Mad Men has won several Emmys and has a loyal following of viewers that dissect the television show's every retro outfit, chauvinistic comment and sip of scotch. But you don't have to love the series to enjoy Mad Men, Mad World--although, if you don't watch it already, you may very well start after reading the essays Lauren M.E. Goodlad, Lilya Kaganovsky and Robert A. Rushing Goodman have brought together.
Every theme in the series--from infidelity to gender roles to homosexuality--is laid bare against the intense backdrop of its 1960s setting, such as the civil rights movement, the Kennedy assassinations and the discovery that smoking was in fact hazardous to one's health.
But Mad Men, Mad World's brilliance is that it analyzes storylines and characters from completely unexpected angles. In "The Homosexual and the Single Girl," for example, male feminist and queerness expert Alexander Doty takes the show to task for its shoddy treatment of show's only lesbian. One essay delves into the role of fashion as empowerment; another particularly poignant piece examines the way the show portrays its Jewish characters. Cultural scholar Lynne Joyrich offers a fascinating dissection of protagonist Don Draper and his relentless shifting from one identity to another in "Media Madness." And, of course, this collection tackles the wild sexcapades at Mad Men's fictional Manhattan ad agency. These are deeply considered pieces that truly spark intellectual discussion. It's a mad world, indeed, but this book helps to bring some order to the chaos. --Natalie Papailiou, author of blog MILF: Mother I'd Like to Friend