Taylor Swift’s latest video is more “baby’s first political protest” than anything resembling quality entertainment. The Man is basically a lyrical version of a 12-year-old’s Twitter feed, not a deep critique of the patriarchy.
If the man Taylor Swift is portraying in her latest music video (unironically entitled The Man) is really how Swift perceives men, one really has to wonder what kind of men Swift has been hanging out with her entire life. The Man portrays toxic masculinity at its most cartoonish and stereotypical – so much so I’m surprised it didn’t take a break in the middle of the song to “mansplain” its sophomoric message to the audience.
Indeed, this video has everything an aspiring pre-pubescent feminist who’s struggling to pass her women’s studies classes could want: female objectification, public urination, ageism, greed, all topped off with a healthy dose of “manspreading” for good measure.’
