The “Red (Taylor’s Version)” Special
Jake Gyllenhaal is a monster.
In this week’s handle with care, my thoughts on “Red (Taylor’s Version).”
It was just “Red (Taylor’s Version)” release week, and the most exciting part about it was hearing the original, 10-minute version of her song “All Too Well.” The song is so beloved by Swifties™ that Taylor finally wrote and directed a music video short film for the extended version, which clocks in at just under 15 minutes. The short film stars 19-year-old Sadie Sink and 30-year-old Dylan O’Brien, who play a couple (Her and Him) with an age gap that mirrors the one between Taylor Swift and actor Jake Gyllenhaal when they dated in 2010. Not only are the new lyrics so damning for Gyllenhaal, but the short film puts the song in a new perspective.
The first new lines appear in the second verse: “And you were tossing me the car keys, “fuck the patriarchy” / Keychain on the ground, we were always skipping town.” Now when I put my AP English hat on, I can confidently say that his feminist keychain landing on the ground is symbolism for the way O’Brien’s character portrayed Him during his relationship with Her. There is a scene where they’re having dinner with his friends and she goes to grab his hand at the table, and he drops it and gives it a condescending pat. It leads to a near “Marriage Story”-esque fight scene in the video where he is straight-up gaslighting her. Before watching this, it had never occurred to me that Taylor saying she remembers it “all too well,” was just her confirming to herself everything wrong that he did was real and a bigger deal than he made it out to be. The short film highlights how manipulative people in relationships can be when they are much older than their partner.
There are more Easter eggs in the short film, but I have to say I love how intentional and detailed Taylor Swift is with everything she does. It makes listening to her music and being her fan so much fun.
Speaking of the 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” she performed it on TV for the first time on “Saturday Night Live” last night, with the short film playing in the background. Autumn leaves fell down like pieces into place, and the first fall of snow glistened as it fell. She also appeared in Please Don’t Destroy’s skit, “Three Sad Virgins.” (And look how good Blondie looks in her bumper photo!)
Thoughts on “Red (Taylor’s Version)”
I was talking to one of my best friends, Yesenia, about our favorite “Red” songs right before the album was rereleased. My favorites haven’t really changed; they’re still just as good as the 2010 versions. I love “State of Grace” so much, and I think it’s her best album opener. For an album that is mostly about her relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal, I also love “Holy Ground,” which is widely rumored to be about Joe Jonas. She pays dust to another favorite of mine, “Come Back…Be Here.” I hate speculating about her past relationships, but she is a public figure, so I will say that I believe that song is about when she first started dating Harry Styles. The title track, “Red,” and “All Too Well” round out my top five, but I also have soft spots for “The Lucky One” and “Begin Again.”
The songs that were scrapped from the first edition of “Red” made it on to Taylor’s Version as “Vault” songs. These were a mixed bag of different genres, and I actually think I prefer the “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” vault more. The best “Red” vault track (excluding “All Too Well”) is “Nothing New,” and it features Phoebe Bridgers. I’m warming to “I Bet You Think About Me,” which features Chris Stapleton. “Las Culturistas” podcast listeners would agree that she exhibits major Tayla Swiff energy in that song, because she’s playfully mocking her ex… we know the one! I really liked that she included her versions of “Better Man” and “Babe,” two songs that she had given to Little Big Town and Sugarland, respectively. I had always wondered what those studio versions would’ve sounded like. After listening to “The Very First Night” a few times, I can already conclude it’s about Harry Styles because it directly references “Out Of The Woods” and “Style,” as well as a couple One Direction songs (and this is a reach, but dare I say “Sunflower Vol. 6”).
The only song that was different production-wise was “Girl At Home,” which was now given the Jack Antonoff treatment, aka what I’m calling the “1989”-ification. So, I like it way more now! Taylor also added “Ronan” to the album, a song that was previously released as a charity single and dedicated to Ronan Thompson, a three-year-old boy that passed away from neuroblastoma in 2011. You can read more about why she wrote the song here, and I also recommend watching the official lyric video for the song (which I cried to on Friday morning).
I’m officially predicting that “Speak Now” will be the next re-recorded album that will be released, hopefully during the winter or early spring. She wore a purple suit for the “All Too Well” short film premiere, and that kind of confirmed it for me, since she’s wearing a purple gown in the album art. She also just announced the music video for “I Bet You Think About Me” will be released tomorrow, and it will be Blake Lively’s directorial debut. What a time to be a Taylor Swift fan!
I love love
Malala Yousafzai married Asser Malik in a small ceremony this past week.
Back in June of this year, she told British Vogue that she still doesn’t “understand why people have to get married,” and that she would never marry or have children. I am still in this mindset, so this is inspiring me to find my own tall, hot man to marry one day!
Tom Holland is down bad for Zendaya
And we would all do it too if she were our GF! He posted this photo of her after she won the Fashion Icon award at this year’s CFDA Awards, along with this caption:
“The Bachelorette” Week 4 Recap
We begin with Kaitlyn giving Michelle a pep talk on moving forward after the last rose ceremony… you know, the Jamie of it all. Meanwhile, Tayshia arrives with the first one-on-one date card for Martin. Before this, Chris S. falls backwards on his chair and I am choosing to believe this was foreshadowing for what happens later in this episode.
