Mrs. America (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - Bella - full transcript

The Positive Woman looks upon
her femaleness and her fertility

as part of her purpose,
her potential, and her power.

She starts with the knowledge

that America is the greatest
country in the world,

and she must do her part
to keep it that way.

[APPLAUSE]

Now the women's liberation movement...

They like to characterize the, uh,

Positive Woman as negative...

- [WOMEN MURMURING]
- ... as "Anti,"

when in fact, the opposite is true,



because the Positive Woman
is pro-family and pro-life...

- [WOMEN MURMURING]
- ... and pro-American.

[MURMURING CONTINUES]

There's a question?

H-How does the Positive
Woman cope with threats

to our nation's security
both within our borders

as well as outside?

[LOWERED VOICE] My mother's
now your mother's ringer.

- Unbelievable.
- You're referring, no doubt,

to our current political crisis?

Well, our last election was a rout.

[SCOFFS] There's no other
way of describing it.

The liberals now control the courts

and the legislative
and executive branches



and the media.

And in Jimmy Carter, well,

we have a president who
is weak on foreign policy,

is complacent in the face
of the growing red menace,

and he is ill-prepared to
deal with the nuclear genie

that is well and
truly out of the bottle,

not to mention that within
weeks of his inauguration,

the First Lady
ruthlessly lobbied Indiana

to become the 35th
state to ratify the ERA.

- Your mother seems...
- She's been like this

- since the election.
- [WHISPERS] Shh, shh.

So thank you very much.

Uh, this is just a small
appetizer from my new book,

"The Power of the Positive Woman,"

and if you want the full meal,

you'll need to buy a
copy from me for $8.95.

- Thank you.
- [WOMEN MURMURING]

[CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS]

Oh, thank you.

Hi!

[LOWERED VOICE] Phyl,
sit up straight, sweetheart.

- You were wonderful.
- Oh, you were, too.

We should eat something before
we head off to the theater.

I can't believe I drove
all this way from Boston

for "The King and I."

I thought I was coming in for
"A Chorus Line."

"The King and I" is a classic.

Clive Barnes called "A Chorus Line"
an occasion of joy.

"Like a rainbow after a thunderstorm."

- Is Clive Barnes a weatherman?
- Oh, she's spent

one semester at Princeton,
and she's already spouting

this liberal nonsense like it's gospel.

You have just a bit of
perspiration right there.

You're a traitor to your sex
by waging war against women!

[WOMEN GASP AND SCREAM]

♪ Hey, oh, let's go ♪

♪ Hey, oh, let's go ♪

♪ They're formin' in a straight line ♪

♪ They're goin' through a tight one ♪

♪ The kids are losin' their minds ♪

♪ Blitzkrieg bop ♪

♪♪

♪ Hey, oh, let's go ♪

Well, I'm... I'm glad
it wasn't a cherry pie,

because it would've stained my dress.

["A FIFTH OF BEETHOVEN"
BY WALTER MURPHY PLAYING]

[HORN HONKS,
VEHICLES PASSING IN DISTANCE]

Is it... tongue?

Mm. And some kind of... fish spread.

That's a whitefish spread.

It's an old Cossack family recipe

from her father's butcher shop.

Say you're on a diet.
That's what I always say.

- You are always on a diet.
- [CHUCKLES]

And we're here to cheer her up.

How bad is she?

[SIGHS] Just... don't
comment on her hair.

I'm happy you're here to
give her some good news.

I hope she sees it that way.
It's not even a paid position.

I really thought she would win.

No one's eating. Is someone sick?

- [BOTH LAUGH]
- [DOOR CLOSES]

I'm not interrupting.

I just came out to
sneak myself a sandwich.

Oh, excuse my hair.
I haven't been able to find anyone

as good as Lily in the city.

You haven't found anyone
as good in New York City.

Uh, well, it was a walk
from the House Beauty Parlor

to the Capitol that
really made my hair shine.

[CHUCKLES] No one's touched the liver.

Mmm.

Did Bella tell you that we're going

to Southern Italy next month?

Yeah, we're taking a food tour,

see who makes the better salami.

- It's called salumi.
- No, no, "salumi"

is the umbrella term
for all cured meats.

I have been waiting 25
years to get you back there.

[CHUCKLES]

I'd like to, uh,
make a toast to Midge...

... on being the first female
assistant to the president.

I can't believe it was
only five years ago

you were my assistant at the convention,

running around, delivering papers.

- Cheers.
- [GLASSES CLINK]

- Cheers.
- You clearly have Carter's ear.

Use it wisely.

I am using it wisely.

