Mad Men and Philosophy Nothing Is as It Seems

by Irwin, William; South, James B.; Carveth, Rod

• ISBN13: 9780470603017
• ISBN10: 0470603011
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-06-01
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

A look at the philosophical underpinnings of the hit TV show, Mad MenWith 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 historyrs"s most powerful minds to bear on the world of Don Draper and the Sterling Cooper ad agency. Yours"ll gain insights into a host of compelling Mad Men questions and issues, including happiness, freedom, authenticity, feminism, Don Draperrs"s identity, and more. Takes an unprecedented look at the philosophical issues and themes behind AMCrs"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 storylinesMad Men and Philosoph y will give Mad Men fans everywhere something new to talk about around the water cooler.

Author Biography

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.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments: "I Think We Need to Salute That!"	p. ix
Introduction: "A Thing Like That"	p. 1
"People May See Things Differently, But They Don't Really Want to": Mad Men and Problems of Knowledge and Freedom
What Fools We Were: Mad Men, Hindsight, and Justification	p. 5
"People Want to Be Told What to Do So Badly That They'll Listen to Anyone": Mimetic Madness at Sterling Cooper	p. 20
Capitalism and Freedom in the Affluent Society	p. 34
"There is no Big Lie, There is no System, the Universe is Indifferent": Mad Men and the Problem of Meaning
Pete, Peggy, Don, and the Dialectic of Remembering and Forgetting	p. 53
The Existential Void of Roger Sterling	p. 66
Egoless Egoists: The Second-Hand Lives of Mad Men	p. 79
An Existential Look at Mad Men: Don Draper, Advertising, and the Promise of Happiness	p. 95
"And you know what Happiness is?": Mad Men and Ethics
"In on It": Honesty, Respect, and the Ethics of Advertising	p. 113
Creating the Need for the New: "It's Not the Wheel. It's the Carousel."	p. 126
"You're Looking in the Wrong Direction": Mad Men and the Ethics of Advertising	p. 141
Is Don Draper a Good Man?	p. 154
Don Draper, on How to Make Oneself (Whole Again)	p. 168
"No One Else is Saying the Right thing About this": Mad Men and Social Philosophy
"And Nobody Understands That, but You Do": The Aristotelian Ideal of Friendship among the Mad Men (and Women)	p. 189
Mad Women: Aristotle, Second-Wave Feminism, and the Women of Mad Men	p. 203
"We've Got Bigger Problems to Worry about Than TV, Okay?" Mad Men and Race	p. 217
"New York City Is a Marvelous Machine": Mad Men and the Power of Social Convention	p. 228
Appendix: It's Not a List of Titles and Air Dates; It's an Episode Guide	p. 243
Contributors: Some Real Mad Men and Women	p. 247
Index: Client Files Lifted from Sterling Cooper	p. 253
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