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
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
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