I have asked the president to
resurrect Jill's commission,

which means the first ever
national women's convention

is back from the dead.

[STAMMERS] The one that I...

Funded with your bill. Yes.
It's scheduled for November.

Just need to find the
right person to run it.

- Not this November.
- [GLASS CLATTERS]

That's not enough time.

Uh, it's designed to be run like
a political party convention,

only it's bipartisan...
Uh, an even bigger undertaking.

It takes years to plan.

Which is why I've asked the
president to appoint you

as Presiding Officer of the commission.

Only you could pull off
something this ambitious.

We could get so much done.

I would certainly be the
right man for the job.

[LAUGHTER]

- [GLASSES CLINK]
- Cheers.

♪♪

[FOOTSTEPS APPROACH]

You're still up.

[SIGHS] It's late. Come to bed.

Hmm.

That was a great slogan.

Hmm. It was.

But Bella Abzug won with it.

The most socialist,
anti-war, radical libber

had the same slogan as me.

Don't make it personal.

Come to bed.

[PATS HAND]

[SIGHS]

[FOOTSTEPS DEPART]

I want you to imagine

a group of Native Alaskan women
getting on a bus in Fairbanks,

Appalachian women getting
on a bus in Beattyville,

homemakers getting on a bus in Toledo.

They're all traveling to
represent their state,

all of them yearning to
have a voice in government,

to vote on issues
that affect their lives.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS IN DISTANCE]

It's easier to imagine
if your eyes are closed.

When the state meetings are over,

all these buses,
hundreds and hundreds of them

with women from all walks of life,

make their way to Houston.

We have very limited resources.

Do we wanna spend our
money on these buses,

or on pretty skirts to decorate
tables on the convention floor?

Fine. No table skirts.
Everyone, open your eyes.

You're gonna give a 10-minute meditation

on every line item in the budget?

No, just the table skirts
felt frivolous.

Moving on. Coretta Scott King

has agreed to join the commission

and chair the minority rights committee.

That's fabulous.

Uh, we have one more spot.

As much as I hate to say it,

I think we should appoint Betty
as our final commissioner.

Betty Friedan? No.

Uh, I know she's divisive
and a pain in the ass,

but she is a pioneer.

Who almost singlehandedly kept lesbians

out of the movement for a decade.

And we've been making a big
push at the state meetings

to approve a gay rights resolution.

If the resolution makes it
on the agenda in Houston,

will the president still get up
onstage for opening ceremonies?

- I'll make sure of it.
- If Betty is on that stage,

it'll send a message
that we're not welcome.

- I'll resign.
- So now we're not gonna have

people we disagree with participate?

Not if we want Houston to be inclusive.

You wanna be inclusive by excluding?

Would you listen to yourself?

- You cannot appoint her.
- Okay. Okay, let's calm down.

This is just how we
talk in New York City.

The West Side of New York City.

[LAUGHTER]

This is exactly

what I warned would happen
with the Democrats in charge.

It's a federally funded festival
for frustrated feminists.

They're gonna ram a whole platform

of lefty issues down our throats.

- Yes.
- Will the libbers use this

to get those last three states?

Well, they put that Marxist
Bella Abzug in charge,

so I would guess yes,

but that doesn't mean
we're gonna roll over

and let them win.

- They are truly the horribles.
- Mm-hmm.

Deviants and murderers.

Get ready to see our hard-earned dollars

go to fund abortion on
demand, lesbianism,

shelters for beaten wives.

Well, I think the husband will
be more inclined to beat her...

- if he thinks she's gonna get
- [BABY FUSSING]

a vacation funded by his tax dollar.

But, uh, we should
organize a counter rally

to protest the convention.

Grab the attention of the press.

No. No, no, no, no, no.
No, no, no, wait a minute.

I do have a strategy.

Now Bella Abzug's commission
is holding meetings

in every state this summer,

where they will elect representatives

to go to this national
convention in Houston,

and each of these state meetings
will be our battleground.

Now we need to get ourselves
elected so that we can get seats

at the convention.

Why shouldn't conservative
women have a voice

on women's issues?

Well, that's right.
That's exactly my point.

So anyone can run,
not just the liberals?

Yes, it's called the electoral process.

Well, it's, um...

it's kind of like the Pillsbury
Bake-Off Contest...

Thousands of women from
every state competing

for a spot on the national competition

to see who has the best recipes.

And we have to get pro-family bakers,

or we'll be stuck with a bunch

of liberal recipes in our cookbook

and force-fed ERA brownies,
abortion cookies,

and lesbian pies till Kingdom come.

Yes, well, every metaphor
has its limits, Rosemary.

