Sunday, March 29, 2009

Mad Men, Part III

Peggy (who is played by Elisabeth Moss) has had one of the more interesting story lines the past couple of episodes, as the men at Sterling Cooper haltingly ask her for input on certain ad campaigns and she comes into her own (at least at times -- sometimes she is still very nervous and unsure of herself) and exerts her ideas and feelings more confidently.

This raises a point about this series: the female characters are much more diverse and "complete" than are the males (all of whom seem to be variants of Don Draper to one extent or another).

I am thinking in particular of the interesting differences between the conflicts and issues that are dealt with by Betty and the other housewives versus the equally challenging identity-issues faced by Peggy, Joan, and the other women who work at the agency.

162. Are any women's studies professors using "Mad Men" to examine 1950's womanhood (and/or society's perceptions of it) in America? Seems like it would be a good exercise.