Generations of Gloria Steinem and the Secret to Her Enduring Relevance
It takes chutzpah to make a film about an American icon – much less one like Gloria Steinem who has been at the center of epic change in this country since she started working as a journalist in the 60s.
For more on how to see the film visit https://www.thegloriasmovie.com/
Chutzpah is a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, it’s a quirky and endearing form of courage. On the other hand, as my grandmother might have said, it’s just plain arrogance. So where does Julie Taymor’s new film, “The Glorias” land?
It’s a valid question given that this film is the third of three dramatizations of Gloria’s life in the past two years.
First came “Gloria, A Life”, the off-Broadway play. If you hit the day right, you probably attended a performance where Gloria came on stage after the show and conducted a talking circle, a practice she learned from dear friend and Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller.
Then came the highly entertaining, FX Hulu Series, “Mrs. America”, with an extraordinary cast. The series attempts to take you to the rooms where feminism happened. Unfortunately, the series focused on the wrong rooms and the wrong conversations. Gloria said, about the show, that it got her haircut and fashion right and the real story of what happened wrong to the point where it does a disservice to all involved.
My five-Second Deliberation
Luckily, I hadn’t thought about all that when I got a call from my friend, film producer and former head of global marketing at Columbia Pictures, Paula Silver.
“I know you’re going to the film premiere at Sundance and are a big supporter of the Ms. Foundation for Women and a personal friend of Gloria,” she began. “Will Michael Stars make something to commemorate the film?” She got right to the ask which I appreciated.
L to R: Blair Cobb, Gloria Steinem, Suzanne Lerner. Sundance Film Festival 2020
For more information about the tee visit Michael Stars
Paula didn’t know it at the time, but I was in the middle of developing our own collaboration with Gloria on our #TheTeeInVote campaign and had heard a bit about the film. I deliberated for a good five seconds before saying yes. My next call was to my head of marketing and my design and production teams and we were off! You can find the tees at the Michael Stars site
As a company, Michael Stars tends not to get involved in traditional promotions. We’re not the company that makes merch to promote commercial films. We really believe in and love using our platform to support grassroots organizations fighting for gender and racial equality and showcasing documentary filmmakers taking on important issues. We have fun while doing it and love the positive response we get from our customers.
We decided to support this film primarily because of Gloria’s involvement in it.
“The Glorias” is based on her book, “My Life on the Road”.
As a fellow “itinerant,” my own life was transformed by my travels to India, Australia, Nepal, Greece, Haiti, Liberia, and many other countries. Gloria went to those places and more, traveling further and deeper into the United States, revealing just how much women from all cultures and generations share the same struggles, joys, and aspirations for themselves and their families.
Julie Taymor, and an Oscar-winning cast that includes Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Janelle Monae, Lorraine Toussaint, Kimberly Guerrero, Monica Sanchez, and Bette Midler, takes full advantage of all of this richness. Rather than rely on a traditional, chronological storyline, the film jumps back and forth between different eras and in some cases the Gloria of the 60s (Vikander) gets to meet the Gloria of the 21st century (Moore). Taymor and screenwriter Sarah Ruhl imagine the conversations they would have had and the insights they would have shared with each other. It’s the kind of film you can only make when your subject has been an integral part of decades of social change.
So I had to ask myself:
How many women in their 80s -- other than “Notorious RBG” -- do you know that can fill a theater, become an icon to teenagers, and inspire generation after generation to become involved in activism?
Not very many!
She’s been an important part of most of the generations of my life. First , from afar when I was growing up. Then, up close through my experience working alongside her on the board of the Ms. Foundation, the ERA Coalition Board, and through our collaboration #TheTeeInVote.
I think the secret to Gloria’s enduring relevance is:
the wisdom of age
an open perspective and endless curiosity
the clarity of a journalist
an incisive sense of humor
the modesty and self-awareness of someone who refuses to be cast as the face of any movement she supports
Julianne Moore, in an interview about the film, sums it up well:
"She's somebody who amplifies the work of others constantly and… that's the best part about this movie... Listening to her words, and learning about all these other women in the movement.”
And that’s the thing. This film isn’t really about Gloria.
It’s about the beginning, evolution, and momentum of a movement that new generations of women and girls are joining and leading.
It’s about the future.
It’s about hope.
For more on the film visit “The Glorias” site.
To get “The Glorias” tee visit Michael Stars.