Original Air Date
- Apr. 22nd, 2025
Special Guest Interview with Kristin Mlay-Kuhns
- Mlay-Khuns is the Organizer of Taylor Evermore: A Swift Symposium
- Taylor Evermore: A Swift Symposium
- Friday April 25 from 2:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday April 26 from 10:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
- McVitty Auditorium in Sprowls Hall at IUP
- Free and open to the public
- Zoom links on the website: Taylor Evermore: A Swift Symposium
Part 1 Begins
Heroic Opening Song (3:21)
- “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift
Super Show ID 1: Superhero Smash (0:30)
- Welcome listeners
- I’m your host, Dr. Gian Pagnucci, a.k.a. The New Professor X
- And this is Superhero Smash!
- Featuring the best in “Superhero Music and Comic Book Lore”
- All on WIUP FM 90.1
- But don’t worry, Superhero Smash is a family friendly, NO SPOILERS show
Audio Episode Theme: The Superhero Smash Super Swiftie Special (2:00)
- Normally I do this show during IUP’s breaks
- And, in fact, if you enjoy today’s show or are already a part of the Legion of Superhero Smash Fans, you’ll be happy to know that you can listen to more Superhero Smash Thursday mornings at 11:00 a.m. all summer long starting in May on WIUP FM 90.1
- I’m doing a Superhero Smash special today, though, so that I can tell you all about this weekend’s Taylor Evermore: A Swift Symposium
- Friday April 25 from 2:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday April 26 from 10:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
- McVitty Auditorium in Sprowls Hall at IUP
- Free and open to the public
- Zoom links on the website: Taylor Evermore: A Swift Symposium
- This symposium is being sponsored by the IUP Department of Language, Literature, & Writing is putting on a special
- I’m the Chair of the LLW Department, and, as host of Superhero Smash, I of course love great music, so I couldn’t pass up this chance to do a Super Swiftie Special
- You can also read IUP’s press release about the event:
Superhero Smash Guest Star: Kristin Mlay-Kuhns (1:00)
- Kristin Mlay-Kuhns is an Adjunct Professor in the World Cultures and Language Department at Seton Hill University
- Kristin is also a Doctoral Student and Graduate Assistant in IUP’s Literature & Criticism Ph.D. Program
The Super Swiftie Special (2:00)
- So for this special episode, I will be playing a bunch of great Taylor Swift songs, especially her songs that feature superheroes, and I will also be playing my interview with Kristin Mlay-Kuhns, the organizer of this symposium
- And, since Superhero Smash is an educational show, I’ll say that if you are wondering why we are calling this event a symposium and not a conference, a symposium is very much like a conference only it is usually smaller with a more in-depth focus
- Not to mention the word symposium certainly goes with Swift
- It’s all about the S’s today, for the Superhero Smash Super Swiftie Special
Superhero Smash Guest Star: Kristin Mlay-Kuhns Interview Part 1 (6:00)
- Be sure to checkout the Superhero Smash website to read about the Taylor Swift songs I’m featuring on the show, to get links to the symposium website, and to see some cool pictures
- Taylor Swift is of course known to be a fashion icon, and I found a picture of her at the 2018 American Music Awards, where she won 4 awards including best artist, dressed entirely in silver, including tall silver boots
- All Taylor needed was a mask to make it a full superhero costume
- And, since fashion is a part of the Swiftie experience, it is also part of the Taylor Evermore: A Swift Symposium
- Which gets us to Part 1 of my interview with Kristin Mlay-Kuhns
Super Swiftie Song 1 (3:25)
- “Karma” by Taylor Swift
- Includes a lyric about where Swift tells “spider-boy” to “weave your little webs of opacity”
Part 1 Ends (@17 minutes)
Part 2 Begins (@17 minutes)
Super Show ID 2: Superhero Smash (0:30)
- WIUP FM 90.1
- Featuring the best superhero music and comic book lore in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC Cinematic Universe, the Swiftie Universe, and our U-niverse too!
- Check out pagnucci.org and click the big Superhero Smash button
- Or email Professor X using the address SuperheroSmash3000@gmail.com
- I love to hear from the Legion of Superhero Smash Fans
- And, if you enjoy today’s show, you can catch more Superhero Smash on Thursday mornings at 11:00 a.m. all summer long starting in May on WIUP FM 90.1
Superhero Smash Guest Star: Kristin Mlay-Kuhns Interview Part 2 (8:14)
- Why an academic conference about Taylor Swift?
