Monica Lewinsky is, once again, being hailed as “icon,” “legend,” and “queen.”
The activist/writer went viral Wednesday night for her amusing and undeniably savage take on the Taylor Swift “asylum” meme. The online trend was inspired by “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” — a standout track from Swift’s newly released album, The Tortured Poets Department. The song finds Swift reflecting on the struggles of growing up in the spotlight, as she sings: “You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me.”
Over the past week, social media users have used the line to poke fun at their past trauma or defining moments of their youth. While many have been quite LOL-inducing, Lewinsky’s post was among those that generated the most laughs, gasps, and praise. She used the trend to reference her time as a White House intern and her infamous affair with Bill Clinton.
“You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me,” she captioned an X post alongside an image of the White House.
As of press time, the message has received more than 13 million views, 25,000 reposts, and 1,600 comments, most of which were complimentary.
Lewinsky was catapulted into the national spotlight in 1998 after her affair with the then-president came to light. The scandal resulted in Clinton’s impeachment on perjury and obstruction of justice charges; however, he was ultimately acquitted on both counts and completed his second term. Lewinsky was widely vilified over the scandal and remained out of the public eye for many years.
As time went on, the public became more sympathetic toward Lewinsky and acknowledged the complex power dynamic within the affair. She has since used her experience with public scrutiny to advocate against cyberbullying.
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