A Blast From The Past

I may be the last person in the lower 48 to become acquainted with the AMC drama series Mad Men. This series has been nominated for many Emmys this year. My daughter suggested that I catch up to the upcoming third season by renting Seasons 1 and 2 DVDs.

Just let me say that it is like going back in time to watch these shows. The show's premise concerns life in the very urbane and sophisticated Manhattan advertising world circa 1960. Even though I was only 9 years old in 1960, I recognize the time period portrayed. There is a sense of authentic surrealism in watching a reflective time piece like this. The clothes, the habits, the homes, the food and drink are on-spot. The characters' dialogue, mannerisms, etiquette are portrayed in an uncanny manner.

There is no profanity, there is eluded sexual activity, and there are a lot of martinis being drunk and everyone smokes like cigarettes are a life-sustaining force. Women have perfect nails/hair/makeup. Men wear great suits with long-sleeved white shirts with cuff links....and the main male character (a very attractive man) wears long-sleeved pajamas. His wife wears sheer nightgowns with matching peignoirs. She is Barbie come alive.

Even with all that going for it, the story line is dynamic, the mores of the time accurate. There is a true portrayal of male (dominate)/female (submissive) interaction. Even though the brainy, smart, business-minded men show great etiquette towards women, they have no respect for their women. It is understood that a wife is supposed to spend money, run a tight ship at home, be able to feed the boss at a moment's notice, and have well-behaved children who eat supper early and are in bed before Daddy comes home. And there are many sexual innuendos thrown out there toward the lowly women in the office. The men leer, make jokes, drink hard liquor, and generally play in the office.

A very significant interaction in the first episode centered around the steno pool/secretarial supervisor (part Madame/Mom/Shark) who was orienting a new "girl" to the work area. As she showed her the IBM Selectric typewriter, she assured the young girl that it may look intimidating, "but the men who developed it made it simple enough so that a woman could use it."

Also, a newly-divorced woman with two children move into the neighborhood. This causes a new dynamic that must be approached with caution and reserve. She is attractive and of the same social stature as the wives, but she is a very real threat to the neighborhood's monogamous setting.

I can't say enough great things about this show. If you are curious, watch it.