Mad Men: Season 3 Of The 1960's

At first glance, Mad Men seems to be a mild television program about life in the glamorous advertising industry during the 1960’s. The astounding attention to detail in regards to costuming, set, and props can easily sweep the viewer away on a whirlwind ride to the land of nostalgia. It evokes a remembrance of simpler times that were uncomplicated by the ever mutating technologies of today. However, as the series progresses this tranquil façade is broken by the turbulent realities of the decade. Political turmoil and racial tension, hallmarks of the 1960’s, are abundant in season three of the series. Other issues such as homosexuality and divorce, though not as commonly associated with the decade, are also addressed. These topics, considered

social taboos at the time, tore at the traditional ideals of the country and caused national upheaval. Many of these things seem commonplace today, but at the time they were major sources of contention among Americans. The 1960’s were a time of change and growth for the nation as a whole, and season three of Mad Men captures the essence of this chaotic time period.
One of, if not the, biggest trademarks of the 1960’s era is the racial tension that permeated the nation.

Season three of Mad Men take place in mid to late 1963, about a year before the historic Civil Rights Act of 1965. Despite the fact that congress had yet to adopt this significant legislation, attitudes and opinions regarding race and ethnicity in America had already begun to change in many places. In fact, this same year Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. during the historic “March on Washington.” Just months later, President John F. Kennedy gave a televised speech on civil rights in which he said “"Those who do nothing are inviting shame as well as violence" and "those who act boldly are recognizing right as well as reality." However, opinions were not universally in favor of civil rights, according to a 1963 Gallup poll only 23% of those who were familiar with Martin Luther King’s March on Washington held a favorable view of the event. These dueling opinions on race are represented throughout Mad Men as a series but particularly in season three, episode five, entitled “The Fog.” In this episode, Peter Campbell tries to convince the Admiral television company to produce and ad with both white and black actors because Admiral has the highest sales in the industry among African Americans. The representatives from Admiral are not impressed, however, stating, “Who's to say that

Negroes aren't buying Admiral televisions because they think white people want them?"
Homosexuality and divorce were also sources of controversy at the time, and Mad Men did not steer away from the issues in production.

In season three, episode nine, entitled “ Wee Small Hours” Salvatore Romano from the agencies’ art department and a closeted homosexual, is romantically approached by the head of Lucky Strike cigarettes, Sterling Cooper’s largest account. Sal refuses his advances out of fear for his job and, without providing a reason, the Lucky Strike representative calls and requests that Sal be fired. He is dismissed from Sterling Cooper without discussion. This would seem typical of the time period, given that homosexuality was considered a physiological abnormality until 1973, arguably 1986, when the American Psychiatric Association removed it from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. At the end of the episode, Sal is shown at what appears to be a cruising spot for gay men, reflective of a time when many, if not most, gay men kept their sexuality a secret out of fear of rejection and the potential for violence against them. In another episode of season three, this time episode thirteen, entitled “Shut the Door, Have a Seat” Betty Draper, wife of the principal character Don Draper, while trying to navigate a successful divorce from Don she is told that it will be difficult for her to obtain a divorce in New York, saying “That's why people go to Reno.” Though divorce may seem like a non-issue today, in 1963 it was much more

scandalous. In fact, the only way a divorce would be granted in New York in 1963 is if one partner proved to be unfaithful or abusive. This is why Betty is shown on a plane at the end of the episode on her way to Reno to visit a “divorce mill” where one could establish residency after just six weeks and legally file for divorce in the state of Nevada. Even this was no guarantee, as New York judges frequently did not recognize these divorces.
Season three episode twelve of Mad Men, entitled “The Grown Ups,” showcases the assassination of both President John F. Kennedy and his killer Lee Harvey Oswald. Every character in the show seems enthralled, if not devastatingly heartbroken, with the news and images coming out of the television. Even the children are caught up in the pandemonium of these events. This would seem to correctly portray the chaos felt throughout the nation and the worry that the American way of life was unraveling because of such political turmoil.
Though initially mellow, Mad Men is a television series that did not recoil from highlighting the tumultuous events and conditions of the 1960’s. The issues of race, homosexuality, divorce, and political violence were much more significant than they may seem today. These topics divided the nation and shook it’s perceptions of right and wrong. Mad Men accurately depicts the turbulent social culture of the decade and exhibits these events to the mind of new generations.