Monica Lewinsky Sends Bold Message Using Taylor Swift-Inspired 'Asylum' Trend
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE - MARCH 02: EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO BOOK COVERS Taylor Swift performs during "Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour" at the National Stadium on March 02, 2024 in Singapore. (Photo by Ashok Kumar/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management)
Monica Lewinsky stunned the internet in the absolute best way when she offered her take on a viral trend inspired by Taylor Swift's "Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?"
Followers say the former White House intern "ATE"—with a capital "A T E"—when she uploaded a photo of the White House to Twitter on the evening of Wednesday, April 25, captioned with the lyrics, "You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me."
For Swift, the asylum refers to the cutthroat music industry and the never-ending scrutiny that has accompanied her entire career. For Lewinsky, it's the home and office of the president, where she had an affair with former President Bill Clinton that lead to her villainization in the media and the public eye.
you wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me. pic.twitter.com/hkhdRlBCkj
— Monica Lewinsky (she/her) (@MonicaLewinsky) April 25, 2024
In one of her newest tracks on The Tortured Poets Department, Swift appears to respond to the years of incessant criticism and vitriol she's faced at the hands of the general public, opening up about the inner turmoil that resulted.
"Is it a wonder I broke? Let's hear one morе joke," she croons in the chorus. "Then we could all just laugh until I cry."
"I was tame, I was gentle 'til the circus life made me mean," she later sings. "'Don't you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth.'"
Countless folks have jumped on the trend, including Dance Moms alum Kalani Hilliker, whose asylum was Abby Lee Miller's dance studio, and Leigha Sanderson, an ex-member of JoJo Siwa's girl group who labeled Studio Siwa her asylum.
Plenty of non-famous creators have also turned it into more of a joke, with Tumblr, retro video games, and television show sets filling in for the asylum in a more tongue-in-cheek manner, while others got a little more real, shining a spotlight on religious trauma, athletic training, and even the Eras Tour ticketing queue.
