How Swift’s The Man is like the Gettysburg Address: They both use a type of viral pun you should be using too.

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Decoding Taylor Swift

Episode: “How Swift’s The Man is like the Gettysburg Address: They both use a type of viral pun you should be using too.”
Hosts: Joe Romm and Toni Romm
Date: February 11, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this engaging and humorous episode, Joe and Toni Romm dissect Taylor Swift’s feminist anthem “The Man,” revealing how it leverages a timeless rhetorical device—antanaclasis—to create memorable, persuasive, and viral storytelling, a tool shared by masters from Taylor Swift to Abraham Lincoln. The hosts explore not just the song’s meaning and cultural resonance, but also draw lessons listeners can use to improve their own communication and impact. The dialogue is lively, with generational banter, deep dives into lyrical analysis, and strong feminist commentary, all aimed at empowering listeners to “lead, connect, and change the world.”

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Antanaclasis (Viral Pun)

• Definition & Explanation:
  • Antanaclasis is a form of wordplay where a word is repeated in a sentence or phrase but with different meanings.

    “This is where you use a word twice or more, but twice in a sentence or a phrase. And the word means something different each time.” (Joe, 02:43)

  • Examples are drawn from music, literature, and speeches.
• Swift & Lincoln:
  • Swift’s “If I were a man, I’d be the man” is highlighted as a prime example from “The Man.”
  • Abraham Lincoln used antanaclasis in the Gettysburg Address, repeatedly employing “dedicate/dedicated” with evolving contexts—“dedicated to the proposition,” “dedicate a portion of the battlefield,” culminating in “dedicated to the great task” (Joe, 04:04).
• Other Notable References:
  • Benjamin Franklin: “We must all hang together, or we will all hang separately.” (Joe, 03:49)
  • Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason”: “You can call me baby, if you call me anything.” (Toni, 03:41)
  • Phoebe Bridgers: “Turn me on and then turn me down.” (Toni, 07:18)
  • Eagles, “Hotel California” (“uses ‘on’ twice in different senses” – Toni, 05:06)

2. Why Antanaclasis Works—and How to Use It

• Stickiness and Memorability:
  • “Part of the point of effective communication...is to be memorable. Because if people don't remember what you say, it doesn't matter what you say.” (Joe, 23:15)
  • When listeners recognize and think about a word’s dual meaning, it deepens engagement and memorability.
• Application Beyond Music:
  • The device is not just for pop stars: it’s an essential tool for anyone who wants their message to stand out in the “Niagara Falls of noise coming out of the internet and all of our devices.” (Joe, 01:42)

3. “The Man” as Feminist Storytelling

• Lyrical Analysis and Feminist Commentary:
  • Toni reads key verses and analyzes Swift’s inversion of gendered expectations and double standards regarding success, relationships, and ambition.
  • Extended discussion of how Swift is subject to harsher public scrutiny for her romantic history compared to male counterparts:

    “Nobody questions Ed Sheeran or Bruno Mars writing about their exes...and then when it’s her, she’s just, like, writing about her exes, it’s like, okay bitch, if you’re never, ever, ever getting back together with him, why did you date him in the first place? Like, what’s wrong with you?” (Toni, 11:46)

  • Toni links this to broader patterns in the media and society, including pay disparity (“the world’s most successful soccer franchise, which consistently wins the Olympics...are getting paid like, like, like an eighth of the men’s team” – Toni, 14:11) and the public reaction to women’s wealth and achievements versus men’s.
• Irony & Meta-commentary:
  • Swift anticipated and parodied these double standards through both her lyrics and the music video, where she appears in “drag” and breaks the fourth wall.

    “...in the music video, she’s literally dressed as a guy...And she also in the ultimate irony...she is the director. She was the writer. She did it all. And she did it all because she's the man, to be honest.” (Toni & Joe, 33:29–34:42)

4. Personal Reflection & Social Context

• Learning Feminism:
  • Joe credits Toni with expanding his understanding of feminism and the realities of women’s experiences:

    “I think that I’ve learned a lot from you, as I’ve said, and I think that raising a daughter is very eye opening” (Joe, 15:53)

• Visibility and Criticism of Female Success:
  • Toni defends Swift against criticism for her billionaire status and private jet use, contextualizing the broader issue of gendered scrutiny.

