Mrs. America (2020) s01e02 Episode Script

1
-Mom.
-Yes?
-Okay. I want
a big party this year.
-Serious?
-I want a quinceañera.
-Quinceañera?
We can't do that.
We're too white for that.
We're not allowed.
-WOMAN:
When I put on a red pantsuit
-(woman panting)
and my husband
doesn't notice
that's bad.
So I watch my calories.
That's good.
There's only two calories
in a big,
bubbly eight-ounce
glass of Fresca.
No sugar.
No saccharinates.
It's an honest-to-goodness
-diet soft drink.
-(phone rings)
(wolf whistle)
Drink Fresca.
The picture from Vietnam today
is no better than yesterday.
There are now four areas of
Good evening.
Schlafly residence.
Phyllis speaking.
Hello.
It's Ann, from Oklahoma City.
Ann Patterson?
Oh! Ann, of course. Ann.
Good to hear from you.
Did you have a nice Easter?
Oh, miraculous.
A true Easter resurrection.
Phyllis, we did it.
We defeated
the Equal Rights Amendment
in the Sooner State.
You did that.
Well, they jammed it
through the Senate
with just a voice vote,
no hearing,
but we were able to keep it
from being passed in the House,
and all thanks
to that one little article
in your newsletter.
I handed it to
-every legislator.
-Oh, well, that's swell, Ann.
I couldn't be more proud.
So now I'm thinking I should
call our friends in other states
and encourage them
to do the same.
It's a winnable fight.
Yes, well, i
well, in Oklahoma.
Can you send me copies
of your mailing list?
Roger!
I'm-I'm sorry, Ann. I am
gonna have to call you back.
I have children
crawling all over me.
-Oh, of course.
-Mm-hmm. All right.
-Good to talk to you.
-Okay, then
ANCHOR:
were wounded,
not critically,
while in Missouri.
Rex Ellis
PHYLLIS:
It has taken me years
to build up my mailing list.
That's my network.
You know, and the fact that
Ann doesn't understand that
suggests she doesn't know
a whole lot about politics.
Are those Mother's boxes?
No, they-they go
in the guest room.
No, my-my list is valuable.
I thought you said
she was moving in here.
No, John might move back
after graduation.
No, I-I'm the one who developed
the arguments in my newsletter.
All she did was hand it out.
I'm supposed to let her
run with it.
Well, if you're gonna
run with it,
you better do it fast
before it's ratified
in your home state
and you lose all credibility.
That would be an embarrassment.
I wanted to stay in St. Louis,
and you had to drag me
across the Mississippi.
It's a better view
of the Mississippi,
and I dragged you?
Oh.
You saved me.
I am gonna have to stop
the ERA being ratified here.
Well, Illinois is not Oklahoma.
No, ye-yeah, yeah,
it's-it's a long shot.
It's the home
of Adlai Stevenson
and-and Daley's Chicago machine.
Well, you-you never know.
Um, you know, the one thing
I've got going for me is the
feminists think it's settled.
They-They're not
expecting a fight.
The other thing you've got
going for you is, uh,
no one likes feminists,
not even liberals.
-(laughs) Oh, that's true.
-(laughing)
-They're no fun.
-(laughs)
-WOMAN: Oh, Gloria!
-(camera shutters clicking)
(indistinct chatter, clamoring)
Hey, hey, hey
Beat is gettin' stronger
Music gettin' longer, too
Music is a-flashin' me
I want to, I want to
I want to take you higher
I want to take you higher
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
("A Fifth of Beethoven"
by Walter Murphy playing)
REPORTER:
Wouldn't you attract
a wider readership
if you put Jane Fonda or Lauren
Hutton on the very first cover
instead of this octopus lady
with face paint?
It is not an octopus lady.
It is the Hindu goddess Kali,
and those are tears
streaming down her face
because she has to juggle
-all the demands of her work
and marriage.
-(laughing)
If Ms. is almost
exclusively written
by, for, and about women,
isn't it as one-dimensional
as Playboy?
-Is that a serious question?
-You don't think that's a drag?
-I think Playboy is a drag.
-(laughing)
Are you worried that
the provocative ad on abortion
will alienate women
in the middle of America?
A majority of people
in this country
support every woman's right
to control her own body.
Until we have that right,
we can never truly be equal.
-Thank you, everyone. Thank you.
I got to go.
-(all clamoring)
You thought you had found
a good girl
One to love you
And give you the world
Now you find
that you been misused
Talk to me,
I'll do what you choose
I want you to
Tell Mama
- All about it
-Hi, hi.
-(gasps) Oh.
-Okay,
they were itty-bitty,
so I got two.
(laughs)
-Look.
