Romance friends! I'm celebrating my 100th episode this week with an indulgent deep dive into the tear-stained emotion, blind love and delicious word play in Taylor Swift songs. My romance friend Mariah, a Swiftie from way back, returns to the show so we can gush together over the passion, the heartbreak, the artistry, the tiny exquisite emotional universe that is every Taylor Swift song (almost 250 released, and counting).

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

Music

A few of Mariah's absolute favorites:

10 minute version of All Too Well

My Tears Ricochet

Cornelia Street (Live from Paris)

And a few of mine:

Anti-Hero

Exile

Willow

A fantastic round up of the most iconic Taylor Swift music videos.

How to become a Swiftie. "3. Read into her song lyrics. Many of them contain complex metaphors or references to her past works that you may miss on the first listen. Try listening to her music multiple times and reading the lyrics to understand her songs in depth. She usually writes about romance as well as personal struggles." I believe we've got that completely covered.

Taylor Swift doesn't just have an economic impact wherever she goes, she has a cultural impact too.

"This award celebrates my family and my co-writers and my team. My friends and my fiercest fans and my harshest detractors and everyone who entered my life or left it."

The best place to find suggestions for the most romantic Taylor Swift song or observe her songs analyzed by musically gifted fans is the Taylor Swift sub Reddit.

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I'm a J Lo fangirl from way back, and even though the title of her narrative concept film based on the album of the same name seemed ridiculously self-absorbed, I got completely transported by it anyway, because...J Lo. It's not just the story of her second chance romance with the person she never stopped loving, and has reunited with over the age of 50, it's a story about how she learned to love herself in the intervening years. I was also super invested in the making-of documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told. But if I'm being honest, that title gave me the ick too — until I discovered that was what Ben Affleck called the emails and letters written to each other as they were falling in love all over again. And just like that, all was forgiven.

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

I freaking love the trailer for This Is Me Now. Irresistible! The steampunk heart factory with J Lo toiling away in a sexy tank top, and her homage to Singing in the Rain, are two of my favorite scenes in this short movie.

You don't figure stuff out when everything's hunky-dory — you figure it out when it's hard. Yassss, La Lopez. These trailers are absolutely compelling and were cut by a master editor — J Lo does not play. Bypass the title and get stuck into The Greatest Love Story Never Told.

I got this wrong: Variety actually says "J. Lo has earned more than $1 billion in box office receipts, and that’s just for her rom-coms." But I'm guessing her portion of that was in the multi millions.

Decider film critics can be counted on for the most succinct and mouthwatering reviews.

All you needed to know about the album, documentary and movie project.

"There’s something bigger here that I can share about what I’ve learned in these past 20 years, and when I’ve been making all these records about love, and trying to figure that out.”

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I have the sweetest hangover that I don't want to get over. My first ever visit with my long-distance sweetie was amazing, he's already gone home, and we're already planning our next visit. I'm exhausted, but in the very best way, so I bring you a replay of my second chance romance episode, which I created a little over a year ago after I got on dating apps for the first time in years, hoping for a love like this. And then Twitter brought us together —once upon a time, it was good for something. Never give up, romance friends!

The Long Distance Romance episode that I mentioned.

And the Second Chance Part Two episode that I mention at the end.

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I'm meeting my LDR sweetie for the first time this week, after more than a year of online dating, and excited doesn't begin to cover it. Humans are spread out all over the globe yet hyper connected, so many of us will experience a long distance romance at some point in our lives. LDRs are thrilling and intensely romantic, but can also leave you open to frustration and pain. A decent lingerie collection, unlimited Skype, solid communication skills, generous use of emojis and regular video sex really helps. The characters in these movies love while distant in either geography or the heart, and their screen journeys have all of the intimacy, affection —and miscommunication and heartache —that's part of loving someone across the miles.

CW: miscarriage, sex

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

"What are you wearing?!" There are many hilarious scenes in Going the Distance thanks to the timing of this fantastic ensemble cast, but there's plenty of genuine emotion too.

"I have a good life, but I never again met anyone who made me feel the way you do." What Happens Later is a poignant romance about missed connections and bad timing that surprises in quiet ways. David Duchovny and Meg Ryan are a perfect match for this style of overlapping conversational script, infusing it with gentle comedy, midlife weariness and emotional depth.

The ending is ambiguous, which makes the story feel light and hopeful, and if you watch to the end, you see Meg Ryan's touching dedication, which brought a lump to this romcom fan's throat.

When you look at stills from the shoot, you realize how beautifully lit and art directed What Happens Later is. It looks nothing like this dinky regional airport.

How to survive a long distance relationship and make it work.

