Give Me A Blank Check, Baby, And I’ll Write Your Name

The grandeur of castle-living, AC Cobras, golf clubs that smash AC Cobras, Persian kittens, Doberman dogs, lacy bustiers, oil paintings, thoroughbred horses, matching bicycles. Somebody has to pay for that, you know.

According to Katherine Copland’s calculations from the Billfold, the estimated cost of the making of the video for Taylor Swift’s mega-hit “Blank Space” was a whopping $242,000.

Although it costs just $10 a day to rent a goat — yes, there are companies that will rent you a goat to clear your brush — it may be the cheapest thing in the video besides the $4.50 Sugarcrisp apple. And for an apple, that’s pretty pricey, considering you could buy a whole bag of Fuji apples for that price.

Of course, there was a reason behind all this extravagance, and not just to spend a quarter of a million dollars. Taylor Swift explains that the video is meant to make fun of all the conjecture out there about her personality and lifestyle.

“The song ‘Blank Space’ is a song I wrote a little bit from a comedic perspective. I try to stay self-aware about who I actually am and also pretty aware of what the media’s depiction of me is, and so I’ve seen all of the different rumors that have come and gone. Over the years, it’s developed into this reputation of being this crazy, serial dater [and] this needy, clingy, manipulative person. What if I was that girl? What song would I write? And so I wrote ‘Blank Space.'”

Reactions to the video have been all over the place, from people loving the comedic aspect, not understanding it, making laughable parodies about it, and in general, being impressed that Taylor Swift seems to understand what people want — even if it’s a price that makes one gasp.

When the video states that “no person, animal, or vehicle was harmed” during the making of the video, that is correct, according to video co-star male model Andrea Denver.

“Blank Space” drew the ire of car enthusiasts, who were shocked that she seemingly destroys a rare vintage, the AC Cobra (valued at $175,000) in one scene. But she didn’t really harm it with golf clubs — it was staged to look that way with special effects, according to Denver.

“Those cars were so beautiful, so expensive, she didn’t. I was impressed when I saw the video, it seemed so real.”

It may be hard to argue that there are few things not impressive about the video, from the extravagance, special effects, and response it has drawn from the public and media. It’s a good thing, considering the price.