Mad Men as a TV Show - Admission/Application Essay Example

Mad Men: TV Show Analysis Mad Men has become a hit with audiences in recent years (Walton, 1). With a great ensemble of actors and good TV writing, the show leaves audiences with great delight and interest (Letizia, 1). The audience is assured of a nostalgic experience with regard to a time it did not live in. It also displays work affairs for instance the habit of drinking in the office. In this context, drinking seems very normal as there is no one to be answerable to. This incidence can easily jog an individual’s mind with respect to how they would behave when faced by similar circumstances. The show is led by the main character Don Draper, a man who came out of the woods, has no college education but is the best ad man on Madison Ave. He comes off as a type of superman for acceptance in times when everything was not acceptable. He goes about his struggles in life his own way (McNutt, 1). This is evident by his chain smoking habits as opposed to the many health risks associated. It should be noted that public smoking too has its effects to the secondary smoker. At the end of the day, Don Draper is still cool and attractive. The incidence in the marriage of figaro clearly shows how Don can be well collected and sharp (McNutt, 1). Don who is wearing a white under shirt is seen smoking and drinking beer as he puts his 3 year old daughters playhouse together for her birthday party, we see one of Betty Draper’s good friends and neighbor look at him in some fantasy way and says “that man” Betty replies “I know” . There are many instances in the show which will delight a modern day viewer especially with regard to the main character, Don Draper (Letizia, 1). In the first episode, we witness Don Draper ask for help from a black bus boy with a pack of lucky strike cigarettes in his pockets, his reason of why he buys lucky strike cigarettes and therefore gives the audience a better reason of why he is who he is thus a very successful man working on Madison square Avenue. He does what he does effortlessly. He separates his experiences from what the audience likes. His does not let his past stand in the way of his determine his present life in the sense that he tries to avoid the recurrence of past events. He lives a day at a time as he faces the various challenges that come his way (McNutt, 1). There is also an incidence when we see Don accidently walk in on one of his fellow employees having a homosexual encounter. Homosexuality is a very sensitive issue that has resulted into sharp debates across the globe. Salvatore fears for his job considering that homosexuality is an unacceptable behavior (Walton, 1). Don on the other hand treats it as a normal affair. The audience is left wondering how the issue should be handled. The audience is very attracted to the show because of the many characters with specific interests but none more than its main character, Don Draper. One can be very quick to criticize the show but holds on and keeps watching because of this man who seems to be the voice of a generation. The generation can easily therefore be associated with lack of knowledge or generally ignorance. We criticize current affairs by government officials but it has never seemed to get in the way of important decisions being made. Mad Men is a good example of this statement especially in relation to how Don Draper carries himself in his personal and professional life. From what we see on the table, Don Draper lives a more than acceptable public life with his trophy wife and two kids, but in reality Don is a man like many other men who has his more than normal amount of infidelities as he picks up women on the side of the road but never seems to miss a beat when it comes to work. In this case a trophy wife refers to a young and comparatively attractive woman who is usually regarded as a status symbol. Don Draper is always seen with cleanly pressed work shirts in the right drawer of his desk. It allows you to compare public figures from more recent times like Eliot Spitzer or even better example would be one of our most recent successful presidents, Bill Clinton. One could look back at the late nineties and remember what the headlines read with regard to Bill Clinton’s marital affairs with Monica Lewinsky. It is therefore important to note that nowadays we look at Bill Clinton as a role model. It is interesting how the scandal disappeared into thin air and instead Bill Clinton’s achievements over time have taken center stage. It raises the question of what is important and what is not (Walton, 1). Another good example of this analogy of chance is Elliot Spritzer who fought Wall Street tycoons for many years and became some form of Peter Pan to the modern man, very well on his way to becoming a very good president in the near future. His story can be compared to Bill Clinton’s; the only difference being that he is a well grounded figure in finance. Reputation went to the garbage once his prostitution scandal came about and jeopardized everything he had accomplished. When comparing him to more modern presidential candidates, one could easily say that Spritzer would have been a better candidate. It makes one to reflect and think about what is important and what is not. The show manages to give a clear impression of Don Draper and his many affairs from which an audience can learn the many aspects of life. One could also regard Don as a feminist. He simply does not seem to pass judgment on anyone; instead, his main concern is doing the job and doing it right. A business has to get bigger every year, and that is a pointer towards capitalism. He promotes Peggy Olson to a copywriter, a position rarely given to women in that decade. Another good analytical point to bring up in the episode is the amount of energy and enthusiasm that Peggy incorporates in her work. These gestures come out as unique since not every woman at the time does what she is doing. She is seen competing and collaborating with her coworkers for the perfect pitch on different ads. Peggy as a character is engulfed in sexual emotions but it is how she goes about them that is interesting. She handles the emotions just like a man does. She is more concerned with her work and feels it to be her obligation. In the same scene we see Joan Harris, a very curvy woman with extra pounds that seem to be in the right place. Her body reflects a good degree of sexual appeal. Her strengths in relation to her body are very clear. She can easily get away with any man she wants. Despite all these, she manages to maintain her cool and establishes herself as a very reserved woman. She moves as far as possible just to ensure her safety and security. It should be noted that more than 50% of Americans are at jobs they hate but have no choice (Walton, 1). They maintain these jobs for security and safety reasons. The trophy wife is not as desirable because she is very depressing with respect to her many demands including attention. The show is very American and can be taken to criticize present times; not only are the men Caucasian but very well dressed and never seem to have a bad hair day. One can say that when minorities entered the work force the culture changed and gave the masses a different perspective of what can be appropriate and what works in different locations. We see many of them wearing suits and ties in almost all occasions. This shows how people hold themselves with high regard. For example we see Don and Salvatore Romano travel to Baltimore and never let there guard down. They are seated on a full flight with a plane full of very well dressed men. A stewardess approaches them and asks if they would like one more drink before the plain departs. In more modern times a person would not be able to command such respect from a stewardess. Under normal circumstances this personnel would only concentrate on her normal routine of following procedure, going along aisles and making sure every one is properly buckled into their seats. Any extra duties would be deemed unnecessary. Mad men seems to rap up every episode in a very interesting way, often times with direct face shots of Don Draper and a mystery of what will be coming in the next episode. The degree of suspense that a viewer develops at the end of the day makes him or her to look forward to the next episode. One is free to guess what might happen next but can only confirm upon watching it. We all have some stamp put away in our closet, we have always had a desire to make an impact or plant a tree that has meaning and can grow to be a story. This can lead an audience to wonder what if I left today the world would go on without me maybe go away for ten years and come back with some significance, we sometimes forget that life is a process and many seem to miss out on the very process they hated three years ago and would give something to have an hour at that time back. Mad men is a great show, it has very good theatrics, actors and points modified for entertainment (Letizia, 1). Works Cited Letizia, Anthony. “Mad Men and Philosophy: Nothing Is as it seems.” Alterna-TV Forum. 15 October 2010. Web. 23 May 2012. McNutt, Myles. “Marriage of Figaro: Season One, Episode Three.” 23 June 2008. Web. 23 May 2012. Walton, James. “Mad Men: the most literary show on TV.” The Telegraph. 27 March 2012. Web. 23 May 2012. Read More