Well, if we're going to war,
we'll need protection.

I have some men that
would be willing to help,

make sure we're not harmed.

Do you really think it's that dangerous?

Look at what they did to Phyllis.

Oh! It doesn't hurt a bit.

But we do need to be smart about this.

Because if we're gonna
take over their conference

by winning seats,
they can't see us coming.

Frankly, Phyllis, I have concerns

about you being the leader
of this operation.

You're a lightning rod.

I think she has a point.

Well, clearly, you're a target,
given your... pirate status.

What... What if you
get pied again or worse?

I am not a pirate.

I only meant let us do
the work on the ground,

and you can recover and
strategize from home.

Yeah, well,
I can see the wisdom in that.

Well, I think it's clear
who should be out front.

I have done a pretty good job
of running the Illinois chapter

of STOP ERA.

I would be honored to take
your place on the front lines.

Yes.

Congratulations, Rosemary.
You've just been drafted.

[CHUCKLES] Well...

since STOP ERA and Eagle
Forum are so closely tied

to your name and image,
I think it might be a good idea

for me to create an ad hoc organization

with myself as president,

just to be sure the libbers
don't see us coming

until it's too late...

like you said.

♪♪

The South Carolina
office was burglarized?

In broad daylight. The staff was there.
The door was open.

By who?

Some group calling themselves
Citizen's Review Committee.

Find out what they took.

I'm not your assistant.

Judy, what'd they take?!

It was like "The Pink Panther."

- First, I created a diversion.
- I don't wanna know.

The Eagle Forum is a
law-abiding organization.

Well, Eagle Forum is,

but the Citizen's Review Committee...

Don't look at me.

I was setting up our hospitality suite.

We should have a
training manual like this.

We could write our own.

Maybe even steal
their typeface to make it

look like we're an official
part of their commission.

"The Citizen's Review
Committee hospitality suite

"will be under 24-hour
security supervision

and can only be accessed..." Get this.

"... using the secret hand signal."

What kind of secret hand signals?

[LAUGHTER]

According to this,
the head of this new group

is housewife Rosemary Thomson.

Who also happens to be head
of the Illinois chapter

of STOP ERA and on the
board of the Eagle Forum.

They're trying to kill
this national convention

just like they've been trying
to kill ERA.

I'm worried...

Don't be. We have 1,400 delegate spots.

What's three ultra conservatives
getting elected from Georgia?

At what number should we start worrying?

If they get 20%,
they'll have real power.

[BLOWING WHISTLE]

So every time the
libbers would try to read

the ERA resolution...

[BLOWS WHISTLE] You can
hear it on the recording.

Well, I'll send copies to Senator Helms

to include their propaganda
in the Congressional Record.

♪♪

Where's the recording
of the Texas meeting?

- Oh, I...
- I'll need every single one

of those recordings, Pamela.

- I need to know what's going on.
- [SLAMS CABINET SHUT]

They swept the Missouri meeting.

The entire delegation was
taken over by the Antis.

They did well in Hawaii, too.

How is that even possible?

Well, there's an LDS
cultural center out there.

All these Mormons came over on boats.

Why didn't Mildred warn us in advance?

Isn't that her job?

Was. She quit when you
threw your lunch at her.

I didn't throw it at her.
It was just a little cole slaw.

The slaw that broke the camel's back.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS,
TELEPHONE RINGS IN DISTANCE]

[LAUGHING]

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]

[TYPEWRITER KEYS CLACKING,
TELEPHONE RINGING]

This is not a good time.

I could have predicted
what happened in Missouri.

And let me tell you something.

Whoever is organizing this
Citizen's Review Committee

is even more cunning
than Phyllis Schlafly.

It is Phyllis Schlafly.

The Citizen's Review
Committee is the Eagle Forum,

is STOP ERA. It's all the same people.

Well, if I was fooled,
everyone's fooled.

But you want to get advice
from Jean Stapleton.

[AS "EDITH BUNKER"]
Oh, ain't that smart?

She's Edith Bunker.

She's on the commission
because she's a celebrity.

Well, I'm a celebrity,

and my fans are not gonna show up...

I have a lot of fans...
Unless I'm there.

Then get your ass to Albany

and run to represent New York state.

Well... maybe I will!

[UNDER BREATH] Gosh.

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]

[TYPEWRITER KEYS CLACKING,
TELEPHONE RINGING]

We have a big problem in Albany.

Is Jesse Helms going to
be at the state dinner?

Make sure you corner him
and find out where Phyllis

is getting her funding and reassure...

The First Lady that we've
got things under control

while finding private
time for the president

with Anwar Sadat. Yes, I know.

