I wasn’t aware one could simply trademark a complex gendered emotion, but then again, there are apparently no rules for those with obscene wealth. On Monday, TMZ reported that Taylor Swift, fresh off the start of the European leg of the Eras Tour, has trademarked the section of the concert dedicated to her most recent album, The Tortured Poets Department.
When Swift kicked off her Paris show — with beau Travis Kelce and buddies Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper in tow — fans were delighted to find she’d added seven songs to the set list, along with a slew of new costume changes and visuals. At one point during the evening, she referred to the TTPD additions as “Female Rage: The Musical,” and in an Instagram post from Sunday she doubled down on the phrase. “This post is dedicated to the new Tortured Poets section of the Eras Tour (aka Female Rage The Musical!) and everyone who made these memories so magical,” she wrote. Now, we must agonize over whether or not we will be forced to watch a real production of Female Rage: The Musical on Broadway someday.
According to documents obtained by TMZ, Swift reportedly filed a trademark application last week under her company TAS Rights Management. While we don’t have specifics just yet, it seems Swift’s team plans on using the phrase in musical recordings, video recordings, and potential merchandise. The outlet noted, however, that Etsy sellers have already plastered Female Rage: The Musical onto T-shirts, mouse pads, and tumblers, so the filing might have been a preventative measure to protect Swift’s profits.
Given that the idea of “female rage” is often invoked by women striving for radical racial or gender equality, it’s a strange choice of verbiage for someone who’s been altogether politically bland as a vanilla wafer. But I get it! Getting out of toxic situationships with scrawny alt-indie rockers is a rage-inducing experience, too, I guess.
