Good Girls Revolt

How a group of female journalists filied a lawsuit that gave them the right to write while simultanously spurring the feminist movement.

3 MIN READ

Spanning all seven continents, the Women’s March on Washington demonstrated the capabilities women have to inspire change. Amazon Prime TV’s “Good Girls Revolt” not only illustrates the power of women but also the dawn of the feminist movement. Set in 1969 and modeled after a true story, the show depicts a group of women who recognize the blatantly unfair treatment in their workplace and decide it’s time for a change. The show follows the careers of three women: Patti Robinson, a bohemian progressive; Cindy Reston, a sweetheart under pressure to please her unloving husband; and Jane Hollander, the ultimate good girl who, in the end, isn’t afraid to speak her mind.

The show’s protagonists work at Newsweek, a weekly magazine that was one of the most prestigious publications of their time. It is run by male editors and staffed by male reporters, while women take roles as researchers and are assigned to a male reporter to assist in the writing of his news stories. In many instances, the women end up helping with more than just research, sometimes writing entire stories without receiving any credit.

Working at such a successful magazine, it didn’t occur to these hard-working women that the way they were being treated was unjust. It wasn’t until Patti met congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, then a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), that she learned denying the women the credit they deserve and a legitimate chance to write was illegal. Although pursuing the lawsuit may seem like an easy decision to current Americans, it was difficult for these women to advocate for their rights due to the political and social climate of the 1960s. Filing the lawsuit not only meant risking their jobs and livelihood but also the relationships the women had with the reporters they were partnered with.

Patti and Cindy were the first two women to get on board with Eleanor and had to carefully recruit others at the magazine, making sure what they were doing would never get back to the male staff members. Holding secret meetings in the women’s restroom, the lawsuit brought the women together, encouraging them to communicate with one another about their personal and professional lives.

Suzanne Patmore-Gibbs, a woman who helped turn “Good Girls Revolt” into a TV show, shared her experience with introducing it to Amazon. “I read the fascinating, but rather dry, nonfiction book and was very inspired by the struggles of Lynn Povich and her fellow researchers — and I was utterly astounded that people didn’t know the story,” Patmore-Gibbs said. After telling the story to Lynda Obst, a renowned producer, they were able to find a scriptwriter and bring the show to Amazon. “It was a tricky balance, melding the humor and heart with the edgy and political, and there were a lot of debates about how much sexism we should see,” Patmore-Gibbs said.

There is still progress to be made in the fight for women’s equality, and the treatment of women in the 1960s and 1970s can be hard to watch. Some viewers were taken aback by the men’s constant sextual comments and seemingly inappropriate workplace conduct. The show depicts men continuously grabbing at the girls, making comments about their appearance and trying to coerce them into dates. But, being asked to empty the trash, go get cigarettes, or fetch some coffee was just considered a fact of life. “We found that readers, and later, audiences, had little tolerance for these displays and found them unbelievable, which made us laugh because they were all based on real stories,” Patmore-Gibbs said.

Unfortunately, the negative aspects of “Good Girls Revolt” ended up outweighing the positive message of the show. After one season, Amazon decided to discontinue the show. “We did lose our advocates in a regime change, and there weren’t any women with a real vote involved in the final decision-making with regards to season two,” Patmore-Gibbs said. “That’s why we need to fight to have more women at the table, period.”

Although another season won’t be made, this movement will not be forgotten. “We stand on the shoulders of these women, we really do, and their story deserves to be seen and appreciated, so encouraging people to watch the first season is key,” Patmore-Gibbs said.

A few weeks ago millions of women, men and children nationwide stood side-by-side to participate in a march to ensure women’s rights are not forgotten. It is in these moments that the work of women like those at the Newsweek publication should be remembered and appreciated. “Good Girls Revolt” gives a personal viewing of the fight for women’s rights in America and the resilient women that started a movement.