When people think of the blue dress, the tilted beret and the woman who was the center of America’s biggest sex scandal, Monica Lewinsky’s name usually rings a bell (and it’s definitely not the Liberty Bell).
In 1998, the year I turned five, the news of President Bill Clinton and White House intern Monica Lewinsky’s affair was off my radar and over my head. Although the younger generations didn’t quite understand the complexity of the situation, and how unspeakable it was to be pegged as a no-good-adulteress-liar-home-wrecking-impeacher-of-the-leader-of-the-free-world, we definitely have heard Monica’s name somewhere…
Picture via NY Daily News 1995
For those who are aware of the music industry, you recognize how the art of song writing isn’t always necessarily mature. Move over T-Swift–Eminem, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne are just a few of the artists who are assuring that Lewinsky not only goes down in the history books but on the music charts as well.
Picture via BET article “A History of Monica Lewinsky Mentions in Music”
G-Eazy’s song titled “Monica Lewinsky“ begins with President Bill Clinton’s infamous recorded denial of the affair, a repetition of her name on every chorus as well as blatant referencing of her reputation for carnal desire. Even if Lewinsky wasn’t relevant to you when the news of infidelity broke, pop culture has exploited her into being an overtly sexualized character that everyone will remember for clever, lyrical and comical reasons.
Picture via Urban Dictionary
Molly Shannon as Monica Lewinsky and John Goodman as Linda Tripp
Photo via Saturday Night Live
After we are done laughing at creative threads of words and John Goodman’s wig, it’s time to take a step back and evaluate. Does Lewinsky deserve to be branded with the scarlet letter of sin? Or, is she a victim of identity theft at America’s expense?
Lewinsky says “uncle!” and is demanding the submission of her opponent: America.
Picture via CNN
Lewinsky put herself back in the spot light and spoke at the inaugural Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit in Philadelphia. Blaming the media for ruining her image, she created a Twitter account to make a campaign against cyberbullying.
During her speech, she made some pretty bold statements, one of which was that she was “patient zero” in the pandemic of what she claimed to be a “viral phenomenon that, you could argue, was the first moment of truly ‘social media’.” Probably not the most sensitive verbiage to use in the wake of the Ebola virus.
As the self-proclaimed pioneer of negative press, she decided she wanted to use her past to help others, with (heres the kicker) the late Tyler Clementi as her inspiration. Clementi was a college student who committed suicide after his room mate posted a picture of him kissing a boy on the internet.
Picture via CNN
Comparing the two situations is ludicrous because self-imposed adultery is 100 percent unacceptable legally or socially, while Clementi was a victim of societal homophobia.
As long as she continuously brings up her stained blue dress, yes even saying she is “burying” it is still referencing it, she is definitely getting people talking; but the conversation hasn’t changed.
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