American Crime Story
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Is there a logical culmination to all this scheming and taping and testifying?
But here we are!
On cable news, anchors are literally just reading the report out loud, word for word.
Why did Monica tell these guyssomuch, and why did Ken include every last morsel of it?
What is even happening?
Ken Starr has broken the internet and possibly also spacetime.
Poor poor poor poor Monica.
This isnt about the law, his team will argue.
This is politics, and its personal.
So personal that Hillary doesnt even need to be asked not to read it.
And then comes the audio-version drop, narrated by Monica and Linda themselves.
As ugly as things are for Linda in the press, life is worse for Paula Jones.
The tasteful photographs she was promised include her in a white-mesh shirt humping a banister.
Luckily, Bills married to his best advocate, and shes never been more powerful.
The Democratic delegation from New York State even wants her to run for Senate.
The women in Bill Clintons life do not fare well inImpeachment, but theres still a continuum.
Which brings us to Juanita Broaddrick d/b/a Jane Doe No.
Lindsey Grahams aides uncover her identity fromthe Starr Report footnotethat nearly wasnt.
And when Bill addresses the gravity of the situation, its with a joke.
Similarly, Bills acquittal in the Senate doesnt feel like victory.
There are no winners onImpeachment.
When Juanita goes onDatelineto accuse the president of rape, more people tune into the Grammys.
But the biggest losers here are Monica Lewinsky and her erstwhile friend Linda Tripp.
Linda looks like the only true believer, but what does she believe in?
Later, she tells her daughter all about the grandfather she never mentions.
Lindas dad was a liar and a cheater, just like Bill.
His affairs were open secrets that never cost him a thing.
This was Lindas moment, you see, to punish an evil man.
Men like Bill Clinton they ruin lives, and they get away with it.
As it turns out, Linda Tripp with a face lift looks a lot like Sarah Paulson and soundsalmostcontrite.
Monica was Bills victim.
Shes on the top of theNYTbest-seller list, and her book signings are packed.
That the series shows us a life somehow moving forward doesnt undermine its portrait of how much she lost.
How can she find a good man who wants to date her?
She didnt want fans or haters or readers; she wanted to sell makeup at Revlon.
Impeachmentdoesnt do that fast-forward thing that series based on true stories often do.
We dont learn that Linda died in 2020.
It doesnt condescend to update us on the Clintons.
And so were left with Monica in her 20s and not the activist-cum-Hollywood producer we know shell become.
I like that choice.
I like how the series doesnt insist on some sweeping tale of redemption.
This isnt a show about how life got better for Monica.
In fact, it leaves us with only a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel.
At least that much seems true.
Yes, They Really Did That
Yes, news networksreally didplay the Tripp tapes on air.
