Gathering + the almighty cocktail hour
Why is it necessary to advertise and serve alcohol at every event
As always, for a better reader experience, go directly to the Feel Good Studio substack website thesoberglow.substack.com, or open up the browser from the button on the top right of this email, or download the app. xx Mia
Dear women everywhere,
Let’s gather together as one. Let’s show the world how powerful we are. Let’s use our voices. Let’s share our desires and dreams. Let’s manifest greatness. Let’s find our true authentic selves. Let’s demonize red meat, dairy, and gluten. Let’s talk about the importance of health and wellness. Let’s find the best version of ourselves. Let’s prove we have nothing to prove. Let’s sweat and swear together. Let’s talk about the importance of self-love, self-empowerment, & self-care
….AND OF COURSE, COCKTAILS WILL BE SERVED.
This morning I was perusing IG, as one does, and I came across an event that was just held in NYC. It was an in-person gathering that was being hosted by a new celebrity co-owned business all about the education of peri-menopause & menopause and of course skincare and supplements. There was a panel of women, all experts in their own fields, who were speaking to the importance of women educating themselves on their bodies and health in mid-life. All of this is amazing and wonderful, and holy hell, we need it! Every woman deserves to know the ins and outs of her body and her options in caring for said body at every stage and age in life. I too am a woman still in the depths of educating myself at this change of season in my life, and I appreciate anyone who is openly talking about mid-life changes. Especially those who are proudly and loudly educating us on this once taboo topic. And even though this may not be the sexiest of seasons, I am grateful I have aged long enough to learn as much as I can about and experience peri-menopause and menopause.
BUT I HAVE NOTES…
Why do we have to advertise this event with the promotion of alcohol? And before I go down the rabbit hole here, allow me to preface this by saying this is not the first time I have seen this. Hell no. This is the status f*cking quo. Especially when it comes to women gathering over our need/want to feel good. We see it in the fitness world, health world, food world, mommy world, and the sex-in-the-city world. It seems every gathering includes alcohol but also the promise and promotion of alcohol are so perfectly curated. It’s the proverbial icing on the cake.
It’s literally telling women that they should join in, but also, no matter how great this event is, no matter how imperative this information is, no matter how good we want you to feel here, we promise to serve you alcohol so you can…
get out of your head
“truly” feel better in your body
enjoy yourself more
numb any aspect of your personality, fear, or insecurity
believe the only way to gather is over alcohol
believe that alcohol is 100% necessary
keep relying on alcohol to help you get through this tough time in your life
tune out the fact that we are just going to give you gasoline to fuel the fire of your insomnia, hot flashes, and overall sense of dis-ease in your body.
We need more safe spaces for women who do not drink. We need spaces to learn, gather and engage where the host understands that alcohol is not necessary, nor is it needed to sell an event.
I am now committing to reaching out to any host who is holding an event that I am interested in attending and asking if they will be offering and catering to their non-drinking participants. I will no longer just show up and hope for the best. Nor will I promote any event that is glamourizing or promising alcohol as a treat for attending.
Need some ideas on how to go about asking for non-alcoholic beverages? I’ve got you.
Feel Good Studio subscribers, below I have added eight word-for-word scripts you can use to ask for what you want. Don’t be shy. Most people (business owners/organizations/non-profits) still don’t realize how large this non-drinking community is and how it continues to grow rapidly. The more we speak up and ask for alcohol-free beverages and even for the advertisers to CHILL OUT on the alcohol promise and promotion, the more inclusive these events will become for us.