Monica Lewinsky - Alex
Answer
Who is Monica Lewinsky?
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Monica-Lewinsky-Social-bf058bcdfc244556a04dd2554fb2d51c.jpg)
Monica Lewinsky grew up in southern California. She speaks highly of her family, regaling her mother, father, and brother as a strong, loving support system. After graduating high school, Lewinsky received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. At 22 years old, she took on an unpaid internship at the White House. Lewinsky eventually gained media attention in 1998 after being named in a scandal as the intern who developed a sexual relationship with the president of the United States. Though this scandal has not been forgotten by the American people, Lewinsky has a successful career as a writer, public speaker, and mental health advocate.
Why was the public perception of Lewinsky so negative?
To fully understand why the public’s perception of Lewinsky was so negative, we must look at the information that was given to Americans about her and her involvement with the president. In January 1998, The Drudge Report, a conservative media website, was the first source to report on the affair. For 5 days, their editors posted several stories identifying Lewinsky, calling her a bimbo, and providing graphic details about her relationship with the president.
In the following days, the president continuously and confidently denied the allegations, assuring the American people that he was not involved in a sexual relationship with Lewinsky. Many people criticized Lewinsky publicly, picking apart her appearance, questioning her level of intelligence, and making crude jokes about her. In a CBS news segment, a reporter even referred to her as “the woman who could take down the president.” Comments like these flooded the media and the internet after news of the affair dropped, giving the American people a one-sided, negative introduction to Lewinsky.
How did the scandal impact Lewinsky’s life?
Having intimate details surrounding Lewinsky’s personal life spread throughout the internet and more traditional forms of media was humiliating for Lewinsky. She recalls being loudly harassed on the street and receiving cold stares from strangers. This treatment negatively impacted her self-confidence and her general mental well-being. To experience some sense of anonymity and normalcy, Lewinsky eventually decided to pursue a Master’s degree at a university in London, England. While the majority of her interactions in London were positive, there were still people who directed rude remarks towards her. In a 2018 interview, Lewinsky recounted a time when a powerful woman said that she “shouldn’t have come to London because [she] wasn’t wanted there” (The Guardian).
After graduating with her Master’s in Social Psychology and returning to the U.S., Lewinsky interviewed for several jobs in various cities across the country. Her attempts were unsuccessful, often ending with interviewers deeming her a bad fit due to her past. For a long time, Lewinsky internalized such comments and experiences and developed a negative sense of self. Though extremely difficult, Lewinsky has successfully worked to establish a personal sense of identity completely separate from the scandal that defined her for so long.
Works Cited
"Clinton and the Intern." Newsweek, 1 Feb. 1998.
Finneman, Teri, host. Ward, Ken, host. Everbach, Tracy, guest. “Everbach Podcast: Monica Lewinsky and 1998 Newspaper Framing.” Journalism History. Spotify, 8 May 2023. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6NUSNw43o8JXwBWA7keTQI?si=43f122f1183f4d0e.
"From the Archives: Bill Clinton Denies Having Affair with Monica Lewinsky." Youtube, uploaded by CBS News, 26 Jan. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgwTMV3EJe0.
Hobbes, Michael, host. Marshall, Sarah, hots. “Monica Lewinsky.” You’re Wrong About, Spotify, 2 Jun. 2018. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2uC0sdL8DJdi9oEBf8tjsb?si=26af1429de134ed1.
Lewinsky, Monica. "Shame and Survival." Vanity Fair, Jun. 2014.
"Newsweek Kills Story on White House Intern." Drudge Report Archives, 17 Jan. 1998, www.drudgereportarchives.com/data/2002/01/17/20020117_175502_ml.htm.
Ronson, Jon. "Monica Lewinsky: "The Shame Sticks to You like Tar"." The Guardian, 22 Apr. 2016.
Shepard, Dax, host. Lewinsky, Monica, guest. Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. Monica Lewinsky. Spotify. 17 Oct 2019. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2LPMWiHRFMIbpjd5Hrf3vY?si=6f950fa4f2774bd5