- Doesn't she clean up well?
- Oh.

You're so beautiful.

- I feel like a chandelier.
- [CHUCKLES]

What's our plan?

Chinese, followed by a
drag show in Dupont Circle.

Mm! My perfect man.

Words I never thought I'd hear you say.

Be good.

[DOOR OPENS]

[FOOTSTEPS DEPART]

[BELLA SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

You were supposed to monitor
any activity on the ground!

Who are you?

I put a report on your desk.
Did you even look at it?

What happened?

Citizen's Review Committee
is busing people to Albany...

Mormons, thousands of 'em.

You're fired.

She didn't mean that.

We're just frustrated
with the situation. I...

Yes, everyone's frustrated.
One person is fired. Go.

[EXHALES DEEPLY]

Morale is already low.

We are in a crisis.

Nothing gets our side mobilized
more than Phyllis Schlafly.

She's in hiding. I need to draw her out.

Judy, could you get me
a flight to Normal, Illinois?

I don't think you should go.

You don't trust I know what I'm doing?

- You've been having outbursts.
- I'm under a lot of stress.

If you have an outburst with Phyllis,

in front of thousands of people,
that's how she got to Betty.

Oh, so you think I'm Betty now.

If you're so concerned, come with me.

I'm scheduled to speak at
the California meeting.

You know, that's the difference
between you and me.

You wanna preach to the choir.

[DOOR OPENS]

[TELEPHONE RINGS,
INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS]

[BABY FUSSING]

Of course I'm gonna
run in my home state.

Aren't these meetings open to all women?

- He's got Tommy's eyes.
- And Buck's hairline.

Ah. Anytime.

Well...

the press is crowing about a showdown.

And where Bella Abzug is,
Gloria Steinem's not far behind.

So does this mean you
can come out and run

in the elections with us?

Well, the cat's out of the bag.

They know that the, uh,
Citizen's Review Committee

is my work, and...
can't let my ladies down.

Oh. I'm so relieved.

I've never run for anything in my life.

You know, I think I should, uh,

make a speech from the floor,

something to make Bella really squirm.

- It's gonna be fun.
- [CHUCKLES]

I'm expecting a package.

Did you see anything in the mail?

Well, who's sending you a package, Phyl?

A boy?

Photographer's here.

- Oh.
- [FOOTSTEPS DEPART]

Well, this is a bit early, even for you.

Well... [SIGHS]

It's the only time all
of the children are home.

It's warm in here.
I'd take the blanket off him.

[DOG BARKING IN DISTANCE]

- Hmmhmm-hmm!
- Smile!

[THE ASSOCIATION'S "CHERISH" PLAYING]

[CLICKING CONTINUES]

- Bruce, tuck in your shirt.
- Oh. Sorry.

Get in, Aunt Eleanor.

Oh, honey, I don't have
my Christmas sweater on me.

You can have mine.
I don't even wanna be in this photo.

Let's get a few more
on the count of three.

One... two... three!

John, you're slouching.

Liza...

Phyl.

- Who's Liza?
- It's a nickname.

- "Phyl" is already a nickname. Why...
- It's not important.

It's important enough for
you to keep it from me.

'Cause I knew you'd react like this.
Doesn't matter.

No, it matters to me.

I happen to like your given name.

Do you know how hard it is

to be Phyllis Schlafly, Jr. On campus?

Oh, there are a lot of, uh, students

with famous parents at Princeton.

Not famous for being
public enemy number one

of women's liberation.

- I've changed my name.
- To what?

JOHN, BRUCE, ROGER: Liza.

That's not a very pretty name.

I... I think we're taking a break.

- Oh, thank you.
- Thank you.

You knew?

It wasn't my news to share.

I'm sorry. I didn't realize
my name was such a burden.

I feel like Hester Prynne
whenever I introduce myself.

People laugh at me.
You're famous. Good for you,

- but it's embarrassing for me.
- That's enough, Phyl.

Busloads of my friends are headed

to the state meeting tomorrow.
They're feminists.

They're interested in hearing
what Bella Abzug has to say.

You know, they all wanna be
Gloria Steinem, not...

I said that's enough, Phyl.

Now apologize to your mother right now.

You know, my mother
worked at the library

for 25 years, 5 days a week,
and on Sunday afternoons.

And on Saturdays,
she worked at my high school

so that I could have a proper
Catholic school education.

Now, uh, my classmates laughed
and joked about my mother

working at the school,
but I held my head high,

knowing that, uh,
she was doing what was necessary

so that my life could be better,
and I never, ever thought,

let alone said, that I was
ashamed or embarrassed of her.

