Blank Plate: A Podcast for Swifties with an Appetite

Buckle in, Swifties! Today, we’re going deep into the lore surrounding Taylor’s most Reputation-esque track on The Life Of A Showgirl… CANCELLED! That means Laura and Sara have prepped a whole segment unpacking the drama surrounding Blake Lively, and how Taylor keeps her female friendships close, even through public scrutiny and dogpiling. This one is a BIG one… enjoy!
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(00:44) What's On Our Plates
(12:45) Taylor Updates: A Rundown of Blake & Taylor's Text Messages and Legal Complications With "It Ends With Us"
(45:05) Introducing "CANCELLED!"
(49:27) Personal Associations With The Song
(53:02) Folk"lore" of The Song
(01:03:06) Verse 1: Descending Into Taylor's "Underworld," Cancel Culture Waiting To Take A Woman Down
(01:06:49) Pre-Chorus 1: Sarcastic Commentary On Reasons Cancellations Happen & MacBeth References
(01:10:23) Chorus 1: Tongue and Cheek Love For Friendship Embroiled In Scandal, Thorny Flowers Lore, Scar References In Past Music
(01:18:21) Verse 2: Real Friends Stick Around, Mob Mentality
(01:20:42) Pre-Chorus 2: Musical Theater-Esque Vibes, Tiny Violin Reference From Texts
(01:29:50) Bridge: Horror Movie Instrumentation, Friendship Goes Beyond Public Perception
(01:36:02) Chorus 3 & Outro: Infamy Loves Company, Max Martin Adlibs
(01:40:51) Music Theory Analysis: Creepy Builds, Broadway and Rock Elements, Musical Mode
(01:43:00) Favorite Lyrics & Rating
(01:44:27) This Song As A Recipe
(01:46:24) Signing Off!
(01:48:49) Patreon Preview

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Links Referenced
Candied Cheez-its Recipe
Pistachio and Ricotta Swirl Cake Recipe (Reddit recipe)
A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni’s ‘It Ends With Us’ Feud In Court, Online & In The Media
I Read Taylor Swift’s Texts with Blake Lively — And You Can Too
Taylor Swift Wants to 'Stay Away from the Drama' After Her Texts with Blake Lively Are Unsealed
Jenny Slate's "Damning" Comments About Justin Baldoni Have Been Revealed
Sagittarius Whisky Sour Recipe
Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms:
email [email protected]
leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831
Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas)
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
You can also follow Sara and Laura individually:
• Laura: Instagram and Tiktok
• Sara: Instagram
Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

Taylor says that this song started from an “innocent place” - but BOY it certainly didn’t end there! In today’s episode, Sara and Laura are unpacking Taylor’s raunchiest song (ever?)… “Wood!” With lots of ties to Taylor's past concerns of ill-fated romance, this song puts a positive, DIY-spin on luck, and how the right person can change your destiny. Plus! The ladies delve into the “Opalite” music video and its many Easter Eggs. Enjoy this one!
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(02:47) What's On Our Plates
(08:01) Taylor Updates: Songwriters Hall Of Fame, Opalite Music Video
(26:53) Unpacking "Wood"
(29:28) Our Personal Associations With The Song
(30:47) Folk"lore" Of The Song
(34:03) Humor and Innocence in Taylor's Songwriting
(36:11) Verse 1: Superstitious Metaphors, Callbacks to Previous Relationships
(43:11) Pre-Chorus 1: Previous Paranoia Disappears With The Right Person, Other Forms of Superstitions Taylor Tried To Overcome
(46:29) Chorus 1: Making Your Own Luck, Love & Security, Opalite Similarities
(50:53) Verse 2: Marriage Is On The Table, Confidence
(52:25) Pre-Chorus 2: Taylor's Previous Belief In Being Cursed, New Heights Shoutout
(56:08) Chorus 2 & 3
(57:15) Music Theory Analysis
(01:00:23) Favorite Lyrics & Ratings
(01:02:24) This Song As A Recipe
(01:04:52) Signing Off!
SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community!
Links Referenced
Taylor Swift Inducted Into Songwriters Hall of Fame at Age 36 — Is That a Record?
Taylor Swift makes history as Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee
People Think Taylor Swift Referenced an Ariana Grande Fan Tweet in Her Raunchy "Wood" Lyrics
Taylor Swift Says Her Travis Kelce Ode "Wood" Lyrics Started from an "Innocent Place"
Guava Margarita Recipe
Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms:
email [email protected]
leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831
Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas)
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
You can also follow Sara and Laura individually:
• Laura: Instagram and Tiktok
• Sara: Instagram
Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