-Oh, Gloria.
I walked past Andy Warhol.
He didn't even say hello.
You did represent
Valerie Solanas.
Not that well.
The girl got three years.
-What did that taxi driver
in Boston say to us
-Ms. Steinem!
about if men got pregnant?
Uh "If men
could get pregnant,
-abortion would be a sacrament."
-Oh! I couldn't remember it.
You should put a pregnant Nixon
on your next cover.
I'm putting Shirley
on my next cover.
I will drink to that.
Ms. Steinem, can I ask you
one last question,
if you don't mind?
Uh, Betty Friedan, in a speech
yesterday said, quote,
"Gloria has never been part
"of the organized
women's liberation movement.
"The media tried to make her
a celebrity,
but no one should
mistake her for a leader."
End quote.
Any comment?
Give me a chance,
I've been begging you
If I have a lot of problems
with my being a leader
in the women's movement,
I'm sure she has a lot more.
Tell Mama
All about it
Tell Mama
What you need
Tell Mama
What you want
Tell Mama
All about it
Great party, Gloria.
What you need
Tell Mama
BELLA:
We can't get
distracted by her.
We got a lot of momentum
going into the conventions.
The candidates recognize that
we're a real political force.
Even McGovern's
agreed to sit down with us.
But we need a face.
A pretty face.
Is that my only value
to the movement?
No, we need
your tits and ass, too.
(laughs) I don't want people
listening to me
just because
I have a pretty face.
I would love it if people
listened to me because I have
a pretty face.
Then I wouldn't have to shout.
Who cares why they're listening?
They're listening.
You think Kennedy agonized
over whether he beat Nixon
because of his looks?
No, he thought,
"I can't believe
I get to be president
-and shtup Marilyn Monroe."
-Can I get a photo with you?
-Excuse me, we're having
a private conversation.
-Yes, of
That was one
of our biggest advertisers.
You want to make abortion legal,
this is how you do it.
Play the game. Hold McGovern's
feet to the fire.
Is he waffling?
He told me he believes it's
every woman's personal decision.
Well, now he believes
he's the front-runner
and needs to move to the center
to beat Nixon
in the general election.
And you wonder why
I can't stand politics.
Can I get back to my party now?
Go.
Ain't no words
to this song
-How you doing?
-GLORIA: I am so wiped.
You just dance and hum along
You just dance
and hum along
Can you stay over tonight?
Yeah.
Might have to leave early.
Got the kids in the morning.
(church bell
tolling in distance)
-You came.
-I even had time to bake.
Well, actually,
it's leftover from Easter.
I won't tell if you won't tell.
ELEANOR:
For today's study section,
I chose Father Collins' talk
from our annual conference.
It's about
the Marxist revolutionaries
who instigated
the Attica prison uprising.
These riots are all a part
of the New Left campaign
to undermine American prisons
PHYLLIS:
The world's going to hell
in a handbag.
You know, I read, uh, recently,
that-that Angela Davis declared
that if she were free,
her first goal would be to
abolish America's prison system.
For those of you who
aren't familiar
-Mm-hmm.
-Angela Davis is
the Black Panther militant
on trial for murder
in California.
Yeah, so even though she has
admitted to being a member
of the Communist Party,
there are members of Congress
who publicly support her,
like Shirley Chisholm.
And, uh, Gloria Steinem
is listed as the treasurer
of her defense fund.
They're all connected,
and they have so much money
and political power.
And maybe we'll devote
next month's study session
to the women's liberation
movement.
Could we devote
this session to it?
Prisons are depressing.
ROSEMARY:
I thought your newsletter
on the dangers
of the Equal Rights Amendment
was fantastic.
I immediately called
both our senators,
but it made it through Congress
anyway.
I did, too. I fear
we got started too late.
Oh, it's not too late
to stop it.
I-If the ERA
is not ratified by 38 states
by March 22, 1979, it will die.
That seems like enough time.
Well, we can't
let it get ratified.
Well, we do have our work
cut out for us.
See, the women's liberation
movement has convinced everybody
it's a bipartisan issue.
So we need to get
the word out fast
that it is controversial
and that we homemakers
are not being represented.
You know, we need to
make some noise
and get the media
to pay attention to us.
The person that everybody's
paying attention to always wins.
-That would be Gloria Steinem.
-She's famous.
They're all famous.
We're nobodies.
Even if we could get
a news program
to give us some air time,
who would we send on
as our guest?
-Phyllis is famous.
-Only in conservative circles.
-No offense.
-Oh, none taken.
You're judged by the company
you keep.
Maybe you should
be the spokesman, Alice,
since you're
a full-time homemaker.
-Oh. (chuckles) No.
