Mad Men and Philosophy: Nothing Is as It Seems

Mad Men and Philosophy: Nothing Is as It Seems

Mad Men and Philosophy: Nothing Is as It Seems

Mad Men and Philosophy: Nothing Is as It Seems

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Overview

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.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780470603017
Publisher: Wiley
Publication date: 06/01/2010
Series: Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series , #28
Pages: 272
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

ROD CARVETH is an assistant professor in the department of Communications Media at Fitchburg State College.

JAMES B. SOUTH is chair of the philosophy department at Marquette University. He edited Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy and James Bond and Philosophy.

WILLIAM IRWIN is a professor of philosophy at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as coeditor of the bestselling The Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen recent titles including Batman and Philosophy, House and Philosophy, and Twilight and Philosophy.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments: "I Think We Need to Salute That!" ix

Introduction: "A Thing Like That" 1

Part 1 "People May See Things Differently, But They Don't Really Want to": Mad Men and Problems of Knowledge and Freedom

1 What Fools We Were: Mad Men, Hindsight, and Justification Landon W. Schurtz 5

2 "People Want to Be Told What to Do So Badly That They'll Listen to Anyone": Mimetic Madness at Sterling Cooper George A. Dunn 20

3 Capitalism and Freedom in the Affluent Society Kevin Guilfoy 34

Part 2 "There is no Big Lie, There is no System, the Universe is Indifferent": Mad Men and the Problem of Meaning

4 Pete, Peggy, Don, and the Dialectic of Remembering and Forgetting John Fritz 53

5 The Existential Void of Roger Sterling Raymond Angelo Belliotti 66

6 Egoless Egoists: The Second-Hand Lives of Mad Men Robert White 79

7 An Existential Look at Mad Men: Don Draper, Advertising, and the Promise of Happiness Ada S. Jaarsma 95

Part 3 "And you know what Happiness is?": Mad Men and Ethics

8 "In on It": Honesty, Respect, and the Ethics of Advertising Andreja Novakovic Tyler Whitney 113

9 Creating the Need for the New: "It's Not the Wheel. It's the Carousel." George Teschner Gabrielle Teschner 126

10 "You're Looking in the Wrong Direction": Mad Men and the Ethics of Advertising Adam Barkman 141

11 Is Don Draper a Good Man? Andrew Terjesen 154

12 Don Draper, on How to Make Oneself (Whole Again) John Elia 168

Part 4 "No One Else is Saying the Right thing About this": Mad Men and Social Philosophy

13 "And Nobody Understands That, but You Do": The Aristotelian Ideal of Friendship among the Mad Men (and Women) Abigail E. Myers 189

14 Mad Women: Aristotle, Second-Wave Feminism, and the Women of Mad Men Ashley Jihee Barkman 203

15 "We've Got Bigger Problems to Worry about Than TV, Okay?" Mad Men and Race Rod Carveth 217

16 "New York City Is a Marvelous Machine": Mad Men and the Power of Social Convention James B. South 228

Appendix: It's Not a List of Titles and Air Dates; It's an Episode Guide 243

Contributors: Some Real Mad Men and Women 247

Index: Client Files Lifted from Sterling Cooper 253

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