ABSTRACT
The cable television drama Mad Men (2007–2015) has been regularly cited as an exemplar of the current Golden Age of television. A critical and commercial success, it has become ‘pervasive in the cultural vernacular’ and is often used as a reference point in contemporary debates over race, gender and the merits of consumer capitalism (Stoddart, 2011: 10). Beginning with a close reading of the series, this chapter draws upon a wide variety of literary, filmic and sociological texts to flesh out its discussion of American life in the 1960s. Key themes include the American Dream, the declining authority of traditional notions of work and family, consumerism, anxiety over shifting gender roles and a growing sense of existential uncertainty. Ultimately, Mad Men is shown to be much larger than its historical locale. It is about the enduring problems people face in their daily lives, problems of career, money, marriage and family that ultimately lead into the timeless question of ‘what should I do?’ and ‘how can I make sense of my life?’