    “The fact that people go after Taylor Swift and don’t go after like Leonardo DiCaprio or like all of these other people and it’s just her...She’s such an easy target because of her visibility.” (Toni, 26:07)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“If I were a man, I’d be the man.”
— Taylor Swift, analyzed by Joe and Toni (03:28, 18:54)

“We must all hang together or we will all hang separately.”
— Benjamin Franklin, quoted by Joe (03:49)

“I think I’ve learned a lot from you...raising a daughter is very eye opening.”
— Joe (15:53)

“Nobody questions Ed Sheeran or Bruno Mars writing about their exes... and then when it’s her it’s like... what’s wrong with you? Like, let’s think on that. Can a girl not live her life anymore?”
— Toni (11:46)

“Part of the point of effective communication...is to be memorable. Because if people don't remember what you say, it doesn't matter what you say.”
— Joe (23:15)

“Like, criticizing an artist about their word choice is like criticizing a painter for, for using like, I don't know, pink or purple for the color of trees.”
— Toni (19:33)

“This is a song that gives one a lot to think about. It is, in some sense, one of those very meta, ironic songs.”
— Joe (33:13)

“She is the man. She’s the woe man. Whoa, whoa, man. She’s the woman.”
— Toni (34:38)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:43] – Defining and demonstrating antanaclasis
• [04:03] – Gettysburg Address and Lincoln’s rhetorical mastery
• [10:10] – Introduce “The Man” and its feminist themes
• [11:43] – Lyrical analysis, gendered double standards, and slut-shaming
• [14:11] – Swift’s advocacy for equal pay in sports
• [18:54] – Dissecting the chorus and antanaclasis in “If I were a man, I’d be the man.”
• [26:07] – Billionaires, climate criticism, and gendered scrutiny
• [33:13] – Meta-irony, music video analysis, and storytelling
• [34:38] – Swift as “the man” and the ultimate subversion

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Tone & Language

The Romms’ tone is energetic, witty, and playful, balancing in-depth literary analysis with pop-culture commentary and family banter. Toni’s irreverent, feminist perspective sets the mood, while Joe brings historical context and rhetorical wisdom. The episode is informal, with asides and jokes sprinkled throughout, making the discussion accessible and engaging for fans and curious newcomers alike.

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Takeaways for Communicators

• Use antanaclasis as a simple but effective tool to make your writing and speeches more memorable and viral.
• Leverage irony and meta-awareness to engage critical thinking and deeper emotional connection in your audience.
• Don’t shy away from addressing double standards or societal issues in your work—acknowledging and subverting them can create powerful, resonant messages.
• Feminist analysis isn’t “extra”—it’s necessary for understanding the full cultural impact of Swift’s songwriting…and for changing how we communicate.

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Summary prepared for Decoding Taylor Swift fans, aspiring communicators, and those seeking to understand why Taylor (and Joe!) are reinventing the American conversation.

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Transcript

[A]

Hi, I'm Joe Rome and I'm his daughter Toni.

[B]

Welcome to Decoding Taylor Swift where you'll learn the storytelling tools that Swift uses that make her a modern day Shakespeare.

[A]

What can make you a better communicator so you can drive your mission and build your tribe.

[B]

This podcast will not only transform how you think about Swift's songs, but also give you the life changing tools to lead, connect and, and change the world. And this episode is being broadcast on Antonia's birthday.

[A]

That is true.

[B]

This is exciting.

[A]

Yeah. Turning nasty. 19 get hyped last last year.

[B]

You're gonna be a teenager.

[A]

I know. I'm so close to beating teen pregnancy. I got it in the bag.

[B]

There you go. That's a big life goal.

[A]

One moment. I'm very ill. Give me a sec. You talk.

[B]

I hope you will stick around. For the whole episode, we're going to really focus on one of the most important storytelling tools, tricks that is used by everyone from Taylor Swift to Abraham Lincoln.

[A]

Yep. Especially in this song, the man, which is a song that is, you know, very pertinent in our current day. And that I think is a lot of the reason why, you know, Taylor Swift knows exactly why she gets hated on. And unfortunately, fortunately, she's correct about it.

[B]

We're going to talk about the man today.

[A]

Yes. Very exciting. It's the third song on Taylor setlist for the Aristotle.

[B]

It's the third song.

[A]

We're going through these songs, you know, episode by episode and hopefully at some point in our lifetimes we will finish.

[B]

Yeah. And we don't have to do the. I was thinking we don't necessarily have to do them in order all the time. We can talk about that. But we also are gonna do some other songs, I think. Cause what we're trying to do is help you learn the set of secrets that will distinguish you as a great writer and a great speaker, which I think is essential. Even more important in this time that we're living where there's a Niagara Falls of noise coming out of the Internet and all of our devices. And if you want to get noticed, you're going to have to stand out. And one of those devices that Taylor uses a lot is I'm going to skip the name because it's one of those long Greek names that is.

[A]

No, you should just say the name.

[B]

Oh, I think it's Antonoclasis.

[A]

Saying I'm going to skip the name is just as many syllables as antanaclasis anyway.

