"I had a marvelous time." In honor of the 4th of July, we're re-releasing our deep dive on “The Last Great American Dynasty,” from folklore. Initially released in November 2023, in this episode our hosts expand on what we learned in our Marxist Criticism episode to take an even closer look at Rebekah Harkness, who she was, and why Taylor Swift wrote a song about her. What do Taylor and Rebekah Harkness have in common, besides owning the same home? Is Rebekah Harkness really “middle class”? How does Taylor build empathy for someone called “mad” and “shameless”? We had a marvelous time diving into this one!

Mentioned in this episode:

“Blue Blood,” Craig Unger

“Atlas Shrugged,” Ayn Rand

Rebekah Harkness NYT Obituary, June 1982

"Is There a Chic Way To Go?" Blue Bloods NYT Book Review, May 1988

The Humble Beginnings Of an Elegant Mansion, NYT July 1971

“Hamilton”

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Episode Highlights:

[02:11] Who is Rebekah Harkness?

[06:24] How Taylor’s country storytelling roots enrich the story

[11:14] What is an “American Dynasty”?

[16:13] Who’s mad, Rebekah or the townspeople?

[25:45] What's the purpose of the song?

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This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.