-I'm happy to do it.
PHYLLIS:
Mm-hmm.
Y
The thing about public speaking
is that it's harder
than it looks.
There are some tricks
to make it look easy.
I agree. Phyllis has the most
experience. She should do it.
Well, all right. Well, I will,
uh, send you all the phone tree
to kickstart a telegram
and letter writing campaign
to our representatives.
I mean, you know the drill.
ALL:
Telephone and tell a friend.
It will be very much like
the brilliant campaign
that Eleanor led against Hair
a couple of months ago.
-That was a battle.
-Mm.
You know, and I think
the trouble was
that there are two very catchy
songs in the show.
So people would hear the music
for "Aquarius"
and "Let the Sunshine In"
and think it was just like
Oklahoma!
Walking proudly
in our winter coats
Judith?
It's Phyllis Schlafly.
-Yeah I'm-I'm calling about
-ALICE: I'm calling about
the upcoming vote in Springfield
-on the ratification
-PHYLLIS: the ratification
of the Equal Rights Amendment.
Yes, we're organizing a campaign
to write letters.
Hi, Joan. It's Pamela.
We are organizing
-a letter writing campaign
-And we are calling
and writing letters
to our legislators
ALICE:
We're organizing a campaign
to urge them to vote no,
and we could use your help.
-Hi, Patricia. It's Pamela.
-Melody?
-Barbara.
-Sharon?
When are we supposed
to make all these calls?
-Can you put your kids to bed
a half-hour early?
-ALICE: Or better yet,
put your husband to bed
a half-hour early.
(chuckles)
PAMELA:
I knock off a few letters
-after everyone's asleep.
-(fussing)
And I'm a genius, genius
I believe in God
-How are we doing?
-KATHLEEN:
Hmm. Yes. I understand.
You've heard it?
I've been holding
for some time now.
Well, you tell Dick Cavett that
the media has a responsibility
to present the other side.
It's a rule. It's called the
-Fairness doctrine.
-The fairness doctrine.
-Mom?
-PHYLLIS: No running, please!
I need help
with my math homework.
-I'll help him.
-Drill his times tables!
-Who wants more coffee?
-Oh, I shouldn't, but
-Thank you, Leonia.
-Mm-hmm.
I'm going to the post office.
Give me your letters.
Visions of lonely tunes
Uh, last call
for the post office.
Let the sunshine
How many have we got?
Yes.
We will be in touch.
The sunshine
We got invited
on The Phil Donahue Show.
-Aah!
-We got
-(cheering, chattering)
- Let the sunshine
- Let the sunshine in
-(laughs)
Oh, that is so good!
Sunshine in.
This is it.
Are you nervous?
Can I push the button
on the elevator?
(laughs)
Mm-hmm. Come on.
-(phones ringing)
-(indistinct conversations)
(sighs) We're all just
kind of piled in here.
Can we find Margaret
an empty desk?
Will a delivery box do?
We're, uh, we're gonna get
some more furniture soon.
-Come through.
-(telephone rings)
-Ms. magazine.
No, M-S, "Mizz."
This is our tot lot,
but we're cool with the kids,
you know, running around.
-(children laughing)
-(telephone rings)
Would you like to play here
while Mommy gets to work?
Oh, come on.
You'll have fun.
(chuckles)
Gloria, we-we can't run
with this cover.
He asked me to show it to him.
-I'm already giving you
a lesbian article.
-Oh, you're
-giving it to me? Thank you.
-We put Shirley Chisholm
on the cover
-and it'll depress sales,
especially in the South.
-Well, we don't
-put her on the cover,
it'll depress me.
-You want to piss off
your distribution company
and sales team?
They work for us.
This issue hits the newsstands
right before
the Democratic Convention.
-I want to put Shirley
on our cover.
-What about, uh,
Mary's idea for the cover
Wonder Woman
she's a strong
symbol of woman's power.
Wonder Woman's my idol,
but you know
she's not a real person.
She's better than a real person.
She's a superhero,
and she's got great legs.
-We're going with this cover.
-Oh, I see.
You want to be the only one
around here with great legs.
I gave Gloria
her first bylined assignment
because I saw her standing
outside my office one day
and I thought
she had great legs.
-Clay, I
-What? It's a great story.
It's a great story.
He's the money guy.
Come through here.
HENRY HYDE:
Yes,
Mrs. Schlafly,
I did get your mail.
Oh, good. Now, do you have
a television in your office?
Of course I have a television
in my office.
Well, turn it on at 12:00
to channel five.
What am I watching?
The other side
of the ERA debate.
Can we get a TV in here?
DONAHUE:
Would you please
welcome to the show
conservative author and activist
Mrs. Phyllis Schlafly.
