Teach, Play, Love

I haven’t thought about Monica Lewinsky in like 20 years. Recently though, I saw an interview with her on Last Week Tonight that opened my eyes to the painful public shaming that she dealt with after her affair with president, Bill Clinton, and she’s been on my mind ever since. Watch below to see her discussing the intense judgement and suffering she dealt with after story of the relationship broke .

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about some of my favourite Netflix documentaries, which included a series called Losers, all about people who have not only bounced back from some awful situations, but who have managed to turn those situations into something positive. I love a good redemption story, which is why I so appreciate the way that Monica has spun her humiliation into motivation. For anyone who may not know, the poor romantic choice she made in her early 20s put her on the receiving end of vicious media scrutiny and countless raunchy late night show jokes. In 2015, about 20 years post scandal, Monica did a TedTalk, in which she attempted to explain her experience with public shaming: “I was patient zero of losing a personal reputation on a global scale almost instantaneously.”

Today, Monica is speaking out about the harmful effects of online bullying/ shaming. From the celebrity laden anti-bullying PSA she put together last fall to her inspirational Twitter account, which promotes kindness and empathy, this lady is working hard to stop cruelty and spread positivity. Thank you Ms. Lewinsky!!