An Industry Built on the Backs of Women. And a woman with PTSD.

I wrote a piece earlier this week that was hateful- Linkedin itself, asked me to take it down — rightfully. **EDIT — I do NOT BELIEVE it was rightful for Linkedin to censor my writing and call it hate speech. I believe they were coerced by someone in the corporate world. It was flagged too quickly for the piece it was to be picked up by true hate speech crawlers.

That was a wake up call — on so many levels.

I have always called out racism and injustice in ways I knew how — through blunt force and humor. I’ve used blunt words my whole life to try and get people to pay attention to the ridiculous American race structure, as well as other injustices.

This used to be my passion and part of my personality, but I then experienced the American medical and American insurance system for years of illness and trauma. That journey showed me that the American world is so very fucked up - in how we treat other human beings and respect their dignity as souls on this planet. (I want to be clear that MGH is and was amazing, but insurance and certain medical experiences are so traumatic)

After 350 blood transfusions, 2 bone marrow transplants, pure red cell aplasia, smouldering myeloma, a brain embolism/blood clot, a still birth of my baby girl, 3 years on steroids, 2 years with a pic line coming out of my body, 3 years of various chemotherapies, 4 times being irradiated with total body radiation, and watching my own hair and skin fall off while I waited to see if I would graft with the stem cells of another human…

I changed.

I became unable to forget the horrible things I experienced in my advertising career. Things I was a part of.

The Industrial Advertising Complex has made its money on the backs and souls of women, and the unassuming drive and naivete they possess.

From the women at the agencies, to the women who were targeted with a variety of predatory marketing tactics — this industry is beyond culpable.

Things weren’t quite like this in my era…but were very similar in the broad view of human history.

Here are the six vagrant behaviors of the advertising industry that I should have called out earlier this week — as opposed to the 6 human beings I pointed my rage at. Please read these, and if you experienced them in this industry, share this. Be brave, be honest.

1. Women were raped and taken advantage of at Advertising Industry parties. From holiday parties to “post-production” parties in LA and various locations — people were often plastered with booze (played as a “work perk”). Men ran the shoots, men ran the post party. The booze would flow, and ad men saw their opportunity to scam on beautiful young women. These women were young, impressionable, and trying to make it in an industry dominated by men. Often times they were traveling to new places for the very first time in their lives. To women who I ignored, or “othered” when I heard stories of this — I apologize to you. I am you, you are me. We are one.
2. Men were put on a pedestal through a device called “The Creative Department”. The Mad Men era never changed, it just shifted to wear baggy jeans and an ironic tee. This created a fully complicit corporate culture based on men being dominate. This is not just a “representation” problem. This is a balance of power issue and it shifted American culture more than we know.
3. Women were gaslit regarding their ideas and concepts, every day. I saw women’s ideas get pushed to the side time over time in advertising war rooms. Women learned the habit of either speaking up at very singular opportune times, or not speaking up at all. This became a pattern that I saw certain women master, and other women wilt within.
4. Chastising Women was perfectly okay, but pointing out male flaws was seen as being a “bitch”. Advertising people love to talk shit, and gossip. However, pointing out the horrific behavior of the male executives and creatives was often seen as being a “downer” or “not a team player”. But if you were willing to spill the beans on a female, you were “in”. To women who I spoke ill of, I apologize. To women who did this to me, I accept your apology. None of us wanted this.
5. Women were paid less. Women were bonused less. This is a simple one. I used to have a jacket in my old office that said “EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN”. I meant this. Don’t talk shit about us, try to fuck us, and then pay us less. That is a recipe for disaster in regards to the human soul.
6. Women were the scapegoat for client disasters. As women often were the “Account Executives” — they took the heat, the scorn, and the frustration of angry corporate clients that wanted to take their frustration out on the people the paid to do their marketing dirty work. Ad men rarely took this job because it requires humility, empathy, and conscious. Many women left the industry because they couldn’t get into the part of the job that actually made a difference. No, they had to spend their careers cleaning up the messes that creative males made.

I’m no saint. Never was, and I know that ship has sailed. But I’m honest. I’m authentic.

And I’m out to change this industry that has manipulated and mis-managed an entire gender.

To the women and men I singled out in my last piece, I apologize here openly. Please don’t sue me (literally). I live on disability Social Security and still go to medical treatments multiple times a month. I have a new company brewing, but until then I ask for grace and understanding.

Let’s learn from the new generations.

With Love,

ESG