by Marnie Brodersen (Tue Sep 22, 2009)
You don't have to be a bra-burning feminist
to want to see females treated fairly in society. Women have fought long and
hard to be seen as equals, and these strides can be seen in the roles they play
on television. Women now take lead roles and occupy positions such as doctors,
attorneys, and ball-busting executives...yeah, I said it! That's why we should
all hate watching the TV show ‘Mad Men.'
Right? Right? I know, I know...I can't
hate it either. I know in my heart that I should loathe the way women are portrayed
in this monster hit of a show about the advertising world in 1960s New York,
but I can't help but love it. Sinking my teeth into each episode from the DVD series is a guilty pleasure.
While it's hard to imagine in these days of
political correctness and mandatory sexual harassment seminars, ‘Mad Men' shows women in mostly
secretarial roles in the workplace, and being objectified at every turn. The
head secretary, Jane, is a busty redhead that teaches new girl, Peggy, the
ropes on how to score the ultimate goal - being a stay-at-home mom in a house
in The Hamptons. Don't get me wrong - that is still certainly a highly sought-after
gig, but the workplace is really only a stepping stone for most of these girls.
Of course, there are still strong women, such as Peggy, who keeps her eye on
the prize, and even uses some questionable tactics to get there. But then there
are characters like Betty Draper, the wife of the main character and ad exec
Don Draper (played by the hunky Jon Hamm), who can't seem to tap into their
strength. Despite being miserable due to her husband's infidelities, she
generally keeps quiet and plays her expected role as the happy housekeeper. In
the initial episodes, Don ‘allows' her to go see a psychiatrist, and then gets
full reports on what she says during the sessions!
The show, in general, is hilarious in its
throwback nature, with cigarettes being inhaled like they are the source of the
air we breathe. The pilot episode includes a heated debate about how to get
around those pesky initial reports that ciggies are linked to cancer. Say it
ain't so! People hop in and out of bed rather quickly, despite the outward
portrayal that there should be a moral high ground, especially for women. Each
day seems to start with pastries and Bloody Marys, and the booze flows before,
during, and after client meetings. The racism is as rampant as the sexual
harassment, and during one episode they go in search of a Jewish man in the
mail room to pretend he is an exec, in order to make a client feel more
comfortable.
As a woman, the one thing from this era that I do wish had stood
the test of the time is the idea that full-figured women are gorgeous. The
women definitely have curves, and the more voluptuous the better. Had Kate Moss
been walking among these people, they would have thrown her a meatball sandwich.
Although this show isn't for the faint of heart
or those who can't stand watching women being devalued, it's actually a lot of
fun and expertly written. The show sets itself up with multiple plotlines, and it's absolute bliss
watching them unfold.
