Rewatched Mrs America and then stumbled across this...

[PyongyangKipperbang]

www.historyvshollywood.com/reelfaces/mrs-america/

I had read that the Schlafly family had criticised the series, although in fact I can only find comments from one of her daughters, and was doing my research into her life.

I found the above article. I like a bit of fact checking, do it a lot myself when I see things like this, but the more I read the more I began to wonder who had written it. I think the clincher was the "Equal pay for equal work" section at the end.....

[CheeseMmmm]

I have never heard of this woman before. So have no info apart from article.

Which is-

V clearly extremely biased. Obvious from reading with no clue about anything involved.

The stating this that not true based on whoever saying nah can't see that happening. Erm. How can anyone who wasn't there know either way?

Family obv want to protect relative from negative portrayal. Again nah I saw her chat to blah a few times definitely this thing never happened.

Marriage perfect never a cross word just respect and loveliness? Really? Never ever?

Vv USA Christian right style writer massive supporter.

What wrong with out of date tins food anyway? Contents edible insane long time. That's really bothering me! Possibly disproportionately..

It's written for a certain audience who will like it, in the end.

[PyongyangKipperbang]

In all fairness to the writer......a lot of what was portrayed in the series was not accurate. For a start, she didnt make much of a difference to the ERA being chucked out, that was economic lobbyists (widely believed to be insurance companies) who didnt like that they would lose $$$$$$ as a result. And although her beliefs were thorougly at odds with my own, she did seem to very much value her family rather than simply use them as political tools.

But the language used, especially towards the end about equal pay got me frothing and made it so obvious that it was written by the far right pro-life lot to appeal to the far right pro-life lot.

[PyongyangKipperbang]

And......Gloria Steinem was also cross, despite being portrayed very postiviely in the series. She didnt agree with how it was written or produced either, so just goes to show that 50 years later, both sides finally agree on something, although for vastly different reasons!

[CheeseMmmm]

These tv things are well known to be full of made up stuff aren't they though?

Royal family thing recently read they exercised creative licence to the max!

You don't think the no no never happened things. Based on opinion of people who weren't there and who are going to have reasons for what they say. Eg biographer and someone family and someone from their religious community and can't remember all. Aren't neutral are they! They have no idea whether anything happened or not!

And the things they are at pains to say couldn't have happened. Are obviously not saying this actual specific thing happened exactly like this. They're included to present aspects of overall character, whether or not they have assessed character right or not!

Who on earth thinks that scenes like those are saying this literally happened? That's very strange.

[CheeseMmmm]

Sorry I'm not from USA and I haven't seen it and I wouldn't be interested in watching it.

If it were Mary Whitehouse, or Barbara castle or you know someone like that then would be different matter!

I've read the thing and given you my honest opinion. Unbiased given I had zero knowledge of this woman at all before read it.

Imo it's obviously extremely biased, saying no didn't happen to a load of the stuff that is obviously standard dramatisation to illustrate their view/what they want to present about her character. IE pointless and silly to sift through and say. Tin of beans scene never actually happened. I knew her because X and imo no truth in scene.

It's very silly.

Hopefully some posters who are familiar with her and know general picture of what she like etc will come along.

[nettie434]

But the language used, especially towards the end about equal pay got me frothing and made it so obvious that it was written by the far right pro-life lot to appeal to the far right pro-life lot.

I agree. I also thought it was odd that I couldn't find an 'about us' type section of the website explaining who did the fact checking and what their credentials were. It's obviously quite a big operation as they seem to have done this to a lot of films/miniseries.

Series like Mrs America will always attract some criticisms from people who knew or know about the actual protagonists. Personally, I thought it was clear that the makers used some dramatic licence. I expect Phyllis Schlafly's family are concerned that the miniseries received so much praise that most people will base their opinions of her on the miniseries.

By the way, Mrs America is still on the iplayer for anyone in the UK who wants to watch it.

[PyongyangKipperbang]

Yes, I watched in on iPlayer, thanks for mentioning that!

[Delphinium20]

Phyllis Schafly is one of the women who is responsible for my country having such appalling abortion access. Can't stand her.

Talks about a hypocrite! She worked a full-time career preaching about conservative values while denigrating feminists who wanted equal pay and quality jobs as "bad mothers." She makes me seethe.

[CheeseMmmm]

Have any men had a hand in that at all?
Out of interest.

[PyongyangKipperbang]

@Delphinium20

Phyllis Schafly is one of the women who is responsible for my country having such appalling abortion access. Can't stand her.

Talks about a hypocrite! She worked a full-time career preaching about conservative values while denigrating feminists who wanted equal pay and quality jobs as "bad mothers." She makes me seethe.

Yeah the double standards are what annoyed me most but really it was all about a) abortion and b) her political ambitions. She just hid it all under a cloak of altruistic "Lets protect the home makers".

It saddens me that watching it, the protests of 60 years ago are mirrored by the protests happening right now in the US, and for the same reason. For a country that prides itself on being the forefront of progress, it seems to have not moved on a step for 200 years in terms of human rights for women, BAME, the poor, ill or disabled. It should be renamed Whiterichmanland

[Delphinium20]

It should be renamed Whiterichmanland


Hahahaha!! True true!

[CheeseMmmm]

USA is very good at projecting a vision of itself that is v far from truth, full stop tbh