Talk about a game change.
HBO is dropping its planned miniseries about the 2016 presidential election after journalist and author Mark Halperin was accused of sexual harassment by five women.
Announced in March, the untitled 2016 election miniseries would have marked Halperin's second project at the pay cabler. Halperin and frequent collaborator John Heilemann co-wrote the book Game Change on which the 2012 HBO movie was based. Centered on the 2008 presidential election and specifically the Republican party ticket of Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, the telepic nabbed five Emmys, including for best writing, and three Golden Globes.
A writer had not yet been announced for the untitled mini, which was to be based on source material from Halperin and Heilemann. Game Change director Jay Roach was announced to return for the new project, as were Game Change executive producers Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman of Playtone.
That book is also in trouble. And may or may not happen.
NBC and MSNBC are no longer all that thrilled with Halperin either.
But here's a question worth asking. Now that multiple women have accused him of abuses, did the media cheerfully eat up a sexist depiction of Sarah Palin from a guy with Bill Clinton's habits? Game Change had been denounced for its sexism. And not just on the right.
The whole John Edwards fiasco was Elizabeth Edwards’ doing? She bears more blame than her husband in his actions and the potential impact that could have had on our country? That’s just the stuff of fairy tales. So I have to ask — where is the political or historical value to calling Elizabeth Edwards names because maybe she wasn’t always nice to staffers. Sarah Palin is described as Eliza Doolittle and there’s gossip aplenty in describing Cindy McCain and Hillary Clinton and tiffs with their spouses. And they call this insightful political commentary?
The only woman who escapes unscathed is Michelle Obama, but who’s going to bad mouth a sitting First Lady? Wouldn’t want to have that come out and be in the doghouse with the President.
If this is what passes for political journalism or commentary today, I shudder to think what future generations would think of us if a copy of Game Change lands in some time capsule and ends up being the example of our political world in 2008.
The media has been worshiping at the alter of authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann since the book came out.
There's a lot less worshiping now. The question is will the media address the attitudes that helped spawn its vicious attacks on Palin?