During an interview with Handmaid’s Tale star Elizabeth Moss for Sunday’s NBC Today, anchor Willie Geist teed up the liberal actress to draw parallels between the totalitarian dictatorship portrayed in the Hulu series and the United States under the Trump administration.
“The Handmaid’s Tale is based on a 1985 dystopian novel of the same name. The show is set in modern times, where a religious totalitarian government has seized control and women have been subjugated into a form of slavery,” Geist explained to viewers before showing the taped sit-down. He gushed: “Since its premiere in April, the series has become a cultural phenomenon.”
Turning to Moss, Geist wondered: “What do you think it is about this show that caught fire?” Moss replied: “The show has an incredible relevance right now, obviously.” The journalist didn’t bother to challenge her on why the show “obviously” had “incredible relevance” in 2017. Instead, he touted: “Some viewers and critics see a glimmer of modern reality in the show’s themes.”
“Did you see that right away or is that something that’s happened after the fact, in terms of some connection to the current climate?,” the morning show host followed up. Moss declared: “A bit of both. You know, I think we saw the parallels early, and then obviously when the election happened it became really in your face.” She claimed that there have “been a lot of moments” when “you read an article and you’re like, ‘Jesus, that’s like from the show.’”
Again, Geist didn’t ask about what moments she was referring to or what articles she read that made her think America was like a fictional authoritarian regime.
However, he did promote one of the show’s biggest fans: “It’s amazing how it has become this cultural touchstone in such a short period of time. You had Hillary Clinton talking about it.” A soundbite ran of Clinton telling an audience: “This show has prompted important conversations about women’s rights and autonomy.”
During an appearance on CBS This Morning back in May, Moss thought it was a “huge honor” that Clinton would reference Handmaid’s Tale at the Planned Parenthood event.
As Media Research Center President Brent Bozell and NewsBusters Executive Editor Tim Graham pointed out in their May column about the show: “Liberals called this story ‘very timely’ in 1985, and never stopped declaring it timely.”
The biased interview was brought to viewers by Volkswagen and Toyota.
Here is a full transcript of the September 17 segment:
8:30 AM ET
WILLIE GEIST: That is Elizabeth Moss starring as Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale, the water-cooler hit series that streams on Hulu. The show has been nominated for 13 Emmys and Moss very well may leave tonight’s awards as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama. The Handmaid’s Tale is based on a 1985 dystopian novel of the same name. The show is set in modern times, where a religious totalitarian government has seized control and women have been subjugated into a form of slavery. The Handmaid’s Tale is the follow-up for Moss to her break-out role as Peggy Olson on Mad Men. One critic said recently of the actress, “Her very presence on a show is a guarantee of quality.” Elizabeth and I got together for a Sunday sit-down at one of her favorite spots, P.J. Clark’s here in New York City.
ELIZABETH MOSS [AS OFFRED IN HANDMAID’S TALE]: Please let me out, that’s my daughter. Anna!
GEIST: Elizabeth Moss is attracted to a certain kind of role.
MOSS: I do look for characters that have something to overcome or a challenge or some sort of dramatic arc. If it was a character just like walking around and having a great day for six hours, it would be super boring.
GEIST: Boring is not a word anyone will apply to the dark world of The Handmaid’s Tale. Since its premiere in April, the series has become a cultural phenomenon.
[TO MOSS] What do you think it is about this show that caught fire?
MOSS: The show has an incredible relevance right now, obviously. I never think that it’s any one thing that makes a project good. It’s the writing, it’s the sets, it’s the directors, it’s the props, it’s costumes, it’s everything.
GEIST: Some viewers and critics see a glimmer of modern reality in the show’s themes.
[TO MOSS] Did you see that right away or is that something that’s happened after the fact, in terms of some connection to the current climate?
MOSS: A bit of both. You know, I think we saw the parallels early, and then obviously when the election happened it became really in your face. And since then has there been a lot of moments when we have felt like, you know, you read an article and you’re like, “Jesus, that’s like from the show.”
GEIST: It’s amazing how it has become this cultural touchstone in such a short period of time. You had Hillary Clinton talking about it.
HILLARY CLINTON: This show has prompted important conversations about women’s rights and autonomy.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS [HANDMAID’S TALE]: You will bear children for them.
MOSS: You try to make an entertaining television show, you know? And sometimes that’s all it is. But when you can do something that you also feel passionately about and also hits upon things that feel very personal to you, it’s that much more gratifying.
(...)
