I don't know how I happened upon this video. But it was one of the more powerful, eloquent and moving talks I'd heard in some time. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that "shame and public humiliation" is something Monica Lewinsky knows more about than just about anyone in modern history (with the possible exception of her former boss).
But what struck me most about this Ted Talk, which seems to have been delivered in 2015 (it's actually a little hard to be certain), is that precisely what she's warning about, was in fact brought to fruition just months later by the media phenomenon of Donald Trump.
"A marketplace has emerged where public humiliation is a commodity and shame is an industry."
After listening to her, it's much easier to understand how the progressive dehumanization of our cheap thrill, profit-motivated, media culture, played a crucial role in the success of our current President.
(Article changed on October 17, 2020 at 00:49)
