"You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset..." Welcome to Season 3 of AP Taylor Swift! What happens when we can't trust the person telling the story? In this week's Show & Tell episode, we explore the concept of unreliable narrators through three Taylor Swift songs that demonstrate how perspective shapes truth. From teenage crush confessions to post-breakup rants to defiant love declarations, we examine how Taylor uses narrative techniques that make us question what's really happening beneath the surface of these seemingly straightforward stories.
Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe. After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics!
Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com
Mentioned in this episode:
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Mark Haddon
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
After Party (Apple TV+ series)
The Residence (Netflix)
How I Met Your Mother (TV series)
Episode Highlights:
[01:22] Introduction to Unreliable Narrators [08:47] "You Belong With Me" (Fearless, 2008) [19:55] "Mr. Perfectly Fine" (Fearless Taylor's Version, 2021) [26:15] "But Daddy I Love Him" (The Tortured Poets Department, 2024)
Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!
- TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
- Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
- YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
- Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
- Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
- Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro
Contact us at aptaylorswift@gmail.com
Affiliate Codes:
Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!
Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.