mad men.

I have recently been trying to watch new television shows as they come out on DVD (because I hate watching ACTUAL television) and recently stumbled upon Mad Men, a show about the top advertising agency in New York City in the 50's. The roles of women and men are very blatantly addressed as is the public's opinion of these roles.  I have always been fascinated with gender roles and the idea of domesticity, perhaps because my family never followed any of those rules. I did an entire journal based on the story of a man and wife during this same period of the 50's, early 60's. The husband is a high powered business executive and the wife is a stay at home mother. The journal tells the story of their relationship on one particular night when the husband doesn't come home and the wife stays up, waiting for him to call.

Although I believe we have come so far since these days of cat and mouse, I also believe we fall into gender roles much easier than we think. Many women who categorize themselves as strong and independent will still wait up nights just waiting for him to call. They enjoy the door being opened for them and a hand offered to get out of the car. Chivalry may be dead, but a woman's need for companionship and care is not. In the words of my coworker, "You just want him to at least make you feel pretty, don't you?"

So in honor of gender roles and Mad Men and feeling pretty, here are a few pages from my journal about domesticity.