Mad Men is one of my all-time favorite period pieces. It’s a show that captured my interests in more ways than one. To begin, the show features strong female characters that depict real struggles that exist even today. Secondly, the time period in which the show takes place is beautifully portrayed, for all of its beauty and flaws, and the social issues of the 1960s are reflected in the storyline. And lastly, Mad Men is centered around character development, which allows its audience to become thoroughly invested in the story and the people involved.
The first episode of the iconic series shows a day in the life of playboy ad exec Don Draper, which seems to consist of waking up in a different woman’s bed and drinking and smoking to get through the day. On the outside, Don leads the life of a wealthy bachelor. It is not until the end of the episode that the audience learns that Don is in fact married (and not to the woman who’s bed he woke up in that day) and has two young children. This episode sets the tone for the rest of the series: everything you think you know about Don can be easily upturned. He is a mysterious character, and not much of him is revealed to the audience right off the bat. Don is like an onion, the audience gets to know him layer by layer. You learn to love him, and you learn to hate him. But one thing cannot be denied about Don: his character is completely captivating. Much like the other characters in the show, the more you get to know about them, the more you become invested in their lives.
The firecracker women in Mad Men—Peggy Olsen, who blossoms in the later seasons, Joan Harris, who discovers her passion for working, Megan Draper, a free-spirit, and Trudy Campbell, a woman who embraces her role as mother and wife with fierce passion—all make the show a true picture of the various roles women played in the 1960s. They face adversity, judgment, stereotypes, and sexism on a daily basis, and carry on despite having to work often twice as hard as their male counterparts. Civil Rights, the Counter Culture, the Sexual Revolution, and Feminism are all subject matter for Mad Men. This, paired with the stunning costumes, sets, and characters, capture the 1960s with sharp accuracy.
Mad Men is vibrant, enthralling, and thought-provoking. The show was incredibly well done and anyone who enjoys a good period piece should definitely give it a watch.
The Historical Drama Queen 