In 10 years of watching TV for the podcast, I often identify an exact  moment when I see something profound. Six years ago, a 1967 episode of That Girl caught my attention, as Ann Marie found herself in a quid pro quo while  she was doing Donald Hollinger a favor. Hear the whole story in my 2018 podcast episode at the link below.

For  years and through 21st century #MeToo lenses, I pondered what the  show’s producer and star Marlo Thomas was thinking when that script was  written. I had never thought of her as a change agent. Fast forward to 2024 and hundreds of hours of research and  writing by Mary Trevor and me, as we finalized our law review article,  we found a solid clue. Our article examines 20th century women and  progressive television’s battle of quid pro quo harassment at school and  work. Journal submission is a new area for me, and I am especially  amazed at Mary’s writing – so much more accessible than traditional  legalese.

This excerpt from our article contains the clue, this 2011 quote from Marlo. It’s a reminder that cultural change agents, especially the subtle ones, come in all shapes and styles.