I've decided to go to Berkeley.

♪ ... cherish you ♪

♪ And I do ♪

♪ Cherish you ♪

♪ And I do ♪

♪ Cherish you ♪

♪ Cherish is the word ♪

Did you talk to her this morning?

How many times are you gonna ask me?

I just hope she's okay.

Well, if she wasn't planning on coming,

- she should've given me the bullhorn.
- She's coming.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

[CHUCKLES]

[DOOR OPENS]

- Yeah, Bella!
- Bella!

[WOMEN CHEERING LOUDLY]

How are you?

[CHEERING CONTINUES]

- Go home, Bella!
- Go back to New York!

We don't want you here!

Has Schlafly arrived?

We'll know when she gets here.
All the trees will wilt.

- Boo! Boo!
- Go home! Go back to New York!

- [LAUGHS]
- [CHEERING CONTINUES]

Go back to New York, Bella! Go home!

[FOOTSTEPS APPROACH]

Phyllis? I was just gonna
pick up Anne from school.

Are you feeling all right?

Are you unwell?

Dr. Albert says that erratic sleeping,

- sweating is often...
- It's not that.

I'm fine.

I do know for me that I didn't
know what was happening.

I did not get into this fight to lose.

Not to that hideous
battle-axe. I can't...

I just...

Why does she get to be
inside the White House?

You don't want to go to that
women's convention anyway.

Going to Houston a
week before Thanksgiving?

We always have so much to do.

Oh, were you planning to
spend Thanksgiving with us?

Well... what do you mean?

Well, I know it's been our tradition,

but Fred and I have been
so selfish with your time,

and I know Robert's
kids and Daniel's kids

love their Aunt Eleanor
as much as mine do.

Oh. I'll... I'll check with them.

Good. It's only fair.

[SIGHS] You can wait in here.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

Shh!

Hello. I'm Bella.

We know who you are.

Let's see your sign.

So you're not going for wit.

Okay. But you spelled
my name right. That's good.

You wouldn't believe how many people

spell "Abzug" incorrectly.
It's phonetic.

Where's your queen?

She's been held up in traffic.

In Normal, Illinois?

She's not coming, is she?

Oh.

You don't know it yet.

Let me tell you the truth
about Phyllis Schlafly.

She's a liar, a fearmonger,
and a con artist,

but worst of all,
she's a goddamn feminist.

She might be one of the most
liberated women in America.

Excuse me, but you don't
know anything about Phyllis.

Before she took up our cause,

we were the punchline of jokes
on late night talk shows,

made to feel guilty for
being proud homemakers,

wanting to stay home with our children

instead of going to work in an office.

We don't want to be working girls.

She's been our savior, our Joan of Arc.

Everything we know, we learned from her.

What have you learned from her?

So many things she's taught us.

Has she taught you
how to lobby legislators?

[SCOFFS] Of course.

Has she taught you how to draft
a press release? A speech?

- Yes.
- How to answer reporters' questions,

- get the television interview?
- Yes.

- How to create a budget and balance it?
- Yes.

Congratulations. You're working girls.

[AMPLIFIED VOICE] Before
we begin the voting,

it is my distinct honor to
present our keynote speaker,

former U. S. Representative...

Be sure to give Phyllis my best regards.

... Bella Abzug!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

[LOUD CHEERS AND APPLAUSE CONTINUE]

[AMPLIFIED VOICE] Thank you. Thank you.

[LOUD CHEERS AND APPLAUSE CONTINUE]

Ah.

Wow, it's great to be here.

When our country's forefathers
wrote the Constitution,

- they overlooked our foremothers...
- [LAUGHTER]

... which is why I've come here today

to the great state of Illinois.

[LOUD CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

[APPLAUSE]

Thank you. Thank you.

[APPLAUSE CONTINUES]

[BELLA SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

... it's because of
all of your hard work.

[CHEERING CONTINUES]

[CHUCKLES] Good, good, good.

I heard you got four standing ovations.

Actually, five...
Six, if you count this one.

[LAUGHS]

She never even showed when
she heard I was coming.

[TELEPHONE RINGING,
TYPEWRITER KEYS CLACKING]

How was California?

We finally passed the resolution

to decriminalize prostitution.

Flo and I are happy about that.

Ah, that's sweet, you still think

that's ever gonna make it on the agenda.

But good news.
26 states have voted to approve

a gay rights resolution.

It's no longer the
stepchild of the movement.

I can't wait to hear
the anti-change women

get up and preach about
the dangers of perverts

teaching in our schools
right before the vote.

That's politics.

