Mad Men was an award-winning show that focused on the 1960s New York advertising world. The term ‘Mad Men’ was coined from men who worked on Madison Avenue during the 50s to the 60s.
“The “Mad” is short for Madison Avenue, the center of the advertising business.”
https://time.com/mad-men-history/ Time Magazine
An iconic show, it has been praised for its costume, acting and writing, due to its stylistic nature. Furthermore, over seven seasons, the show serves as modern period piece which engages with the audience through its archetypes and themes. The execution through these themes and tv archetypes are explored through the image of the 60s. Such themes such as mass consumerism, realism and the American dream.
As a period drama, Mad Men explores these ideals through its protagonist, Don Draper. It also explores through secondary characters such as Peggy Olson or Pete Campbell. Although the show focuses on Don’s journey, it uses these characters to provide a valid critique to the facade of the American Dream. An emotional and vigorous examination at the image of 20th century white America.
The setting of an Advertising firm in the 60s, provides a contextual factor to the period drama. This industry changed the images of revolutions and patterns during the 60s. The image of mass consumerism, in the 60s was demonstrated through the power of billboards, posters, to television and radio. The narrative until the end of Season 3, is advertising for the typical successful white household. After the death of JFK, the popularised white suburban household become less popular. Thus from Season 4, Mad Men changes the setting of the advertising firm to a more brighter and neutral office settings.
The style is more simple and modern, which alludes through the clothing as well. It reflects how the American Dream archetype is always a temporary model. It transforms to the trends and ideals of the time. Don is the vision of the perfect man as he’s handsome, successful, married with kids. Yet underneath is a false man who lives a false identity. A man unable to connect to reality when situations happen. This links to the facade of the American Dream. Mad Men simply provides a valid critique the dream-like idea of the American dream. Individuals aspire to be someone they truly aren’t. This is Don Draper. If we observe other characters, such as Peggy Olson, her journey in the shows feels more realist. She accepts her past and uses it to build character, even though she admits thinking about it, in allusion to her giving up her baby.
As the ideas of ‘moving forward’ is a constant theme, presented good and dangerous. Like Don, characters persevere with the idea that ‘forward’ will achieve the successful idealistic life in America. Weiner discusses how he alludes to images of whiteness through this idea of ‘forward’ means to pursue the white collar job. The ‘white picket fence. The pinnacle of living in retro America. The space of white American middle-class living is also not afraid to show their casual racism and ignorance. From blackface to subtle judgement about interracial relationships, it sustains the mainstream image of the 60s. They were simply backdrops to the white narrative. To Americans watching the show its may be nostalgic through the illustration of the 60s aesthetic.
Mad Men is a show that describes the 60s era as a revolutionary period where ‘forward’ meant shaping your identity to not only the idea of ‘whiteness’, but also erasing parts which are not associated with success. This leads back to the creative power of the show. Advertising. Bringing nostalgia forth and advertising happiness as the American idea of forward.
But what is ‘forward’ without the feeling of nostalgia? Nostalgia is a feeling that many viewers experience when watching an episode or an film. Mad Men is a time machine which transports you into a world of nostalgia, against a subtle atmosphere of realism. The first three seasons achieve this while displaying realist tones in attitudes, costume and setting. The illustration of the 1950s white suburban archetype is played out in Season 1 to 3, in critical form. The lead character Don Draper, caters to it but his nature overcomes in many episodes where he likes to be seen as a ‘lone wolf’. As viewers, the show reminds us that nostalgia is a temporary yet soft emotion. Don and many other characters often try to achieve the moment of nostalgia, in which they try to stay present, but have certain characteristics to go against it.
Betty Draper, is a good study of the true fatigue and boredom of the white housewife in the 1960s. It criticises the 1950s archetype as flawed, as Betty doesn’t enjoy being this wife and mother, but doesn’t change at all throughout the show. Even though the show ends in 1970, Betty tries to adpat but fails due to adherent behaviour. In contrast, the character Peggy undergoes a timed development to a natural boss, from a shy newcomer to the office. This is nostalgia that viewers are more likely to enjoy a progressive character. A character who moves against status quo. In the early Mad Men seasons, Peggy Olson embodies this idea.
The Carousel episode described the age of white American suburban living, through nostalgia. The pitch Don makes for the company Kodak, for their product the Carousel, he emotionally describes nostalgia as ‘delicate but potent‘. The power of nostalgia is vigorous, to which it makes us question our mind. It transfers us to a time where we wanted to go back, to express our melancholic emotions. It makes us appreciate the moments in our own personal history. In American history, Mad Men expresses nostalgia of the 60s as an extremely idealised and stylistic period. Like the show, happiness was advertised and sold with a cynical undertone of consumerism. America’s relationship to the past is repeating their mistakes and see them as powerful memorabilia. Examples such as the Vietnam War and others become an American trait and archetype. The examination of American attitudes is shown through the style and values of consumerism and ‘forward’ revealing how glamourised the American way is.
“Weiner wanted to make a period drama with a difference. He set the story in advertising, a field that, in the early ’60s, was going through a revolution”
The Time Machine: The History of Mad Men by James Poniewozik
Mad Men is no ordinary period tv drama with cool costumes and great acting. It is an examination into the continuous issue of the American identity. The leading protagonist Don Drapers describes the height of the American dream, through the aspirations towards success which may not achieve true happiness. The creative power of it is describing how happiness in society will appear as a facade, through materialistic values. The layers of meaning describe how the revolutions in the 60s, amplifies American identity and style.
Available on HBO, Sky Atlantic and Now TV.
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