The radical notion that women like good movies
In fact, many of the clients grow to appreciate the benefit of the female gaze, making their products truly (for the most part) appealing to women. This makes more profit than the false patriarchal ideas of a woman’s wants and needs. With the character of Peggy, Weiner is able to let us see the advertising world from the female gaze to criticize the falsehood that lies in selling female products with a male gaze.
Upon viewing the series after knowing the show’s finale, we see that the Don Draper arc reflects a small change in gender perspectives during that era. The Don of Season 1 would never act as the Don in the Season 7 finale. We see that Mad Men was all about shattering the hyper-masculine Don Draper mythos that he built and trapped himself within.
What exactly, then, makes a character “unlikable”? How can we define this complex term? Broadly, a character is unlikable when they behave in an amoral or unethical way (which, of course, depends upon our individual morals and ethics), particularly when their motivations are unclear. However, when it comes to female characters, this term seems to diversify and pluralize.
However, female desire occasionally lives in the subtext of ‘Mad Men’ like fire ants fighting to dig themselves out of a mountain of sand. The show’s complex female characters are regularly lusted after, and at times brave leaps are taken into the sea of their cravings. Other times, their behaviors appear inconsistent, and it seems we’ve been cheated out of crucial discoveries that lurk just beneath their surfaces.
Don is being closed in on this season. Written by Leigh KolbAt the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio, in 1851, Sojourner Truth said, But man is in a tight place, the poor slave is on him, woman is coming on him, he is surely between a hawk and a buzzard. Over a hundred years later, the … Continue reading “‘Mad Men’: Gender, Race, and the Death Knell of White Patriarchy”
This review by Carrie Nelson previously appeared at Bitch Flicks on September 1, 2011. It contains spoilers about the first four seasons of Mad Men. 1960s America saw its share of emerging social and political movements—the civil rights movement, second wave feminism and anti-Vietnam activism, just to name a few. And in June 1969, the … Continue reading “LGBTQI Week: "Limit Your Exposure": Homosexuality in the Mad Men Universe”
This is a guest post by Diana Fakhouri. It’s not easy being a lady in the working world today. We’re still fighting for equal pay for equal work, freedom from workplace harassment, and the right to decide what grows (or implants itself) in our uteruses. In all honestly, it’s not terribly different from the drama … Continue reading “Reproduction & Abortion Week: Mad Men and The War on Women, 1.0”
Cast of Mad Men YouTube Break: How to Drink Like a Mad Man Hey, Brian McGreevy: Vampire Pam Beats Don Draper Any Day by Tami Winfrey Harris McGreevy also conveniently forgets Anne Rice’s vampires. Lestat was in love with Louis, could wear the hell out of some breeches and was also dangerous as fuck. If, … Continue reading “Emmy Week 2011: Mad Men Week Roundup”
The cast of Mad Men — aren’t they lovely? There are two significant moments in Mad Men when nostalgia is overtly discussed. The first comes in season one, episode thirteen (“The Wheel”). Don/Dick has just learned that his brother committed suicide, and he brings his feelings about his own past—particularly his strong desire to construct … Continue reading “Mad Men and the Role of Nostalgia”
Whether you love the show or not, I dare you not to laugh at this parody sketch. And, as much as I do like the show, there’s still some truth here.
This cross-post originally appeared at Fem Threads. Allison didn’t last long, but managed tothrow something at Don on the way out. Ed. Note: This post is part of FemThread’s “Mad Women” series. We also write about Joan, Peggy and Betty. Enjoy! –TC It was a code of Don’s from the very first episode of Season … Continue reading “Mad Women: The Secretaries in Mad Men”
Don’t call it an oral fixation.