Super Swiftie Song 2 (4:53)
- “The Tortured Poets Department” by Taylor Swift
- “A Layman’s Guide to Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department'” by Adit Jaganathan
Part 2 Ends (@30 minutes)
Part 3 Begins (@30 minutes)
Super Show ID 3: Superhero Smash (0:30)
- WIUP FM 90.1
- Featuring the best superhero music and comic book lore in the MCU, the DCU, the Swiftie U, and our U too!
- Check out pagnucci.org and click the big Superhero Smash button
- Or email Professor X using the address SuperheroSmash2024@gmail.com
- I love to hear from the Legion of Superhero Smash Fans
- If you are enjoying today’s show, you can catch more Superhero Smash on Thursday mornings at 11:00 a.m. all summer long starting in May on WIUP FM 90.1
Superhero Smash Guest Star: Kristin Mlay-Kuhns Interview Part 3 (6:09)
- Is Taylor Swift a hero?
Super Swiftie Song 3 (3:52)
- “You Belong with Me” by Taylor Swift
Part 3 Ends (@40 minutes)
Part 4 Begins (@40 minutes)
Super Show ID 4: Superhero Smash (0:30)
- WIUP FM 90.1
- Featuring the best superhero music and comic book lore in the MCU, the DCU, the Swiftie U, and our U too!
- Check out pagnucci.org and click the big Superhero Smash button
- Or email Professor X using the address SuperheroSmash3000@gmail.com
- I love to hear from the Legion of Superhero Smash Fans
- If you are enjoying today’s show, you can catch more Superhero Smash on Thursday mornings at 11:00 a.m. all summer long starting in May on WIUP FM 90.1
Superhero Smash Guest Star: Kristin Mlay-Kuhns Interview Part 4 (5:44)
- What’s your favorite Taylor Swift song?
Super Swiftie Song 4 (3:10)
- “The Man” by Taylor Swift
Part 4 Ends (@50 minutes)
Part 5 Begins (@50 minutes)
Superhero Smash Guest Star: Kristin Mlay-Kuhns Interview Part 5 (3:56)
- Tell us again about the Taylor Evermore: A Swift Symposium
Taylor Swift as Dazzler? (1:00)
- There are reports that Taylor Swift has met with Marvel Studios President Kevin Faige to discuss Taylor potentially playing a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Speculation has been that Taylor might play the Marvel superhero Dazzler
- Dazzler is a mutant with the ability to convert sound vibrations into light and energy beams.
- Dazzler was originally developed as a cross-promotional, multi-media creation between Casablanca Records and Marvel Comics until the tie-ins were dropped in 1980.
- Taylor would be fantastic in the role, and there are fan created mock images of her in Dazzler’s costume and wewaring Dazzler’s signature blue star-shaped mask
- So far, nothing has been confirmed, but now that Taylor has been featured on Superhero Smash, it’s the perfect time for Marvel Studios to make a Dazzler movie happen
Super Show ID 5: Superhero Smash Season III Coming This Summer! (2:00)
- Not quite the Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel
- Hope you’ve enjoyed today’s Superhero Smash Super Swiftie Special
- Be sure to check out the Taylor Evermore: A Swift Symposium
- Friday April 25 from 2:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
- Saturday April 26 from 10:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
- McVitty Auditorium in Sprowls Hall at IUP
- Free and open to the public
- Zoom links on the website: Taylor Evermore: A Swift Symposium
- Superhero Smash Will Return! for Summer 2025
- On WIUP FM 90.1
- Thursdays @ 11:00 a.m. Eastern all summer long, starting in May
- You can also visit my website, pagnucci.org, and click the big Superhero Smash button to learn more about the show
- Listeners are also always welcome to contact me, the new Professor X, via email: SuperheroSmash3000@gmail.com
- And remember, while Superhero Smash is about the exploits of amazing individuals like Taylor Swift,
- “You don’t need superpowers to be a hero. The only thing it takes to be a hero is the courage to do what’s right when someone needs your help.”–Gian Pagnucci
Heroic End Credits Song 5 (3:20)
- “Superman” by Taylor Swift
Part 5 Ends (@60 minutes)
Off Air Information
- I always like to open the show with a theme song, so let’s do that next
- Here’s a song by Taylor Swift from The Hunger Games movie soundtrack
Heroic Theme Song (4:00)
- “Safe & Sound” by Taylor Swift and Featuring The Civil Wars
- T Bone Burnett, a famous musical producer, helped to develop The Hunger Games soundtrack, and asked Swift to write a song
- Swift agreed after reading the book in 2 or 3 days, saying she couldn’t put it down
- In an interview for Yahoo Music, T Bone said the goal for the soundtrack was to create songs that evoked “what Appalachian music would sound like in 300 years”[9]
Super Swiftie Song (3:30)
- “the 1” by Taylor Swift