Popaganda Episode: Mad Men and the Advertising Age

For seven long seasons, Mad Men has filled our television screens. This spring, it’s finally all coming to an end. Mad Men has changed the way people make TV. But it has also shaped the way people see the past. The early 1960s are now “the Mad Men era” and the show is a cultural reference point that people use to talk about sexual harassment and the wage gap, among many other issues. 

On today’s show, we’re looking at how Mad Men is a frame of reference for our understanding of politics, gender, and advertising. Sarah-Jane Stratford discusses how political groups use Mad Men as a call to arms and Ciara LaVelle explores the forgotten history of women in advertising. Bitch Media Creative and Editorial Director Andi Zeisler and long-time contributor Kelsey Wallace close out the show with a discussion of how Mad Men has handled gender issues over its seven seasons, including WTF is up with Don Draper's rotating cast of dream ladies. Listen in! 

FULL SHOW

HOW MAD MEN IS A CALL TO ARMS

THE EARLY DAYS OF WOMEN IN ADVERTISING

MAD MEN DISCUSSION CLUB

SPONSOR: 

This show is generously sponsored by Oregon State University Ecampus, which is ranked #5 on the 2015 list of America’s best online bachelor’s program by U.S. News. OSU Ecampus delivers nearly 20 undergraduate degrees and programs online in liberal studies, natural resources, agricultural sciences and foreign languages. You can start any season, so apply today.

CREDITS

Music for this episode comes from Blue Dot Sessions—check out their many acoustic tracks for film and media.

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