The Mad Men Aesthetic

I just finished Mad Men Season 3 (a bit behind as I live in a cable-free zone and download all my media). This acclaimed show is great for a number of reasons: the rich and complex characters, the ways in which historical events are woven together with fictional plots, and the delicate balance created between nostalgia and the recognition of an era wrought with contradiction.

However what has captivated me about Mad Men – and in sticking with the theme of this blog – is the aesthetic that series creator and executive producer Matthew Weiner has created. I read that Weiner is slightly obsessed with the authenticity of the show – from the costumes, to the sets, to the slang, down to the smallest detail such as the type of crystal glass that Don Draper casually drinks his Monday morning scotch out of. As a result, as a viewer you are completely immersed in the era and paradigms of the characters. Of course films allow for this kind of immersive experience, but to achieve aesthetic authenticity week after week with a television series is another level of accomplishment. The hue of Betty Draper’s lipstick, the plushness of the shag carpeting in the Sterling Cooper office, and the plasticity of the ham on white bread sandwich Peggy eats for lunch, all contribute to an aesthetic that becomes a character unto itself. Glossy, sexy, yet at the same time superficial and empty, the aesthetic puts a form to the show’s theme of a collective social anxiety during the brink of a culture shift.

People’s obsession with the Mad Men aesthetic is evident in the plethora of 1950s and 60s styles that have been seen recently in fashion, interior design, even beverage choice (the resurgence of the Manhattan). Everyone loves a good throwback, and Mad Men certainly delivers. Can’t wait to see what visual wonders Weiner recreates next season.