American Crime Story
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The American media makes the more natural villain, from cable-news producers to late-night talk-show hosts.
Whos responsible for The Assassination of Monica Lewinsky?
Coulter and the Clintons, Linda Tripp and Ken Starr, too.
But also anyone who tuned in to watch Molly Shannon skewer her as an airhead on theSNLcold-open.
The president glad-handily thanks a room of suits for giving up their weekend to take his deposition.
He swears to tell the whole truth and then proceeds to lie his face off.
Bills confusion here is real, even if its not about the questions.
He somehow wordlessly induces her to lie using nothing but words.
Its diabolical and a little impressive.
He also instructs Betty to give Monica a call, just to check up on her.
CUT TO:Newsweekdecides to spike Isikoffs story about the president securing a private-sector job for his mistress.
Were over halfway through the season, andImpeachments story lines are at long last collapsing.
She warns her kids of the impending media storm without actually telling them what she did.
Back at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, a more consequential family meeting is going down.
Did Vernon Jordannotget his mistress a job, or did henothave a mistress in the first place?
Ask Betty, Bill insists, like a kid enlisting his little brother as a witness.
Monica was troubled and a little infatuated with him.Thats all.Betty saw the whole thing.
But of course, Hillary cant ask Betty!
How would it look if she asked Betty?
She directs him to start putting out the fire.
Except his team cant possibly.
Its already too big.
Cable news is wall-to-wall Monica coverage despite having little to report besides her Pentagon hard-pass photo.
The White House press corps is incensed at press secretary Mike McCurrys evasiveness.
Even Lindas house is being staked out.
But Dicks hasty polling doesnt support the truth.
America doesnt mind the affair.
Its the perjury that will kill him.
So Bill opts for plan C: If you cant end the game, you have to win it.
Monica reallywasfixated on the president and his staff reallydidmove her to the Pentagon when they noticed something untoward.
She did call at all hours and showed up uninvited to public events.
Its a story line the American media is eager to explore.
CNN runs a slapdash package on Monicas troubled family life and her summers at fat camp.
Jay Leno and Letterman are ruthless; so isSNL.
Meanwhile, Monica sits in the Watergate watching it all from the sofa.
She agrees to Ken Starrs immunity terms because she needs the fastest route to being forgotten.
Except now, even Ken Starr doesnt want what she has to offer.
Its been five news cycles, Hillary complains to Bill.
This is the unit of measurement even inside their marriage.
Its worth considering what this scandal would have looked like without TV.
Perhaps the two most famous words Bill ever uttered.
But what if theyd just been something a reporter had written down, not unlike his deposition?
What if John Goodmans Linda Tripp impression wasnt such a hit that he returned toSNLto do itfive times?
I typically worked some on the weekends.
Sometimes theyd bring me things on the weekends.
She it seems to me she brought things to me once or twice on the weekends.
The move is now called, in some exceedingly D.C. circles, the full Ginsburg.