They're winning seats fair and square.

They're busing Mormons to
New York from out of state.

They're rigging the system,

and you're doing nothing to stop them.

- What would you have me do?
- Kick them out.

They'll rake us over the
coals for being partisan.

We'll become the assholes.

They're gonna bring bloody fetus banners

and tell us what we can and
cannot do with our bodies,

and we're the assholes.

- We have to compromise.
- Like we did with McGovern?

We finally have a place that's ours,

and they're going to ruin it.

I've spent almost 10 years in this town.

I know what I can get
done and what I can't...

Something you've never had to learn.

I've learned that I'm not willing to sit

on another convention
floor getting called

a murderer of babies.

I'm not willing to let women speak

who are getting funded by the Birchers.

I'm sick of shrinking our
dreams to appeal to the middle.

This was supposed to be our Eden,

and you've let the snakes in.

You were a bigger radical
than me when we met.

And you were a dilettante
who wanted to play politics.

[FOOTSTEPS DEPART]

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

[EXHALING DEEPLY]

[FAN WHIRRING, CLOCK TICKING]

[CLOSES DRAWER]

[CLICK]

[THE RUNAWAYS' "CHERRY BOMB" PLAYING]

♪♪

♪ Can't stay at home,
can't stay at school ♪

♪ Old folks say,
"You poor little fool" ♪

♪ Down the streets
I'm the girl next door ♪

♪ I'm the fox you've been waiting for ♪

♪ Hello, Daddy, hello, Mom ♪

♪ I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-
ch-ch-cherry bomb ♪

♪ Hello, world, I'm your wild girl ♪

♪ I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-
ch-ch-cherry bomb ♪

♪ Hello, Daddy, hello, Mom ♪

♪ I'm your ch-ch-ch-ch-
ch-ch-cherry bomb ♪

Phyllis?

Phyllis? Is anybody here?

Oh, there you are.

[CASSETTES CLACKING,
TAPE PLAYER BUTTON CLICKS]

GLORIA: We must come
together as sisters,

white, black, brown,
heterosexual, and lesbian.

- Lesbian rights are human r...
- [CLICK]

What are you doing? I'm in the
middle of something important.

Why didn't you show up yesterday?

It was a strategic decision.

For your information,
I have had an inspired idea.

I know you don't like to lose.

Oh, I'm not losing. I'm winning.

We got trounced.
You left us to be humiliated

in front of Bella Abzug
and 2,000 libbers.

Lesbian rights are human rights.

MAN: Glory be to the Father
and to the Son

and to the Holy Ghost...

I'm putting these libber quotes
all together on one tape,

including, uh, some sermons
that Lottie Beth sent me.

BELLA: Don't people realize
that most women are working...

[TAPE STUTTERS] to destroy the home,

family, and religion.

But that's not exactly what
she said in her speech.

Yes, but she said those words.

Yes, but... but in a...
In a different way.

You're just taking them out of context.

She said them.

Now the kids... they call these,
uh, music compilations.

They're like movie soundtracks,

and they make them
for their sweethearts,

but you can also make them for people

who are not your sweethearts.

If we're gonna mobilize more people,

we need them to know how truly
horrible those libbers are.

Yeah, in their own words.

That's devious.

[CASSETTES CLACKING]

Are you angry with me?

I'll tell the girls you
had food poisoning.

[TAPE PLAYER BUTTON CLICKS]

GLORIA: Lesbian rights affect all of us.

MAN: "You shall not lie with a male

as with a woman. It's an abomination."

BELLA: We fight for
reproductive freedom!

MAN: "Before I formed you
in the womb, I knew you."

GLORIA: Women at home
work harder than anyone,

and they work 99.6 hours
a week without pay.

A man would have to pay a
housekeeper $14,000 a year,

not including part-time prostitution.

- So that's the Horribles tape.
- I miss Gloria.

We're the Horribles?

These tapes are everywhere.

They're spreading like
wildfire across the churches.

This must be how the swept Oklahoma,
Alabama, Mississippi

last weekend... this tape.

It's not just that they've
mobilized more people.

They've emboldened the Klan to
crawl out from under a rock.

The Klan is showing up?

Mississippi will be represented

by an all-white delegation in Houston.

That includes the wife
of the Grand Dragon

- of the Mississippi Klan.
- They're not even hiding.

Can you ask the president
for more money for security?

Delicately, I will.

Use this to bury Phyllis Schlafly.

I've waited years for proof
that she's in bed with the Klan.

Uh...

Uh, given all that's happening,
I-I think, um...

I think it's... unwise

to keep a gay rights
resolution on the agenda.

