Mad Men

Have you seen this show? Have you even heard of this show? I admit I did not know about this show until the pseudo-Golden Globes. I have this thing about watching movies that have been nominated for Oscars. In fact, one year I watched all the nominees for Best Picture. Let me say, I don't think I have ever seen a more depressing bunch of movies. Quills still gives me nightmares. But, I digress. When I heard this show had one Best Drama I knew I had to check it out. I mean, I had never even heard of it and it won. Luckily they are replaying the first season on AMC (I know, AMC!!!) and you can catch up on the entire season.

I can't decide if I like it, hate it, or am too bored to care. The thing about it that fascinates me and has me returning week after week is the era it is set it. It is a show about an ad agency in 1960 (I think), women are just entering the work force, men are still manly men, smoking is everywhere, and a 4:00 cocktail is the only way to make it through the day. What fascinates me is how true to the era they are. I'm not kidding about the smoking, everyone smokes everywhere - on the subway, at work, in restaurants, even in bed, which seems a little unsafe to me. It is funny to watch because now smoking is banned everywhere. Not that I am advocating for smoking it just isn't somehting you see that much of anymore. The women are what kill me. There are 2 kinds of women on the show, catty housewives or slutty secretaries. I'm not joking. The secretaries love working in a big city with powerful men, the housewives live in the suburbs and have dinner waiting on the table at night. I watch this and think, "wow I am glad I live in the present age where we have come so far."

But then I get a newsletter from the Pastor where my son goes to preschool. Here is what he says: "The discipline of keeping our home neat and clean, which we learned from our parents and taught to our daughters, we continue to teach to our grandaughters today."

What??

Apparently we are not that far removed from Mad Men after all. Women still are expected to be in charge of the house, keeping it clean and organized. We can work, but we still have a job to do when we get home. And this is so important we must teach it to our daughters.

Well, I don't have any daughters so what am I to do? I have no one to show how to clean the toilet, wash and fold laundry, mop the floor. Oh my! This is terrible. Oh wait, maybe I should teach my sons how to notice the environment they live in. Maybe I can teach them how to walk by a pile of clothes and either put it away or put it in the hamper. Maybe I can teach them where the dish soap is and how to wash the dishes. I could even teach them where the vacuum is and how to notice when there are dust bunnies bigger then your head that that is a good sign you need to vacuum. Maybe I will teach them that keeping your house neat and clean is a partnership, requring both spouses to equally contribute. What a concept!

But really - have you seen this show?