Posted on 01/10/2020 11:20:35 AM PST by Morgana
On Thursday FX released a trailer for its upcoming series on Hulu Mrs. America about conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly’s fight against radical feminists and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the 1970s. You can tell, based on the video and coverage of it, where sympathies are supposed to lie.
When Cate Blanchett’s Schlafly character warns, “The Libbers [Women’s Liberation] want to create a sex-neutral, feminist, totalitarian nightmare,” audiences are meant to take it as a ridiculous joke instead of the astute prediction it truly was. In the preview, Schlafly is played as cold while the feminists are shown as cool.
Online sources covering the trailer’s release described Schlafly using austere language like “polarizing character” and “anti-feminist crusader” while attaching no judgmental adjectives to descriptions of Gloria Steinheim. TV Guide called Schlafly a “slippery, media-savvy opponent” of the feminists as if that makes her nefarious.
Tellingly, TV Guide misleads about what the ERA would do and automatically assumes Schlafly should be held in disdain:
Despite the fact that Schlafly almost single-handedly stopped the ERA, which would've guaranteed all citizens equal rights under federal law regardless of sex, Blanchett told reporters she didn't approach playing her with disdain, but rather a desire to capture her humanity. "I don't believe in demonizing anyone," Blanchett said, noting that we as humans are all full of contradictions and hypocrisies. "It is a challenge when you're playing a figure who is so polarizing. It was definitely a challenge to find those nuances and not play one note. She's a human."
How kind of Blanchett to acknowledge Schlafly’s humanity and not play her as a one note villain!
Apparently Blanchett did not expect to find Schlafly so charismatic and popular: “She also revealed that she was ‘gobsmacked by [Schlafly's] ability to inspire, galvanize, and mobilize people through various tactics,’ even if some of the ways she got her message across have been derided as misleading and mean,” TV Guide editorialized.
To give you an idea of how the series will play out, the producers “took great care to present the story as layered and nuanced and intersectional,” according to TV Guide. In fact, an article in Variety said the inclusion of the first black Congresswoman, Shirley Chilsholm, “introduces the birth of intersectional feminism.” The actress playing Chilsholm, Uzo Aduba, said her voice will “right a cultural wrong” because “we’ve glossed over some of those intersectional figures and their importance and their relevance in the story.”
Other radical 1970s feminists to be portrayed include Steinheim (Rose Byrne), Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman), Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale), and Jill Ruckelshaus (Elizabeth Banks). On the conservative side, lefty actress Sarah Paulson will play a composite character based on Schlafly’s neighbor. Paulson described her character, Alice, to Variety as feeling “that she somehow didn’t matter because her desire was to be in her home and support her husband.” In other words, don’t expect a very sympathetic portrayal of conservative women.
To creator Dahvi Waller, Schlafly is to blame for our current divisiveness: “[Y]ou can draw a direct line from 1970 to today through Phyllis Schlafly and really understand how we became such a divided nation.”
Actress Elizabeth Banks enthused about her feminist role, “I’m really excited that we’re telling the story of these particular women, these are the women who’s [sic] shoulders as current feminists we are standing. We get to go to work, and sometimes get equal pay, and control over our bodies ... this is what this show is about.”
The first 3 episodes of Mrs. America will be released on April 15 by FX on Hulu.
Another Lefty hit piece on someone who is no longer here to defend herself.
I so agree. Strange as it sounds I’m too young to remember Phyllis Schlafly. Have heard of her name, maybe saw her picture once or twice however that is it. Never heard her speak or anything.
Would not even be fair of me to speak good or bad about her because of what little I know.
Yeah, I will skip this
They also brought her up as evil incarnate in season 3 of Mrs Maisel in one episode. Seemed really odd and uncalled for. But, libs.....
“Yeah, I will skip this”
Best thing to do, good thing I warned all of you.
Saw a portion of the preview for it as it showed up in my newsfeed today and when I saw who produced it and starred in it, all I could think of was, oh no! They’re getting ready to resurrect the ERA again, for the third time, and it’s going to be a hit piece on Phyllis. I had the honor of meeting Mrs. Schlafly in the 90s at an Eagle Forum lobbying workshop in DC. The issues we were lobbying for (or against) at that time were against outcome based education and for medical savings accounts (in lieu of employer health insurance). Phyllis Schlafly was a strong, gracious, and admirable lady.
“ERA would’ve guaranteed all citizens equal rights under federal law regardless of sex”
https://webmail.lerctr.org/~transit/healy/crap.wav
I agree. We loved the series. That was uncalled for and “disenfranchised” many of their viewers. Hope they stay out of politics in the future.
Yep...I saw that. Language is bad enough in that series, but they HAD to go there!
Hope al-Quds decides to target downtown Hollywood. Sick of being lectured to by wealthy leftwing cokeheads.
Actually, Hollywood should be a righteous target for Islamofascists.
I was not paying attention when she was in her prime, never saw her then, but did see her speak about a dozen or so years ago. It was at a Lefty girls college, so it was not a particularly friendly environment. She was very impressive, and handled hostile questions with grace and wit. It was a wonderful experience.
Phyllis Schlafly was a great defender of the unborn. She was a real ladies lady. She was totally and unashamedly against the feminist movement. She was anti-communist and could see disguised communist ideology for a country mile and was quick to call it out.
She had a great impact for good. She never ever gave up or gave an inch.
She was on the ten most hated women of America list put out by some liberal communist rag several times so you know she was great.
I strongly encourage you to read up on her.
I bet if you heard her voice you would recognize it.
I’m 47 and I heard her “ Phyllis Schlafly Report” for years on the radio.
I loved her fearless fight against progressive commies.
Hey feminists! Phyllis Schlafly is the epitome of a “strong woman”. All the hate and nastiness she had to endure for what she believed was right. You should champion her but I know you won’t.
I was a pre-teen/young teen when Mrs. Schlafly was in the news, during the big push to pass the ERA. I was aware of her because my mother was deeply involved in the Pro Life movement and wanted us all to be aware of these issues even at a young age. From what I can tell ERA did not become law to a very large degree due to Mrs. Schlafly’s efforts. She got the same typical media treatment, being portrayed as some sort of repressive hayseed throwback, etc.
I was at the same event when Phyllis Schlafly spoke at Agnes Scott College (a women’s college). She was probably around 80 y.o. and stood for 3 hours in front of a very hostile audience of flaming feminists. Although treated very rudely, she patiently answered every question.
After the event my husband asked her to sign his 1964 copy of “A Choice Not an Echo”. The request brought a huge smile, probably the happiest moment for her all evening.
Yes, same event.
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