--- title: Taylor Swift Calls Critics of Her Songs About Exes 'Sexist' description: Bruno Mars can write about ex-lovers. Why can't T-Swift? canonical: https://time.com/3524641/taylor-swift-feminism-critics-sexist/ author: Eliana Dockterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-10-20T15:37:32.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:56:11.040Z og:title: Watch Taylor Swift Shut Down 'Sexist' Music Critics og:description: Bruno Mars can write about ex-lovers. Why can't T-Swift? og:url: https://time.com/3524641/taylor-swift-feminism-critics-sexist/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt19306712921416e3/698761aacd1bba1c856f2b83/455949616.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Night 1 - Press Room og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Watch Taylor Swift Shut Down 'Sexist' Music Critics twitter:description: Bruno Mars can write about ex-lovers. Why can't T-Swift? twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt19306712921416e3/698761aacd1bba1c856f2b83/455949616.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Watch Taylor Swift Shut Down 'Sexist' Music Critics  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Oct 20, 2014 3:37 PM UTC  Taylor Swift poses at the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Night 1 - Press Room at MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 19, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada Taylor Swift poses at the 2014 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Night 1 - Press Room at MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 19, 2014 in Las Vegas, NevadaSteve Granitz—WireImage  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Oct 20, 2014 3:37 PM UTC Taylor Swift, [a newly outspoken feminist](http://time.com/3165825/taylor-swift-feminist-lena-dunham/), is defending her decision to write about past relationships. During a Sunday appearance on the Australian radio show _Jules, Merrick & Sophie_, Swift pointed out that she is unfairly criticized for her lyrics, while men who write about exes are not: --- > “” --- And unlike some other pop stars ([we’re looking at you, Robin Thicke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz%5FEqawkmTg)), T-Swift says she tries to keep the identities of the people she’s writing about a secret. “I have a really strict personal policy that I never name names. And so anybody saying that a song is about a specific person is purely speculating.” So who knows who she’s really singing about in[ “Out of the Woods.”](http://time.com/3502753/taylor-swift-out-of-the-woods/) (Though everyone’s still [pretty sure](http://www.billboard.com/articles/6281701/taylor-swift-out-of-the-woods-harry-styles-evidence) it’s about Harry Styles.) 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