The beginning of the 1960's proved to be a tidal wave of change for Americans. There were many new changes facing the nation, and many broad and diverse groups of people began to form, creating unique challenges for those creating media. The 'Baby Boomers' finally reached the age of teenagers and college bound students, setting a record high number of college freshman in 1960 for the United States. Civil Right activist movements began to break out in segregated portions of America, soon to erupt into a massive movement. Women began to remind their husbands of who was left behind at home to keep the hearth fires burning during a world encompassing war, pressing towards a women's movement that saw more and more women enter a 'mans workplace'. This presented unique challenges for the men trying to create advertisement for a largely intellectually and demographically changed environment. AMC attempts to capture the drama and challenges facing those who lead the pack in a mind changing game to prove to the public that buying more is better.
The show depicts the aspects of a New York City that is booming with a changing tide towards how to behave in social and public situations, depicts images of a world where having a colored maid was typical, and that women did not belong in the workplace and that men still had hearsay over women. Despite these stereotypes that give examples of what was still going on in the 1960's, the real meat of the show comes from the board room discussions that take place often throughout the show. These boardroom meetings present a view as to how media and ads were invented and conceived. It gives the viewer an inside glimpse as to how decisions were made about a product would be perceived by the public. They often have "research" conducted in the office building, often referring to their female secretaries when developing ad campaigns for women's products. Overall, Mad Men, along with being a dramatic Tv show, provides viewers with some historical perspective, and has sparked my interest into learning more about the social, economical and political happenings during the transformation of American Culture.
