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Mrs America

65 replies

unique1986 · 08/07/2020 21:18

BBC 2 now😉

OP posts:
Sooverthemill · 31/07/2020 14:43

I think the acting is superb although I've always hated Tracy Ullman ( not sure why she's like a nail going down a blackboard to me) she's good in this finally

BarelyMerry · 31/07/2020 14:57

I loved, loved, loved this series, and it has made me investigate the characters on wikipedia. I think it is fascinating to see the conservative / liberal divisions in the US, and the impact of the ultra-conservative christian groups. I was a teenager in the 80's so I never really realised that Reagan was such an arch-conservative. Interesting to follow that thread all the way through to Trump today!

Moanranger · 31/07/2020 15:56

I came of age in the US during this period, but I lived on the West coast and in Colorado. I was aware of the political side portrayed in this series, but it didn’t have much impact as the key players were in NY & D.C., obviously, as near the centre of political power. For me, it was reading Fem Mystique, Our Bodies Ourselves, etc, joining conscious-raising groups ( anyone remember those?). We believed in feminism, but didn’t necessarily join groups. The sex, drugs & rock & roll of the 60’s was not at all enlightened about women, and this needed to change. As a result of consciousness-raising,, we insisted that our men share equal household duties & pleasured us in bed. That became the norm. I think there has been backsliding here, as I don’t think young women currently feel sufficiently empowered to ask for parity. That’s what I mean by cultural sexism. Still very present, & I do wish that consciousness raising regained popularity!

stumbledin · 31/07/2020 16:27

Sooverthemill - I think Stop the ERA was just a campaign rather than a group.

From the tv series I got the impression that Schaffley was really interested into getting into mainstream politics and arms issues and so on and was using the "housewives rights" issue almost as a stepping stone to start a political career. A sort of double hypocrasy of defening women being at home but then planning how to leave being at home as the drudge of 6 children and a husband (eg taking up law and stuff).

The political group she formed the Eagle Forum still exists - recent press release eagleforum.org/

The tv series made it sound like she spent the rest of her life sort of defeated but seems what with her helping to get Regan elected and all the family friendly(!) policies that she has had a lasting impact. With a stronger hold on the Republicans than feminism has on the Demcrats

stumbledin · 31/07/2020 17:00

Article by Gloria Steinem and others about the series:
www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-07-30/steinem-and-smeal-why-mrs-america-is-bad-for-american-women

ERA Coalition www.eracoalition.org/

Sooverthemill · 31/07/2020 18:41

@stumbledin yes that's what I meant her Eagle group still continues. I wasn't meaning the STOP ERA. Apologies for my ambiguous post

Sooverthemill · 31/07/2020 18:43

And @Moanranger yes the lack of understanding about women's rights and politics being 'real' and that we would all be okay come the revolution so let's just focus on class politics was what drove me away from socialist politics in the 70s and 80s in the UK

ageingdisgracefully · 08/08/2020 18:04

Apart from anything else, the music is bloody amazing. Smile

drspouse · 14/08/2020 17:46

Really enjoying this but a bit behind.

@Sooverthemill I remember a quote which went something like "no man is so poor he cannot beat his wife" i.e. you can't have socialism without feminism (but implying that people try to say the working man is not sexist).

LaureBerthaud · 14/08/2020 19:38

@stumbledin - have you seen

BigRedBoat · 14/08/2020 20:12

[quote LaureBerthaud]@stumbledin - have you seen [/quote]
I haven't watched the whole thing but Cate Blanchett did a wonderful job with Phyllis's mannerisms and speech patterns, I read she has been nominated for an Emmy - well deserved I think!

LaureBerthaud · 14/08/2020 22:08

I've just read the LA Times article stumbledin posted. Really interesting to read Gloria Steinem say she "read the scripts and discovered that the whole premise was very wrong. Phyllis Schlafly and her followers were credited with stopping the ERA, rather than the insurance industry and other economic interests that stood to lose billions if the ERA passed". Schlafly is described as "window dressing".

stumbledin · 14/08/2020 23:23

Thanks for all the links and info!

Will follow up tomorrow.

jewel1968 · 15/08/2020 01:03

Shirley C is a relative of my DP so I had read a lot about her before out of interest. She certainly was an interesting and remarkable woman. Wished she had more of a storyline in this docu-drama.

sakura06 · 22/08/2020 20:48

@jewel1968 That's so interesting! It would have been nice to see more of Shirley, definitely. I found the episode named after her very moving.

I enjoyed the programme, but found the focus on Schlafly a bit jarring in some respects.

I loved the portrayal of Betty Friedan!

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