[B]

I suppose that is true. This is where you use A word twice or more, but twice in a sentence or a phrase. And the word means something different each time, Right? And like a famous example of Taylor's is that we just did. Devils roll the dice, Angels roll their eyes and I don't want to keep secrets Just to keep you. Yeah, so that's something she likes to do a lot. And in the case of the man, you know, the main chorus is, if I were a man, I'd be the man.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And probably.

[A]

And also, yeah, you know, I'd save my dirtiest jokes for you. And at every table I'd save you a seat is another one that she uses.

[B]

And do you have any other favorite? Ana de Classis?

[A]

Give me a sec. I just remembered there's a good Tracy Chapman song called Give Me One Reason. And she's like, you can call me baby, if you call me say anything.

[B]

I will say one which is accredited to Benjamin Franklin. We must all hang together or we will all hang separately.

[A]

That is so true.

[B]

You know, the other big one is the Gettysburg Address, which talked about before Lincoln was an expert in rhetoric. He's a self taught expert in how you deliver a memorable speech. And in the Gettysburg Address, he repeats the word dedicated six times. He starts out by saying, our nation was dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. And this civil war will test whether a nation so dedicated can long endure. But then he switches to the present and talks about, you know, he's come to, quote, dedicate part of the battlefield for those who died. But he says we can't really dedicate, can't really concentrate because the soldiers have already done that by dying. And that ultimately the task is for the living to be dedicated to the unfinished work of the soldiers, dedicated to the great task of ensuring government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.

[A]

Yeah, that is a good one. Oh, I have another one, by the way, which is the Eagles Hotel California, which I love that song. Which is Mirrors on the Ceiling, the Pink Champagne on Ice. And then he uses on. Of course. So. But the Chasey Chapman one is a kind of a more. Okay, I've risen again. The Tracy Chapman is a more ubiquitous one. You know, call me. You can call me anytime, you know, or, you know, when I was a little kid, my best friend's dad used to say something along the lines of, you can call me Ray, you can call me Jay, just don't call me late for dinner. Yes, and I don't know what the hell that means. Even to this day, I really. I couldn't even tell you where it's from. It's just. It confounded me then and it confounds me now. But that was, I'm sure, Anaclassis.

[B]

Yeah, well. And the point here is to get people thinking.

[A]

Do you think I have tuberculosis? I'm coughing a lot.

[B]

I don't think you have tuberculosis because I think you've been vaccinated for tuberculosis.

[A]

I don't know, man. Sometimes I get afraid. Anyway, continue with what you were saying about the podcast and Taylor Swift.

[B]

Well, look, I think that. What was I saying?

[A]

You were saying about how the point of anti. Cloud. What's the word? Antana Classis.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What is it?

[B]

It's Antenna Classis.

[A]

Antenna Classis. Facts. That's like Santana, the band.

[B]

Let me, let me. It's basically a type of pun.

[A]

Yeah, it's a play on words. Yeah, it's literally a play on words.

[B]

It's a little. A play on words.

[A]

It uses homophones.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oftentimes I mean, something less than homophones. Just the exact same word with different.

[B]

Meanings use the exact same word. Right. So is it.

[A]

What a silly little literary device.

[B]

Yes. It doesn't have to remember the name. I think you just have to remember that, you know, this is an important tool and it's really the centerpiece of the entire song. And, you know, let's dive into the song, but first.

[A]

Oh, my God. Wait, hold on. My favorite. My favorite example of Antana Classis is in a Phoebe Bridger song called Save youe Complex, where it's like, turn me on and then turn me down. Because she's, like, talking about this dude who's just, like, such a. Such a deadbeat. I love Phoebe Ridgers. Anyway. That's a good one.

[B]

Yeah, I think you'll see it in a lot of different songs right now. Oh, one important thing is we do have a sponsor. Liquid IV and Antonio. Yes, we do. We do. It's a product Antoni uses. She has recorded. It is a testimonial ad.

[A]

And if I have.

[B]

End of the ad, we hope. If you like the podcast, if you.

[A]

