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Reclaiming language: Taking back the cat lady trope

Mike Jeffreys

Mike is joined by Dr Rachel Matthews, Author & Lecturer,  to discuss the reclamation of language and why this cat lady moment we’re having is important.

When Taylor Swift signed off as Childless Cat Lady after endorsing Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, it was a reclaiming of the crazy cat lady trope that has existed for centuries.

From The Simpsons to The Office, Sex and the City to Grey Gardens, there are hundreds of examples of pop culture perpetuating the idea that sad, dried up, lonely women seek the company of cats.

Since the 1700s when cats were first associated with witches, felines have been symbolic of the woman who is lesser.

She cannot get a man, so she gets 10 cats. But Tay Tay’s reclaiming of that title is yet another shift in language being used in the feminist cause. Author and Lecturer.

Download this podcast here

Mike Jeffreys
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