Taylor Swift Teaches Ellen DeGeneres How to Be Taylor Swift

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

When Ellen DeGeneres hits the stage as a special guest at a Taylor Swift concert, she has certain demands. The comedian asks to be referred to both as Emmy-nominated and award-winning, against Taylor's best judgement. She suggests triangle act, and has Swift make a model of the stage using tissues and nail polish, which Ellen wants to open. After the two have discussed the set, Taylor teaches Ellen how to strut with her shoulders back, and refuses her request for a microphone.

In the learning process, there are snippets of what Taylor's backstage scene is like. This includes a peek at her wardrobe area and her personal changing room, which is filled with flowers. Good job, Calvin, probably.

Watch the actual performance, where Ellen surely keeps her shoulders back and remembers to breathe as per Taylor's advice.