This past summer I started watching Mad Men. I was able to watch seasons 1-3 this summer, and the show proved to be incredibly interesting. The 60s was an innovative, controversial, and generally fascinating time in New York City and Mad Men depicts many facets of society at that time. Here are some of the aspects of the show that deserve reflection.
The Advertising Industry
Ads have been a part of modern-day society for decades. They have played an integral role in supporting our economy, and they are also a focal point of creativity and innovation. The ad industry was at its peak during the 1960s, and Madison Avenue was where it all happened in New York City.
Don Draper, the protagonist, is one of the ad men (aka “Mad Men”) working at Sterling Cooper. The show does a great job of showing the pros and cons of working in that kind of environment. It’s great fun to watch Don, the creative director at the firm, think of ideas for ads and charm the clients with his words. It’s also interesting how alcohol can be found on every desk, and cigarettes are constantly in everyone’s mouths. The office is filled with the sounds of typewriters and account executives exchanging jokes and flirting with the secretaries. The office is in constant flux and activity. The show definitely glamorizes the world with its depiction of executives exchanging huge amounts of money, ad men taking clients to fancy restaurants, and men taking advantage of the women around them. However, it also makes sure to portray the difficult parts of the industry. The audience sees how Don and his copywriters fail to please clients at times, how arguments arise between coworkers, and in general, how cutthroat the world can be for everyone from the secretaries to the founders of the firm.
The Women of the 1960’s
When I think of the 60s, I imagine Jackie Kennedy wearing a pillbox hat and Marilyn Monroe flaunting her curves in beautiful dresses. Not every woman could be like these two iconic figures, but many aspired to be like them. It was both an exciting and difficult time to be a woman. The conformity and post-war bliss of the 1950s led women to demand change and increased independence in the 1960s.
In Season 1 of Mad Men, which takes place in 1960, the audience sees fragments of the previous decade in the clothing and attitudes of the characters. The women wear dresses with wide skirts and rarely wear pants. They want to marry men with good jobs and create a perfect family. As the series progresses, we see how women start to want more for themselves than that house with the white picket fence. Peggy Olson, who starts off as Don’s secretary, works her way up to being a copywriter. She also breaks free from her strict Catholic family to live on her own in Manhattan. She struggles along the way having brief affairs and going through an unplanned pregnancy.
Joan Holloway, the office manager at the firm, is the epitome of the 1960s woman. She doesn’t fear her sexuality. She is independent and knows what she wants. However, she ends up marrying a man who really doesn’t appreciate her independence and intelligence. Despite the social stigma associated with divorce in the 1960s, Betty Draper decides to divorce Don after she finds out that he cheated on her and lied about who he was. The show portrays all kinds of women and their struggle to break free from their stereotypical roles.
I’m looking forward to continue watching the show and seeing how the show depicts all of the different issues, events, and people of the 1960s.