Like the podcast, you can get a 20 off code. It's pretty lit. I guess I'd say so myself. You know, this show is sponsored by Liquid iv. I am a college student and I love college. It's wonderful. But I gotta be honest, the incentive to lug a very heavy water bottle around only to open up the cap and drink it, and it doesn't even taste fun. Now that stinks. What I have for you guys today is a wonderful product that I've actually used ever since I was 14. It's called Liquid IV. It's sugar free and it is clinically proven to provide three times the hydration of some of the leading sports drinks on the market. Go to a water fountain, fill up a little cup of water, and if you have Liquid IV in your backpack, you just tear a little packet, dump it in, and completely enjoy it. I personally find the kiwi strawberry flavor to be the most delicious because honestly, not to knock water, you guys, but it doesn't taste that good. Kiwi strawberry makes it delicious. Just one stick and 16 ounces of water hydrates better than water alone. It's optimized with real scientists behind all of the formulations to have a ratio of electrolytes, essential vitamins, and clinically tested nutrients to turn ordinary water into an extraordinary hydration. And for early days and late nights that I spend in the library, Liquid IV has been there for me to keep me hydrated. Liquid IV sugar free is clinically demonstrated to hydrate faster than water alone. Rehydrate with science backed hydration from Liquid IV's hydration multiplier. Sugar free tear Pour live more. Go to Liquid I.com and get 20% off your first order with decoding at checkout. And that's 20% off your first order with Decoding@liquid I.com.

[B]

And now we're back.

[A]

And now we're back. What? Holy moly. Where'd you guys go? That was so crazy. We got stuck in a liminal space for a second there. It kind of felt like an area between life and death. And. And it actually, I don't know, was kind of painful, I guess. When you guys listen to us, that's the only time we really exist. So please keep listening. I don't want to go back.

[B]

No, don't. Don't send us back. So let's talk about the song a bit.

[A]

Yes, let us do. Let us.

[B]

And this song is obviously a feminist kind of declaration, so, you know, so.

[A]

The woman has to read it. Is that what. Is that what you're saying?

[B]

No.

[A]

You're making the woman do more work.

[B]

No, I.

[A]

To read the lyrics. Yeah, there you go. Fine. What the hell do you want to say?

[B]

Excellent. Excellent shtick. My daughter, I know you truly love me, but. Yes.

[A]

Cope with the fact that he's. He's a, you know, a man. And unfortunately, you being cool and awesome doesn't mean, you know. Yeah. Unfortunate. That is.

[B]

So. So let's Go through the lyrics because I'm sure you'll have a lot to say about them.

[A]

Yeah, man.

[B]

Are you. Do you want to read the lyrics?

[A]

Yes, I'll read the lyrics if you want me to. If you really want me to. Because men are so incapable of doing things for themselves. Oh, my God. Anyway, let me read these lyrics. Just kidding, you guys. Men can do everything for themselves if they want. Again, I would be complex. I would be cool. They say I played the field before I found someone to commit to, and that would be okay for me to do. Every conquest I'd made would make me more of a boss to you. I'd be a fearless leader. I'd be an alpha type. When everyone believes you. What's that? Like, so she kind of. She kind of gagged there, and unfortunately, she clocked it.

[B]

So she's definitely going through a bunch of tropes.

[A]

Well, yes. Well, playing the field before you found someone to commit to, I mean, she used to call herself. I mean, she's literally said, like, you know, she's like a lightning rod for slut shaming in 2016. She said that. And in fact, she has gotten a lot of slut shaming. And it's like, yeah. She even said, like, nobody questions Ed Sheeran or Bruno Mars writing about their exes. Like, they're all like, wow, what great songs. Like, oh, my gosh, I would catch a grenade for you. Oh, my God, I should have given you flowers when I was your man. Oh, my gosh. Like, photographs. Like, and then when it's like, her, she's just, like, writing about her exes. It's like, okay, bitch, if you're never, ever, ever getting back together with him, why did you date him in the first place? Like, what's wrong with you? Like, let's think on that. And it's like, can a girl, like, not, like, live her life anymore? Like, oh, my God. And then it's like, now that she's famous, people like, okay. Like, yes, we knew she had to settle down with the hot football player. Leave her alone. Like, holy. What? She can marry who she wants. Like, feminism is not just like, let's have everybody, like, never get married. It's like, some people want that life for themselves, and that's beautiful. And some people never want to get married, and some people want to marry a woman. But it's like, some people seem to think that feminism just excludes her because of all of this stuff with her relationships. And that's like, you know, kind of ridonculous. Guys Take a shot, drink a game. Take, take a shot. Every time Tony goes on a really feminist rant during this episode.

[B]

Maybe a half.

[A]

Yeah, half shot. If you take a shot, you'll be just absolutely wasted by the end of this. So, like, maybe you don't take that many.

[B]

Well, and this line, I think, is very important when everyone believes ya. What's that like?

[A]

Well, she also is big on blaming, you know, like, perpetrators and believing victims. You know, that's what. Something that she has said many times.

[B]

You know, Obviously, famously, in 2016, she got accused by, you know, Kim and Kanye of something.

[A]

What did she get accused of again? I don't even know.

[B]

Oh, this was. This had to do with whether she gave permission for that song that Kanye wrote and Kim cut the video to make it look like she did, and she said, no, I didn't. And then it took a while for the truth to come out. But even perhaps more pointed was the. The lawsuit that she filed and where she testified and.

