I have been
diligently indulging myself in the American television period drama series
created by Matthew Weiner; portraying fictional Sterling Cooper advertising
agency on Madison Avenue in New York City set in 1960s. It foregrounds a lot of
interesting characters, mostly men and many squeamish women. But here I’d talk
about these three women who help propelling the show, among the grandeur persona
of Don and Pete; without lourying the flux of the show instead aiding
entertainment count of the show. The exploration of Madison Avenue and the
differing paths of women trying to make it in a male-dominated work place, it
seemed to me that the most promising story lines centered around these women:
Peggy Olsen is the new girl in office,
falling outside the social construct created for the women in the office,
mostly secretaries who are supposed to be their boss’s mothers, wives and
everything else in between. It is the extreme definition of gendered roles
where the men dominate the system. Peggy is talented and has an eye for
customer’s need like her boss; which is well recognized and was also promoted
to be the first women copywriter for Sterling & Cooper.
Although it was seen that her work was appreciated but she is constantly undermined for her appearance and her distinctly separate view of conduct.
Peggy is also
told to cut eye holes out of a brown paper bag and look at herself in a mirror,
to evaluate her “strengths and weaknesses” in terms of external appearance.
This addresses the element of dependency
on outer appearance of the woman in the workplace that is still apparent today.
I relate to the characteristics displayed through Peggy such as the need to
prove yourself as a woman who deserves to be in the workplace through
intelligence and creativity, not by using your femininity and sexuality.
Joan Harris represents
herself as a sex symbol; a sub categorization of her gendered role in society,
created by the men of the advertising industry between the Marilyn and the
Jackie. She is the perfect women in men’s world, encashing her sexuality for
favors. She is encouraged for being complete of its kind and without blemish
but is not respected for the same. She provides the beau idealness and convenience
of women and blends well in the elite society but internally foregrounds high
sense of unaccomplished wit.
Betty Draper is the
quintessential white, middle class housewives who stayed at home to rear
children, clean house and bake cookies. This stereotype was considered to be
the proper gender role in society. Betty is also, significantly, a terrible mother.
The ideology of female helplessness extended into the home as well as out. She is
easy to dislike: she’s stuck up, petulant, self-absorbed. She tries to seek happiness in affairs and
things not in hand; she blindly tries to reach them and when finally has them loses
interest and is adamant in perusal of something else.
Mad Men’s portrayal of women in circle
of lives of the burgher society gives a somewhat complete picture. It provokes
the female viewer in the sense that the viewer still encounters situations that
have the same basis and premise to their meaning.
“We have been
told we can have it all and do it all and anything less indicates some sort of
failure. It is not enough to be "just" a mother or "just"
have a career, not enough to be nurturing or professional or great in the sack.
To be a true modern woman, you have to be all of the above.”
Betty Friedan,
The Feminine Mystique
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