Mad men - I know it's not current but have been doing some thinking

[33goingon64]

MM is one of those series that gets under your skin and I am still pondering it long after season 4 DVD went back in its box. Had a revelation today about the three main women characters and how well they represent the lack of choices women had, just 50 years ago.

Take Betty. I loved her in season 1 and 2 but by season 3 I was yelling 'bitch' at the telly. Now I have had time to think about it though, what else could she have done? Married to a man who had been unfaithful with about a dozen different women (how many more were there before we joined their lives in season 1?) and who treated her like a child (remember the psychiatrist and Don checking up on her progress?), how else was she to escape than by being rescued by another man? Women were not supposed to go off on their own, especially not with kids in tow and there was no legal framework to support a single mum then. Ok she is a bad mum too, talking to her kids like naughty pets, but maybe she's not the maternal type and perhaps she would have been happier making her career as a model and not doing the marriage and kids thing. But then women weren't meant to do that either.

Then Joan, who was clearly excellent at her job, resigning on getting married because that was the done thing. Clearly sad about it and not keen to have kids, it was only cos her DH didn't get his promotion that she went back to work. I can't wait to see what happens in season 5 when presumably everyone will find out she is pregnant.

Finally, Peggy. Not pretty or privileged enough to have been snapped up for marriage, she has actually been able to build a satisfying career (not that she is paid the same as her male colleagues). She is also not the maternal type and made an interesting decision to give her baby up... Lord knows what I would have done in her situation but she obviously knew she couldn't have both motherhood and a career, even with the support of her mum and sister.

Anyway, just wondered if anyone else has had any interesting thoughts on MM as we await season 5 with baited breath...

I agree with everything you say. MM is a fascinating portrayal of the attitudes of the time particularly towards women. The things they had to put up with and indeed considered completely normal!

Other things that made me a bit slack jawed are the amount they drank at work (which I believe was normal right up until the 80s?) and the disregard for their environment. There's a brilliant scene in one episode in series 2 (I think?) where Betty, Don and the kids have a picnic in a beautiful countryside place, Don slings his beer can on the floor when he's done with it and when Betty clears up the picnic rug she throws the plates and things into the basket then picks up the rug and shakes off all the rubbish all over the grass before walking away Can you imagine doing that now?!

I read somewhere recently that the writers are already writing the very last episode. It is to be set in modern times with Don as an old man which should be interesting!

Yes I was shocked by the littering scene too! It's a great example of how things have changed. I heard they were making the next three seasons in one go... So maybe the seventh will be the last if they have made the last episode already.

I wonder why they are making them in one go? I hope the quality isnt lost.

I cant wait for the new one. I was lucky enough to only see the last season recently, I sat up all night watching it. I think it was my favourite one. I hope its not going to take too long to be shown!

I am going to re-watch all four seasons again in preparation!!