#600's

BY BARBARA BAPTISTE

Mad Men is a coined [circa 1960s] expression taken from Madison Avenue Advertising Men.  First aired in 2007, Mad Men is now AMC cable network’s top-rated, award winning television drama.

You might find yourself thinking, “This couldn’t really be the way it was!” Rest assured, it is exactly the way life [still] was in the 1960s. Mad Men has received critical acclaim, particularly for its historical authenticity.

Among people who worked in advertising during the 1960s, opinions on the realism of Mad Men differ to some extent.  A copywriter of that era, who later founded his own agency, said that the show "accurately reflects what went on. The smoking, the prejudice and the bigotry.”  Asking grandparents of today’s college students, would probably reinforce the show’s realism.

Mad Men regularly depicts the changing moods, social nuances, and political incorrectness of 1960s' America.  Watching people sitting in a hospital waiting room and doctor’s office, while freely smoking cigarettes, may appear surreal.  Seeing the doctor, himself, smoking a cigarette, while examining a patient, might appear to really be over the top.  Audiences in movie theaters, flying on airplanes, eating in restaurants, working in business offices, all clouded with cigarette smoke, will probably find a first-time viewer thinking that the writers are guilty of gross exaggeration. Nope, that is the way it was.

But, then, you might question the racial prejudice, and remark, “This was NEW YORK, not the deep south. They wouldn’t allow women and African Americans—referred to as Blacks or Negroes [politically correct in the day]—into the majority of business club establishments?” Nope, that is correct. Not allowed.

How do I know this for fact? I lived it. I worked on Madison Avenue for the Advertising Department of The Saturday Evening Post, Curtis Publishing Company. It actually was a great time. Yes, there really was a bar setup in the bosses’ offices. There were three-hour lunches, parties, etc.  The office was the epicenter of social life. Much more than just a job.

Though the 1960s’ world may appear decadent, the opposite side of the coin was “Happy Days.” Life was slower without the technology of instant communication. Families were closer. The outside world was kept outside the home. Kids were kids. In many ways, today's youth have a rougher road to travel, with many more expectations placed on them by society.

The show has been applauded by young and old alike.  If nothing else, watching Mad Men will be a great history lesson--carrying you through the Civil Rights movement, The Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK's assassination, the beginning of the--"you had to be there to comprehend"--wild and wacky 70s.  At first glance, Mad Men may seem unappealing for the New Millennium generation—but, stay tuned for two episodes, you will be hooked!

Post Script

Mad Men  Theme Song:   "A Beautiful Mine" by RJD2