Taylor Swift Back In Charge Of Her Own Music & 'Lemonading' Is Replacing Toxic Positivity

If being told to 'look on the bright side' just isn't cutting the mustard anymore, then this new scientifically backed approach to life's challenges might be a goer.

Lemonading, no not a reference to the Beyonce album, might just be worth adding to our arsenal of resilience. 

And in headlines today A day after announcing she'd successfully bought back the masters of her first 6 albums, Taylor Swift has been seen out celebrating with bestie Selena Gomez; Australia could take the US to the world Trade Organisation after Trump announced an increase on steel tariffs from 25 to 50%; The families of Holly Bowles And Bianca Jones who died in Laos after consuming methanol laced drinks angry former backpackers manager is opening a new resort; Australian home values have set a record as falling interest rates send buyers back to the property market; Mark Hamill says his time as Luke Skywalker has come to an end and it's time to focus on the franchise's future characters .

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Hosts: Claire Murphy & Taylah Strano

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
You're listening to a Muma Mia podcast. Mamma Mia acknowledges
the traditional owners of land and waters that this podcast
is recorded on Hi. I'm Claire Murphy. This is Mumma
MIA's twice hourly news podcast, The Quickie. Have you heard
of lemonading? No, it's not about making a refreshing summer drink,
though after hearing this you might want want anyway. It's

(00:33):
actually a new method to add to your mental health
toolkit for when live throws you those unexpected curveballs. But
before we get into that, here's the news headlines for Monday,
June two. A day after announcing to the world that
she'd successfully brought back the masters of her first six albums,
Taylor Swift celebrated with Selena Gomez in New York. Swift
has been in a long battle with those who've owned

(00:55):
her music in the past. At one stage, when they
were sold to Scooter Braun's company, she described how she'd
try to get them back when they belonged to Big
Machine Records, only to be told she could earn them
back one at a time for every new album she makes. Instead,
decided to go her own way when her music was
sold to Braun's company. She said she found out at
the same time as everyone else, and at no stage

(01:17):
was she offered the opportunity to buy them herself, something
she says she was very disappointed with. Braun's company only
owned the catalog for just under two years before selling
them again to Shamrock Capital. Meanwhile, Swift was still trying
to gain the rights back while also re recording four
of the six albums, which were renamed Taylor's version. On Saturday,

(01:38):
she posted to social media, you Belong with Me with
a picture of her surrounded by her six albums. The
next night, she was spotted out with her bestie Selena
at the Monkey Bar deep in conversation. Australia could challenge
the US of the World Trade Organization after Donald Trump
announced his plan to double tariff's on steel from twenty
five to fifty percent. All Australian goods are also subject

(01:59):
to a ten percent baseline tariff. The moves branded an
active economic self harm by Prime Minister Anthony Alberizi, who's
expected to sit down with Trump on the sidelines of
the summit in Canada later this month. Australia's Minister for
Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen was asked if Australia
would challenge the tariffs at the World Trade Organization. Bowen

(02:20):
responded saying they will consider all options available to defend
the best interests of the Australian industry. Trade Minister Don
Farrell said the government would also continue to coolly and
calmly argue its case for the removal of the tariffs.
The families of Australian travelers Holly Bowls and Bianca Jones,
who died after drinking methanol lays drinks at a backpackers

(02:40):
in Lao, are outraged that the establishment's former manager is
opening a new resort. The man known locally as Pikachu,
fled lout to Vietnam in the wake of the deaths,
but has since revealed that he's involved in the opening
of the new Sunrise Mountain View Resort, which is just
four hundred and fifty meters down the road from the
now closed Nana Backpackers where the girls died. The resort

(03:01):
has denied he has any involvement with their business, but
he's been posting images of the property under construction, saying
they would be welcoming guests After a month, the finishers.
The girl's parents told nine News they are angry at
the news. In the six months since the traveler's deaths,
there's been an investigation, but no charges have been laid.
Australian home values have set a record as falling interest

(03:23):
rates send buyers back to the property market. The median
in dwelling in Australia was worth just over eight hundred
and thirty one thousand in May, a zero point five
percent increase from April. Every capital city as well as
the combined regions also showed zero point four percent growth,
Buyers feeling more comfortable with their purchasing power as interest
rates fall and with the potential for more downward movement

