i want. if someone likes me, great...if they don't, that's fine too. the older you get, the more you don't care about the small and stupid things. you stop caring about the words of others. you live your life to the fullest. and that's exactly what she is doing. i understand some want a private relationship but isn't life more fullfilling to be proud and mention your partner in the spotlight. all she wanted is for someone to see her and that includes being proud in both privacy and in the public eye.

[@eves1503]

I really enjoy your videos and podcast. Well-spoken, knowledgeable, pleasure to watch/listen.

[@meghansullivan6812]

so glad u picked up on the rep references too!!!

[@KpopLover1013]

I absolutely adore your literary insight when it came to digesting this very thoughtful and well written interview for her deserving feature on TIME as person of the year. Your commentary is always so satisfying because a lot of what you touch on echoes the thoughts that go through my mind when you were going through the text. I think he did a great job of taking care to not skew her words, while also almost tactilizing her thoughts and creating such a clear story and timeline for us to visualize and recall when it came to the events of her career and placed us in her shoes somehow. It didn't necessarily reveal much about her that we don't already assume and know, but the excerpt where she candidly explains her relationship with Travis was indeed very new for what we are used to with her! I like how confident she's become over the years. Love your takes as always, keep challenging the status quo and speaking your mind!

[@lydiaruby89]

Ok so I know people want her to move on from the whole snakegate thing. And from an outsider's perspective I can see how that feels like the right thing to do. But unless you've had something you cherish and love. Something you've poured your blood, sweat, and tears into-taken away. And then have people in your life you thought had your back and would support you, not even call you and ask "How are you doing?" That's a kind of hurt that will never truly go away. So in some small sense, I totally get how she feels about it.

[@BrunetteGiant]

Just a correction, Zach, that I believe Taylor has had to cancel shows one time due to sickness. I believe it was around four shows on the Red Tour due to bronchitis? Don't quote me lol but I'm almost positive

[@flowerchild_92]

I've never seen your videos but wow, you are so well spoken. Really enjoyed this - thank you!

[@AriLondonGirl]

I really love how smart and well-spoken are you. I admire how you analyse things! What do you think about Miley being in her pre-reputation era when “nobody saw her for year” and not promoting new album and not performing at events, not touring? Her Vogue interview actually was so sad, I almost cried while reading it. She now spends 97% of her time at home… really want to see your opinion about ESV album and and era

[@InessaB19]

Yes, I really would love to see a video on this topic!

[@monoinluv4894]

me too!

[@aaliyahfoster2705]

To be fair, I feel really bad for her situation. Her home burned down in the Malibu wildfires and then she had to go through a divorce around the same time. Life-changing circumstances back to back can't put you in a workable headspace. I'm happy Endless Summer Vacation is her reclaiming her passion and joy back in a very strong way. I always hear Used To Be Young on the radio and it reminds me of one of my old college friends growing up and finding her thrill in working after the crazy and almost illegal antics she and her friends pulled off between school.

[@JenniferDonahue702]

What have I been waiting for since the announcement and the cover? Yes. Zac's breakdown. This is what I needed.

[@sketchios5158]

I'm so amazed by your thoughts on her overall character, every time it seems like you're walking on a thin gold line between what an obsessive swifty and what a "hater" would say, and it just sounds so open minding. An embodyment of what a true fan should be

[@Amsm235]

This is how I wanna think someone who loves taylor and is not afraid to say their opinion because while yes, we love taylor, she isn't perfect 💕

[@maryann2970]

Pretty sure in "Miss Americana" she said she wanted to be ~seen~ as good. Which I would argue is different from actually being good.

[@itsnotthatd33p]

46:05 I think this is a really great topic to dive into, Zac, and would love your insight. The less reliance on traditional media, how the traditional media now writes stories from stan twitter threads, how the fandom shaped this. I'm not sure if you have a video about this already.

[@Sacto1654]

Swift was one of the first artists to really take full advantage of the Internet using MySpace and Tumblr to promote her work and interact with fans. And she aggressively went into Twitter (X), Instagram, and more recently TikTok, too.

[@marcosgonzalez956]

he touches on that a little on his swiftie reporter video

[@EffieStephens33]

I just finished the pod, and it wasn’t nearly enough. Never is 🤣 so glad to see this!

[@Denise.Taylorx88]

Saaaame! I listened to the podcast first and then came here after getting through some more work… 😂😂

[@EffieStephens33]

@@Denise.Taylorx88 you are my people 🤣🤣🤣

[@philjan23]

_"The woman in me"_ 's ghost-writer *_was_* Sam Lensky? 😮 G-A-G That DOES explain a lot, though, like for instance, why the messy waves and intense eye make-up close-up photo looks *soooo* much with a very popular picture of Britney done in the same fashion, I'm loving it ❤🎉

[@k8mariah]

Loved this. You have a lot to offer. Hope you go far.

[@victoriavic7189]

Hi! I'm from Brasil and I simply love your videos. You are so smart and well-spoken that I can learn an infinitve of new words in english by just hearing you speak! Congratualitions on your content and comunication skills🎉

[@RackPaperScissors]

“Taylor Swift trickle down economics” 😂☠️

[@lfior]

Massive swiftie here but what struck me whilst reading the interview was that she doesn’t come across as a likeable person at all. It cemented this era of her not being so close to her fans or open about anything, seemingly nonchalant but imo singularly obsessed with infinite growth and professional success, that I’ve never felt more distant from the idea of her as a person than I have during this era. Even 1989 was a bit more human in terms of scale, and there was a spontaneity to her actions still . That seems to be gone now.

