I started watching Mad Men when we began our Netflix Streaming account last month, as I had been hearing good things about the show, and wanted to test out Netflix.
Though I hadn't actually read any reviews and therefore didn't have knowledge of the gritty details of the plot, I had heard rumblings about it being "the best show on television".
So far, I've enjoyed it thoroughly. Though it's not overly exciting or action oriented, the character development is definitely a highlight. For me though, it's just interesting to see and remember what the 60s were like. It leaves me a lot of room for pondering the generations since and how we have succeeded and failed since then.
Mad Men says a lot without pointedly saying it.
Expectations are in place as to what a man should be. Smoking, drinking, and philandering are gleefully accepted by some, and moodily tolerated by others.
The struggle of women in the 60s is a bit obvious, trying to be noticed for something other than giving birth and looking pretty. Peggy is a secretary at the advertising firm Sterling Cooper, who has hopes to end up as something other than just a housewife. Betty, the wife of the main character Don, struggles with depression and the eventual knowledge that her husband is a philanderer. Even Joan, who appears to always have everything under control, has her own character arc that is worth watching.
The addition of a gay character and the struggle he faces adds an interesting touch to the drama, cultural morays being as they were in the 60s
Though I did not grow up in the 60s, Mad Men feels like it got the little details right. The clothes, the atmosphere, the innovations of the time, the treatment of black people, the treatment of women and gays.
It's hard to see their struggles, and not feel very fortunate for all the ways society has improved. But it's with a wistful heart that you can look back and wish life felt that simple again.
Sunday 10:00 PM et/pt on AMC
Sidenote:
If you're interested, please check out this video of a former Ad Executive, Bill Blackshaw's opinion of the accuracy of Mad Men. The video was recorded when he was 83, approximately 3 years ago.
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