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Good morning,
This week, I want to talk about something I rarely discuss out loud: who we invite into this community.
PROVOKED isn't a newsletter. It's a conversation. And conversations change depending on who shows up.
I could grow this audience the easy way—by pouring more money into Meta ads and chasing numbers. We do use ads—some of you found us that way, and I'm glad you're here. But ads don't build community. People do.
The women who make PROVOKED feel sharp, funny, raw, and thoughtful don't come from algorithms. They come from you. From personal recommendations. From a simple this made me think of you.
That's why we launched a PROVOKED rewards program.
Not as a gimmick. Not as a grab. Just a way to say it plainly: If you're helping shape this community, you should benefit from it.
When you invite a friend you actually want in this space—someone curious, opinionated, open—you're not just growing our audience. You're protecting the culture.
And that matters more to me than numbers ever will.
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Help shape the PROVOKED community |
Invite women you actually want in this room.
When they subscribe, you earn rewards as a thank you.
5 referrals → $10 Amazon gift card
20 referrals → $50 Amazon gift card |
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Referrals count once subscriptions are confirmed.
Your current referrals are [RH_TOTREF GOES HERE] |
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CULTURE
BY VIVIAN MANNING-SCHAFFEL
Mary Shelley was just 18 when she began writing Frankenstein—the daughter of one of feminism’s founding voices, already mourning a first child, and born to a mother who died of sepsis days after her birth. Now Guillermo del Toro has reimagined her monster, joining centuries of other men who’ve felt compelled to do the same. But what would Shelley think of yet another man explaining her work? A look at the feminist origins of a story men keep trying to claim as their own.
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TAKE NOTE
Timely and worth your attention.
🎤 Amy Poehler, 54, did what women over 50 do best: arrived late and still took the trophy. Her Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast launched in March 2025 and just won the first-ever Golden Globe for Best Podcast—beating a slate of male-hosted shows and The Mel Robbins Podcast in a brand-new category. In a world where every man with Wi-Fi thinks his thoughts deserve 90 minutes, Poehler showed up, had a good hang, and reminded everyone: When a midlife woman picks up a mic, it’s worth tuning in.
🥗 The food pyramid gets turned upside down: After decades of carbs and confusion, official nutrition guidance finally admits protein matters and ultraprocessed food is a problem. With protein on top and “real” foods back in favor, none of this feels especially groundbreaking. We’ll take the progress—then question the full-fat dairy push, butter halo, and the remarkably vague guidance on alcohol.
🖤 Saks Fifth Avenue files for bankruptcy this week, less than two years after a debt-heavy acquisition spree meant to “modernize luxury.” Stores remain open, executives make hopeful statements, but the damage was done long before the filing. When venture capital and private equity treat legacy brands like assets instead of ecosystems, women lose more than stores. We lose places that once understood us.
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BRAIN AND BODY
BY JOANNE HELPERIN
The longevity boom is here for a reason. As women over 50 confront aging bodies and an often-dismissive medical system, billion-dollar wellness industries rush in with promises and fear. This clear-eyed investigation cuts through the hype to ask what’s real, what’s exploitative, and how women can stop paying for panic.
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MONEY
BY MARGIE ZABLE FISHER
The numbers are clear: Women are becoming the dominant financial force of the next decade. What’s less clear—and long overdue—is whether we’re willing to claim that power. From protecting what you’ve built to spending with intention—don't wait. Here's a smart reset with actionable steps for the new year.
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BY ABBY HEUGEL
A favorite lipstick disappears. A mascara you’ve trusted for years vanishes. Suddenly you’re being offered “what’s trending on Instagram" by a 20-something. When the small, reliable products that make us look awake, competent, and vaguely pulled together get discontinued, it doesn't feel like vanity. It feels personal.
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READER SPOTLIGHT
Want to be featured next? Comment on your favorite piece—we read them all.
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DEAR READER
Three new stories coming straight from our readers: smart, funny, fearless, and unfiltered.
BY DR. ROBIN BUCKLEY
BY SAMANTHA PRIESTLEY
BY J.L. EDWARDS
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✍️ Are you a writer? Got an unapologetic POV? We’re looking for freelancers with a distinct voice. Pitch Us, We're Ready!
📝 Missed a Thursday drop? All of our past newsletters are waiting for you right here.
⌨️ Our newsletter and articles are written by Susan and the talented writers of PROVOKED. Get to know the women behind them here.
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