MAD…Women?

When my friend asked me this morning what I was going to blog about today, I told her that my general concept went something like this:

“Women in the Media blah blah blah negative images, harmful stereotypes yadda yadda stuff you’ve heard before; SEE HOW HARD MAD MEN ROCKS.”

(I thought about titling this blog exactly that & then thought I might actually want people to, you know… Read it?)

So let’s talk about it!

This article from the Washington Post was brought to my attention recently, and it delves into the feminist ideals developed in AMC’s hit series Mad Men.  Conceptually, it’s bold for the writers to attempt to describe the really complicated feminist situation in the characteristically chauvinistic 1960s.  At this time, women could still be fired from their jobs for having babies, birth control was not available for unmarried women (or even for married women in some states), & rape charges were near impossible to file.

Sidenote: The good news is that this harsh political and social climate of the 1960s led to the activism of the feminists of the 1970s.  So fear not!

The article goes on to discuss the various patriarchal, anti-feministic tendencies of the age when it was still okay to run ads for “poised, attractive secretaries” in the Help Wanted Ads.

& Okay… we can’t talk Mad Men and Feminist ideals without talking about Christina Hendricks.

I know…..RIGHT?

She’s beautiful.  She’s talented.  She’s extremely popular.  And she’s not a size 00.  I think the inclusion of this beautiful woman in this cast alone is a feminist statement for Mad Men.

So ladies and gents, it’s time to get our Mad Men on.  Watch & support THE MOST FEMINIST SHOW ON TELEVISION.