This week I finally began watching the first season of Mad Men. Amazingly, I downloaded it through iTunes and bought the entire season in one click.
What struck me, and I’m sure I’m not alone, is the sadness in male/female relations in the show. I understand that the division between who is and isn’t hip to the social changes of the era plays a big role in the dynamics across gender and within gender groups. But there is so much built in aggression and isolation between the sexes in the show. I recently read one of John Gray’s Mars and Venus books. Something that stood out to me is his assertion that in the past, women looked to their girlfriends for support and to express their feelings. Nowadays, with women working and everyone so busy, we are much more likely to depend on our husbands for emotional and strategic work support. And it seems to me to be a happy change. Who wants to depend on, and share your life with, someone you don’t feel intimacy with or communicate well with? So, for those who dream of the good old days, remember that every age or era has its pleasures.