(applause)
(chuckles)
Now, the Equal Rights Amendment
will positively make women
subject to the draft
on an equal basis with the men.
They have got to the point
where they truly believe
that men and women
are the same,
so it's not enough for them
to have the right to work.
They want to legislate away
any differences
between men and women,
which will mean
goodbye, Girl Scouts,
and hello, unisex bathrooms.
(scoffs) The ERA doesn't say
that men and women are the same.
It says that they're entitled
to equal protection
under the law.
What, did you drag her out
of the dustbins
of the Goldwater campaign so you
could hide under her skirt?
She found me.
You promised that you weren't
gonna fight us on this.
I changed my mind.
But we had enough votes
to ratify.
I want a public hearing
before the vote.
So, suddenly, you don't mind
looking like you hate women.
I don't hate women.
I love women,
which is why I want to protect
my female constituents
from the dangers of the ERA.
And you tell me
that's liberation?
Why, that isn't liberation.
Liberation's in the home.
(applause)
(indistinct chatter)
When I heard
former Goldwater supporter,
I thought, "what a bore,"
but she's a dynamo.
-Not bad-lookin'.
-It was a good show.
You know what'd make
for a better show?
Have her on with Gloria Steinem
or Betty Freidan.
Oh, yeah, I don't think so.
No, no, you get 'em together
debating, the catfights?
It's ratings gold.
-You were terrific.
-Oh, thank you, Phil.
(both chuckle)
I'm just a talk show host,
so what do I know?
But, uh, some of the arguments
you made
I'm just wondering if you had
a chance before you came on
-to fact-check?
-Yes.
So, for example,
the elimination
-of separate restrooms
-Mm-hmm.
that seems
highly unlikely to happen
if the ERA is adopted.
Phil, let me ask you this.
When Lenin started
the revolution in 1917,
do you think he told the people,
"Fight with us,
"and we'll give you
food shortages, censorship,
and terror"?
Oh, no. He promised them
peace, land, and bread.
Now, it starts with
a simple piece of legislation
like the ERA, and then
the left feels emboldened
to eliminate alimony,
child support,
and the widow's Social Security.
And before you know it,
we are living in a feminist
totalitarian nightmare.
Thank you for having me
on your show.
You're Gloria Steinem.
(laughs)
Yes. Hello
Lisa.
How are you this morning?
I'm I'm wonderful. Oh,
I'm gonna move you to first.
-Oh, no. It's not necessary.
I
I insist.
You would be more comfortable.
Well, okay.
Thank you.
And I figure you and Ms. Freidan
want to sit together.
Hello, Betty.
Thank you.
Ow.
(exhales)
Sorry.
I'm so sorry.
I was misquoted.
People are always trying
to divide up women.
Hmm?
It's just another way
to take away our power.
Well, I'm sorry the reporter
upset you.
I also happened to say some
very nice things about you
that maybe didn't get printed.
I said that, uh,
you're a good role model
because you've never married,
which shows you can be single
and still have a good life.
They didn't print that.
REPORTER (on TV):
food supplies
hurtled from the sky,
and everyone scrambles to grab
whatever food he can.
There are still wounded
from the fighting
men who wait every day in vain
for helicopters
to take them to hospitals.
The dead will remain in An Loc.
You don't know how serious
women are
in this country, Senator.
I couldn't be less enthusiastic
about your candidacy.
Senator McGovern has been
very vocal on women's issues.
I fully support
speedy ratification of the ERA.
Everyone does.
Nixon supports the ERA,
and you have to have more women
visible in your campaign
because right now
they're just not there.
Shirley MacLaine
notwithstanding.
I think what Betty means
is that women aren't
always listened to,
something you and I talked about
after New Hampshire,
and you were going to impress
upon your staff
the importance of taking
female campaign aides seriously.
Thank you, Gloria.
And I have spoken with them.
I think it's fair to say
the only place
we really differ with you
is on abortion rights.
And you've been saying some
ridiculous things lately.
I'm afraid that's all the time
that we have for today,
but thank you, ladies,
so much for coming in.
-Yes, thank you all very much.
-BETTY: Oh, no Senator?
MacLAINE:
The senator has another meeting.
George. George.
If if I may.
We can push and push
for legalizing abortion,
but until it becomes
part of our party's platform,
Congress will never feel
pressure to change the laws.
If George even mentions the word
"abortion" at the convention,
Nixon'll hang it around
his neck like a millstone.
So, what if we use
a more general term,
like "reproductive freedom"?
It's broad enough
to include not just abortion
but repeal of
birth control laws,
laws on sexual orientation,
-forced sterilization.
-That's interesting.
