Mad Men: Gender Roles In 1960s American Culture

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In the television series “Mad Men”, created by Matthew Weiner, we are showcased many values of the 1960s American culture. Two of the leading perceptions that are reflected in the Mad Men series include the idea of the perfect house, family, having a good career and owning materialistic possessions known as the “American Dream”, and the unequal gender roles in the 1960s society.
Mad Men explores the different gender roles in the 1960’s and expresses the strong male dominance enhanced in the American culture. The women in Mad Men are categorised and forced aside into either domestic roles or tedious occupations. Many of these women stayed at home to be a housewife, and to be supportive for their husbands. The women in the office were seen to …show more content…

The men are dressed in elaborate empowering dark suits, whereas the women must wear tight, sexual and satisfying outfits for the men. The women were used in the workplace to showcase their figure hugging clothing, such as Joan Harris. If women weren’t wearing the appropriate clothing and being conservative such as Peggy, they would then be ridiculed for this. Joan told Peggy, “But a girl like you, with those darling little ankles, I’d find a way to make them sing.” Mad Men gives the audience a visual of how women were treated in the 1960’s workforce. Mad Men has also utilized dialogue to convey the strong sexism in the office. During episode 6, representation of gender and sexism was portrayed in the Belle Jolie lipstick advertisements. Freddy Rumsen, a senior copywriter states “I don’t speak moron, let’s throw it to the chickens”. Here, he is implicating that women are morons, and that the secretarial pool are a bunch of chickens. Although women have come a long way in society, a modern audience can still reflect on this and see that not a lot has changed in women’s roles in society. Women are still often judged on their appearance and looked down upon in the workplace. Men had the power and authorisation over women, and in means still do in today’s

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