“Hey, Monica!” shouted a man on the streets of New York during the winter of 1998. This crude remark was just one in a long line of Monica Lewinsky-related taunts I encountered that year.
As a woman in my twenties with layered black hair, fair skin, and dark lipstick, I was frequently mistaken for Monica Lewinsky. Strangers in grocery stores and bars would approach me, commenting on my resemblance to her. There was even an instance where two women trailed me in a bookstore, peeking around shelves. When I inquired if they needed assistance, they scrunched their noses and said, “We thought you were that Lewinsky girl.”
Looking back, my feelings about what happened to Monica have evolved significantly. Today, I empathize with how the media unfairly wrecked her life and how Bill Clinton managed to evade consequences while she became a mere punchline. However, in the late ’90s, as a 24-year-old grappling with my own self-image and constantly being compared to Monica, I was more concerned with her appearance. “Portly pepperpot,” the New York Post called her, and Maureen Dowd wrote she was “too tubby” for the popular crowd. I didn’t critically evaluate the commentary; I internalized the insults directed at her looks. It wasn’t her notoriety that bothered me; it was the perception that she was overweight.
Now, seventeen years later, I reflect on Monica and myself at her age. We were both young women navigating life—she under the relentless scrutiny of the public eye, while I remained a mostly anonymous writer in a bustling city. If the scandal had occurred in today’s climate, I like to think I would stand up for Monica, recognizing her as a fellow woman whose body was subject to harsh judgment. I wish I had that perspective in my twenties.
Back then, being confused for Monica Lewinsky felt like an insult. Today, I would embrace it.
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In summary, my feelings about being compared to Monica Lewinsky have transformed drastically from resentment to pride. It’s a reminder of how societal perceptions of women can shape our identities and how important it is to stand up for each other in the face of judgment.