Mad Men and Philosophy E-Book

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Serie: The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 386

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

A look at the philosophical underpinnings of the hit TV show, Mad Men With its swirling cigarette smoke, martini lunches, skinny ties, and tight pencil skirts, Mad Men is unquestionably one of the most stylish, sexy, and irresistible shows on television. But the series becomes even more absorbing once you dig deeper into its portrayal of the changing social and political mores of 1960s America and explore the philosophical complexities of its key characters and themes. From Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to John Kenneth Galbraith, Milton Friedman, and Ayn Rand, Mad Men and Philosophy brings the thinking of some of history's most powerful minds to bear on the world of Don Draper and the Sterling Cooper ad agency. You'll gain insights into a host of compelling Mad Men questions and issues, including happiness, freedom, authenticity, feminism, Don Draper's identity, and more. * Takes an unprecedented look at the philosophical issues and themes behind AMC's Emmy Award-winning show, Mad Men * Explores issues ranging from identity to authenticity to feminism, and more * Offers new insights on your favorite Mad Men characters, themes, and storylines Mad Men and Philosophy will give Mad Men fans everywhere something new to talk about around the water cooler.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series

Title Page

Copyright Page

Acknowledgements

Introduction

PART ONE - “PEOPLE MAY SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY, BUT THEY DON’T REALLY WANT TO”: ...

One - WHAT FOOLS WE WERE: MAD MEN, HINDSIGHT, AND JUSTIFICATION

“He Could Be Batman for All We Know”

“Every Day I Make Pictures Where People Appear to Be in Love. I Know What It ...

“Well, I Never Thought I’d Say This, but What Does the Research Say?”

“It’s Like Watching a Dog Play the Piano”

Two - “PEOPLE WANT TO BE TOLD WHAT TO DO SO BADLY THAT THEY’LL LISTEN TO ...

Mad Men, “Mad Masters,” and Mimesis

Seeing Is Believing

“Sally, Go Watch TV! ”

Don Draper Knows What Love Looks Like

“All That Is Solid Melts into Air”

Three - CAPITALISM AND FREEDOM IN THE AFFLUENT SOCIETY

“She Is . . . Well-off, Educated, with Plenty of Time to Shop”

A Deeper Bond with the Product

“Mommy, Are We Rich?”

“He’ll Never Play Golf Again”

Advertising Is Color-blind

In the Long Run We’re All Dead

Bringing Corporations and Government Together

PART TWO - “THERE IS NO BIG LIE, THERE IS NO SYSTEM, THE UNIVERSE IS ...

Four - PETE, PEGGY, DON, AND THE DIALECTIC OF REMEMBERING AND FORGETTING

Pete Campbell and Remembering

Peggy Olson and Forgetting

Don Draper and the Dialectic of Memory and Forgetting

“Have Done” with the Past

Five - THE EXISTENTIAL VOID OF ROGER STERLING

The Relentless Hedonist

The Last Man and the Will to Power

Authenticity

Existential Values

Six - EGOLESS EGOISTS: THE SECOND-HAND LIVES OF MAD MEN

Objectivism 101: A Brief Introduction

The Virtues Should Benefit Their Possessor

Don Draper Is Not Don Draper: The Vice of Dishonesty

A Night to Remember

The Nonconformist

The Whore-Child

The Universe Is Not Indifferent

Seven - AN EXISTENTIAL LOOK AT MAD MEN: DON DRAPER, ADVERTISING, AND THE ...

Branding the Self

“Freedom from Fear”: What Advertising Promises

Objectification and Underwear

Existentialism and Authenticity

Television and Existential Awakening

PART THREE - “AND YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPINESS IS?”: MAD MEN AND ETHICS

Eight - “IN ON IT”: HONESTY, RESPECT, AND THE ETHICS OF ADVERTISING

Respect and Honesty in Kant’s Ethics

Brainwashing on Madison Avenue

Marketing and Marriage

The Question of Ethical Advertising

Nine - CREATING THE NEED FOR THE NEW: “IT’S NOT THE WHEEL. IT’S THE CAROUSEL.”

Manufacturing Truth “on a Bed Made of Money”

Draperian Nihilism

The Camel, the Lion, and the Child

An Indifferent Universe

Efficiency Is the Highest Value

The Principium Individuationis

The Carousel

Creator versus Consumer

A Tragic Hero

Each of Us Would See Ourselves

Ten - “YOU’RE LOOKING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION”: MAD MEN AND THE ETHICS OF ADVERTISING

Truth, Lies, and Advertising

Public Manipulation and Coercion

Government

Sharing Moral Responsibility

“The Wrong Direction”?

Eleven - IS DON DRAPER A GOOD MAN?

