[panting]
When I put on a red pantsuit and my husband doesn't notice,
that's bad.
So I watch my calories. That's good.
[continues panting]
There's only 2 calories
in a big, bubbly 8‐ounce glass of Fresca.
No sugar. No saccharinates. [panting]
It's an honest to goodness... [telephone rings]
diet soft drink. [wolf whistle]
I like Fresca. [ring]
[continues panting]
The picture from Vietnam today is way better than yesterday.
[ring] 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, 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‐‐
[TV playing indistinctly]
It's 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?
Well, 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'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. [box rustles]
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?
Well, you saved me.
I am gonna have to stop the ERA being ratified here.
Well, Illinois is not Oklahoma.
No, yeah, yeah, it's a long shot.
It's the home of Adlai Stevenson
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.
[laughter]
Oh, that's true. [chuckles] [chuckles]
They're no fun. [laughs]
["I Want to Take You Higher" by Sly & the Family Stone playing]
[cheering]
♪♪ Hey, hey, hey ♪♪
♪♪ Feeling's gettin' stronger ♪♪
♪♪ Music's gettin' longer, too ♪♪
♪♪ Music is flashin' me ♪♪
♪♪ I want to, I want to ♪♪
♪♪ I want to take you higher ♪♪
♪♪♪♪♪♪
♪♪ I want to take you higher ♪♪
♪♪ Baby, baby, baby ♪♪
["A Fifth of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy playing]
♪♪♪♪♪♪
[horns honking] 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. [laughter]
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. [laughter]
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.
Ms. Steinem! Ms. Steinem!
[reporters shouting at once]
["Tell Mama" by Etta James playing]
♪♪ You thought you had to find a good girl ♪♪
♪♪ One to love you and give you the world ♪♪
♪♪ Now you've found that you've been misused ♪♪
♪♪ Talk to me, I'll do what you choose ♪♪
♪♪ I want you to ♪♪
♪♪ Tell Mama ♪♪
♪♪ All about it ♪♪
[gasps]
They were itty‐bitty, so I got two.
[laughs] [glasses clink]
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.
[glasses clink]
♪♪♪♪♪♪
Ms. Steinem, can I ask you one last question,
if you don't mind?
Uh, Betty Friedan, in a speech yesterday said,
"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."
Any comment?
[indistinct conversations, camera shutter clicking]
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 ♪♪
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.
♪♪♪♪♪♪
That was one of our biggest advertisers.
You wanna 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.
The Temptations: ♪♪ Ain't no words to this song ♪♪
How you doing? All right.
♪♪ You just dance and hum along ♪♪
Can you stay over tonight?
Yeah, but I have to leave early.
Got the kids in the morning.
♪♪♪♪♪♪
♪♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪♪
♪♪♪♪♪♪
♪♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh ♪♪
♪♪♪♪♪♪
[birds chirping]
[bell tolling]
You came. I even had time to bake.
Well, actually, it's leftover from Easter.
I won't tell if you won't tell.
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.
The world's going to hell in a handbag.
You know, I read, uh, recently, 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.
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.
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.
Mm‐hmm.
[stammers] 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,"
they think it was just like "Oklahoma!"
♪♪ ...walking proudly in our winter coats ♪♪
♪♪ Wearing... ♪♪ Judith?
It's Phyllis Schlafly.
Yeah I'm calling about... I'm calling about
the upcoming vote in Springfield
on the ratification... 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...
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?
Or better yet, put your husband to bed
a half‐hour early. [chuckles]
I knock off a few letters after everyone's asleep.
[baby fusses]
♪♪♪♪♪♪
How are we doing? 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? 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.
I'm going to the post office. Give me your letters.
♪♪♪♪♪♪
Last call for the post office.
♪♪ Let the sunshine ♪♪
How many have we got?
Yes. We will be in touch.
We got invited on "The Phil Donahue Show."
Aah! We got...
[all cheering and speaking at once]
[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.
[horn honks]
[telephone 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's laughter, 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 we'll depress sales, especially in the South.
Well, we don't put her on the cover, it'll depress me.
You wanna piss off your distribution company
and sales team? They work for us.
This issue hits the newsstands
right before the Democratic Convention.
I wanna put Shirley on our cover.
What about 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 wanna 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. What? It's a great story.
It's a great story.
[footsteps depart]
He's the money guy. Come through here.
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 5.
What am I watching?
The other side of the ERA debate.
[telephone rings in distance]
[receiver clatters]
Can we get a TV in here?
Would you please welcome to the show
conservative author and activist Mrs. Phyllis Schlafly?
[applause]
♪♪♪♪♪♪
[chuckles]
[applause subsides]
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.
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 dust bins
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 wanna 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 conversations]
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.
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 will be more comfortable.
Well, okay. Thank you.
And I figure you and Ms. Freidan wanna sit together.
