The iconic Taylor Swift has released her official music video for “The Man.”
Swift, who directed and starred in the music video, focused the song on the way men are treated by the media compared to the way women are treated. In the video, Swift is a man and is living her life the way a man would.
Swift as a man gets praised at work, “manspreads” on the subway, parties on a yacht and throws a fit on the tennis court, things that women would be crucified for in the media.
During the subway scene, Swift references her on-going feud with entertainment mogul Scooter Braun with the no scooters allowed sign and another sign that reads “Missing: If Found Return to Taylor Swift.”
The tennis court scene, which features two cameos in a way, is a nod to the moment Serena Williams yelled at the umpire, who is played by Swift’s dad, during the US Open finals. Male tennis stars are frequently called “passionate” in the media when they react the same way, while Williams was given a violation. (RELATED: Taylor Swift Uses Billboard Woman Of The Decade Speech To Call Out Scooter Braun, Again)
Swift also used the date of the music video drop to send a message. Feb. 27, 1922 is the date the Supreme Court upheld the 19th amendment, which allowed women to vote. Swift revealed there are 19 hands in the hallway during the music video, which is clearly a reference to the 19th amendment.
This music video is absolutely iconic. The song itself when it first came out sent such a strong message, but getting to see the message fleshed out into a video makes it that much bigger.