BELLA:
What I like about that,
Senator,
is that it covers concerns
of men as well as women.
I wrote a version
you could use.
Can I see that?
You got into this race
to get us out of the war.
This is our Vietnam.
Let me get back to you.
You can reach me
at my hotel anytime tonight.
I'll wait for your call.
Thank you, George.
Here comes that
Rainy day feeling again
He's not gonna call.
And soon my tears
-He's going to call.
-(knocking)
Like rain
(indistinct conversations)
Oh, my God.
Gloria Steinem is tap dancing.
It was how I earned money
when I was a kid
performed at clubs
and supermarket openings.
I was gonna dance my way
out of Toledo.
Before the clouds
appeared
That was my great dream.
(light cheers, whooping,
applause)
(telephone ringing)
And soon my tears
Yes, this is Gloria.
Like rain
(women groan softly)
(sighs) I-I can't talk
right now. I'm, uh
I have to keep the line free.
I'm trapped.
I'm waiting for a call.
What are you up to tonight?
Let's all go get a drink, yeah?
Come on.
Everyone out.
(indistinct chatter)
(rhythmic knock on door)
You really can't
leave this room?
Well, now I don't want to leave.
How long do we have?
Two hours before the last train.
-Okay, but if McGovern calls
-I know.
-You won't be mad?
-Nah. I won't be mad.
So are you gonna start
with women in the draft
or the institution of marriage
being eroded?
I haven't decided yet.
You said you prepared
last night.
I did prepare.
Do you know what we should
do afterwards
we should stop by the Den
for a bowl of chili.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, if there's time.
Well, I-I would lead
with the draft
because I think
it's more emotional.
Do you want to testify
instead of me?
Oh, I'm-I'm not the expert
in constitutional law.
I'm not the expert
in constitutional law.
Yes, but you studied it
in law school.
Now, the libbers
are sending in attorneys,
and I think that we should have
-a handsome, brilliant one
on our side.
-(chanting in distance)
I had to reschedule
a very important meeting
-because of this.
-I know.
I'm so grateful you did.
You're my secret weapon.
(chanting): ERA now! ERA now!
ERA now! ERA now!
-ERA now!
-FRED: Our women
do not consider themselves
enslaved by marriage,
and they do not wish
to be liberated
from home and motherhood.
And they certainly
do not want to sacrifice
any of their present privileges
for some
phony equality with men.
One side effect
of the Equal Rights Amendment
-would be that women would lose
-Where is the rest
of your group?
-the common law right
to be supported
-They're at home.
-by their husbands.
Do you see those two ladies?
They're the sponsors
of the measure.
They've been bringing in
hundreds of women here every day
for the past month to lobby us.
They're winning.
Oh.
Well, it's a numbers game.
Count the letters
and phone calls.
Not when it's this emotional.
(scoffs) Oh. We're not
about to throw ourselves
on the House floor.
We're protesting with dignity.
When my guys look out
into the gallery,
which side do you think they're
gonna feel pressure from
the hundreds of ladies screaming
for the ERA
or dignity?
-
-(speech continuing
indistinctly)
PAMELA:
I don't even know
where Springfield is.
I've rented buses. You could
bring your children with you.
(door opens, closes)
It'll be educational.
Look, the real power
lies in who shows up.
It's a numbers game,
so unless we outnumber them,
the ERA will be ratified
right here in our own backyard.
Even if we could get
a big group to show up tomorrow,
-we'd be too intimidated
to talk to legislators.
-Well, Fred,
may-maybe you could, uh, come up
with a few easy talking points.
Huh? For what?
For the rally before
the floor vote in the House.
I'm sorry.
I-I didn't hear what you said.
-I'm focused on that bread.
-Oh
It needs five minutes to cool.
That does smell so good, Willie.
Yeah. I'll write
the recipe down for you.
PAMELA:
Every time I try
to bake bread,
-it turns out soggy.
-Mm-hmm.
You might not be giving it
enough time to rise.
Or you're
you're overworking the dough.
-Mm.
-Or your oven isn't hot enough.
You can't put it in too soon.
Maybe you're using
too little yeast.
-Or it's gone bad?
-Oh. (sighs)
Yeast doesn't bake.
Well, now I know
why he didn't call.
Your wording made it
into the platform draft,
but then Shirley MacLaine
cut it out.
She cut it out?
With actual scissors?
-Who does that?
-An actress.
How are people supposed
to vote on our proposal
if they can't see it?
-You don't seem too upset.
-I'm very upset. Look at me.
I'm eating a hot dog
on the grapefruit diet.
So what do we do now?
The Supreme Court will
consider Roe v. Wade soon.
-Let's hope for a good decision.