[A]

Yeah, well, the other thing is that in. Man, what lawsuit was it? It was. It was the U.S. women's soccer team suing. Oh, man. What was it? Give me a sec. Yeah. Okay, hold on. And so, like, when she was accepting the Teen Choice Awards in 2019, she, like, was very vocal about, like, urging the audience to support the U.S. women's soccer team's lawsuit against the U.S. soccer Federation for gender discrimination. Because they, like, low key, like, were, like, paying them less. It was like a whole thing. Like, in fact, female athletes get paid so much more, like, less than men. And then everybody's like, oh, my gosh. But they'll get so much more with, like, brand deals and stuff. Girl, like, do you think that, like, men don't get those, like, what are we talking? Like, but I know that in fact, the world's most successful soccer franchise, which consistently wins the Olympics every single freaking Olympic season, and in fact, are getting paid like, like, like an eighth of, like, the men's team for. For literally, like, doing nothing. Like, the women's team are actually, like, gobbling. Like, they gobble and they devour parts of it.

[B]

Yeah. All right, let's get to.

[A]

What were you going to say, Megan Rapinoe?

[B]

I'm just saying, the big fan of the women's soccer team.

[A]

Yeah, it's true.

[B]

And.

[A]

I have a question. If you had had a son, if you had a son, do you think that you'd be like, I don't know, like, as feminist as you are like, today?

[B]

I don't. Maybe not. I mean, I think, like, if I.

[A]

Was Tony with a Y, not an I.

[B]

That's a great question. There's no way of knowing. I think that I've learned a lot from you, as I've said, and I think that raising a daughter is very eye opening. And, you know, we've had many discussions and, you know, you don't always agree with me and vice versa, but. Yeah, I think I've listened. I think you would say that.

[A]

And you're a good dude, man. Yeah. You're not, like, crazy and homophobic and sexist anyway. But what I was gonna also ask you is, like, I don't know, like, what's something that you learned, like, having me, like, about, like, women's rights and issues or just people with uteruses in general? Cause, you know, abortions, anybody can have, as long as you got a baby make.

[B]

Well, I thought actually, you know, on this podcast, in the episode that we did on Eldest Daughter. Yeah, I thought that, you know, where. I thought you made a very good point where we're talking about, Taylor says I'm not a bad bitch. Right. And we were discussing. Well, you know, she's sort of intentionally being kind of awkward in all this, but you were saying nonetheless, really, she's still putting down, in some sense, the people who. Who are proud of being a bad bitch, you know, so. And those kind of things, you know, I think it's. It's. No one can. It's very hard to walk. Imagine walking in the steps of another person. It is. I think the. The genders particularly notoriously. Well, men are from Mars and women are from Venus. So we kind of, kind of notoriously don't communicate well. And look, I hope that, you know, one of the things that Taylor has accomplished, obviously, is she is a great communicator. She's a great storyteller. You know, she. She has. We went to the tour. Lots of men were there.

[A]

That's true.

[B]

And. And behind us, as you may remember, there was a couple. And the man knew all the songs.

[A]

Yeah, it was. Beat the women. The woman was like, kind of mouthing them, you know, very, very non. Not very confidently. It was kind of funny.

[B]

You know, I think this song is, you know, a. A brilliant alternative universe imagining. And, you know, I think, you know, the. The interesting question here. Let's. Let's. Let's get to the chorus. And there's not a lot of. This is a relatively short song except the chorus repeats. She repeats the chorus four times.

[A]

I can do the chorus. Okay.

[B]

Yeah, let's do it.

[A]

So I'm so sick of running as fast as I can, wondering if I get there quicker if I was a man. And I'm so sick of them coming at me again. Because if I was a man, I'd be the man. And that is, of course, a very, very prominent use of Anna. Anna Nada. Colossus. And then that's Antana Colossus. I remember Santana, the band. And then it's like classes.

[B]

So if I was a man.

[A]

Yeah, then I would be. And yes, you pointed that out to me when I was very young, when this song came out, that it was if I were a man. That would be the.

[B]

She did get criticized for that.

[A]

But that could also be an artistic choice. Well, and here's the thing. Another thing, another thing. Criticizing an artist and about their word choice is like criticizing a painter for. For using, like, I don't know, pink or purple for the colors of trees. Like, do you see how that doesn't make sense?

[B]

Like Picasso. It's like Picasso. You wouldn't say.

[A]

Exactly. You would not. Because the thing is, with art, it's not like you're not graded on spelling. You're graded on how your words resonate and how you connect with the underlying emotion and the emotional truths. Right.

[B]

I have.

[A]

You're capturing life as it is. You're capturing life as the emotional truth behind it.