The Good in Don Draper

Adultery and Lying on a Major Scale: That’s Not Good, Right?

Is Don Really a Bad Person?

Is There No Such Thing as a Good (or a Bad) Person?

Don Isn’t That Bad, Is He?

Nonetheless, Don Can Be a Real Heel

Twelve - DON DRAPER, ON HOW TO MAKE ONESELF (WHOLE AGAIN)

From Roger Sterling to Don Draper: Modernity in Transition

An Outsider on the Inside

Integrity in a Mad World

Just at Work, a Heel at Home

California Dreams

We’re Not in California Anymore . . .

Reconciliation Doesn’t Come in a Bottle

PART FOUR - “NO ONE ELSE IS SAYING THE RIGHT THING ABOUT THIS”: MAD MEN AND ...

Thirteen - “AND NOBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT, BUT YOU DO”: THE ARISTOTELIAN IDEAL OF ...

Friendship According to Aristotle: “I’ll Tell You Right Now, Don, I Don’t Like ...

Moral Development and Friendship as Understood by Aristotle

Contemporary Understanding of Moral Development in Kohlberg and Gilligan: “You ...

Morally Equivalent Characters in Mad Men: “Kids Today, They Have No One to Look ...

“To a Place Where We Know We Are Loved”

Fourteen - MAD WOMEN: ARISTOTLE, SECOND-WAVE FEMINISM, AND THE WOMEN OF MAD MEN

Peggy the Initiator: Dealing with Oppression at Work

Betty’s Reaction: Dealing with Repression at Home

Sassy but Passive: Joan and Suppression at Work and Home

Don’t Go Mad

Fifteen - “WE’VE GOT BIGGER PROBLEMS TO WORRY ABOUT THAN TV, OKAY?”: MAD MEN ...

The Evolution of Race on Mad Men

“We Thrive at Doing Business with People Who Hate Us”

One-Dimensional Characters

What’s on the Horizon?

Sixteen - “NEW YORK CITY IS A MARVELOUS MACHINE”: MAD MEN AND THE POWER OF ...

“You’re Going to Need a Stronger Stomach If You’re Going to Be Back in the ...

“People May See Things Differently, but They Don’t Really Want To”

“Madison Square Garden Is the Beginning of a New City on a Hill”

“I Have Been Watching My Life. It’s Right There. I Keep Scratching at It, ...

“Maybe I’m Not as Comfortable Being Powerless as You Are”

“I’m Enjoying the Story So Far, but I Have a Feeling It’s Not Going to End Well”

APPENDIX - It’s Not a List of Titles and Air Dates; It’s an Episode Guide

CONTRIBUTORS

INDEX

The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series

Series Editor: William Irwin

South Park and Philosophy Edited by Robert Arp

Metallica and Philosophy Edited by William Irwin

Family Guy and Philosophy Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski

The Daily Show and Philosophy Edited by Jason Holt

Lost and Philosophy Edited by Sharon Kaye

24 and Philosophy Edited by Richard Davis, JenniferHart Weed, and Ronald Weed

Battlestar Galactica and Philosophy Edited by Jason T. Eberl

The Office and Philosophy Edited by J. Jeremy Wisnewski

Batman and Philosophy Edited by Mark D. White andRobert Arp

House and Philosophy Edited by Henry Jacoby

Watchmen and Philosophy Edited by Mark D. White

X-Men and Philosophy Edited by Rebecca Housel andJ. Jeremy Wisnewski

Terminator and Philosophy Edited by Richard Brown andKevin Decker

Heroes and Philosophy Edited by David Kyle Johnson

Twilight and Philosophy Edited by Rebecca Housel andJ. Jeremy Wisnewski

Final Fantasy and Philosophy Edited by Jason P. Blahuta andMichel S. Beaulieu

Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy Edited by Richard B. Davis

Iron Men and Philosophy Edited by Mark D. White

True Blood and Philosophy Edited by George A. Dunn andRebecca Housel

Copyright © 2010 by John Wiley & Sons. All rights reserved

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Mad men and philosophy : nothing is as it seems / edited by Rod Carveth and James B. South.

p. cm.—(The Blackwell philosophy and pop culture series)

Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-470-60301-7 (pbk.)

1. Mad men (Television program) I. Carveth, Rod. II. South, James B.

PN1992.77.M226M33 2010

791.45’72—dc22 2010005158

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“I Think We Need to Salute That!”

The work on this book required getting into character. Much whiskey, many martinis, and countless cigarettes were consumed in an effort to make the book an authentic companion to Mad Men. In the interest of research, liaisons were entered into, suits were worn, and hostile takeovers by other publishers were thwarted.

