I have a confession to make. I am a Christian addicted to watching the show Mad Men. Some Christians may say, “So what? It’s just a TV show. There are more scandalous shows out there to watch.” Other more strict Chritian viewers may question my watching a show that regularly showcases adultery, debauchery and lying without shame. Yes, on the surface Mad Men is a worldly show. But, in my defense, Mad Men is also like watching people from inside a fish bowl, and seeing how not to live your life. Mad Men highlights in large scale the downside of freely giving in to all the temptations of the flesh.
Sin may be great for a season, but eventually you reap what you sow, as the bible says. Don Draper, the self made ad man, has the world at his command (or so it seems). Women can’t resist him. He is GQ handome and exudes confidence and power. He has a beautiful wife and family and home in the suburbs. But, deep down Don Draper is a tortured soul, bordering on becoming an empty shell. Already, his chronic drinking, numerous infidelities and deceit have cost him his marriage and 8 year daughter Sally is acting out.
The women on Mad Men are fascinating. Betty Draper Francis, Don’s ex-wife, has done everything right to obtain success in life. In the sixties, to be beautiful, marry well, have a family and a life in the suburbs was the dream of most women (or at least the dream laid out for them). Betty is miserable and doesn’t seem to understand why. She is spiritually empty and nothing seems to fill that void.
Roger, who works at the ad agency, divorces his lovely wife to marry his twenty year old secretary. He decides like many people in the future “me generation” that being happy is more important to him than keeping commitments. Roger’s actions cause havoc in the life of his ex-wife and daughter and, you know, his secretary probably won’t keep him happy for long.
I was born in 1965 and this show is sometimes painful to watch. It seems all too real. I remember watching my parents maneuver through this pre-poliitically correct world. Parents were expected to play the role of grown-up (or at least keep up that appearance.) Mad Men lays out all the sexism, racism, and importance of staying in the lines of what was expected, without shame. For example on Mad Men there is no attempt made at political correctness (either forced or sincere), for harassing remarks about women and minorities. The “boys will be boys” and “white man has all the power” mentalities rule.
The world of “Mad Men” is a scary place. Mainstream psychology is just coming into vogue. I don’t remember adults discussing their feelings much when I was young. Bad experiences were sucked down deep by adults. Kids were taught do as they were told, and there was little explanations as to why. THis is not all bad, but children didn’t always understand the subleties of adulthood and were left like rats in a maze, to try and figure life out, mostly on their own. Some people may say the world seemed simpler then, but this is true only if you don’t look at 60’s suburban culture very deeply.
For real people living in the era of “Mad Men,” the status quo was only a facade. Change and protest were lurking in the shadows. Lurid as its’ plot contortions may be, Mad Men offers many levels of insight. The characters on it are for the most part selfish and pay no heed to God’s commandments. But, the show doesn’t stop, like many TV shows, in making sin seem merely fun, normal and inconsequential. Sin catches up to these people, just like in real life. And that’s the moral of this story.
– Natasha Spence
