Lu... do you know about Madonna Badger (ad agency owner) & the campaign #womennotobjects? It points a finger at the beauty industry & the damage it has to young women. & as inspiring as the initiative is, it's disheartening to see how slowly change happens. Keep sending your pearls out into the world. your writing always lifts me up. Length of piece... worth it. Content...worth it. Seeing your name in my inbox...worth it.
I do know of her, and it's good to get a reminder! I know there are lots of folks in places of power considering these things, and I love to hear about it. Still, just like you, I'm sad at the slowness of the changes, and I worry with the speed and scale of the media delivering the messages, it's going to be hard to ever correct? Either way, I so appreciate your support and kindness of my work! So glad to talk to you about this and everything. x
Thank you for this Lu!! I have been thinking about worth a lot lately! I wish I could go back in time and remember being a baby. Did I feel 100% worthy then? When were the seeds of doubting my worth first planted? I do agree that worth cannot be bought. It's not something that can be achieved through accomplishments, looks, or compliments. It's a remembering or rediscovering (if that makes sense) that requires nothing of you except your existence. So whenever someone does something that makes them truly feel more confident or more worthy, I look at it as something that helped them remember/rediscover their worthiness - and it feels like your heart just got a shock, but in a good way, like oh I can feel this way about myself? If the thing made them feel more confident or more worthy and they NEED to do/have that thing to feel it, then I would say it's an example of "no product in the world that’s capable of filling a human-sized hole in your heart." I'll leave it there! I could talk about worthiness all day. Thank you for being you <3
Ahhh! Thank you for reading and thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's wild you've been thinking about this too!? It really musts be in the air. I love thinking about this also -- the origins of our beliefs about our worth? When and how do we learn our value!? Thank you for being you too! And thank you for always being a person who helps remind me of my intrinsic "goodness!"
This piece was so delicious. I loved the writing so much and now have a new perspective on things AND a new documentary to watch. I know you said this was a little long, or something to that effect, but we can agree to disagree on that because it only left me wanting to read more from you!
Fantastic piece and excellent link round up too! Thanks for introducing me to Ilon. And this line really hit me: “ I know a woman can only live in the time she is born…”
Thank you for reading! I'm glad Ilon is now on your radar! I love the idea of people thinking of her whenever they hear her famous tagline. It makes me so happy. And here's to us, Melissa, just doing our best to living in the time we are born... :)
Yes, Nancy! I'm late to the party and the appreciation society of Ilon Specht. Glad to be here now with you. Can't wait for the doc. It looks like it's going to be incredible.
Thanks for reading, Sonya! This one's been swirling around since day two on Hurricane Mountain! So glad I finally know about Ilon's life and contributions and can't wait for the doc.
GOD DAMN I love this. I had no idea about Ilon, but I 100% remember the impact of those commercials in the house-full-of-women I lived in. And yes, I have been to that Eckard Drugs even. The thing that hits me so hard in this is how things have not really evolved in advertising except in the speed and sophistication of getting these fucked out messages into the world... and to more people. What a genius idea to connect our sense of personal worth to the things we buy. How else can you make one bottle of chemicals better than another, equally toxic, bottle of chemicals. I love this. I love you. More please.
Thank you for reading and thank you for the enthusiasm! It's tough to just write something and send it out to the abyss!? To know you got the "communication" and it resonated, means a lot. And yeah, the lack of evolution is wild to consider, right? L'Oreal is proudly talking about the fifty year anniversary of the line, but to me -- it's like...? You sure your excitement about it means what you think it means? It frankly depresses me -- and yet, I can see and agree, it is a genius idea to equate worth with chemicals? It clearly has been "working" for so long. See you at Eckerd's, Peter. x
My god Lu Chekowsky I love your writing and your insight and your beauty and bravery. Keep enlightening us xx
Oh thank you for reading! And for the encouragement. ❤️✨
Lu... do you know about Madonna Badger (ad agency owner) & the campaign #womennotobjects? It points a finger at the beauty industry & the damage it has to young women. & as inspiring as the initiative is, it's disheartening to see how slowly change happens. Keep sending your pearls out into the world. your writing always lifts me up. Length of piece... worth it. Content...worth it. Seeing your name in my inbox...worth it.
