If you have not seen this new music video for the song “The Man”, it’s a must-watch. Taylor Swift created this powerful video which calls out sexist patriarchal standards and the fact that women have to try incredibly hard while acting docile while men get congratulated for the bare minimum.
Among other things, it addresses her drama with having to deal with men that were not giving her the respect that she deserves. Taylor Swift has been a well-known feminist for a while now, and “The Man” music video is a wonderful addition to female empowerment.
She Directed Her Own Video
Taylor Swift has had drama with her previous managers owning her creative work. After breaking free of a contract with them, they attempted to sell some of her past albums because she did not own the work. For “The Man”, Taylor not only wrote, directed, and starred in the music video (yes, she is the man in the music video). But she also places emphasis on the fact that she owns it.
It is so important that women take control of their work and own it rather than passing off the power to men and letting them control us. So seeing Taylor take all the creative license and ownership of her video is really empowering.
Plus, a subtle nod to her ownership of her latest song, when the man is peeing on the wall, there is a sign that prohibits scooters. This sign is actually a reference to the recent drama that she had with Scooter Braun over her previous contractual agreement that ended this November.
The Song Addresses Double Standards
Women are always expected to do more than men. It’s a common occurrence that men ask for more than they deserve or can accomplish and they get what they want. Or they are simply congratulated for barely doing anything. Whether it’s double shifts or glass ceilings, women often work extra hard for lesser recognition.
In “The Man”, the music video shows him (Taylor Swift as the man):
- Manspreading in the subway
- Peeing in an inappropriate place
- Partying with models and strippers
- And getting a “best dad” award for simply holding a young girl and doing the bare minimum
The lyrics also mention that men get raised up for their sexual conquests, while women do not. But that is not the case for how people treat women.
Women have to work so much harder for smaller rewards. We often get sexualized, disrespected, and talked down to when we reach for our goals and dreams. Many people have criticized Taylor for her attempts at dating and finding love. Because she dated so many people and she’s a female, the misogynistic gaze scrutinizes her. But if a man was to do the same exact thing, people would praise them.
A Video Full of Easter Eggs
The Scotch Advertisement
Besides the many in-your-face moments in Swift’s music video, there are plenty of Easter eggs hidden throughout for everyone to seek. One of the biggest controversies that Swift has been a part of is her war with Braun and Borchetta.
“These are two very rich, very powerful men, using $300 million of other people’s money to purchase, like, the most feminine body of work,” she said. “And then they’re standing in a wood-panel bar doing a tacky photo shoot, raising a glass of scotch to themselves. Because they pulled one over on me and got this done so sneakily that I didn’t even see it coming. And I couldn’t say anything about it.”
Rolling Stone
Borchetta was the one who founded Big Machine Records, Swift’s former label. The label owns practically all of the masters to Swift’s songs until she switched to Universal Music Group label.
There is a specific scene on the subway where there is this a poster of a man smoking a cigar with the words “Bo$$ Scotch” in bold capitalized letters right above it. What’s more is that right next to the poster there is a graffiti of the word “Greedy.” Now we don’t know about you, but this definitely seems like a reference to the controversy with the men.
Graffiti at the 13th Street Station
Another interesting scene in the music video is when the man stops over to a graffiti-covered wall at the 13th Street Station and publicly pees. What’s important to note is that the walls are actually filled with names of Swift’s old albums – Reputation, Red, 1989, Speak Now, and Fearless (speeded backwards). Not only that, the word “Karma” is also visible on the wall twice. What happens next is visually gross, but also quite unique. The man’s urine is represented in the form of blue spray paint, and he leaves behind the words “the man” with it. However, as we see the paint drip down it actually looks like “this may.” And this hints to the fact the Swift has something special and karmic, if you will, for the world to experience soon.
On the wall is also a missing poster that reads “Missing If Found Return to Taylor Swift,” which is an obvious reference to her albums and their ownership controversy.
Movie Poster
One of our favorite Easter eggs from this music video is that of a fake movie poster that reads “Man vs Disaster” accompanied by the tagline “Mother Nature doesn’t stand a chance.” One of the things this poster does is that is hyperbolizes masculinity that we witness in many action movies. What caught our attention is the use of the feminine term “Mother Nature” and how the male protagonist of the film threatened her safety, which speaks more to the underlying theme of Swift’s music video.
The End of the Video Flips the Script
Taylor Swift changed her appearance with makeup and prosthetics to appear as a man. Of course, we don’t learn this until the end of the video. However, before the video shows us her transformation into the man, the video cuts. And the man from the video walks up to Taylor in the director’s chair.
He asks Taylor if he’s going in the direction that she wants to go in. And she tells him that he should be sexier and more likable. This is ironic because we know that so many men in the industry do this.
Taylor Swift’s music video is clearly an intelligent piece of art and we recommend you watch the video again to see if you can catch any more hidden eggs.
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