♪♪♪♪♪♪
Hello, Betty.
♪♪♪♪♪♪
Thank you.
♪♪♪♪♪♪
Ow.
[exhales] Sorry. I'm so sorry.
[indistinct conversations]
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.
♪♪♪♪♪♪
[jet engine powering up]
♪♪♪♪♪♪
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. Oh, no, Senator?
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 will 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 birth control laws, laws on sexual orientation,
forced sterilization. That's interesting.
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.
♪♪♪♪♪♪
The Fortunes: ♪♪ Here comes that rainy day feeling again ♪♪
He's not gonna call.
♪♪ And soon my tears... ♪♪
He's going to call. [knock on door]
♪♪ ...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 going to dance my way out of Toledo.
[indistinct conversations continue, laughter]
That was my great dream.
[cheers and applause]
[telephone rings]
[ring]
♪♪ 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 conversations, laughter]
[rhythmic knock on door]
You really can't leave this room?
Well, now I don't wanna 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. 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 wanna 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.
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!
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...
[lowered voice] 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?
Thus childcare centers could...
♪♪♪♪♪♪
I don't even know where Springfield is.
I've rented buses. You could bring your children with you.
[door closes] They'll be educational.
[baby cooing]
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, m‐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 focused on that bread.
It needs five minutes to cool.
That does smell so good, Willie.
I'll write the recipe down for you.
Every time I try to bake bread,
it turns out soggy. Mm‐hmm.
You might not be giving it enough time to rise.
Yeah. 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.
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.
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.
[mouth full] Mmm, this is delicious.
Why are you in a good mood?
Oh, just enjoying watching you enjoy that bread.
Why shouldn't I enjoy it?
[chuckles]
["Oogum Boogum Song" by Brenton Wood playing]
Enjoy the bread. Vote "no" on ERA.
From the breadmakers to the breadwinners.
Thank you so much. ♪♪ Oogum, boogum ♪♪
Vote "no." Remember, vote "no."
Don't forget to vote "no." 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... ♪♪
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!
[amplified voice] All right, ladies, it's time to go in
and have our voices heard.
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 difference?
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. [camera shutter snaps]
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. [glasses clatter]
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,
we can control the‐‐ So, what, a year?
If the ERA is safely in the Constitution...
Two or‐‐or maybe a decade? No, really, I wanna 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]
[wheels rattling]
[vehicles passing, horns honking]
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.
[voice breaking] A whole bunch of us in one room.
Sorry.
[siren wailing in distance]
[cries]
[pop] Oh! [laughs]
[playing lively tune on piano] There you go.
I'd like to make three toasts.
Roger. To our eldest, John.
[stops playing piano]
We are 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. 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...
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] Hmm. Off you go.
It was defeated by seven votes.
A win's a win.
[piano continues playing]
I didn't want to be elected spokeswoman.
That's why I left.
Which only made you more attractive.
We need you. Hold on.
♪♪♪♪♪♪
McGovern always says you sold him on the women's issue.
Well, then he shouldn't have sold us out on abortion.
[opens drawer]
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 gotta go.
[receiver clatters]
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.
[jazz playing on radio] 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.
5‐year‐old's aren't getting any younger.
So you don't wanna have a child?
Well, I had a child‐‐ my mother.
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 call you later, then.
♪♪♪♪♪♪
[sighs]
[laughs]
You can't put me off forever.
♪♪♪♪♪♪
Wonder Woman. Neat.
♪♪♪♪♪♪
[mug clatters]
♪♪♪♪♪♪
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...
You got a few minutes?
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.
[static, click]
Oh. ♪♪♪♪♪♪
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've made an exception for me.
♪♪ The birds are singing ♪♪
♪♪ For me and my gal ♪♪
♪♪ Everybody's been knowing ♪♪
[can top fizzes] ♪♪ 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 ♪♪
[telephone rings]
Or three? Or four?
Or five? Or maybe more.
♪♪ In Loveland ♪♪
[ring] ♪♪ For me and gal ♪♪
[siren wailing in distance]
[ring]
[horn honks in distance]
[ring]
[heels tapping and shuffling]
[ring]
♪♪♪♪♪♪
[pages shuffling]
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.
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.
[whispers] Thank you.
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" by The Kinks playing]
♪♪♪♪♪♪
♪♪ 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 the 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 ♪♪
♪♪ Oh ♪♪
♪♪ This time tomorrow ♪♪
♪♪ Where will we be? ♪♪
♪♪ On a spaceship somewhere ♪♪
♪♪ Sailing across an empty sea ♪♪
♪♪ This time tomorrow ♪♪
♪♪ Where will we be?
♪♪ This time tomorrow ♪♪
♪♪ What will we see? ♪♪
♪♪ This time tomorrow ♪♪
♪♪♪♪♪♪