EPISODE · Jul 16, 2020 · 1H 2M
14: The Radical History of Self-Care & the New World of Wellness Branding
from Unseen Unknown · host Aisha Harris, Jasmine Bina, Jerome Nichols
Self-care and wellness are everywhere around us. From cereal boxes to the makeup counter to furniture rental, CBD sticks, mobile apps and coffee - a new mindset about how to be… but also how to consume, has settled in. As second nature as this may all seem right now, the concept of self-care actually comes from a very radical and politically charged place in recent American history. In this episode of Unseen Unknown, we speak with New York Times journalist and editor Aisha Harris about the connected history of politics, race, gender and identity that underpins the self-care space today, and how it’s many interpretations reflect our American culture.The history or self-care and wellness is deep and rich, stemming from the civil rights movement, Black and LGBT communities, the hippie wellness movement of the 1960s, and then going mainstream with a new political resurgence after the 2016 election.We also speak with founder Jerome Nichols of The Butters, a self-care beauty brand and cult favorite that signals a new approach in the space among upstarts looking to bring self-care back to its communal roots through very intentional branding and user experiences. Links to interesting things mentioned in this episode and further reading:A History of Self-Care (Slate)‘Self-care’: how a radical feminist idea was stripped of politics for the mass market (The Guardian)You Feel Like Shit: An Interactive Self-Care GuidePost-election, Minorities Are Taking Self-Defense Classes In Droves (Slate)Inside the $2,000-a-Month, Invite-Only Fitness Clubs (Elemental)How Self-Care Became So Much Work (Harvard Business Review)Body and Soul: The Black Panther Party and the Fight against Medical Discrimination (University of Minnesota Press)Understanding the radical history of self-care is essential to practicing it successfully (Hello Giggles)The Dark Truths Behind Our Obsession With Self-Care (Vice)Where Group Prayer Meets Group Fitness (New York Times)Check out our website for more brand strategy thinking, and come connect with us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Embed this episode
What this episode covers
Wellness and self-care have taken over nearly every industry with a whole crop of new brands. But there is a much deeper story about the connected history of politics, race, gender and identity that underpins the self-care space today, and how it’s many interpretations reflect our American culture. We speak with New York Times journalist and editor Aisha Harris, as well as Jerome Nichols, founder of cult favorite self-care brand The Butters, to understand the very radical roots of this now-mainstream movement.
Ready to play
14: The Radical History of Self-Care & the New World of Wellness Branding
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.