Rachael Sacks Sits Down With the Free Press
Last Thursday, literary studies student Rachael Sacks submitted an untitled article to the blog site Thought Catalog. The blog post was then published with the title, “I’m Not Going To Pretend That I’m Poor To Be Accepted By You.”
By the time the weekend had come around, Sacks’ article had gone viral. The New York Post published a photo of Sacks on the cover of its October 19 issue, calling her a “mean little rich girl” in white bold capital letters. The Post and other tabloids painted Sacks as daddy’s little privileged girl.
She sat down with the Free Press to set the record straight.
How did the New York Post get in contact with you?
They basically had someone look online and figured out somehow where I lived and they ambushed me at my front door. I was walking with my friend back [to her apartment] at three o’clock last Friday and they were all outside my apartment. Joking to my friend, I was like, “I wonder if they’re here for me,” but then I was like, “No that’s so self-centered to think that.” Then they were like, “Rachael, Hi” and I was like “Oh f*ck they are here for me!” Then they started. They said, “Can we do an interview?” I didn’t want to be mean and be a bitch and say no.
Do you want to clarify what your article was supposed to be about?
I feel like I didn’t write it well enough. I didn’t edit it well enough. I made it seem like I was a lot brattier than I was. I write a lot of poetry, like persona poetry, where you have an exaggerated version of yourself that I write as a lot, like a brattier version of myself. I was indignant and mad about it and had so many other things that I felt for a long time off of it, and was like this is my rant, whatever. I didn’t even think [Thought Catalog] would take it because it was pretty poorly written. I didn’t take time to edit it. I didn’t take time to check it. I didn’t take time to do anything.
What was the main issue in the article that you were trying to convey that you feel got misconstrued?
The main issue is that I accept that I’m privileged. I accept that’s just the way I grew up and that’s the way that I am. It’s not like I’m so privileged that I’m eating caviar for lunch. It’s just that they are lumping me into so many things, like I’m a modern day Marie Antoinette, which I’m not. I’m privileged, but I don’t look down upon people who are privileged or who aren’t. It shouldn’t matter what you come from. But how you present yourself is what people should judge you upon. Being rich or poor isn’t a personality trait or a character trait and it should be completely irrelevant to what people think about you. I guess I didn’t write it out well enough or intelligently enough to convey that point, and I should have edited it better.
I think people are allowed to say on Twitter that they didn’t like my article or they didn’t like my stuff. I’m not mad if they’re like, “I don’t like the way you said it. I don’t like whatever.” But if you’re going to attack my appearance or my family that’s where it gets into bullying. I think it’s really scummy to pretend to be something that you’re not to make other people more comfortable or happy, to try to pretend to be something that you’re not to gain sympathy. I don’t think that’s something you should do and I don’t think I expressed that well enough. I’ve never had to struggle with money in my entire life, and that’s who I am, and that’s what shaped who I am. People shouldn’t be punishing me for that.
What kind of hate mail have you received?
I’ve been getting hate mail since the article was posted last Thursday. People have been saying, “Kill yourself,”“F*ck you, you little cunt,”“You’re a stupid bitch,” “Close your fucking mouth,” “Leave this earth,” “You’re a fucking idiot,”“Go cry to daddy.” It’s just rude. People could be nice and respectable and say I don’t agree with what you said, it wasn’t the correct way to convey it, etc.
How do you feel about the New York Post putting you on the cover?
I feel very exploited. I have to keep my life very private now. I can’t say what I want on Twitter. I can’t post Instagram photos with my friends anymore because people will criticize them and I don’t want other people to be punished for what I’m doing. The way they portrayed me, I mean, I kind of let them do what they wanted a little bit, and the photo of me flipping them off was staged. I wouldn’t do that normally. They were like. “Flip us the bird, do this, do that.” They were like. “Do you have anything flashier to wear?” I was like, “No, not really.” I’m not particularly extravagant. I have to be careful for potential employers. I don’t want them to think this is who I really am. That’s how the media wants to portray me, as a brat who doesn’t work and who’s never going to work and who’s going to live off of daddy forever or end up with a rich husband. The media has background checked me and fact-checked me but they completely ignore the fact that my Facebook page says I’m interested in women.
What’s a day in the life of Rachael Sacks?
I roll out of bed at 6:45 a.m. and look out the window and yell “Why did I take such an early class?” I stumble to the bathroom, then throw on some clothes because I’m pretty much a slob. Get ready, walk out the door at 7:30, go to Starbucks, then I haul ass to class and have class until 11:40. Then I’ll walk around a bit.It depends on if I’m working or not. Mondays and Wednesdays, I’m a nanny. I go and pick up the kids from school, I take them to swim practice, and then I go home and get dinner. I’m not particularly exciting.
How did your parents react to this?
My parents said “Good for you, I’m proud. Just be careful with how people are seeing you.” My dad got me in contact with the family lawyer and now I have to be advised on decisions and stuff from the lawyers and my dad. My parents are divorced, my mom lives in Florida. They haven’t said anything about her. They made it out to seem like I’m a daddy’s girl. They totally ignored any potential issues with anything. My mom is flying up next week cause she knows I need support.
If you could, what would you say to the New York Post?
I know you’re exploiting me for publicity. I know you have a job to do and papers to sell, but you have to realize I’m a human being. I’m not a puppet; I’m not here to do crazy stuff for your entertainment. I’m just going to deal with it. People are going to see me how they want to see me. I know I’m a good person inside and I’m not going to get too wrapped up in this. I don’t think I’m hot shit, so, whatever.
There’s so much awful stuff in the news lately and people just want someone they can hate. They need to realize that I’m a human being and I’m just trying to focus on school. They even made up the titles for the articles on Thought Catalog to get more publicity. I’m a person. I’m not special. Don’t treat me differently, nobody should treat me differently. I’m not above anybody. Nobody is above or beneath anybody.
I want a little more privacy to go on with my life and make mistakes and figure myself out.
Shea Carmen Swan is a junior at Lang, majoring in Journalism + Design, minoring in Gender Studies. With 4 semesters of Free Press under her belt, she enjoys writing all things LGBTQIA and currently writes for Posture Magazine, a queer arts publication. Kyriacrchy.wordpress.com & Soilscript.wordpress.com host most of her literary work.
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