It’s time to analyze one of Taylor’s sweetest and most direct songs from The Life Of A Showgirl… “Wi$h Li$t!” Before getting into the song's folklore, Sara and Laura share personal updates, as well as some Taylor news (note: this episode was recorded before texts between Blake Lively & Taylor were unsealed), plus the gals unpack the vile and coordinated “trad wife allegations” that stem from this song. Taylor’s lyrics about desire for love, normalcy, and motherhood have the ladies kicking their feet! Never has Taylor been so upfront about how she feels, what she desires, where she sees her life going next… and that refreshing stance is what makes Sara and Laura really love this song. Enjoy!
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction and Personal Updates
(00:29) What's on Our Plates
(34:30) New Year's Resolutions and Personal Goals
(37:58) Taylor Updates: RECORDED BEFORE NEWS OF IT ENDS WITH US TEXTS
(41:35) Introducing Wi$h Li$t
(47:50) Our Personal Associations With The Song
(51:16) Folk"lore" Of The Song
(01:03:12) Verse 1: Other People's Desires, Accolades, Fame, Agelessness
(01:06:54) Chorus 1: Well Wishes, Taylor's Own Desires, Suburban Normalcy
(01:15:44) Verse 2: Brands of People & Their Wishes, Internet Embarassment
(01:19:33) Bridge: Desperate Wishes, Allusions To Taylor's Past Two Exes, Our One Sided TikTok Beef
(01:29:50) Chorus 3 & Outro: Reputation Style Ad Libs
(01:30:52) Music Theory Analysis: R&B Influences, Pop Hooks, Verse 2's Chord Progression
(01:33:44) Favorite Lyrics and Ratings
(01:35:45) This Song As A Recipe
(01:38:24) Signing Off!
SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community!
Links Referenced
Sara’s One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book
Taylor Swift Treats Haim Sisters, Sombr to Homemade Sourdough Bread With Punny Labels
Rolling Stone: Taylor Swift’s Last Album Sparked Bizarre Accusations of Nazism. It Was a Coordinated Attack
Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms:
email [email protected]
leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831
Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas)
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
You can also follow Sara and Laura individually:
• Laura: Instagram and Tiktok
• Sara: Instagram
Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

It’s honestly lovelyyyy… that you’re tuning in for another episode of Blank Plate! In today’s episode, Laura and Sara kick off the new year with life updates, holiday chaos and a truly iconic New Year’s Eve wedding story before diving deep into one of Taylor Swift’s messiest and most fascinating tracks, “Actually Romantic” from Life of a Showgirl. The ladies unpack the song’s fountain-pen pettiness, rumored muse lore (yes, we’re talking about Charli XCX), and how admiration, insecurity, and obsession blur into something unexpectedly romantic.
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(00:47) What's On Our Plates
(08:14) Taylor Updates: Este Haim's Wedding, Eras Tour Documentary Reflections, Unanswered Questions
(31:13) Unpacking "Actually Romantic"
(33:05) Our Personal Associations With The Song
(35:22) Folk"lore" Of The Song
(49:08) Verse 1: "Boring" As A Trigger, Eras Tour vs. Brat Tour Aesthetics, Exes Ghosting
(55:31) Chorus 1: Effort And One Side Obsession As Romantic, Implications Of A Platonic, Female Muse
(57:24) Verse 2: "I Forgot That You Existed" Parallels, Valentines Clues, Close "Circles" In The Music Industry
(01:05:18) The Bridge: Naughty Taylor!
(01:07:36) Chorus 3 & Outro: "Lovely" As Passive Aggressive
(01:10:10) Music Theory Analysis: Interpolations of Weezer, Wheatus, The Pixies
(01:13:00) Ratings and Favorite Lyrics
(01:13:59) This Song As A Recipe
(01:15:10) Signing Off!
(01:16:40) Patreon Preview: champagne problems
SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community!
Links Referenced
Rolling Stone: Was “Actually Romantic” Really Necessary?
Vogue: Kim Kardashian Just Sent a Valentine's Day Gift to Taylor Swift
Salt and Vinegar Potatoes Recipe
Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms:
email [email protected]
leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831
Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas)
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
You can also follow Sara and Laura individually:
• Laura: Instagram and Tiktok
• Sara: Instagram
Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza

Taylor knows exactly how to devastate her fans with her lyrical storytelling, and “Ruin The Friendship” is the perfect example of that! After about an hour of Sara and Laura recapping their favorite moments and takeaways from The End Of An Era Documentary (Episodes 1-4), the ladies dig into the lore of the song. Taylor’s high school experiences and the early 2000’s high school moments bring Sara and Laura right back to their own teenage-dom. Were you equally as wrecked when you reached the last chorus of the song?! It’s hard to imagine that the ladies are halfway through The Life Of A Showgirl’s track list!
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(02:38) What's On Our Plates
(16:19) End Of An Era Documentary Recap (Episodes 1-4)
(48:26) Other Taylor Updates
(53:06) Song Analysis: Ruin the Friendship
(58:54) Our Personal Associations With The Song
(01:03:56) Folk"lore" of the Song
(01:12:29) Verse 1: Specific Landmarks, Beginning Of The School Year, Flashback To Fearless/Debut Taylor
(01:19:49) Chorus 1: Boundaries, Chemistry
(01:22:34) Verse 2: Prom, Noticed Interest
(01:29:56) Chorus 2: 50 Cent's 2000's Bangers, Regret In Inaction
(01:34:07) Bridge: Playing Safe, Question...? Tie Ins
(01:39:00) Verse 3: The Moment All Of Our Hearts Dropped
(01:42:03) Chorus 3: Inconvenience Gets A New Meaning, Sound Advice, Lessons Learned
(01:47:22) Music Theory Analysis
(01:49:27) Favorite Lyrics & Rating
(01:51:00) This Song As A Recipe
(01:53:57) Signing Off!

SUPPORT US ON PATREON! Show us some love and get monthly bonus episodes and first dibs on upcoming episode ideas. We’d be enchanted to have you join our Swiftie community!
Links Referenced
UrbanDazeApparel Taylor Swift Favorite Song Sweatshirt
Mom of Late Taylor Swift Friend Jeff Lang Breaks Silence on 'Ruin the Friendship': 'She's Keeping His Name Alive'
50 Cent Interview With Extra TV
Salted Dark Chocolate Brownies
Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms:
email [email protected]
leave a voicemail at (717) 382-831
Patreon (get bonus episodes and first dibs on episode ideas)
YouTube
Instagram
TikTok
You can also follow Sara and Laura individually:
• Laura: Instagram and Tiktok
• Sara: Instagram
Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza