Hollywood’s Depiction of Phyllis Schlafly is Lazy, False and Sexist

April 13, 2020

Press Release: Hollywood Attacks Women

Teasers and early reviews of the FX/Hulu series “Mrs. America,” premiering this Wednesday, reveal a lazy effort to reincarnate Eagle Forum Founder and President Phyllis Schlafly according to her opponents’ imaginations, rather than striving for historical accuracy.

“The series is touted as a fresh perspective on the fight surrounding the Equal Rights Amendment, but, we are disappointed that, instead of uncovering the truth, producers have defaulted to the same stale, false and sexist accusations Phyllis’ liberal opponents have been lobbying for decades,” said Eagle Forum president Eunie Smith. “Depicting Phyllis as a power-hungry puppet of the men in her life is as false as it is sexist.”

Schlafly biographer Don Critchlow, a professor of History, Political Science and leadership at Arizona State University extensively interviewed Phyllis, her family, and friends, and had full access to Phyllis’ archives, financial records, correspondence, and family letters. Critchlow noted in an interview with The Washington Examiner that the series seems “reminiscent of how Phyllis was being caricatured by her opponents in the 1970s,” as opposed to the true Phyllis he studied and got to know.

Noting many inaccuracies, Critchlow calls the series’ portrayal of Schlafly’s marriage as a contentious one “ludicrous.” Critchlow references a scene that frequently appears in series trailers in which the fictionalized Fred Schlafly shouts his wife, “I have let you run around this country with your cause!” Critchlow calls the scene “so inaccurate, it’s absolutely shocking,” and goes on to note that based on his extensive research, Fred Schlafly “never yelled at his wife.”

Schlafly’s younger daughter, Anne Schlafly Cori, corroborates Critchlow’s observation. “[“Mrs. America’s”] terrible depiction of my honorable father is an attempt to discredit the loving relationship that truly existed between my mother and father,” said Cori, adding, “I know the truth because my bedroom was next to their bedroom!”

Critchlow also observes that the series mischaracterizes Phyllis by stripping her of her warmth and humor, asking, “If Schlafly was so frosty and ill-humored, how could she have become so popular among conservatives?

“Those of us who knew her well, as I did for 46 years, cannot take seriously a program that depicts Phyllis as mean, humorless and victimized. Phyllis resonated with so many because she was a remarkable woman motivated by love for God, family and country and respect for all its citizens. She was above the bitterness and petty jealousies that drove so many away from the feminist movement. Because she wasn’t seeking power for herself, she couldn’t be intimidated or bought.” Smith concludes, “Unless Hollywood understands that, they might manage good impressions of her voice and hairstyle, but will never accomplish an authentic portrayal.”

For more information about the real Phyllis Schlafly, please contact Eagle Forum or visit https://mrsamerica.org.

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