Perpetuating Love Myths with T Swift

As hard as I try not to, I find myself listening to and singing along with every song Taylor Swift releases. Even if I wanted to, her music invades almost every radio station at least once an hour. She has a song for cheating boyfriends, facing jealousy, falling in love, getting over your ex, and any other relational situation imaginable. Her most recent radio single, "Style," describes her rollercoaster relationship with a boy who looks like James Dean, which, seeing as he is the iconic American bad boy, should have been a warning sign in the first place.

Lyrics:

Midnight,You come and pick me up, no headlightsLong drive,Could end in burning flames or paradiseFade into view, oh, it's been a while since I have even heard from you (heard from you)

I should just tell you to leave 'cause IKnow exactly where it leads but IWatch us go 'round and 'round each time 

You got that James Dean daydream look in your eyeAnd I got that red lip classic thing that you likeAnd when we go crashing down, we come back every time'Cause we never go out of styleWe never go out of style 

You got that long hair, slicked back, white t-shirtAnd I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirtAnd when we go crashing down, we come back every time'Cause we never go out of styleWe never go out of style. 

So it goesHe can't keep his wild eyes on the roadTakes me homeLights are off, he's taking off his coatI say, "I heard, oh, that you've been out and about with some other girl, some other girl." 

He says, "What you've heard is true but ICan't stop thinking about you," and I...I said, "I've been there too a few times." 

'Cause you got that James Dean daydream look in your eyeAnd I got that red lip classic thing that you likeAnd when we go crashing down, we come back every time'Cause we never go out of styleWe never go out of style 

You got that long hair, slicked back, white t-shirtAnd I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirtAnd when we go crashing down, we come back every time'Cause we never go out of styleWe never go out of style 

Take me homeJust take me home, yeah.Just take me home(out of style) 

You got that James Dean daydream look in your eyeAnd I got that red lip classic thing that you likeAnd when we go crashing down, we come back every time'Cause we never go out of styleWe never go out of style

In class we discussed how outdated the majority of the myths mentioned in "Media Myths in Popular Love Songs" were, however, Taylor Swift manages to cover at least half of them in "Style." Her descriptions of her and her lover's appearances scream James Dean in Rebel without a Cause and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, exemplifying the notions that actors and actresses are often like the romantic characters they portray and that the right mate "completes you" in the way that James and Audrey completed the picture of the perfect couple. The lines "He says, 'What you've heard is true but I/Can't stop thinking about you,'" embody the myth that the love of a good and faithful true woman can change a man. Because Taylor describes herself as having that "good girl faith and a tight little skirt," she is perpetuating the idea that not only does a woman have to look and act like a model to attract and keep a man, but that she must also appear innocent and untouched. The line "And when we go crashing down, we come back every time" demonstrates the myth that "All you really need is love, so it doesn't matter if you and your lover have very different values" as well as the myth that "bickering and fighting a lot mean that a man and a woman really love each other passionately."

Unlike movies and television, music offers listeners the opportunity to picture the things their favorite artists describe. This also means that they have an easier time placing themselves into the song. Taylor Swift's primary fanbase is preteen and teenage girls who generally consider her someone worthy of looking up to. The fact that this one song identifies with so many of the myths in "Media Myths in Popular Love Songs" is dangerous because these girls are at such a malleable age and also seeking societal confirmation. If Taylor Swift is chasing guys who continually hurt her while wearing short little skirts, these girls are likely to aspire to this type of relationship.