Megan Rapinoe was one of many USWNT players who opted out of the recent NWSL Challenge Cup. But no one has been busier lately than the 2019 Ballon d’Or winner. Next on the docket: A Megan Rapinoe HBO special with three other hugely influential figures.
Rapinoe will host a conversation on the challenges America is currently facing with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and host of Netflix’s “Patriot Act” Hasan Minhaj. The special, called “Seeing America With Megan Rapinoe,” will air at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Aug. 1, on HBO.
Megan Rapinoe has been everywhere since last summer and few have had a more productive pandemic than her. While she didn’t play in the NWSL Challenge Cup, she’s built a brand identity off the pitch, whether it’s appearing on TV shows (including drama’s like “The L Word”), interviewing presidential hopeful Joe Biden or co-hosting the ESPY Awards.
Having a socially distanced conversation with three other culturally relevant Americans just seems like a natural progression for a woman who has helped the USWNT win two Women’s World Cups.
“We are grateful Megan Rapinoe would choose HBO as home for this conversation and look forward to more opportunities with her to continue this dialogue,” said Peter Nelson, executive vice president of HBO Sports. “Megan is fearless in speaking out on issues.”
Megan Rapino HBO Special Trailer
Although it’s a special produced by HBO Sports, anyone who naively believes sports stars should “stick to sports” will probably not want to watch based on the trailer and the members of the conversation.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a New York Congresswoman who represents New York’s 14th district. She became the youngest woman elected to Congress in 2018 and has become a target for fear and hatred from the right because of her unwillingness to back down. Sharpened by playing League of Legends online against teenage boys (she used the pandemic to reach Silver III rank), AOC makes a habit of destroying anyone who stands in her path.
Nikole Hannah-Jones might be the least well-known figure on the panel, but she should be the most famous. Hannah-Jones launched The New York Times’ incredible “1619 Project,” which sought to reexamine U.S. history through the lens of slavery, which still greatly impacts today’s society. If you haven’t checked it out, you really should before Sen. Tom Cotton makes it illegal to talk about slavery.
And finally there’s Hasan Minhaj, a comedian who is basically a younger, hipper version of John Oliver. Minhaj was a Daily Show correspondent with both Jon Stewart and Trevor Noah before going off on his own with “Patriot Act,” a Netflix series not unlike Oliver’s “Last Week Tonight” but geared toward an audience that knows that Supreme isn’t just a style of pizza or a Motown legend.
Combined with Rapinoe, who as a gay athlete has never been afraid to speak her mind, this HBO special should be an enthralling conversation on all the issues facing Americans today.
Hopefully the Megan Rapinoe HBO special is uploaded to YouTube afterward so all us poor folks who can’t afford $15 per month for like three decent shows can watch it too. Otherwise I’ll have to wait for Jordan Peele’s “Lovecraft Country” to come out next month.