-That won't be enough.
I think we've gone as far
as we can go on this.
Didn't help our cause
that McGovern felt attacked
at the meeting.
Betty is impossible.
I'm gonna propose
we elect one spokeswoman
to represent us
at each convention.
So if Betty runs her mouth off
to McGovern's campaign
or to the press, she's not
speaking for all of us.
She'll just browbeat everyone
into voting for her.
Unless you run against her.
When I nominate you,
act surprised.
Maybe have a few words
prepared.
Nothing formal, but you should
have something to say.
(dishes clatter)
Have you been to the gallery?
Is it filled?
-To the rafters.
-(laughs)
Oh, wow.
Look at this bread.
-What's the occasion?
-I don't know. Birthday?
Hmm.
Good morning, Henry.
Well, you're in a good mood.
CHAPMAN:
Well, why shouldn't I be
in a good mood?
We've got the votes.
We're voting today.
Get ready to lose.
(chuckles)
Mmm.
Mmm, this is delicious.
Why are you in a good mood?
I'm just enjoying
watching you enjoy that bread.
Why shouldn't I enjoy it?
(chuckles)
WOMAN:
Enjoy the bread. Vote no on ERA.
PHYLLIS:
From the breadmakers
-to the breadwinners.
-WOMAN 2: I like your tie.
-MAN: Thank you so much.
- Oogum, boogum
-Don't forget to vote no.
-Remember, vote no
on the Equal Rights Amendment.
-Don't forget to vote no.
-Oh, that's okay.
We don't want
our daughters drafted.
Preserve us
from this congressional jam.
-Thank you so much.
-Vote against the ERA sham.
From the breadmakers
to the breadwinners.
Oh, thanks.
-Make sure to vote no.
-Don't forget to vote no!
You got me doin' funny things
like a clown
We don't want our daughters
drafted.
Don't forget to vote no
on ERA.
Got one right here.
And you wear
that cute mini skirt
With your brother's
sloppy shirt
I admit it, girl
BELLA:
We might lose Illinois.
What?
I thought we had the votes.
We had the votes, but then
this group showed up with bread,
and suddenly we didn't have
the votes.
-What group?
-Housewives with bread,
-and baked, you know, homemade.
-(scoffs)
What kind of bread?
-What does it matter what kind?
-I'm curious.
Can we get Ginny Chapman
back on the phone?
Find out what kind of bread
it was.
Is that all it takes
to get a man to change his vote?
Well, there was also jam.
Oh, they finally found
the best smoke screen
for their chauvinism.
Hmm? Women.
(chanting): ERA now! ERA now!
ERA now! ERA now!
All right, ladies,
it's time to go in
and have our voices heard.
GLORIA:
These housewives are the last
gasp of the patriarchy,
brainwashed to believe that
if they don't play the game,
they will lose the love
and protection of men.
May I just say,
vive la différence.
BETTY:
I know these women.
I grew up with them in Peoria.
They've never thought
of themselves as feminists.
You know, they're not equipped
to earn a living.
They're scared.
No one is legislating that
they can't stay in the kitchen
and bake bread all day
if that's what they want to do.
The problem is they're not
staying in the kitchen.
They're bringing the bread
to the legislature.
Who organized the housewives?
That right-wing nut.
-Phyllis Schlafly?
-Ah.
-I saw her on Donahue.
-She was on Donahue?
Yeah. Everything out
of her mouth was
Oh, it was all nonsense,
but smart-sounding.
We should be worried about her.
Mussolini was very popular.
We have to just keep traveling
around the country,
talking to them
until we get through.
You already spend
half your time on the road.
Telling them that
marriage is prostitution
and that alimony
is war reparations.
I mean, how have they
not been converted?
All right, we could all be
a little more careful
with our rhetoric.
We do not want housewives
thinking that
we are against them.
We are against them.
(scoffs)
Revolutions are messy.
People get left behind.
It's a tremendous victory for
the traditional American family
and, uh, for the institution
of marriage,
which is the best deal for women
that the world has yet devised.
We will get it ratified
next year.
You just got lucky.
What does she mean,
we got lucky?
Thank you so much.
Can I ask you something?
When you go on Donahue,
do you know what you're saying
has no basis in fact,
or do you just not know what
the hell you're talking about?
Oh, I think the majority
of American women
know exactly
what I'm talking about,
and, I might add,
the majority of
the Illinois state legislature.
(chuckles)
I read your newsletter.
-Hmm?
-It's all hysteria and lies.
Unisex bathrooms?
No child support?
Girls in foxholes?
Please.
Do you understand
the first thing
about constitutional law?
Do you even have a law degree?
I'm just getting started.
This is a setback.
