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“It wouldn’t be a crime” Pete says referring to Peggy’s legs. Peggy being the new girl in the city isn’t fully aware of what the expectations are in an office environment. On the first day, Joan advises Peggy that “if you really make the right moves, you’ll be out in the country and won’t need to work”, referring to finding a man in the workplace who will settle down with her. This was before Joan had sent Peggy to the doctor to get birth control pills. Sex was a trend, it was risqué and they were expected to blindly follow a man’s needs, however, women were considered “desperate” if they were the ones who initiated this type of behaviour. Back then and now, sexual double standards still exist, men and young boys are rewarded and praised for their sexual contacts whereas women are abased and stigmatized for the same behaviours. Many examples of this is shown during the first season of Mad Men where secretaries have an unwritten job description where they were expected to please their bosses if needed. This is the reason Peggy deemed necessary to take birth control, however the doctor warned Peggy of any misuse of that drug and he would take it away as well he added, “Easy women don’t find husbands”. This phrase puts into perspective how it was acceptable for both single and married men to sleep around with any women they worked with. While unwed women were being condemned for their sexual behaviours that would ruin their chance of finding a husband, it shows the unequal standards that a woman must uphold to have somewhat of a voice.

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Perfect hair, knee high dresses, and bold red lips are just some of the things on a man’s criteria for a “perfect” woman. In the show, women always gave men the power to judge them, praise them, and even order them around due to circumstances they could have faced to speak up about equality. Many would think women would feel objectified and offended by what the men say right to their faces, but that’s not the case at all. Majority of the women thrived and felt encouraged by the words that came out a successful man’s mouth because it allowed them to have the attention. Wearing short dresses or applying makeup was not for the women’s satisfaction, but to show a man what they had to offer. Joan was a perfect representation of a woman feeling encouraged by a man’s approval. She often was able to talk her way into free lunches accompanied by men because of her composure and flirtatious etiquette. She was the archetypal woman of that age. The first woman to break this trend was Peggy Olsen who dressed and acted as she pleased despite what the men and the women had to say about her in the workplace. Unlike the other women, Peggy focused on her work and fulfilling her dreams of being successful. Fast forward to today, women are becoming empowered and doing what feels right to them and disregarding the social norms presented.

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In the 60’s, men were always associated with the term “power”. They were always recognized as these powerful creatures created to control society’s standards for both themselves and women. Women had to venture out and put themselves out there for a man to notice them and because they didn’t have a voice in society, there was never an idol for younger girls who were suffering from identity loss. Instead, women would get jobs in offices as secretaries because that was their only option besides acting and modelling in Betty’s case. In Peggy’s situation, she unintentionally expressed an idea for a commercial that brought her position up to the first female junior copywriter after WWII. If she had stayed quiet and followed the rules as women were expected to, she would not have been appreciated for her obvious talent that was oppressed by the social norms of that time. In the show, it is obvious that men struggle for ideas and often try to think about what women want. For so long, men resented what women had to say and always believed that they were superior when it comes to knowledge. This is shown when Don says, “I’m not gonna let a woman talk to me like this”. Having just one girl, Peggy Olsen, changed the way how some men perceive women in terms of power. It was overlooked how much women had to offer but the options were limited which created a distinct line between who had the power and who didn’t and it was always drawn between man and woman.