An Anniversary Worth Celebrating and Reflecting Upon, Mad Men Style.

For those of you that visited Google.com today you may be aware that today is the 90th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, that moment in history where women were guaranteed the right to vote.

It is no coincidence that my blog post shall somehow coincide with this anniversary. Although not about the right to vote, it is instead inspired by recent episodes of a television program that Jason and I watch each Sunday evening. If you guessed Mad Men, then you, reader, are correct. Instead of discussing style, or whiskey, or even general office politics, I want to discuss one specific character. Any guesses? Well, if you said Peggy, once again, you are correct. I would suggest making this into a drinking game, inspired by the multitude of liquor bottles scattered about the offices of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, however; perhaps this post should be taken a bit more seriously.

For those of you who are frequent watchers of Mad Men, you may be familiar with Peggy’s character. She is the young, determined copywriter with a past that few are privy to. Similar to Don – the handsome, whiskey drinking, Cary Grant with a past so full of twists it makes you nauseous, character – Peggy hides life-shaping events from her own outward demeanor with a dark, heavy cloak. While not as steeped in regret or tangled in such a massive web of lies as Don, Peggy is not without the depth made so essential to her character.

From the beginning, Peggy’s story played a vital role in the show. Although she might fade into the background for a few episodes, much like other characters, her character is crucial to the show’s social commentary with special consideration to the country’s relationship with equal rights. The last few episodes paid special attention to Peggy and her plight. Sunday’s episode I found especially intriguing, as it seemed to concentrate on Peggy’s identity as a woman with a past but with a future much more important than what she’s left behind.

Over four seasons, Peggy’s character dealt with her position in the workplace, as a woman. More than just a woman, Peggy is ambitious, determined, and seeks positions of equality in environments which equality is not a guarantee. This season, years after our initial introduction, Peggy continues her struggle to find her place within Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, despite being more confident and assertive than we have ever seen. This daily struggle is symbolic to me in that it represents the struggle that women (along with other “minorities”) still face today. Although we are celebrating the 90th (read: ninetieth) anniversary of women’s right to vote, a woman’s place is all too often still a place of unsurety in the workplace. It is easy to spot the considerable advances women have made within the office however; it still easy to spot the advances left to make. While the overall demeanor in the workplace may be less condescending to women, overall, why is it that women still make considerably less than men in general terms? At what point in time would Peggy’s character not have to face discrimination in the workplace simply because she is a woman?

Two specific events in last Sunday’s epsidode led me to construct this post. The first was Peggy’s expression of the desire to get married when trying on the ring of another woman, as if it belonged to her. Despite Peggy’s ambition within the workplace and her struggle to not submit to the men that play such an active role around her, Peggy still finds herself adhering to the dream of sharing her life with a man. While she wishes not to be viewed strictly as a woman in the office, she still desires to be seen as a woman outside of work. This proves to be a difficult balance and one that has generated much debate, even before Peggy’s depicted struggles. In fact, it is such a strange place to be that I see women around me dealing with this conundrum on a daily basis, forty years after what is portrayed on the show.

The other event in the last episode found us watching Peggy looking at Pete (an integral part of her shaded past) through a glass wall, just outside of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. More than a moment between a man and a woman with a sordid history, the scene seemed to represent the distance [still] between men and women in the workplace. While Peggy was a valued employee, she was not a member of the boys club gathered together within the office. She was outside of the office, looking in, with a group of young men and women, portrayed as indifferent to the system she was a part of. In addition to the representation based on the differences between men and women, the moment also seemed to highlight Peggy’s own confusion about what, in fact, she wanted to be a part of. The group she stood with, all young, represented ideals much different than the corporate environment, even though they were all fledgling members themselves. Perhaps a conflict for youth in general, but more so this was a statement about the values of a society based upon a hierarchy, with the top position belonging to the white male. The moment, so perfectly created using a simple pane of glass, felt more powerful than even the more dramatic scenes in the show.

Since my initital introduction to Mad Men, I have found both solace and despair in the show’s dealings with equal rights. My reactions are not based upon how the show deals with the issue of equal rights but rather the fact that it is still an issue. It is my hope that, in addition to the musings about mid-century style (I am a fan), there will also be a dialogue that helps us address the fact that we are still not members of a society in which everyone has equal rights. Women, minorities of color, physically disabled, or mentally challenged – each of these groups still experiences discrimation, based upon factors entirely beyond their control. While I believe today is indeed a day to celebrate, I also believe it is a day to reflect on what still needs to be done. How will the Peggys of tomorrow be portrayed on television? How will the Peggys of tomorrow be depicted in history books? And more importantly, what will you do ensure progression in your home, your school, your workplace, your community, and your country?

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