Mad Men's Portrayal of Sexism and Stereotyping of Women in the Sixties
In July 2007, the first episode of Matthew Weiner's Mad Men aired on the American television. The television series shows and tells about the lives of admen (men employed in the advertisement business) in the sixties. At the time of its first airing, the series became well praised by the critics and was lauded by The New York Times for being “a series that breaks new ground by luxuriating in the not-so-distant past” (Stanley). Nevertheless, behind the lavish and stylish aesthetics that the show embodies, there is a latent, yet quite overt, practice of sexism towards women. Therefore, this essay will closely scrutinize how Mad Men’s first season gives a stereotyped image …show more content…
However, Betty’s "perfect suburban family life” can be seen as “a perfect lie" (Tyree 33), since the “concept of the family” has already been “pulverized beyond recognition” (Tyree 35) by 1960. Additionally, her domestic situation in the show resembles one of the first sentences in Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique: “As she made the beds, shopped for groceries, […] ate peanut butter sandwiches with her children, […] lay beside her husband at night-- she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question-- 'Is this all?” (Friedan 1). This citation perfectly describes her internal and external issues with herself in the, almost enslaved, homely private sphere. As a result, Betty portrays an aloof character. She acts “cold, remote, and emotionally unavailable" (Cameron 155) to try and gain some control over her surroundings and to protect herself from even more emotional harm. In addition, the shaking of her hands, that first and only occurs in the second episode, is an …show more content…
As Friedan would put it, no woman ever got an orgasm from waxing the kitchen floor (Friedan 511). Therefore, a plethora of women started to extricate from the private sphere. They strived to be free from the “housewifery” (Friedan 277) and they were seeking success in the corporate-like public sphere. It is quite complex to determine a certain stereotype with Peggy. This is since she is quite chaotic and random with her reactions and acts. By this, she exhibits a constant fragility. However, this might indicate a personification of the women who had struggles finding themselves and adapting in the harsh, male-dominated public sphere (Friedan 455). But on the contrary, that is actually what makes her interesting in this context. Unlike others, Peggy is not caught up in stereotypes; she is still “moving on that unknown road” and, according to Friedan, by doing so she will “not regret the pains, the efforts, [and] the risks” (Friedan 455). She can therefore be classified as a very independent and intrepid woman. Peggy’s adaptability in almost every situation could mark her as a strong, potential feminist that stands up for her rights. For instance, her request and utilisation of the pill shows that she wants to have control over own body or even her femininity. This control also demonstrates that she wants the right to do whatever she wants with her body
In July 2007, the first episode of Matthew Weiner's Mad Men aired on the American television. The television series shows and tells about the lives of admen (men employed in the advertisement business) in the sixties. At the time of its first airing, the series became well praised by the critics and was lauded by The New York Times for being “a series that breaks new ground by luxuriating in the not-so-distant past” (Stanley). Nevertheless, behind the lavish and stylish aesthetics that the show embodies, there is a latent, yet quite overt, practice of sexism towards women. Therefore, this essay will closely scrutinize how Mad Men’s first season gives a stereotyped image …show more content…
However, Betty’s "perfect suburban family life” can be seen as “a perfect lie" (Tyree 33), since the “concept of the family” has already been “pulverized beyond recognition” (Tyree 35) by 1960. Additionally, her domestic situation in the show resembles one of the first sentences in Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique: “As she made the beds, shopped for groceries, […] ate peanut butter sandwiches with her children, […] lay beside her husband at night-- she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question-- 'Is this all?” (Friedan 1). This citation perfectly describes her internal and external issues with herself in the, almost enslaved, homely private sphere. As a result, Betty portrays an aloof character. She acts “cold, remote, and emotionally unavailable" (Cameron 155) to try and gain some control over her surroundings and to protect herself from even more emotional harm. In addition, the shaking of her hands, that first and only occurs in the second episode, is an …show more content…
As Friedan would put it, no woman ever got an orgasm from waxing the kitchen floor (Friedan 511). Therefore, a plethora of women started to extricate from the private sphere. They strived to be free from the “housewifery” (Friedan 277) and they were seeking success in the corporate-like public sphere. It is quite complex to determine a certain stereotype with Peggy. This is since she is quite chaotic and random with her reactions and acts. By this, she exhibits a constant fragility. However, this might indicate a personification of the women who had struggles finding themselves and adapting in the harsh, male-dominated public sphere (Friedan 455). But on the contrary, that is actually what makes her interesting in this context. Unlike others, Peggy is not caught up in stereotypes; she is still “moving on that unknown road” and, according to Friedan, by doing so she will “not regret the pains, the efforts, [and] the risks” (Friedan 455). She can therefore be classified as a very independent and intrepid woman. Peggy’s adaptability in almost every situation could mark her as a strong, potential feminist that stands up for her rights. For instance, her request and utilisation of the pill shows that she wants to have control over own body or even her femininity. This control also demonstrates that she wants the right to do whatever she wants with her body