But we have six more years
to get it ratified.
We'll make a more concerted push
in Illinois next year.
Moving on, it's time
to choose a spokeswoman
to represent us
at each convention.
Well, I'd like to nominate
Jill for the Republican.
-I second.
-I'm not sure that's necessary.
I'm the only Republican woman
here today.
And I'd like to nominate
myself for the Democrat
You can't nominate yourself,
Betty.
Before we get to electing
a spokeswoman,
I-I want to discuss making
another push for abortion
at the convention.
If we gather enough signatures
in a petition,
we can force a floor vote.
Which would mean
being broadcast
on national television.
This might not
be the right time.
Well, when is the right time?
After we get McGovern
into the White House,
-So, what, a year?
-we can control the
If the ERA
-is safely in
the Constitution
-Or two?
Or-or maybe a decade?
No, really, I want to know
how-how long
are we supposed to wait?
How many more women are going to
die from botched abortions
while we wait for men
to feel comfortable with us
having control
over our own bodies?
How many women are gonna be
forced to give birth to babies
they can't afford to feed
while we wait for housewives,
who have no idea what it's like
to have to work to survive,
to feel comfortable with women
having power?
How long do we give people
to adapt to change?
Am I the only one who's
so fucking tired of waiting?
We will make this our priority
after elections.
(scoffs)
Where are you going?
I have to get back
to New York.
We haven't voted yet.
I'm not running.
Who wants to nominate me?
(clears throat)
Excuse me.
Hi. Um
Sorry.
I work in the building.
I was hoping to run into you
one of these days
so that you'd sign my copy
of the first issue.
I'd be happy to.
What's your name?
Theresa.
Oh, can you sign this page?
How did you get all those famous
women to agree to sign it?
That was easy.
The hard part was
getting our male publisher
to agree to run it.
Have you ever told anyone?
Only my husband.
We already had three.
Money was tight.
It was in a hotel.
A whole bunch of us in one room.
Sorry.
(cries)
FRED:
Oh! (laughs)
-(playing piano)
-There you go.
I'd like to make three toasts.
-Roger.
-To our eldest, John.
(stops playing piano)
We are, uh, so proud
of our first college graduate.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
Don't even think
about moving home.
(laughter)
And to my mother-in-law,
who will be gracing us
with her lovely presence
every day.
-If I ever finish packing.
-(laughs) Cheers.
-Aw.
-Hey, Grandma.
And to my darling wife
on her victory in Springfield
yesterday.
I'm so proud of what
you accomplished.
-Aw, thank you.
-Mwah. Hear, hear.
-ALL: Hear, hear.
-ELEANOR: Hear, hear.
And it looks like
we should also be toasting
Mayor Daley.
-Oh, what do you mean?
-Well, it says here
Representative Chapman,
the woman
-who sponsored the ERA
-PHYLLIS: Mm-hmm.
-Yes, I know who she is.
-She says
the mayor had an ax
to grind with her,
-(piano resumes playing)
-so he went and told his people
to vote against it.
That's why seven Democrats
from Chicago
switched their vote
from yes to no.
Lucky.
She's spinning tales so she
doesn't look incompetent.
-(whispers indistinctly)
-Mm. Off you go.
It was defeated by seven votes.
A win's a win.
I didn't want to be elected
spokeswoman. That's why I left.
BELLA:
Which only made you
more attractive.
We need you.
Hold on.
You got to find me some
money
McGovern always says you
sold him on the women's issue.
Well, then he shouldn't have
sold us out on abortion.
I'm gonna go to the convention
with my press pass
and my "Chisholm
for President" pin.
Oh, don't give me that crap
about the power of the press.
And Shirley is gonna be out
of the race by the convention.
She got, what,
a dozen delegates?
I got to go.
I'm still working.
Hmm?
I didn't know your mom
was a reporter.
Oh, for The Toledo Blade.
She quit after Sue was born.
Hmm. Have you read
this interview?
Oh, I don't need to read it.
I talk to her every day.
Some of these quotes
"At first, when people would say
nasty things about Gloria,
"I would take tranquilizers
and cry,
"but I've grown a lot lately,
and now I just laugh it off."
-You should read this.
-I don't have time to get upset
about my mother
telling the world
she wishes I would find
a husband.
So you did read it.
Well, I got worried that she
was gonna say something crazy
like, "I wish Gloria
would find a husband."
Is that so crazy?
Maybe next year.
You know, we aren't getting
any younger.
Nobody's getting any younger.
Five-year-olds aren't getting
any younger.
So you don't want to have
a child?
Well, I had a child my mother.
And I must have done
a terrible job, too,
because look how she turned out.
