Since the series premiered in the summer of 2007, AMC's Mad Men has become the powerhouse drama when it comes to award show season.
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Currently, Mad Men is the reigning winner of Primetime Emmys for "Outstanding Drama Series" and "Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series" two years running. Mad Men also holds honors for the past two consecutive years as the Golden Globes' "Best Television Drama" and the Screen Actors Guild's "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series." In light of all this attention, I thought maybe the season four premiere might be worth my attention, and with any luck, render a decent column.
It's impossible to embark on any description or exploration of Mad Men without acknowledging the role of the 1960s as a backdrop for the show, and by extension acknowledging the impact of the 1960s on American society -- a period of technological progress, social volatility, and collective rebellion. While I am no authority on this particular decade (not being a history buff and having not been alive at the time), I believe it is safe to describe the 1960s as the first "anything goes" decade in American history. If there is a single philosophy that permeates Mad Men, it is the idea that people can do whatever they want. Take, for example, the workplace culture of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce Advertising Agency. Overall, it is a culture of self-indulgence in which most characters are completely willing to use each other if it means gaining personal success.
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SOURCE: Relevant Magazine
Rachel Decker