[B]

Yes. And I'm going to tell my Picasso joke, which is what you just said perfectly.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

And if it doesn't fit what? I promise you exactly what you said, perfectly. I haven't said it in a long time. Let's see if I remember correctly. So a man hires Picasso to do a painting.

[A]

What a good joke.

[B]

No, we didn't get to that part. To do a painting of his wife. And when the painting comes back, he's very angry and he says to Picasso, well, that doesn't look. That's a terrible painting. How could you do this? And Picasso says, well, what's wrong with it? And the man says, well, this doesn't look anything like my wife at all. And Picasso says, well, what does your wife look like? So he angrily reaches into his wall and takes out a picture and. And shows it to Picasso. And Picasso says, small, isn't she?

[A]

Wait, that's a good joke. Oh, my gosh, that's crazy. Yeah. No, literally, that's what, in fact, it is.

[B]

Yeah, that's. I told you I had a joke that matched exactly what you said. Yes, representation.

[A]

The thing about, like, dads, they always have a little joke for Your situation.

[B]

Well, you know, I told him, hey.

[A]

And this is real. Wait, I'm so sorry, but this is real. But I told him a few days ago that I. I had a. A low grade fever and that I had chills. And he messaged me back, and I quote, I got chills. They're multiplying, and I'm losing control from Greece, the musical Grease.

[B]

Well, but we did know. We did learn that. In fact, Taylor did sing that.

[A]

Yeah, no comment on the fact that I, a person at college with no parental supervision, actually had a freaking fever. Just the Grease Lightning. And you know what? It's okay. It's okay. I posted it on my Instagram story and everybody found it funny. No, it's okay. I just think that my, My. Oh, didn't.

[B]

Did you show it to other people?

[A]

Mistrust of men started from you. It's okay. I love you so much. It's okay.

[B]

So you showed it to.

[A]

Yes, I show it to, like, all my close friends, and they thought it.

[B]

Was really funny and. And hopefully they were laughing with me and not.

[A]

Yes, they're very amused by you. They're very amused.

[B]

Well, you know, I think that. So, yes, she has flipped the. The. The A man. Generic man to I'd be the man. And, you know, this is, you know, a, a, a terrific pun, but it also makes you think. And again, part of the point of effective communications if you. As we. As I've said, the most important thing in any. You know, to be an effective communicator is to be memorable.

[A]

In fact, it is, right?

[B]

Because if people don't remember what you say, it doesn't matter what you say. So if you can make them think a little and notice, oh, these words aren't being used exactly the same, that process of thought embeds what you said to them a little bit more recorded now. So I may get two tracks from you, but that's okay. I will figure it out.

[A]

All right, well, and by the way, there's a pretty cool bridge and there's a cool verse, so just read them out to you guys.

[B]

Let's do it.

[A]

They'd say that. They'd say I hustled, put in the work. They wouldn't shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve. What I was wearing, if I was rude, could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves. And they would toast to me. Oh, let the players play. I'd be just like Leo in Saint Tropez. And then she repeats the chorus and it's like that's the other thing. Okay, so here's, here's another Antonia feminine this rant. Are you guys even ready for this? Okay, let me just get started by saying that I think being a billionaire right now, low key, unethical, there's no way that you need that much money or, or have that much money in a, in a good way. Because just by virtue of the fact that you are not going to be able to spend all of that money in your lifetime. Like, once again, I bring your attention to the fact that a million seconds ago is like three days. A billion seconds ago was like the late 80s, early 90s. And that's crazy that the magnitude is insane. You're not going to be able to spend a billion dollars in your life. Like, honestly, like on, on things, even like most luxury items. Like if you wanted to, you could buy like Twitter for $42 billion if you're crazy. But like most reasonable people with reasonable working minds would not do that and testify well. And the fact that, that they have all of that money by virtue of the fact that they have all of that money and they choose not to give away like half of it, at least half of it. Like half of the entire sum to like, I don't know. There are so many homeless people in America. There are 42 million people on food stamps. Like, there are so many people who could use so much of that money. It's insane. Like, it's, it's crazy and it can't be visualized. But the fact that people go after Taylor Swift and don't go after like Leonardo DiCaprio or like all of these other people and it's just her. And it's not just because she's a woman. I think it's just because she's also very popular. And I think it's, she's a very easy target. Like, she's such an easy target because of her visibility. And it's frustrating to hear everybody talk. Like, everybody's like, oh yeah, my favorite actor is this ex billionaire. My favorite actor is this ex billionaire. And it's like they're all guys. They're all like, I don't know, scrawny, weird looking. And in fact, Taylor Swift is just up there making her music, doing her art like any actor or any other singer. And in fact, people get mad at her for being a billionaire and using her private jet. Do you have any idea how many emissions the Beatles used or how many emissions like everybody else uses on a daily basis? Like, I promise you, Taylor Swift is actually not the one making climate change worse. Like, it's the US Government. It's all the AI companies. It's like, everything, frankly. The fact is, is that women do get criticized more for shit like this. And it's ridiculous. Like. Like the trendy thing is no longer to just say women aren't as good as men. Now it's just to say, well, like, oh, you know, she's basic. She's like.

