# Do women like Mad Men? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781 "2010-06-19T17:00:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/41 "2010-06-20T03:36:44Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > … with lashings of highly inappropriate humor. He’ll never golf again! ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/42 "2010-06-20T15:41:31Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > My wife likes it a lot. The only scene that she took issue with was when Roger tells Joan that she is “the finest piece of ass I’ve ever had. I really mean it.” Got her feminist hackles up, it did. That’s the only thing she found misogynist? 🙂 My mom and I both love it. The show’s deliberate in its desire to make you totally want to do Don Draper even though you know exactly what he’s all about. And that he’d taste like an ashtray and a liquor cabinet had a nasty baby. ETA - my boyfriend loves it too, so there are guys who do. I don’t know how he feels about doing Don Draper but he has a certain affection for Joan, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/43 "2010-06-20T17:02:09Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > John Slattery, the silver fox, plays a definite scamp with a seductive sense of humor. True that - I think for that reason, his calling Joan a piece of ass was a necessary deviation from character. It underlined that there was nothing “from the heart” in their relationship: he thought of it as an executive perk, nothing more. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/44 "2010-06-20T18:11:48Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > That’s the only thing she found misogynist? 🙂 Most of it she finds kitschy and an amusingly accurate portrayal of that time. But she thought that that particular comment was gratuitous and over-the-top. Joan could make throwing up in the toilet a sexy act. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/45 "2010-06-20T18:29:36Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > True that - I think for that reason, his calling Joan a piece of ass was a necessary deviation from character. It underlined that there was nothing “from the heart” in their relationship: he thought of it as an executive perk, nothing more. Actually, I think he was pretty much in love with her; he just treated her that way because he was in denial. He obviously respects here more than anyone else at the firm. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/46 "2010-06-20T18:56:07Z")
Love love love Mad Men. People who claim it’s sexist obviously have no concept of history and/or period pieces. It’s like saying the Tudors is sexist. Frankly, I’m not in love with any of the male characters, but John Slattery’s acting is in a league of its own. January Jones is unfairly deemed a terrible actress, but I think her iciness is hard to replicate consistently, which she does without fail. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/47 "2010-06-20T19:23:23Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Love love love Mad Men. People who claim it’s sexist obviously have no concept of history and/or period pieces. It’s like saying the Tudors is sexist. Frankly, I’m not in love with any of the male characters, but John Slattery’s acting is in a league of its own. January Jones is unfairly deemed a terrible actress, but I think her iciness is hard to replicate consistently, which she does without fail. My mom, who is currently addicted to Deadwood, is this way. She had heard it was great, I told her it was great, but she also heard that it is horrible about it’s treatment of women. Gee Mom, 90% of the women in the series are prostitutes, so what do you expect? She got over it though she still shakes her head at how badly the women are treated - guess the dead men being fed to the pigs is okay:smack: ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/48 "2010-06-20T21:29:24Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Regarding Betty: If she were a woman I knew & liked (the second is hard to imagine), I’d be more than a little concerned by > > [spoiler]her presumable husband-to-be offering to support her entirely, especially as regards her NOT getting any alimony from Don. It leaves her entirely dependent on him, in a way she would not be dependent on Don if she had left him and gotten alimony; at least in that case there’d be some involvement of the court. Betty looks about 30 to me, which means that going back into modeling is going to be hard (I should think), and she has no other skills I’m aware off. > > Moreoever, I think the PHtB is doing that on purpose. An unmonied Betty is easier to control.[/spoiler] Regarding Betty and your concerns; You’re right about her being easier to control if she’s financially dependent, but she’d never have gotten much alimony out of Don anyway. Alimony stops at remarriage and her plan is to spend 6 weeks in Nevada and fly home with a new husband. The most she could’ve expected anyway is a lump sum paymend from the sale of the house. She’ll really be screwed if this 2nd marriage goes bad. I don’t think Henry would have to pay anywhere near the alimony Don would be expected too (especially if it sours sooner rather than later) and Betty will be reduced to either trying to maintain her lifestyle off of the child support or blackmailing Don. Neither’s a very good option. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2010, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/49 "2010-06-20T22:18:55Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Regarding Betty and your concerns; > > You’re right about her being easier to control if she’s financially dependent, but she’d never have gotten much alimony out of Don anyway. Alimony stops at remarriage and her plan is to spend 6 weeks in Nevada and fly home with a new husband. The most she could’ve expected anyway is a lump sum paymend from the sale of the house. She’ll really be screwed if this 2nd marriage goes bad. I don’t think Henry would have to pay anywhere near the alimony Don would be expected too (especially if it sours sooner rather than later) and Betty will be reduced to either trying to maintain her lifestyle off of the child support or blackmailing Don. Neither’s a very good option. You know, I’m done with spoilers after . . . . . . . . . this. You’re right about alimony stopping at remarriage; I had forgotten that. That said, Betty was foolish not to get that lump sum payment. She has given Henry the argumentative high ground, as it were, and entered into the new marriage as a pauper. Honestly, if I were Betty’s friend, I’d be urging her not to get remarried right away at all. