I am one of those in love with the AMC series, Mad Men. The series speaks to my generation. Women and men really were just like that. Everyone smoked, the women were more voluptuous than our current vision of beauty and almost everyone was quite uptight.
The series captures a period in time and a genre particularly well. When I spoke with a family member a generation younger than myself, he told me that the series made no sense to him. I realized that anyone who grew up in the revolutionary times of the later 60s, which were epitomized by sex, war and rock and roll, had no concept of how programmed and stultifying the prior decade was.
When I tell my daughters that I was only one of two women in graduate school, they look at me uncomprehendingly. I regret that they don’t fully understand the basis for the struggles that they no longer have to fight. But I am grateful that they don’t have to fight them.
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i use a combo of shea butter and aloe vera moisturizer. Works great. I use shea butter on my lips, around my eyes and nose (dry areas), My father swears by vasoline.
p.s. I dropped your name on Gina's post, Barb. ;)
I LOVE that show!!! Jon Hamm…Wow!
I really appreciated reading your post. It’s amazing how things have changed since I graduated college and entered the wonderful world of advertising in the 70′s. There were many vestiges of the Mad Men years so that the program really resonates with me as well.
I’m glad that younger women don’t have to struggle the way we did or compete for that one woman’s slot.
The amount of women coming into the workforce with us was incredible; am sure that accounts for our ability to make such enormous progress. How much more heroic were the women of our mothers’ generation — not only did they open many doors for us, they encouraged us to be whole people – not just wives and mothers.
Yes, We all have had to live some years to appreciate the changes. Your response makes me feel less lonely and helps me to keep speaking out. Have you checked out my website FiftyandFurthermore? Or, looked at my most recent book, Sex for Grownups? The book, especially, comes out of years of knowledge. I call our time, the Bonus Years. We are fortunate to be living so long. Thanks for your comments!
I too am mad for Mad Men…although, I have to say, I do not like the self destructive path they have for Don/Dick this season; and they aren’t at all subtle about it. One of the reasons I loved Mad Men was the subtle messages that were intertwined. This season they seem to be more in your face with their messaging, but that could be because they are headed into the tumultous times. Still, a great show.
I’m not a Mad Men fan, but I must admit when I see pics from the show it takes me back to a time when you dressed up for everything – even something as simple as a trip downtown! When I look at those Mad Men stills, I remember myself in scratchy crinoline-like slips under a “proper” dress, with gloves, hat and patient leather shoes just to go downtown on the bus with my mom!
I’m glad those days are gone – they were stifling ones if you were female or minority or in my case, both. But I have to admit, I miss the care that folks took when dressing back then. I think we had less clothes but they were of better quality – and as such they fit and looked better than most clothes do today.
ABOUT HALF THE CLOTHES I GAVE AWAY ARE NOW SO VERY IN. I ADMIT I LIKE THE FREER EASY LOOK AS WELL, BUT I FIND MYSELF RECOILING WHEN IT SEEMS SUPER SLOPPY TO ME. BUTT CRACKS ON AIRPLANES WHEN PEOPLE REACH FOR THEIR OVERHEAD LUGGAGE MAY BE MY NUMBER ONE PET PEEVE. DON’T THEY REALIZE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE? AND, MORE SO, WHAT THEY ARE OFTEN ASKING ME TO VIEW, OFTEN AT VERY CLOSE RANGE? I’M FAR FROM PRUDDISH, SINCE I AM A SEX AND RELATIONSHIP EXPERT, BUT UNWANTED UP CLOSE BARE REAR END VIEWS ARE JUST NOT MY THING.
WOW….what about last night’s episode? Amazingly dramatic acting on John and Liz’s parts. I loved that Peggy stood up to Don and that Don took it like the man we know he is inside and that it cleared the air for some real conversation!
I think that last night’s episode was one of the best yet.
It’s fun and enlightening watching the characters develop. I’m wondering about the new series Boardwalk. I assume it will bring back clothes and depict relationships from that period as well. Gotta keep viewers coming back for more.
I agree with you regarding our daughters’ world and how it is different from ours in the bad old days. When I enrolled in grad school, I was told not to tell anyone I had children if I wanted to be taken seriously. I believe we need to tell our daughters about the bad old days. For those who don’t deign to call themselves feminists, they need to learn some history. If they say, or think, that women like me are angry, well, I can show them angry . . .
My sister was talked out of becoming a veternarian by the university counsellors because she was a female and would just get married and have children and waste the education. She also would have had to have better grades than the men.This was in the early seventies. She took a 4 year veternarian assistant course instead. That took 4 years.
When I applied to Columbia Graduate School in the early 60’s, I was told, “you are a woman, you are married and you will have children; don’t bother applying.” I listened to the administration and didn’t apply. Although I was hurt and angry, I listened. Instead, I took the train to another school, NYU, applied and I was accepted. At that time, I had no idea how to fight for myself nor, of my rights as a woman. I only knew I wanted to go to college and graduate school. When I tell my daughters I was only one of two women in my graduate class at the New School and that my now predominantly female profession was mostly men, their eyes glaze over not really comprehending. Yes, times have changed!