Putting together a volume such as Mad Men and Philosophy requires a team of people working together—a team that deserves to be saluted for their efforts. We would like to thank our contributing authors, who met every tight deadline with high-quality work and good cheer. Unlike Bert Cooper, Bill Irwin, the Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series editor, offered invaluable assistance every step of the way, and Constance Santisteban at Wiley saw this book through press with all the efficiency and oversight of Joan Holloway.

Rod thanks James for such a great working relationship. Anytime James wants to collaborate on another project, Rod is game.

Rod has two other people he would also like to thank. First, Alana Carveth deserves a lot of credit for putting up with a father who was more distracted and forgetful than usual. It’s not easy to raise a parent at seventeen, but Alana really rose to the occasion. Second, Rod would like to thank Nina Spiller. Nina came into his life just as the book project was taking off. A fellow Mad Men fan, Nina provided love, support, and encouragement that made editing this volume much, much easier. Rod feels truly blessed to have two such wonderful women in his life.

James would like to thank Beth O’Sullivan and Lula Hopkins, the Allison and Hildy in his life, for putting up with his taking on a new project with the time commitments that entailed. He knows it made their jobs just a bit harder. Working with someone you’ve never met in person can be tricky. Rod made it very easy, and James enjoyed the collaborative effort.

Last but not least, we want to thank you, the reader, for your interest in the show and in this book. And we want to assure you that no one lost a foot throughout the entire process.

INTRODUCTION

“A Thing Like That”

Take off your shoes. Shut the door. Have a seat. Kick back in your Eames chair. Admire that Rothko print. Pour your favorite drink. And prepare to enter the philosophical world of Mad Men, or at least the world of philosophers thinking and writing about Mad Men.

Mad Men premiered in July 2007 to immediate critical acclaim. Set in 1960, the series seemed both exotic and nostalgic. It showed a past that many of us had not lived through, and for those who had lived through it, the episodes shined a new light on old experiences. Over the course of the first three seasons, Mad Men reminded us of many uncomfortable truths, from the prevalence of drinking and smoking to the systemic sexism, racism, and homophobia that were ever-present in the early 1960s. It also reminded us of a glamour long since lost as we became reacquainted with the fashions of the era, the luxurious civility of airline flight, and the forgotten manners and mores of a previous generation. And Mad Men poignantly dramatized the reactions of people to events we still commemorate today. By taking us inside a world in which people struggled to understand these events as they occurred, and showing us those people in their historical context, Mad Men helped us understand better both the past and the present.

Few series have distinguished themselves as quickly as Mad Men. But the audience didn’t need the Golden Globes or the Screen Actors Guild to tell them Mad Men was something special, something delightfully disturbing. This show’s audience knows quality when it sees it. From the first episode viewers were immersed in a morally ambiguous atmosphere of corporate and family life. We were introduced to likeable characters performing questionable, and at times clearly immoral, actions. Somehow we found ourselves rooting for Don Draper to sell cigarettes, get away with dalliances, and conceal his true identity. And we found Sterling Cooper an alluring and attractive setting, all the while cringing at the subservient role of the women in the office.

The chapters that follow were written by Mad Men fans for Mad Men fans who can’t help but think about the characters, events, and issues long after they turn off the television. Whether you want to think more about the role of women in the series, or the morality of advertising, or the way to lead a meaningful life, you will find guidance in these pages.

Because we didn’t have a big advertising budget for this book, we had to write this introduction ourselves. Philosophers aren’t known as great salesmen, but hopefully this little pitch was enough to close the deal. Please read on.

PART ONE

“PEOPLE MAY SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLY, BUT THEY DON’T REALLY WANT TO”: MAD MEN AND PROBLEMS OF KNOWLEDGE AND FREEDOM

One

WHAT FOOLS WE WERE:MAD MEN, HINDSIGHT, AND JUSTIFICATION

Landon W. Schurtz

That Mad Men takes place in the 1960s is no accident. The creator, Matthew Weiner, could have made a series about modern advertising executives, but he chose not to. By showing us the differences between Don Draper’s time and ours, Mad Men deftly underscores the ways in which we aren’t so different after all. One thing does stand out, however, at least for me. Every time I watch the show, I find myself asking, “Were these people just stupid?”

Let me explain myself. I don’t actually think that the people on the show are idiots. Nonetheless, sometimes they just seem so dense. There are things in their world that it seems like they ought to know, but, for some reason, don’t.

For instance, here in the twenty-first century we know that one of the most successful ad campaigns of all times is Marlboro’s use of the “Marlboro Man.” Cowboy hat pulled low to shade his squinty gaze, he stares into the empty distance, alone in rugged country—the Marlboro Man is still an iconic figure, even though he hasn’t been seen in a decade. The campaign traded on the notion of smoking as manly, the smoker as a hardy individualist. It was a runaway success.