The Multiple Genres of Mad Men

The Multiple Genres of Mad Men

Meeting Date: 9/19/2010

Attendees: Candace, Catharine, Charlie, Clay, Lauren, Marshall, Tim

Episode 3: “Marriage of Figaro”

This episode of season 1 is an example of the way Mad Men fits into a number of genres, a topic discussed in the reading of O’Shaughnessy. Genre is used by producers to attract a certain audience to a familiar type of text, and to let the audience know what to expect. Mad Men attracts a large audience with its many appeals to different genre tastes.

Generally, Mad Men is a drama. It relies on multiple threads from previous episodes to weave a plot. The plots, especially with Mad Men, involve sex, relationships, and secrets brought about by characters’ personalities. For example, with “Marriage of Figaro,” The early awkward interaction between Petty and Pete stems from their previous sexual relations in light of Pete’s marriage. Also on the subject of sex and relationships is the plot surrounding Don Draper, whose many relationships with various women aside from his wife is yet another thread. Tension and conflict in the show also arises from the tensions among the players in the office. The power dynamics present another thread for the show. These examples also play into the show’s inclusion in the soap opera genre.

However under this over-arching categorization are multiple other genre components. Mad Men is very much in the historical fiction genre because of its setting in the 50s. It incorporates historic events of the era into the fictitious plot of the show. For example, a later episode weaves the plot of the show around the politics surrounding Nixon and Kennedy. Another instance is the effect the American Airlines crash in Jamaica in 1962 had on the Pete, as his father was a killed in it. The plot is built around numerous historical events. In addition, the attitudes toward race, class, and gender that existed during the time are also very prominent, as seen in the dynamics between women, both working and not, and men and between Whites and non-whites.

A smaller genre to be considered when speaking of Mad Men is that of the comedy. While Mad Men is not primarily a comical show, each episode does rely on characters’ one-liners and witty quips to lighten the mood and give the plots a more realistic feel. For example, this episode starts with Pete’s return from his honeymoon. In the elevator, he responds to questions about the wedding with, “The wedding went great!” A coworker jokingly replies with, “Well how about the rest of it?” Pete laughs and answers, “we are talking about my wife here!” When the women greet him more warmly than usual upon his arrival, another coworker notes “the ring! It’s like catnip!” Mad Men uses tons of little quips like this, and it adds to the shows appeal. The jokes aren’t easy to catch, but the viewer feels accomplished when he or she knows enough about the show or about the character dynamics to catch the joke.

Mad Men’s incorporation of multiple genres has served it well, as it reaches varying audiences and therefore higher success.