Stereotypes In Mad Men

Perhaps one of the most prevalent, and yet widely unnoticed phenomena in society is that of gender stereotyping. It is prevalent in that it exists not only as a product of media, a cultivated image by a few, but also as common and subconscious characterizations developed in every individual. While it is both the blatant portrayals of iconic stereotypes on television and the stinging sexist remarks heard in everyday life that bring stereotyping to one’s attention, it is just as real and potent in the ways it falls under the radar.
Who stays at home and takes care of the children?
Who is the bread winner of the family?
Who likes all things pink and fluffy?
Who wants an air riffle for Christmas? Do you have an answer that comes to mind for
these questions? Intentional or not, gender stereotyping is a deeply ingrained response to an individual’s natural tendency to classify or make order of the information in their life. From an early age, children subconsciously recognize their parents’ and society’s expectations of gender roles, and store that knowledge away. As individuals grow and experience more of their world, there is a natural tendency to interpret all new information based on pre-known factors, which make up the memory structure, known as “cognitive dissonance”1. It is this tendency of cognitive dissonance which makes gender roles and stereotypes such powerful and semi-immutable forces in society and explains their wide spread existence in the mass media of today. While there are many examples of gender stereotyping in the media, Mad Men is quite unique in its content, its premise, and its reasoning behind, as well as the effects of, the clear and obvious gender roles. Set in the 1960’s, the focus of the show is the life of Don Draper and his career as an ad man on Madison Avenue (hence the term “Mad Men”). His masculine perspective provides an in depth look at the status quo of the time period, not only through the gender roles themselves, but by how they are perpetuated and how the characters react to the roles in which they are placed. Mad Men is bursting with instances of clear gender stereotypes. In just the first episode, thirty-four instances can be seen. Episodes two, three, and four have twenty-one, twenty, and eighteen instances, respectively. The men of Don’s 1960’s ad agency fit the role of a “male stereotype” perfectly. The main male stereotypical role is that of him being the sole financial provider and “man of his job.” This is a prominent theme seen in Mad Men, as Don Draper “lives and breathes” his job of advertising. Another ad man, Pete Campbell, is constantly trying to work his way up to a promotion. When he is told that he is fired, Campbell is devastated and seems to be unsure of what to do next—as if his very manhood had been taken from him with the loss of his job. Men seem to believe it is their right, even their duty, to engage in all the pleasures that life has to offer. Thus, they are seen drinking and smoking all day long. The men also attend a raunchy bachelor party in which they degrade women and treat them as playthings for their own enjoyment. All women are handled solely as objects of their sexual desires. Many of the men are married, but still engage in flirtatious and sexual acts with other women. Women’s gender roles are seen excessively in Mad Men. The prominent stereotype is that of the “homemaker”, the obedient married woman. Most of the women featured in Mad Men strive to become married, and make that their number one goal. In one instance, a female employee named Joan is giving Peggy a tour of her new workplace. Joan states that Peggy’s only aspirations should be to get married: “If you really make the right moves, you’ll be out in the country, and you won’t be going to work at all.” Joan also suggests that, being a woman, Peggy’s only assets are her body and her sex appeal, by saying, “Go home, get a paper bag, cut yourself eyeholes, and put it over your head. Look at yourself in the mirror. Evaluate what your strengths and weaknesses are.”
If the women in Mad Men have any job at all, they are in typical “women’s jobs”, such as a receptionist, secretary, or assistant.
Don Draper is shocked when he attends a business meeting and the head of the company is a woman. When the meeting becomes heated, Draper exclaims, “I will not have a woman talk to me this way!” and storms out of the room. When a woman in Mad Men is married, the universal idea is that she should not have to work; her only job is to keep the home and watch over the children. Don Draper’s wife is a prime example of the typical homemaker, and is always seen at home with the children and cooking dinner. When a single mother named Helen moves to the Draper’s neighborhood, other women are shocked and appalled by her situation. They cannot imagine having to “deal with money at their age”. They also are very concerned for her children who will not have a “strong male example” in their
lives.
After close analysis of the first four episodes of Mad Men, it is apparent that every character, both male and female, is seriously affected by the unfair sexist stereotypes he or she encounters at work and at home. The effects these gender distinctions have on the fictional characters in the show, however, are not nearly as meaningful as the impact they have on the real life viewers in our society.
There is no doubt that people are influenced by television.
The clothes we wear, the music we listen to, and even our own “unique” thoughts and opinions are all consistent with the permeating ideals spread by the media. Because Mad Men is set in the early 1960’s instead of in modern-day America, it illustrates an obvious contrast between the lifestyles and behaviors of people in the 60’s and the current behaviors with which today’s viewers are familiar. Back in the time period of the show, America was just on the verge of a crossover from traditional gender roles to adopting newly redefined ones. Men knew their place in the workforce, and women knew their place in the kitchen. These gender disparities have changed so much in the past fifty years that viewers of Mad Men cannot help but to chuckle or even gasp at the overt sexism found in almost every scene. Still, there is a great deal of truth and relevance in the way women are being treated by men, and in the unchanged fact that men still have higher average incomes, have a larger presence in politics, and have the stereotypical obligation to be their family’s top
“breadwinner”.
Some shows on television serve to perpetuate outdated gender stereotypes. When sexism on TV is subtle, just as it is in everyday life, it becomes unconsciously ingrained in the minds of its viewers. Many television shows will emphasize a male character’s strength, skill, and income, while only focusing on a woman’s beauty and sexual appeal. The problem is that modern viewers never so much as raise an eyebrow to these generalizations, and thus, they are preserved in society. Mad Men provides such a sharp contrast to today’s views of men and women that it actually serves as a positive extension of the media, making viewers painfully aware of the horribly unfair sexist ideas of the past. Though the sexism in the show is much more stark than it is in life today, the reality of the ever-present stereotypes that exist for both men and women is a reminder that society still has a long way to go in its quest to eliminate gender discrimination forever.