(03:44):
to come. The growth is slower than twenty twenty four,
with some cities like Perth experiencing a nineteen percent increase
last year. Price rises have slowed in the West, up
zero point seven percent in May, behind only Darwin at
one point six percent, good news for renters with rent
growth trending downwards, but Capital city vacancy still remained below
the long term average, boosting prices. Net Overseas migration has

(04:08):
moved back to normal level after the post COVID spike
keeping demands steady but not excessive. Star Wars legend Mark
Hamill aka Luke Skywalker, has said his days playing the
character are over, urging the franchise to focus on fresh characters.
The seventy three year old first played Skywalker in nineteen
seventy seven, saying he's so grateful to George Lucas for

(04:29):
letting him be a part of that back in the day,
back when, he says, Lucas called the movies the most
expensive low budget movie ever made. Hamill says they never
expected it to become a permanent franchise or part of
pop culture like it has, but he believes he's had
his time and he appreciates it, but now the focus
should be on the future and all the new characters. Hamill,

(04:50):
who said he felt the heart was gone from Star
Wars after the death of co star and longtime friend
Carrie Fisher in twenty sixteen, joked that his exit from
the last movie his character appeared in twenty seventeen's The
Last Jedi, where he left his robes behind when he
disappeared and it was revealed he was actually a ghost.
He says he can't come back as a naked for

(05:10):
that's what's happening in the world today. Next, Taylor Strano
helps us understand lemonading.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
We've all heard those frustrating responses when we're having a
tough time. Just look on the bright side, or you'll
be fine. It's what we call toxic positivity, and let's
be honest, it's not actually particularly helpful. While we might
try to maintain a sunny disposition, life simply doesn't work
that way. Some days, the train is late, the sky
opens up when you don't have an umbrella, and you

(05:41):
stub your toe while racing through the living room, and
that's just life. But there's a new approach making waves
on social media, and unlike many trending topics, this one
is actually backed by science. But obviously we have to
give it a fun name, because otherwise what's the point.
It's called lemonading. The term, coined by researchers at the

(06:02):
University of Oregon, takes inspiration from that old saying when
life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But rather than being
another form of toxic positivity, it's actually a powerful psychological
tool that's showing promising results. Doctor Sarah Quinn, president of
the Australian Psychological Society explains that while lemonating isn't an
established psychological condition, it describes how playful mindsets can help

(06:25):
boost our resilience. There's also a key difference between this
and toxic positivity. Lemonating doesn't try to minimize or eliminate
painful emotions. Instead, it encourages us to view difficult situations
through a creative and imaginative lens. A recent study from
the University of Oregon has found that people who playfully
reframe what's happening in their lives tend to develop a

(06:48):
more optimistic outlook for the future. For example, during the pandemic,
while people still felt the very real challenges of isolation
and vulnerability, those who practice lemonating showed higher coping levels
and engaged in more leader activities. What's particularly interesting is
how this practice might actually rewire our brains for resilience.

(07:09):
Each time we successfully reframe a difficult situation, we strengthen
the neural pathways associated with adaptability and problem solving. Doctor
Quinn explains that this process can trigger the release of
endorphins and reduce cortisol levels, creating a positive feedback loop
that makes us more likely to engage in healthy coping strategies.

(07:30):
Now you might be thinking, but I'm not actually naturally playful,
and the good news is, according to doctor Quinn, these
skills can be learned, So all my Type A friends
out there listen up. The key is to start small,
perhaps by looking for one unexpected positive aspect in a
minor inconvenience. As you become more comfortable with the process,
you can apply it to increasingly challenging situations. Think of

(07:53):
it like adding a new tool to your mental health toolkit.
Doctor Quinn suggests taking inspiration from the people around you
who naturally embody this approach. Think about those friends who
always make you laugh and feel good. Their attitude can
be an antidote to life's daily challenges. Remember, lemonating isn't
about pretending everything is fine when it isn't. It's about

(08:14):
expanding our mental flexibility to help us navigate uncertainty, adapt
to change, and find innovative solutions to problems that we
might otherwise seem insurmountable. So next time life hands you
those proverbial lemons, try approaching the situation with curiosity rather
than dread. You might just find opportunities for growth in
places you least expect them.

Speaker 1 (08:38):
Thank you, Taylor, and thanks for taking the time to
feed your mind with us today. The quickie is produced
by me Claire Murphy and Taylor Stano, with audio production
by Lou Hill. Mama MIAs Studios are starred with furniture
from Fenton and Fenton. Visit Fentoninfentin dot com. Today you