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/50 "2010-06-30T18:14:34Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Actually, I think he was pretty much in love with her; he just treated her that way because he was in denial. > […] > He obviously respects here more than anyone else at the firm. And that, for a man in Roger’s position, is something else to be in denial about (in any era). He’d _have_ to deny her that last, intimate measure of respect, or his entire role stops making sense. And without his role, he would have nothing - certainly not Joan. The irony is too fine - for television, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![valleyofthedolls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a4c791/32.png) [@valleyofthedolls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/valleyofthedolls)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/51 "2010-06-30T19:07:05Z")
[QUOTE=Lindsaybluth] Love love love Mad Men. People who claim it’s sexist obviously have no concept of history and/or period pieces. It’s like saying the Tudors is sexist. Frankly, I’m not in love with any of the male characters, but John Slattery’s acting is in a league of its own. January Jones is unfairly deemed a terrible actress, but I think her iciness is hard to replicate consistently, which she does without fail. [/QUOTE] FWIW, I have an aunt who worked in advertising during Mad Men’s time frame (and for decades after). IIRC, she had a similar position to Don Draper. She watches the show and while she finds the look of it to be spot-on, her own experiences working in that field, at that time, do not mirror the show’s in the slightest. She would best be described as formidable, however, so maybe other women/wives would be more easily bullied. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/52 "2011-01-26T06:02:31Z")
Update: So, I’ve watched the first five episodes. I don’t love it. Does it get better, or did the gals here who love it love it from the beginning? It’s okay, but… ---
**Author:** ![jellyblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jellyblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jellyblue)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/53 "2011-01-26T06:18:47Z")
Woman. Love it. I even like watching Betty. I don’t care how much of a bitch she is, she’s purty. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Amazing\_Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@The\_Amazing\_Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Amazing_Hanna)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/54 "2011-01-26T08:40:18Z")
I’m a woman and I love it. So do many of my friends. Consider: At least four interesting female characters (Peggy, Joan, Betty and Sally). One hot guy (guess who). Gorgeous clothes. Set in something that’s recognizably the real world. Complex characters that don’t fall easily into the good guy and bad guy categories. No space aliens, ghosts, zombies, ninjas, serial killers or secret agents (so far). And, yes, nobody cares about Betty being a bitch, because: 1. She’s purty, as noted, as well as an excellent dresser, and 2. She has some really good reasons for becoming a bitch (it’s all Don’s fault). ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/55 "2011-01-26T09:13:02Z")
My wife loves Mad Men, as do I. I was talking to my sister about it and she said she didn’t want to watch it because the 60’s were a rough time for women in the workplace, to which I replied, “doesn’t that sound like an interesting topic to explore through art?” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Amazing\_Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@The\_Amazing\_Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Amazing_Hanna)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/56 "2011-01-26T09:25:27Z")
Mad Monk: That’s exactly right. The big story in Mad Men is misogyny and how you deal with it. All the women in the series deal with it in their own way: Peggy, by becoming a professional and doing work that men have to respect. Joan, by playing along with the system, but doing it with dignity. Betty, by lashing out both outwards and inwards. Sally, by rebelling against her mother. Most of the girls at the office, by grinning and bearing it. Peggy’s bohemian friends, by experimenting with new lifestyles. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/57 "2011-01-26T10:59:43Z")
Yup, it’s not surprising when you consider that most of the writers on the show are women and they seemed to be acknowleding the struggles their moms had to face. I’m surprised someone hasn’t read the Feminine Mystique yet, but I bet they do next season. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/58 "2011-01-26T12:16:47Z")
I bet Peggy or Joan reads that. Female here, and one of the reasons I’m fascinated by the show is that I’m exactly Sally’s age. I can’t wait to see her story play out. I hope the actress doesn’t age too quickly to explore how the late 60’s affected her. Oh, yeah, and there’s The Hammer, too. We need a Yum smiley. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/59 "2011-01-26T21:50:31Z")
> [@alexandra](#): > > Definitely not a guy show. It’s quite feminist actually. Guys can be feminist. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781/60 "2011-01-27T00:08:20Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Virtually the only thing I’ve ever heard about this show is how hot guys find one of the actresses. Is this a “guy show” like Burn Notice and Sons of Anarchy with a mostly male audience, or are there a lot of women (here) who enjoy it too? I love _Mad Men_ and the other two mentioned above. I am not a guy. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-women-like-mad-men/543781.md?page=4)