[@Kuvxwb17]

Lmao

[@LC-sp9ox]

100 percent agree... She seemed pretty shallow and narcissistic in this interview. I'm really disappointed this piece will be apart of her history.

[@emilynuttall3135]

You don’t know this woman

[@angelamarie4137]

She was being interviewed for an article about her life. She continually thanks and mentions her fans all the time. I don't know how you got this vibe and how you are internalizing this interview, but I do not feel this way.

[@lizporto4860]

She really is not a likeable person a genius yes a super entrepreneur yes but not a nice a person plus she lied in interview her and Joe split over 2 years ago. She threw Joe under the bus during the interview and let the world believe Joe kept her locked up in her house what amazes me is she stalled Joe until he agreed to date her. What he did was bring her mentally healthy again so shame on you Taylor because you know Joe had you😢best interests good luck joe❤❤

[@heabooktubes]

Their family really seems to be uniquely supportive and healthy for a celebrity. I do think that the stuff with Kim K. easily could have ended her career except she was up for the challenge. I think you take a different pop star and put them in that scandal and they literally never have the same level of success again.

[@KisDraga]

"...armpits flashing the camera"...🤣

[@ampersandprep5475]

First time commenting. Thanks for your channel! I was one of those who did not subscribe but then I did! Because I didn't want to be rude, obviously. Two takes aways that I would be interested in your perspective. After I read this, i was talking to my boyfriend. He is an opera singer who has never paid attention to pop culture. But he was in the room when I listened to Britney's book on Audible and he listens to me tell him about Taylor Swift. He remarked "hey you know how Britney said she wasn't good at being famous but other people are. Taylor is good at being famous. But, I also realized... Taylor's parents love her and Britney doesn't have that." I gasped. The other thing I thought was about what you were saying about her private jet. I imagine the days are numbered for her jets. Conservatives, who don't actually CARE about carbon emissions, love nothing more than to point out a quote unquote liberal using a gas powered mode of transportation. I imagine Taylor is going to get A LOT MORE pressure on her jets now that she's Time's Person of the Year and it's not going to be something she can ignore. While I don't respect it when people call out hypocrisy not because they believe in the issue, but in a whataboutism way, I do think this is going to have an outsized effect. I hope she handles it with grace.

[@strngenchantedgirl]

Time Person of the Year is not an “accolade”. It’s not an award. It just means it is the person who had the most impact on the world in the past year, good or bad. In this case it is perceived as good. It is an honor in a way to be considered that influential and powerful. But Putin was almost chosen this year.

[@madamjubilee2229]

wow! swiftologist, indeed! i'm loving your videos and the indepth analysis. it makes me feel like i'm talking a college course from you! 🤣😍💖

[@takemetothelakes13]

hang on. if Midnights was allegedly a collection of songs written at different points throughout Taylor's career, were a couple of those songs potentially songs she couldn't previously release due to Scott Borchetta not giving her the creative license to release them?

[@danichiong6727]

the whole 'person of the year thing' really has me thinking about what a wild year it's been for Taylor and for swifties...it's been crazy.

[@eugeniakonovalova9513]

gotta say i love your extensive vocab

[@amyelr]

The photos are very 80's to me, especially the black and white ones and the high cut leo one.

[@kjordanyoutube3234]

You're such a good journalist because you tell it like it is. Nothing is black and white and you give your thoughts about everything both positive and negative. We love taylor swift but to say we love everything she does would be inhuman

[@killjoycam]

i never comment on videos, but Zach i just have to say that i’m obsessed with your content. always thoughtful, engaging and analytical in a way not many other creators (especially in the swiftie community) are. keep going bestie!!

[@miriamk2354]

I was waiting for your commentary on this!

[@StudyPositivityPhD]

This is one of your best videos so far. Great discussion!

[@talliejewls]

Yessss, I’m starting my day off right! The article was awesome, thank you for your breakdown as always!

[@TaylorTaylor1989]

Great video as always! I am still waiting your video on the deep dive of Lover era. I remember you mentioned in one of the videos that you will do it (or I am being delusional about this?😂😂). Really wavy to know your analysis and critique about singles choices and aesthetic in general. Lover pink aesthetic reminds me so much of Katy’s Prism (and maybe Teenage Dream). Very childish pastel pink cutesy aesthetic… Prism and Lover aesthetic are like twin sisters in my opinion.

[@Sacto1654]

In fact, many have said that the COVID pandemic actually _helped_ Swift. Reason: it allowed for an "artistic reset" with Swift kind of going back to her roots in creating _Folklore_ and _Evermore_ , given that the Indie Folk genre has a lot of relationships with traditional Country music. It allowed Swift to improve her songwriting skills, something you see even with her most recent album, _Midnights_ .

[@3DoodlesKitchen]

This has been one of my favorite videos. Very analytical.

[@rawru1029]

idk why but when i saw the pictures in my instagram feed, i just instantly screamed reputation. and that, for me, is what the time cover is revealing more than it seems to be

[@IxiaRayne]

The last comment in that article got me a bit teary eyed, tbh. I never looked at it that way, but yeah. He‘s got a point there.