(clears throat)
Are you afraid
that if you marry me,
you will turn into your mother?
That's a horrible way
to propose.
(laughs)
If I do it better next time
will you change your answer?
Can we talk about this later
when I'm not meeting a deadline?
Yeah.
I'll talk to you later, then.
-(sighs)
-(laughs)
You can't put me off forever.
Wonder Woman.
Neat.
WALTER CRONKITE (on TV):
George McGovern is
the front and only runner
in the New York primary,
with all the advantages
and handicaps
that usually means.
His own congressional district
may have sacrificed
a few delegates now
for goodwill
and a larger payoff
at the convention.
Campaigning in New York,
McGovern has
-PHYLLIS: You got a few minutes?
-FRED: Well, can it wait
till after the news?
Oh, you know how this ends.
They run McGovern,
Nixon squeaks by
and everybody's unhappy.
Only gets you agitated.
FRED:
Hm.
Now, can you show me where
Freund draws a connection
between the ERA
and integrated public restrooms,
prisons, and reform schools?
-Does it matter? We won.
-I know.
Just show me how he gets there.
Please.
(sighs)
Just run me through
the legal arguments,
so I don't have to bother you
each time.
Well, I like it
when you bother me.
For me and my gal
The birds are singing
You weren't the only one
who was admitted
to Harvard Law School.
Hmm?
I was invited, too.
When was that?
When I was getting
my master's.
My constitutional law professor
thought I was brilliant.
(sighs)
You really want a crash course
in legal research and writing?
-Mm-hmm, yes.
-Okay.
Well, the first thing
you need to know
when presenting
a legal argument is that, uh,
while you have a lot of leeway
to be creative,
-Mm-hmm.
-you never want to make
a statement which is objectively
verifiable as being false.
-Okay.
-For instance,
you wouldn't say that you were
invited to attend
Harvard Law School
when it only takes a phone call
to find out
that you got
your master's in 1945.
Five years before the law school
went co-ed.
The bells are ringing
For me and my gal
They would have made
an exception for me.
The birds are singing
For me and my gal
Everybody's been knowing
To a wedding they're going
And for weeks
they've been sewing
They've been sewing something
old and something new, so
Something that is blue so
They can make a trousseau
for my gal
They're congregating
For me and my gal
Look here, why
That's the parson waiting
For me and my gal
And sometime we're gonna
build a little home
(phone ringing)
-GARLAND: Or three?
-KELLY: Or four?
-GARLAND: Or five?
-KELLY: Or maybe more.
In Loveland
For me and gal
(heels tapping, shuffling)
(phone continues ringing)
MAN:
Where's your fiancé now?
Ex-fiancé.
No, he's back in the States.
May I ask
why you haven't told him?
We would have to get married.
WOMAN:
After the procedure,
there'll be a little bleeding.
You'll be confined to bed
for a few days until
the bleeding stops.
I'll give you pills for that.
And I hope you'll use
birth control in the future,
especially if you plan
to spend the year in India.
Thank you.
MAN:
You must promise me two things.
You will never
tell anyone my name.
And you will do what you
want to do with your life.
This time tomorrow
Where will we be?
On a spaceship somewhere
Sailing across
an empty sea
You.
I'll do it.
I'll be the spokeswoman.
On one condition.
Okay.
We force a vote on abortion
on the convention floor.
I'll leave the sun behind me
And I'll watch the clouds
as they sadly
Pass me by
Well
This time tomorrow
Where will we be
On a spaceship somewhere
Sailing across an empty sea
Well
This time tomorrow
Where will we be
This time tomorrow
What will we see
This time tomorrow.
Captioned by
How long are we
supposed to wait
to feel comfortable
with women having power?
How much time do we give people
to adapt to change?
[woman] Cause precedes effect.
Effect leads to cause.
The future is fixed
in exactly the same way
as the past.
CHILDREN: Mummy! Mummy!
(high-pitched voice)
Mummy isn't here.
Try next door.
CHILDREN: Mummy!
WOMAN: Oh, my God.
No, got the wrong house.
We are Nadja and Laszlo,
the human music group.
She's a superb lyricist.
We're feeling horny for blood
We're feeling horny for love
It's the painting in which
you invented the portrait pose.
There I am,
behind this dead chap.
This was the first time
that was ever done.
-(shrieking)
-COLIN: I'm changing.
I'm becoming stronger.
(shouting)
Oh, hey. Don't sit on that.
(up-tempo music plays)
VOCALISTS: Hey!
-I'm a
once-in-a-generation artist.
-Oh.
Who just got verified
on Twitter, about,
what, nine days ago?
I'm glad you feel good
that a robot told you
you're worth it.
Hi, I'm Dave