We’re back, baby! Power be to the fans for surviving the gruelling Tender Rage drought. Gather around as host Sunny Adcock and guest Lynn Mathuthu are put on trial for their enduring love of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift in this two-part extravaganza. If you thought white America’s sweetheart -- who is best known for playing victim like nobody’s business -- had no fans of colour, think again. We’re here to tell you why Taylor Swift is pop music’s greatest comeback kid and why we think she’s suffered from what Sunny likes to call ‘the Anne Hathaway’ effect. Was 2010s Swift really a whiny maneater? The CEO of white feminism? A mere teenage girl cliche? Or is there something more going on beneath the surface?

Buckle up for the ‘yes, and’ conversation you’ve been missing!

Written and directed by Sunny Adcock. Co-produced and edited by Evlin DuBose. Graphics by Elby Chai.

Content Warning: Racism, sexism

EDITOR’S NOTE: We made mention that Taylor Swift has historically not collaborated with other wom*n during her writing/recording process, but would like to acknowledge that this isn’t necessarily true of her recent ‘Taylor’s Version’ releases. People can learn and grow! We love to see it.

Why Taylor Swift Remains Our Problematic Fave, with Lynn Mathuthu (Part One)

In part two of our fabulous return to form, host Sunny Adcock and guest Lynn Mathuthu reminisce on some of Taylor Swift’s most notable celebrity feuds – such as those with Nicki Minaj and Kim Kardashian/Kanye West. The pair relish in the opportunity to thoughtfully and constructively criticise their fave’s unfortunate attachment to white feminism, and how Swift’s historic need to be seen as virtuous and good led to a repeated victim narrative that ultimately soured her reputation. After shedding her skin as America’s sweetheart, Swift stepped into her divisive and (fortunately) short-lived snake era, then later battled for the rights to her own work against Scooter Braun. But with her recent sister albums Folklore and Evermore, Swift seems to have turned a corner. Is there redemption for artists who learn from their mistakes and take accountability? 

Written and directed by Sunny Adcock. Co-produced and edited by Evlin DuBose. Graphics by Elby Chai.

Content Warning: Racism, sexism

Why Taylor Swift Remains Our Problematic Fave, with Lynn Mathuthu (Part Two)

Tender Rage is your new favourite all-inclusive pop culture, intersectional, and coming-of-age podcast. It’s a show for the outrageously audacious, the loudly passionate, and the slightly delusional. Through a combination of solo and guest episodes, host Sunny Adcock unpacks the combustible anger and luminous joy that defines our experience as twenty-somethings navigating contemporary society, driven by a commitment to nuance, self-development, curiosity, and most of all love. 

For more content, follow us on Instagram @tenderragepodcast or @sunny_adcock, or become a patron over on Patreon to access exclusive behind the scenes features!

Produced by Evlin DuBose (ig) @evlindubose | Art by Elby Chai (elbychai.com) | linktr.ee/tenderrage | Patreon: Tender Rage Podcast

Why Taylor Swift Remains Our Problematic Fave, with Lynn Mathuthu (Part One)

Tender Rage

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