Mad Men Through the Marxist Lens by Sana Syed https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist en-us 2018-06-12 17:51:50 UTC 2025-09-12 17:20:51 UTC hello@padlet.com tsanami https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266876158 2018-06-12 17:57:55 UTC https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266876158 tsanami https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266876162 2018-06-12 17:57:56 UTC https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266876162 tsanami https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266876165 2018-06-12 17:57:56 UTC https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266876165 tsanami https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266876167 2018-06-12 17:57:57 UTC https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266876167 tsanami https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266876170 2018-06-12 17:57:58 UTC https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266876170 African Americans tsanami https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266877268 One philosophy of Marxist Theory is the great divide in society, where people are polarized into two. It is believed that though the two sides, the bourgeoisie and proletariat, are on opposite ends, eventually they will be merged together, as the proletariat revolts against the system. The belief is that the lower class proletariat will eventually become dissatisfied with their situation, and the exploitation they are subject to. They will then fight back.

This is exemplified in Mad Men through the depiction of African Americans in the show. Black people (on the rare occasion they are actually portrayed) are relegated to low level job positions, serving others for a small wage. There's Hollis, the elevator operator, as well as a bathroom attendee, a waiter, and a server at the cafeteria of the office. Hollis, for example, is rarely acknowledged or spoken to - left to quietly do his unappreciated job in the background. 

Black people at the time have little freedom to enjoy life to the fullest and truly achieve everything they are capable of. For this reason, they symbolically presented as the caged raven. The show is set in the 1960s, right when the Civil Rights movement taking place in the background. Black people were still extremely discriminated against, faced segregation in public places, and suffered from a lack of the same opportunities as white people. This divide is reminiscent of the divide in the Marxist theory, between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie. 
]]> 2018-06-12 18:04:52 UTC https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266877268 Don Draper's Identity Concealment tsanami https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266877406 Don Draper is desperate to keep his past a secret. He has moved from the common, working, proletariat class of his childhood, by shedding his past life and reinventing himself as Don Draper. His desperation to hide his identity is proof of the power wielded by the bourgeoisie class over the proletariat.

In episode 8, "The Hobo Code", we see a flashback from Don’s perspective, of his childhood. Life wasn’t easy, and his upbringing was modest. It’s safe to assume he had to do labour to help around on the farm. As Dick Whitman, his family struggled during the Great Depression. We learn that his father was killed by a horse kick to the face, and his mother “took up” a new man. Being a child born out of wedlock, Dick/Don’s mother started being abusive towards him. Due to his miserable childhood, he seized the opportunity to reinvent himself when it arose. During the Korean war, Dick Whitman took the identity of a fellow soldier, Lieutenant Donald Draper, who was killed.

By moving from the working class to the higher class “bourgeois”, Don is demonstrating the common, utmost desire to be in higher positions in society. A higher status embodies wealth, glamour, class, and more. The higher class also exercises a deal of control and prestige over the lower, hence Don's need to establish himself as high class and distance himself from lower. 



]]> 2018-06-12 18:05:38 UTC https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266877406 Peggy's Climb Up the Heirarchy tsanami https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266877542 Peggy’s climb up within the workplace is an example of the Marxist theory. The Sterling Cooper is split into a clear-cut hierarchy of power. At the top, for example, are the senior partners who preside over the entire firm. Right below him is Don Draper, the creative director. In the middle is the department heads, account executives, then the copywriters. Below them is the secretaries, and at the bottom of the Sterling Cooper hierarchy are the more lowly positions such as elevator operator, food server and janitor.

Peggy is starting out at the firm as a regular secretary (Smoke Gets In Your Eyes), then later is promoted to copywriter for the Rejuvenator account (Babylon). Some time later, she is promoted to junior copywriter (The Wheel)  Despite all her obstacles, Peggy is paving her own way. For this reason, she is a prime example of the Marxist theory, where it is in the best interest of the worker to maximize wage and profits. 

Peggy dismisses the life expected of her - which is to stay as a secretary until some eligible man sweeps her off her feet and she becomes a housewife - in order to rank up within the class hierarchy of Sterling Cooper.]]> 2018-06-12 18:06:18 UTC https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/266877542 Dehumanisation of Chinese Americans tsanami https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/267131124 2018-06-14 03:11:51 UTC https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/267131124 Don Shutting Off Adam tsanami https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/267211554 - events described take place in episode 5, 5G]]> 2018-06-14 13:44:22 UTC https://padlet.com/tsanami/madmenmarxist/wish/267211554