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I'm a classic film nut, and there's no better example of overblown, dramatic and romantic Hollywood storytelling than the movie Black Narcissus, starring Deborah Kerr. Based on the 1930s Rumer Godden novel, it’s a story that shows how women throughout history have so often buried themselves in service to others as they sublimate their own feelings and desires — or more likely, find those desires shamed, controlled and punished. So let's celebrate Women's History Month by enjoying stories where women conduct even the tiniest rebellions against the oppression of their true selves.
CW: explicit discussion of sex, desire and religious belief.

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

My guest, Violet Grey, blogs about kinky sex and spirituality at Becoming Violet Grey. And she writes erotica for the sex positive site BloomStories: "Intimate audio stories designed for diving deep into your pleasure."

The trailer for the 1947 Black Narcissus movie.

And a slightly different, thrilling and sizzling angle on the convent of Saint Faith.

The enduring allure of erotic masterpiece Black Narcissus

The first edition book jacket of the novel is stunning.

And so is the classic 1911 perfume on which the title is based.

Rumer Godden was quite a woman.

Rumer Godden converted to Catholicism late in life, and a few of her 60 works of fiction and nonfiction, like Black Narcissus, explored the mystical, spiritual and practical aspects of religious life.

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In this episode, I'm joined by my romance friend Mariah to gush, giggle, get deep and then frothy again about the Barbie movie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, directed by Greta Gerwig. It was the most mega of mega movie hits last year, now Oscar nominated in many categories, and well deserved. It's been a long time since a movie has made me laugh and think this much, and we just can't stop talking about it.

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

There are more clips and even more delicious gushing in my recent Boss in Pink: Barbie (Part 1) episode.

This is one of my favorite scenes in the movie, which I mentioned early on, but just couldn't fit into the episode. Who am I kidding: the whole movie is my favorite scene.

The Margaret Atwood poem that Mariah mentions is You Begin.

Every single person on the planet: If you haven't seen Barbie yet, please do. And then let us know what you think.

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My favorite shows, books or movies feature women over the age of 40 finding sensuality, romance and connections of whatever type they desire. Unfortunately, society likes to pretend that women — especially older women —don't have desires. There aren't many examples of sexy fearless aging in Hollywood once you get beyond the Book Club and Nancy Meyers movies, shows like And Just Like That and Grace and Frankie, all of which feature the movie industry stable of "acceptable older actresses." That doesn't stop me from constantly searching for any romantic story featuring not-young, but wise, experienced, sexy women. Erin Keating, host of the Hotter Than Ever podcast, spent her career in TV development and has thoughts about all of this. We dish, get deep, and have fun chatting about what sexy and authentic women's lives look like after a certain age, on screen and off.


https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

On Hotter Than Ever, Erin Keating has fascinating, wide-ranging conversations with women who "broke the rules and reshaped their lives for the better." She also talks about career, ambition, reinvention, relationships, divorce, dating, sex (and more sex), aging, body image and more "in a frank, irreverent way that also manages to be deep as f*ck." So true.
I absolutely loved her intimate, vulnerable episode from last fall, "Making Peace with Divorce and Opening Your Heart to Love."

I briefly mentioned The Old Lady Project in this episode. It's an initiative to encourage the development of screenplays, scripts and theatrical works with "significant parts for women older than 50, a demographic that is mostly unseen in mainstream media."

The "bottle" movie that Erin mentioned is Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, starring Emma Thompson. I did an entire episode on this fantastic movie a couple of years ago, and if you like stories about sexy, gorgeous, complicated women of a certain age, don't miss it.

Personally, I've never seen a Nancy Meyers movie that I haven't loved, especially because of how sexy and authentic and messy her middle-aged women characters are.

Katee Robert writes the most intelligent, sizzling hot, and kinky romantic erotica. Her Dark Olympus series is not to be missed.

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I'm one of the last remaining people on planet earth to see this amazing movie, and it still managed to surprise me, even after all the hype. I love Greta Gerwig, I love her courage in telling a story about feminism and patriarchy using Bazooka pink, candy colors and a beloved, if stereotypical, doll. And I love Barbie even more now after learning about her modern diversity and variations. For a doll that's survived more than 60 years, transformed amid many cultural changes, and is still selling in the millions each year, she remains an inspiration.

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

The Barbie trailer — but you will want to see the whole thing. Maybe many times.

How Greta Gerwig and her Oscar-nominated art directors created Barbieland and all those fantastic Dreamhouses.

Greta Gerwig may not have gotten an Academy Award nomination as Best Director, but Barbie is nominated for Best Picture, which I forgot to mention, so that's pretty fantastic. In my Barbie Part Two episode, we'll talk about the fantastic America Ferrera performance in this movie, for which she's received an Oscar nomination.

The fascinating history and evolution of Barbie.

More fun facts on Barbie.

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