Olumide notes in an ITM that Martin and Jamie were close, and Michelle is aware of this during their date. They go to the BMW Performance Center to drift in their cars and race. After that, they sit in a sad looking metal tub. They have a weird conversation about Jamie, and when she’s about to say something else, Martin interrupts her. Hm. Back at the resort, the group date card arrives, meaning that whoever’s name isn’t on the card gets the last one-on-one for the week. The group date attendees are: Brandon, Casey, Chris G., Chris S. Clayton, Joe, Leroy, Nayte, Olumide, Rodney, Romeo, and Will. Rick gets the one-on-one date, and Nayte assures himself and everyone else that he will get his own date with Michelle soon. Chris S. calls him cocky in an ITM. More on that later, but back at Martin and Michelle’s date, things are not looking good for him, but they continue with dinner at an observatory. Martin tells Michelle about how he’s working on his communication skills, and how he doesn’t show emotion. This vulnerability is enough for Michelle to offer him a rose, which he accepts.
The next morning, the 12 men are ready for their group date when there’s a surprise at the door. They’re presents! They all get pajamas of different varieties to change into for the date (Rodney’s heart-print onesie!!!!). Michelle arrives to pick them up in a cute ribbed knit set from A.L.C., and tells them that the date is going to be a big slumber party. They head over and these grown men are so excited. They have pizza, giant teddy bears, face masks… they literally forget Michelle is even there. Olumide tells the men they can punch his abs (?), and excludes Michelle! Thee Bachelorette! She wonders why she’s even there. This usually happens to varying degrees on this show—think the JJ and Clint bromance on Kaitlyn’s season—but this time it was a large group of men making the person they’re all there for feel unseen.
WWE tag team The Bella Twins are hosting the next portion of the date, “The Ultimate Teddy Bear Takedown.” They are split into two teams to *face off (*hit each other with the aforementioned giant teddy bears). Michelle takes a seat with Kaitlyn and Tayshia, who notice something is bothering her. This was another moment I’m grateful Chr*s H*rrison is no longer affiliated with this show. Michelle doesn’t want to talk about how she’s feeling at that moment, so she watches the plush bear pummeling. Casey, Clayton, Leroy, Nayte, Olumide, and Romeo’s team wins, and neither of them talk to Michelle because they’re too busy celebrating. Michelle sits with Kaitlyn outside, and opens up to her about why feeling unseen hurts her feelings. At the after party, she immediately communicates everything that bothered her from earlier before pulling Nayte to talk. While they’re gone, Olumide is crying because he feels bad about it. Michelle tells Nayte she was disappointed that he didn’t pull her aside at all, because she really likes him! By the end of the date, they’ve all apologized to her, but Olumide is the one who gets the group date rose.
Rick’s one-on-one takes place in some mountains in Southern California. They go on what I just learned is called a “funicular,” up a mountain to go for a hike. While they’re trekking, they come across a wish box for visitors to write wishes down and leave inside. They read a few absolutely staged wishes on the crispest pieces of paper you have ever seen. The last note they read was: “I wish my dad could see the man I’ve become,” so if you guessed that Rick’s dad passed away, you would be right. They write a wish of their own to put in the box: “We wish to find love by having the hard conversations,” and if you guessed those would happen during their dinner, you would also be right! Rick tells Michelle about how he found out his dad was cheating on his mom. His dad became depressed and passed away, and he was still resentful about Rick telling his mom about his entanglement. Then Rick tells Michelle that he feels like he’s falling in love with her, and he gets the rose.
At the rose ceremony cocktail party, Chris S. is still annoyed with Nayte and his confidence. He makes a speech when Michelle arrives regarding the way she was treated on the group date. He also says there are guys that “think they have it in the bag,” and Michelle says nobody is even close to it. When Chris S. talks to Michelle one-on-one, he brings up Nayte’s comment, and it doesn’t sit well with her. When she talks to Nayte, she tells him she’s not a “massive prize,” and he doesn’t really apologize. Next, Chris and Nayte go talk, and it gets heated very quickly. During this conversation, Chris asks him, “Are you gonna put your hands on me?” I hated to see this microaggression. Nayte calls him a “fucking dweeb,” but Chris is confident in his chances of sticking around. Also during this cocktail party was something many people noticed when Michelle was spending time with Joe: the bowls of M&Ms that he brought over to her. Michelle says she has never had them before?? Much to think about.
Martin, Olumide, and Rick have roses, and Michelle gives one to Brandon, Leroy (!!), Joe, Rodney, Clayton, Casey, Nayte, and… Chris S. Chris G., Romeo, and Will are sent packing to go home. Actually, everyone else is sent packing too! Michelle announces that they are leaving Palm Springs to go to Michelle’s home state, Minnesota. I truly missed the traveling component of this show; the quarantine seasons go by so painfully slow. And the mid-season preview looks inch resting, too.
Congratulations to Paul Rudd on being named People’s Sexiest Man Alive! I wholeheartedly agree. And there are so many fonts on this cover, my eyes don’t know where to look second (because I am looking at Paul first).
Thanks for reading! I will be streaming “Red (Taylor’s Version)” all week, and encourage you all to do the same. See you next week!!