You can't do that.
It was approved in 30 states.

Believe me, this is
the hardest part of my job.

I got you this job.

Carter appointed me.

Because I begged him.

Mrs. Carter thought
you were pushy and loud.

You know that's code for Jewish...

- And I fought for you.
- ... and Italian.

I thought you would fight for me.

You want me to release
hundreds of lavender balloons

on the convention floor that say,
"We are everywhere"?

You're not even out of the closet!

Well, maybe if I could hold Jean's...

I can't even hold her hand
while we walk down the street

without being afraid that I'm gonna
get the shit kicked out of me.

You're fearless.

That's why I got you this appointment.

That's why I got into politics at all.

Because you went down to
Mississippi at 28 years old

to defend Willie McGee.

- You risked your life...
- Sorry I let you down.

I tried to stop the Antis,
but they're coming to Houston,

they're bringing the Klan,

and my job is to keep our women safe.

Your job is to make sure the president

is standing on that stage.

The president isn't coming.

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR SLAMS, FOOTSTEPS DEPART]

[HORN HONKING IN DISTANCE]

Picked up the things from your office.

Aw. What's this?

Uh, it's from the South Dakota meeting.

Someone sent you a miniature
Mount Rushmore statue,

remade with the Suffragettes.

[LAUGHS]

- Oh, Wisconsin?
- Yes.

You know what goes
nicely with this cheese?

From the Kentucky meeting.

- Kentucky?
- Mm-hmm.

- This could be poisoned.
- Well, I'll be your taster.

Did you run into Bella?

Uh... no.

No, she was in a meeting.

I haven't gone this long
without speaking to her and...

What's this?

Uh...

Huh.

[CHUCKLES]

[LAUGHS]

They thought I would wear this?

How could you let a Klansman
guard our hospitality suite?

[SIGHS] Well,
we didn't know he was a Klansman.

They don't walk around in hoods.
Talk to Lotte.

Well, you should've vetted him.

You're right, and I-I got a bad feeling

from a lot of the men driving buses

into Mississippi and Alabama.

I should have said something.
I'm so stupid.

It's all right. It's all right.

I've... I've fixed it.
I've, uh, denied any association.

Well, I think we need to go further.

The... The Grand Dragon
of the Klan in Mississippi

has already gone on record
saying he collaborated with us.

The only way to make it absolutely clear

that we don't tolerate
hate groups is to put out

a press release denouncing
them once and for all.

Now that is a very smart idea.

- With Lotte.
- All right.

Now look, this, uh,
certainly is a setback,

but, uh, given what we're up against,

I think it is remarkable
how well we've done,

and, uh, Jacquie Davison called me,

and she's been elected,
and Ann Patterson is... is going,

but I think we should
count ourselves lucky

that we don't have to go to
this crooked extravaganza

right before Thanksgiving.

Well... uh... I have to go.

What?

I won.

- Oh.
- I didn't know you won.

Well, it took them a
while to count the ballots.

I just got the call a few days ago.

They didn't call me till this morning.

- Me, too.
- We all won.

- I can't believe it.
- [LAUGHS] We all won?

[LAUGHTER]

Oh. Um...

it was too bad you got food
poisoning and couldn't run, too.

Oh, yes. Yes. It's, uh... Ooh.

Well, anyway, I'm... I'm too busy to go.

I-I think we should go.

They need to see us.

They need to see good people
who are against the ERA,

that our cause is just,

and it has nothing to do
with hate or prejudice.

That's right.

Plus the government is paying us.

It's kind of like a job.

Delegate-at-large?

Oh, it's a very prestigious honor.

What the hell does it even mean?

Whatever we want it to.
I made it up. [CHUCKLES]

I'm busy. I'm writing articles

for a new magazine
called "Working Women."

It's like "Ms." but not dull.

Come to Houston. You...

You don't get the credit you deserve

'cause you're difficult.

And you're ruthless,
and you don't listen.

To you. I don't like a know-it-all.

Well, I admit I do have
very strong instincts.

- [CHUCKLES]
- And I'll be honest with you.

My instincts tell me
there's only one issue

that you should make a
priority at your convention...

Equal pay for equal work.

That's what Phyllis understands.

She has one message,
and she sticks to it.

Make it about everything,
it winds up being about nothing.

As my father used to say,

you only pluck one chicken at a time.

[LAUGHS] Yeah,
was your father a butcher?

- Mm-hmm.
- Oh.

Oh, and don't let them
make it about lesbianism.

It's not our fight.

Gloria doesn't understand that.

She has a vision of Houston

as being some magical
feminist Woodstock.

Well, sure, why not?

