Going back to the early 1960s (where "Mad Men" starts) doesn't seem like a big leap backward to me, and yet it's backward in every way: the first thing one notices is the incredible amount of smoking going on (if you suddenly get the urge to see A Hard Day's Night again after many years, you'll experience the same thing); and especially the treatment of women, whether it be in the Sterling Cooper offices on Madison Avenue
or elsewhere. The manner in which the women on the show (reflecting '60s American society as a whole) are belittled, harassed and objectified reflects a troubled nation back then, or a Rush Limbaugh radio rant today--or whomever is attacking Planned Parenthood this week. Wait a minute...perhaps life in the U.S. is de-evolving.
"Mad Men" seems to be an accurate portrayal of the times and is a good way to measure how far we've come, generally speaking. I love how the program recreates the sights and sounds of the era without relying on gadgets, although those kind of things (the carousel slide projector, for instance) often stand out.
Perhaps the most striking moment for me so far in these detailed character studies is one that relates to my life growing up. I recall a big campaign to keep plastic bags (the long ones that cover dry cleaning items such as skirts, pants and shirts) away from young children in the late 1960s. But in the initial season of "Mad Men" (set in 1960) this particular lapse in judgment had me laughing out loud. It's when the character Betty Draper (January Jones) witnesses her two children chasing each other around the home, and one of them has pulled a plastic bag over her head. Rather than becoming concerned about the safety risk to her daughter, Betty scolds the child, because she has probably left an expensive dress of Betty's on the floor in order to use the plastic bag.
It's stuff like that which adds to the brilliant writing and acting we've seen so far
(Jon Hamm is often amazing, as are many others). It's a part of our history that has
thankfully begun to erode, but a fascinating period for sure. Four thumbs up for
"Mad Men."