I do know of her, and it's good to get a reminder! I know there are lots of folks in places of power considering these things, and I love to hear about it. Still, just like you, I'm sad at the slowness of the changes, and I worry with the speed and scale of the media delivering the messages, it's going to be hard to ever correct? Either way, I so appreciate your support and kindness of my work! So glad to talk to you about this and everything. x
good news is the generation i am witnessing (which comprises of my kick ass 19 yo daughter) are vocal social justice leaders & KNOW THEIR WORTH.
WELL, A RESOUNDING FUCK YES TO THAT!
Thank you for this Lu!! I have been thinking about worth a lot lately! I wish I could go back in time and remember being a baby. Did I feel 100% worthy then? When were the seeds of doubting my worth first planted? I do agree that worth cannot be bought. It's not something that can be achieved through accomplishments, looks, or compliments. It's a remembering or rediscovering (if that makes sense) that requires nothing of you except your existence. So whenever someone does something that makes them truly feel more confident or more worthy, I look at it as something that helped them remember/rediscover their worthiness - and it feels like your heart just got a shock, but in a good way, like oh I can feel this way about myself? If the thing made them feel more confident or more worthy and they NEED to do/have that thing to feel it, then I would say it's an example of "no product in the world that’s capable of filling a human-sized hole in your heart." I'll leave it there! I could talk about worthiness all day. Thank you for being you <3
Ahhh! Thank you for reading and thanks for sharing your thoughts. It's wild you've been thinking about this too!? It really musts be in the air. I love thinking about this also -- the origins of our beliefs about our worth? When and how do we learn our value!? Thank you for being you too! And thank you for always being a person who helps remind me of my intrinsic "goodness!"
This piece was so delicious. I loved the writing so much and now have a new perspective on things AND a new documentary to watch. I know you said this was a little long, or something to that effect, but we can agree to disagree on that because it only left me wanting to read more from you!
Thank you for reading, Juliet! That doc looks incredible, right?? Appreciate your support as I work to lift this project off the ground. ❤️
Fantastic piece and excellent link round up too! Thanks for introducing me to Ilon. And this line really hit me: “ I know a woman can only live in the time she is born…”
Thank you for reading! I'm glad Ilon is now on your radar! I love the idea of people thinking of her whenever they hear her famous tagline. It makes me so happy. And here's to us, Melissa, just doing our best to living in the time we are born... :)
Love this, and happy to learn about the Specht documentary. I've known about her for years and even watched the video of her funeral service. My tribute: https://fritinancy.substack.com/p/because-im-worth-it
Yes, Nancy! I'm late to the party and the appreciation society of Ilon Specht. Glad to be here now with you. Can't wait for the doc. It looks like it's going to be incredible.
This is so fascinating—great to learn about her! Really interesting cultural history ! 💕
Thanks for reading, Sonya! This one's been swirling around since day two on Hurricane Mountain! So glad I finally know about Ilon's life and contributions and can't wait for the doc.
GOD DAMN I love this. I had no idea about Ilon, but I 100% remember the impact of those commercials in the house-full-of-women I lived in. And yes, I have been to that Eckard Drugs even. The thing that hits me so hard in this is how things have not really evolved in advertising except in the speed and sophistication of getting these fucked out messages into the world... and to more people. What a genius idea to connect our sense of personal worth to the things we buy. How else can you make one bottle of chemicals better than another, equally toxic, bottle of chemicals. I love this. I love you. More please.
Thank you for reading and thank you for the enthusiasm! It's tough to just write something and send it out to the abyss!? To know you got the "communication" and it resonated, means a lot. And yeah, the lack of evolution is wild to consider, right? L'Oreal is proudly talking about the fifty year anniversary of the line, but to me -- it's like...? You sure your excitement about it means what you think it means? It frankly depresses me -- and yet, I can see and agree, it is a genius idea to equate worth with chemicals? It clearly has been "working" for so long. See you at Eckerd's, Peter. x