She's not going to get
blamed if it's a failure.

It'll be you, and they won't say

that Bella Abzug couldn't pull it off.

They'll say that women just can't

pull off this sort of thing.

And it'll be another 150 years

until they let women
gather like this again.

Do you wanna stay for dinner?
I'm making soup from scratch.

I can't remember the last
time I had people over.

Uh, Marty's expecting me.

Mm.

Does it bother you that...

no one calls you a radical anymore?

The movement is getting
down to Middle America.

We're mainstream. That's a good thing.

[HORNS HONKING IN DISTANCE]

[BOAT HORN BLOWS]

[SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE]

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

You never pick up your phone.

Why are you holding a flashlight?

It's not a flashlight. It's a torch.

Don't you have any imagination?

[DOOR CLOSES]

[HORN HONKS IN DISTANCE]

After months of sitting
silently in our meetings,

eating all our food,

Sey Chassler finally had a good idea...

A relay from Seneca Falls to Houston

in the weeks leading
up to the convention,

women athletes of all ages,
and I thought,

instead of a baton,
why not a torch like Lady Liberty?

Women on the move.

That's good. That's good.
Write that down.

I'm not writing that down.

Have you spoken to Midge?

[SIPS]

Yeah. I've spoken to Midge.

Midge remembers my defense
of Willie McGee as heroic.

I was eight months pregnant
when I went down to Jackson.

With Egee?

It was the first Supreme Court
petition I'd ever written.

It was my first trip to the South.

It was the first time
I got a death threat.

They said, "Willie McGee's
white woman lawyer should be

executed along with him
in the electric chair."

I slept, disguised, above a brothel...

because vigilantes stalked the hotels.

The whole time, I was scared shitless.

I lost the baby.

Stress, the doctor said.

They got to me.

I left Mississippi before
the case was over.

I had so much still to do.

There is so much still to do.

[SLAPS LAP]

Fear never moved mountains.

What's right is right.

I have to do right by Midge.

But if I put lesbian
rights back on the agenda,

it's true.

We have to keep the Antis out.

I'll do my best.

What if we let them in?

What if we let everyone in?

Let the chips fall where they may.

What do you mean, everyone?
Not Schlafly's people.

Everyone, everyone.

What's really revolutionary
about a group of people

in a room agreeing with each other?

The whole thing could
blow up in our faces.

I invited Betty to be
a delegate-at-large.

[LAUGHTER]

[ARGENT'S "HOLD YOUR HEAD UP" PLAYING]

♪ And if it's bad ♪

♪ Don't let it get you down ♪

♪ You can take it ♪

♪♪

♪ And if it hurts ♪

♪ Don't let them see you cry ♪

♪ You can make it ♪

♪ Hold your head up, woman ♪

♪ Hold your head up, woman ♪

♪ Hold your head up, woman ♪

♪ Hold your head high ♪

♪ Hold your head up, woman ♪

♪ Hold your head up, woman ♪

♪ Hold your head up, woman ♪

♪ Hold your head up, woman ♪

♪ Hold your head up, woman ♪

♪ Hold your head up, woman ♪

♪ Hold your head up, woman ♪

♪♪

I put the leftovers in the freezer.

Do you need anything
else before I leave?

Oh, no, thank you, Willie.
I'll... I'll see you tomorrow.

Okay. See you tomorrow.

[FOOTSTEPS DEPART]

[DIAL TONE]

[TOUCH TONES SOUNDING]

[LINE CONNECTS]

[LINE RINGS]

[RING]

- Lottie Beth Hobbs.
- It's Phyllis.

You're working late.

Hmm. I've been reading your book.

You, uh...

say some pretty
powerful things about hate.

Now I don't hate anybody,
and if we're gonna

continue to work together...

You need to understand
that to love completely

requires learning to hate properly.

It is to love what God loves
and to hate what God hates.

I want to be clear about something.

We can't have anything
to do with the Klan.

Goes without saying.

But, uh, you know, I am tolerant,

and I let be against women's lib
for the reasons of their choice.

Now about this idea you
had for a counter-rally

at the end of their convention
at Houston...

it's a good one.

You needn't sell me on my own idea.

But I would call it a pro-family rally.

And I think if we pooled our resources,

we'd have a pretty good shot
at matching their crowds,

- don't you think?
- Yes.

But if outside groups want to...
lend support,

we can't control it.

So we make a rule.

There's no official group name
on any of the signs or buses.

Understood.

Now if we pull this off,
Houston will be the death knell

of the women's liberation movement.

Let's blow it up.

[RECEIVER CLATTERS]

♪ Well... ♪