[B]

Well, I think that you. You. Okay, my daughter.

[A]

I'm not done. They use these little. These little sexist dog whistles. Because the trendy thing is not to be open about this stuff. It is to. To sequester it, to make it seem like it's not there, because it's. It's just this form of gaslighting, right? So that when people try to point it out, they sound like crazy radical feminists, when in fact, it's just, like, stating the obvious. It's looking at a tree and. And not being like, oh, like, I'd like it, but it kind of has bark on it. And it's like, yeah, it's a tree. It's like. I mean, just call it what it is. Like, you don't like her because she's making music for young women.

[B]

Well, I think that she is often dissed as not being cool, sweetie pie.

[A]

Which is because she makes women. Like, she makes music for a large volume of women. Young women.

[B]

So I have a question for you. I have.

[A]

I have an answer for you. The very big Start coughing and then actually die. Yeah. What's up?

[B]

Well, first of all. Yeah. So the question this song famously raises.

[A]

Yes. You know, can you give me one second, actually?

[B]

Yes, please.

[A]

Okay. I had to take, like, three zannies, a perk, and, like, some ketamine, but I'm okay now.

[B]

Okay, sure. Well, that's. That's a low dose for you, so I think we're okay.

[A]

Oh, okay. Okay. What was your question?

[B]

So this song.

[A]

I'm listening. I'm listening. Go ahead.

[B]

This is what she said about this song. This is a song that I've wanted to write for a very long time, but never knew exactly how to. I often think about what my career would have been like and what my headlines about my career would have been like if I had been a man instead of a woman. Not what I would do differently or anything, but if I had the same accomplishments, the same mistakes, the same dating history, the same statements or what would have been different. So here's the question.

[A]

That's so true. Yeah.

[B]

Now she's been thinking about this for a long time now. Over the course of that time, she's moved from being, you know, just a kid, you know, a teenage. A country singer to the man. I mean, the best top gross concert of. Yeah.

[A]

Is that. Is that she used was to communicate that. Like, it's not subjunctive because it exists. Like she is the man.

[B]

Exactly. Exactly. No, it is the. The. My daughter is making the point that when she says if I was a man, technically, grammatically, she should say condition contrary to fact, if I were a man. But because, in fact, over time, she has become the man in the sense that, you know, my daughter is dying in the background. I hope everyone can appreciate the show must go on ethic of my daughter here.

[A]

And it does, and it will. And I hope you guys know that. I was up all night and I didn't go to sleep last night because I was sick. And I was in bed until 8pm yesterday. And I made a decision that I had to fix my sleep schedule. So I'm doing that because I'm like, I can't keep waking up as the sun sets because I've been in bed all day because I was sick. So I'm fixing myself. I had a London fog and a latte, and I feel crazy right now. And I'm about to watch the Super Bowl. I'm gonna feel even crazier. The way that I did it is by thinking of the day like it was the night, and the night like it was the day. Because I was like. I was like, okay, I Woke up at 8pm that's like. It's 8am Right? And then I'm going to bed at like, what, 8:00am Again, like, please. Like, I've had nights like that. Like, I can totally do this, but, like, reversed. Yeah, well, I'm going clubbing and all the hot people are like, my homework, and I have to do them lock in.

[B]

I'm. I'm glad that. That you have come to. To. To this. This perspective. Yes, I guess it's true what Taylor says, that you don't know the life of a showgirl. And you're never, ever gonna. This is the life.

[A]

The life of a college student is very knowable, but I don't think most people want to know it because it includes being sick, like, three times every single month. And it's just ridiculous. After a certain. I hope that I've ingested every virus known to mankind this quarter. So that next quarter and the rest of my life, I'm, like, safe.

[B]

I wish it worked that way.

[A]

I know.

[B]

Alrighty. Well, my daughter is dying. Please don't.

[A]

Can I sing the bridge? Let's do the bridge. Bridge time. What's it like to brag about raking in dollars and getting bitches and models and it's all good if you're bad and it's okay if you're mad. If I was out flashing my dollars, I'd be a bitch, not a baller. They'd paint me out to be bad, so it's okay that I'm mad. That was my thumbs up. Thanks, guys. Thank you. Yeah. Wait, where's Peter Teal to give us a thumbs up? Peter. Peter, the horse is here. Peter. It's okay. He doesn't care. He didn't like to sing it.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

That's the only time I'll sing. I'm already sick.

