There are many people in this world who believe it is their
civic duty to take the world by storm and drop a bombshell of information in
the name of “doing what is right.” Daniel Ellsberg is responsible for the
release of the Pentagon Papers, which is one of the biggest leaks of U.S.
government secrets. He was quoted in saying “It’s not that whistle-blowers
believe there is no need for some things to be kept secret. It’s that they
believe some things are wrongfully kept secret.” The funny thing is that it is
hard to say secrets exist once someone else knows “private” information. It is
also up in the air as to whether or not anything can or should be said.
Half the fun and drama in the ABC Family hit show Pretty Little Liars is knowing the
numerous secrets each character is keeping from the other. The show (in the
briefest description of an intricate show possible) revolves around four
friends with their own set of issues and secrets they’d rather no one know.
Their mutual friend, Alison, always seemed to have her nose where it didn’t
belong and knew more information about each of them than any of them had hoped.
She used this information to manipulate people and get things she needed or
wanted threatening to expose people for who they were and what they had done.
Alison inexplicably goes missing and the friends are harassed with messages
peppered with information that only Alison ever knew. The girls set out to find out who this is,
why they’re doing it, how they know so much information and what they did with
Alison and why. The show is based on secrets and how they usually tear people
apart before ever bringing them together. It shows how secrets can be used for
people, against people, to hurt innocent victims and expose truths that maybe
were better off unspoken.
Secrets like this happen in real life as well. In the late
1990s, President Bill Clinton engaged in an extramarital affair with White
House Intern, Monica Lewinsky. No actual, legal
crime had been committed as they were two consenting adults. But a question of
morals was evident as the President was seemingly happily married to his First
Lady, Hillary. He had broken his vows and engaged in a physical relationship
with another woman; another woman who decided to tell a “friend”. This friend,
Linda Tripp, was not going to let this issue be swept under the rug. She had
valuable information she felt the government and public should know.
She began recording phone calls between herself and
Lewinsky. Through conversations, she found out Lewinsky had signed a false
affidavit stating denial of any relationship with the president, that Lewinsky
had a dress soiled with Clinton’s DNA, and that she had committed perjury in
investigations concerning the President sexually harassing other female
government employees. While pretending to be a “friend,” Tripp was using this
information to take down the President and his administration. It had been
reported that Tripp was worried the Clinton Administration was looking to get
rid of her and she needed her own protection, and/or a way to make money.
This case is particular interesting as it rests on the
credibility of one of the most public figures in the entire world. An
extramarital affair did not break any laws; and his ability to be President, up
until the story was exposed, was relatively unaffected by any information
circulating about his personal life. He had maintained high approval ratings
from the public, which spoke volumes about the trust given to help with issues
foreign and domestic. Linda Tripp could have very well let this information go
and allowed the President to carry on and perform his duties, even those behind
closed doors.
It is hard to know if Tripp hadn’t exposed the truth that no
one else would have come forward. In a hypothetical sense, anything is
possible. Alan Rusbridger quoted Max Frankel (who oversaw the defense of the New York Times) who wrote a memo about
the ethical use of leaked information. He said, “My view has almost always been
that information which wants to get out will out.” On one hand, Linda Tripp
could have done anything or nothing with this information. But the bigger
question to ask is why did Monica Lewinsky let this information fall on unsafe
ears?
A different perspective is that of the President. After
vehement denial, the proof became too solid to ignore. President Clinton could
have admitted his own wrongdoings when initially approached. He could have
owned up to his actions, or even lied more carefully to cover his tracks. It
was only when the pressure became too much that he decided to admit that while
he had been “legally accurate” in answering any and all questions, he did not
volunteer certain information that gave the whole truth.
This was a heavy secret for Linda Tripp to keep herself. A
public family, the nation and the world rested on this secret. If I had to put
myself in her shoes, I would have to question my own motives in wanting the
world to know this. Would I want to expose the President for being a lying,
cheating scumbag proving to the world he was not worthy of one of the highest
honors attainable? Or would I want the world to know so that I could financially
benefit off of the anguish of others? How would this impact his family -
Hillary and Chelsea Clinton? Would movie and book deals come my way? Would I have to legally fight to give the rights away to this story? I must admit that I am a fan of scandal and
made-for-TV biopics, but I think mostly the nation needed to know its leader
was not holding to his oath of office or his marital promises. It had to have
been incredibly hard for the Clintons as a family to deal with something so
mortifying while the world looked at them under a microscope, but this was a
secret that was only going to be halted in its tracks if someone forced it that
way.
Of course, in the 90s, exposing secrets was a completely
different ball game than it is today. The three-sided coin of this story, Bill
Clinton’s side, Monica Lewinsky’s side and Linda Tripp’s version, all had to be
deciphered individually through different messages given to the public. All
messages given to different news outlets with different biases and different
motives. There was little room for social reaction on the level it is today
with social media and its instant access to information. On top of worrying
about public reaction to the scandal itself, I would have to worry about my own
reputation. And I am not at all sure
which Saturday Night Live actor/actress/guest
star would play me in the satires of this salacious story.
Linda Tripp attempted to take it in stride. It is hard to watch
yourself be made into a fool on a show like Saturday
Night Live, and be ridiculed not only for what secrets were exposed, but as
a human being as well. Tripp's appearance was the prod of many jokes and her looks
after having plastic surgery were poked at as well.
As a media professional with a story this high profile, it
is hard to say if there is a way to NOT be entangled in the story. I myself may
become part of the story just like
Linda Tripp did. I think a job that revolves around scandal, is an inevitable
fate. It must be taken with the territory. It can make or break a career...and a life...
Whether it’s a dramatized series, or a real-life drama,
everything has different sides to weigh in on. In Alison's case in Pretty Little Liars, she may have considered keeping her mouth shut and nose out of other people's business and perhaps she wouldn't be "dead" (SPOILER ALERT: she's not actually dead). Her friends could have been less afraid of her and helped delve into why she acted the way she did and found out who/what she needed protection from before any of the mess even began. The story is still moving and is anyone's game at this point. Without the secrets and betrayal, there would be no story.
In the case of Linda Tripp, honesty and betrayal go hand-in-hand. She
could have easily forgotten any of the President’s scandal had ever happened,
she could have made things worse for herself and others by blackmailing them to
reveal their own information, or she could have done exactly what she did,
which was open up about everything she knew happening behind closed doors.
Monica Lewinsky could have salvaged enough self-respect to keep from being “the
other woman,” she could have confessed and signed a true affidavit citing her
relationship with President Clinton, she could have continued her affair and
never told anyone, she could have confessed to Hillary Clinton alone, or she
could have exposed Bill Clinton as a monster and played herself off as a
victim. The President himself could have upheld his marriage vows, could have been forthright with information when
pressed for it, could have completely lied about the affair all together or
could have come up with a better strategy that would have kept him from getting
impeached. Whatever x, y or z combination that could have come from
this all falls back to Frankel’s words that information that wants to come out,
will come out. And come out it did.
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