Taylor Swift is a feminist! That is, until another woman gets between her and her boyfriend. While Taylor Swift, singing and song-writing icon, is commonly known for writing songs that blatantly call out misogynist and sexist stereotypes, Better Than Revenge employs a narrative that engages in slut-shaming and the reinforcement of sexist ideas. 

Better Than Revenge is Swift’s confrontation with a woman she blames for her messy breakup. In the song, Swift viciously attacks this woman’s character, dignity, and sense of self-respect, painting her as sex-obsessed and superficial. She accuses her of “stealing” her boyfriend from her and paints a narrative in which As a white, cis, heterosexual celebrity, Swift maintains a very strong sense of superiority. Although she speaks from an incredibly privileged perspective, she victimizes herself and continuously slut-shames the woman. She utilizes a sanctimonious tone, asserting that she is above the other woman, who she describes as malicious, disgraceful, and ugly for her actions. The tone and lyrics of Better Than Revenge make for an incredibly condescending and bitter outburst of blame and accusations against the other woman in the situation. Never during the song does Taylor attack her ex boyfriend, whose fault is not recognized. 

Swift’s lyrics slut-shame and degrade the woman she believes stole her boyfriend. The song begins with a recording of Swift saying, “now go sit in the corner and think about what you did.” Swift refers to the other woman as a little girl, and that she views her as childish and immature for her actions. Other lyrics like “she came along got him alone and let’s hear the applause, she took him faster than you could say ‘sabotage’” reinforces the idea that women’s desire for men is so crazed and uncontrollable that women devote all of their energy toward attaining men, even by malicious means. Swift shifts to shaming the woman, claiming that “she’s not a saint, she’s not what you think, she’s an actress.”  This insinuates that women should remain pure, as phallocentric mainstream ideas promote the desirable innocence of such purity. With her reference to being an “actress,” Swift includes the idea that many women feel pressure to act in ways that appeal to the male gaze, whether it be through sexualizing oneself or maintaining a “wholesome” image. Swift’s lowest blow comes next, as she claims that “she’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress.” By objectifying the woman, Swift reinforces the common idea that women are only good for sex. She also shames her for being very sexually active, reinforcing the stigma around sex. 

Overall, Better Than Revenge strengthens mainstream ideas about women needing men to feel fulfilled, women needing to maintain innocence to be desirable, and women disgracing themselves and their image by engaging in sexual behaviors. Swift, who is rarely called out for her degrading lyrics, released this petty anthem probably unaware of the stereotypes this song reinforces.