[B]

But I will say that that is. I will say that is the first time I think you've sung a whole extended thing. Like the Bridge.

[A]

Wow. Yes. Quote, unquote song.

[B]

You. You rocked. You rocked it.

[A]

Wow. Thanks. Wow.

[B]

And I mean, I've done.

[A]

I, you know, I do musicals and I. I do sing, but.

[B]

Yes, you have a great singing voice.

[A]

Well, not to get attention or whatever. La, la, la, la. No, I'm just kidding.

[B]

Well, look, I think that this is a song that gives one a lot to think about. It is in some sense one of.

[A]

Those.

[B]

Very meta, ironic songs.

[A]

Like, I mean, because it knows that it's. I mean, in the music video, she's literally dressed as a guy. Like she is in drag. And it's like very hard to tell that it's her.

[B]

The music video is a must see. And I'll admit I knew it must be her. I knew it must be her, but it really didn't. I mean, she put a lot of makeup.

[A]

It was crazy. It's crazy. And it's not like cgi, I don't think.

[B]

No, no. And she also in the ultimate irony because she does pull and break the fourth wall, of course. As she does in life.

[A]

Showgirl song as she is want to.

[B]

Do where she is the director. So she is showing that in that even though the music video, the song itself.

[A]

And then she breaks the fourth wall. She takes off the.

[B]

Yeah, right. And then we get to see the makeup being applied to her in. In a slow, you know, in a speed thing. So it's. It's. Yeah. But also being meta in that. Yes, she knows. She was a director. She was the writer. Right. She was, you know, she did it all.

[A]

And she did it all because she's the man, to be honest.

[B]

She is the man.

[A]

She's the woe man. Whoa, whoa, man. She's the woman.

[B]

She is the woman. And you know, she has. Has she worked twice as hard? She's worked pretty hard. You know, I mean, look, you know, starting in the pandemic, she really kind of doubled her output.

[A]

She definitely did.

[B]

Really quite staggering.

[A]

Seriously.

[B]

And, you know, I think, you know, because this is all about the haters. This is another one of those.

[A]

And the haters gonna hate, but you just shake them off. You just shake them off.

[B]

Well. And as we have a long list.

[A]

Of ex lovers and they say that she's insane, but she's always got a blank space, you know?

[B]

Well, and. And these. Another ironic song. She writes all these ironic songs. Again, irony is. Is. Is essential.

[A]

In the next four score, we'll get to those songs.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. And irony is another one of those storytelling secrets that is the key to making content go viral. So I have a question.

[A]

Do you care about women? Dad, do you care about women?

[B]

I have a podcast on Taylor Swift with you. Another woman.

[A]

Do you care about women's bladders? Like the bladders of women? How much? On a scale of 1 to 10, do you care about them? Because I think, like, in the spirit of feminism, I think we should end here because I have to pee in a really aggressive way and I would like to do that, and it's gonna be a long one.

[B]

I care a great deal about your bladder.

[A]

Oh, thanks, dad. That's really kind.

[B]

Maybe tmi, who can say?

[A]

Yeah, you can cut. You can cut some of that out. You know what? Let's destigmatize. Destigmatize, Destigmatize.

[B]

Okay, I will. Alrighty. See you next week.

[A]

Happy birthday next week. Oh, that's true. This will come out of my brother. Oh, my gosh. Happy 19. Happy nasty 19. Let's get it, folks. Anyway, love you guys. Bye, dad.

[B]

Bye.

[A]

Love you too.

[B]

Love you. My daughter.

[C]

Ever since I started serving cut water canned cocktails to my guests. Hey.

[D]

Hi.

[B]

How are you?

[C]

Yeah, going through.

[A]

I'm going to.

[C]

From host to hero. Thanks to Cutwater, I can make real, perfectly mixed cocktails in seconds. It's as simple as garnishing a glass, cracking my can of cut water open, and pouring it over ice. Cut water, real cocktails, perfectly mixed. Copyright 2025 Cut Water Spirits, San Diego, CA. Enjoy responsibly.

[D]

The world of Sonic the Hedgehog has been thrust into a not so dark, not so stormy, hard boiled detective story the T probably nobody saw coming. Follow Sonic and the intrepid Chaotix Detective Agency as they take on their biggest case yet. This high flying, action packed adventure will take them across the world, fighting for every clue they can find. It's one heck of a tale. Which is good because this story might be the only thing that can save their lies. Well, if that's all, I can just dispose of you.

[A]

Wait, what?

[D]

All will be revealed in Sonic the Hedgehog Presents the Chaotix Case Files. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.