Spoilers ahead! Do not read if you have not yet watched the Mad Men series finale, "Person to Person," originally airing on 17 May 2015.
I initially fell in love with Mad Men because of the stunning 1950's era dresses, the infamous Kodak Carousel pitch, and Don Draper's irresistible bad boy appeal. Last night, I was giddy over Joan and Peggy's deliberating over starting their own firm - Harris Olson and Joan choosing her career over Mr. Too-Tanned while rocking a pair of pants.
They dangled "Harris Olson" right in front of us and then snatched it away a mere few scenes later. That's alright because Joan was fearless and started her production company anyway under the "Holloway-Harris" moniker. In seven seasons and ten years worth of Mad Men time, Joan went from the eye-candy personnel manager sleeping with Roger to her own boss with a brimming bank account. She had every opportunity to walk away from the game and sit on the beach with the charming and free-wheeling retiree. Instead, she dismissed the idea, uttering my five favourite words of the episode - "I've been to the beach." With this, Joan has committed herself to playing the game on her own terms, free from the sexist snide misogynists at McCann Erickson.
One of the worst moments for women on Mad Men was when Joan was pressured by the all-male partners at SCDP to have sex with Herb Rennet from Jaguar. The episode still makes me ill but it was this act that led Joan to her partnership. Donning pants in her last scene of the series, Joan is the image of the modern working woman who will fight and claw for a world where she is respected as the brilliant boss that she is and singing her own tune. I like to think it would be this tune right here because she is basically already telling those bitches to bow down and let's be real here - Joan would probably be a Beyoncé fan in another lifetime.
I initially fell in love with Mad Men because of the stunning 1950's era dresses, the infamous Kodak Carousel pitch, and Don Draper's irresistible bad boy appeal. Last night, I was giddy over Joan and Peggy's deliberating over starting their own firm - Harris Olson and Joan choosing her career over Mr. Too-Tanned while rocking a pair of pants.
They dangled "Harris Olson" right in front of us and then snatched it away a mere few scenes later. That's alright because Joan was fearless and started her production company anyway under the "Holloway-Harris" moniker. In seven seasons and ten years worth of Mad Men time, Joan went from the eye-candy personnel manager sleeping with Roger to her own boss with a brimming bank account. She had every opportunity to walk away from the game and sit on the beach with the charming and free-wheeling retiree. Instead, she dismissed the idea, uttering my five favourite words of the episode - "I've been to the beach." With this, Joan has committed herself to playing the game on her own terms, free from the sexist snide misogynists at McCann Erickson.
One of the worst moments for women on Mad Men was when Joan was pressured by the all-male partners at SCDP to have sex with Herb Rennet from Jaguar. The episode still makes me ill but it was this act that led Joan to her partnership. Donning pants in her last scene of the series, Joan is the image of the modern working woman who will fight and claw for a world where she is respected as the brilliant boss that she is and singing her own tune. I like to think it would be this tune right here because she is basically already telling those bitches to bow down and let's be real here - Joan would probably be a Beyoncé fan in another lifetime.
When we first met Peggy, she was a fresh-faced but lost secretary with major deficit in self-esteem and confidence. Peggy's brilliance started to shine with the Belle Jolie account. She climbed her way up, landing her own office and with "Copy Chief" written on the door. You can reminisce about some of Peggy's best moments here.
A few episodes earlier, McCann Erickson mismanaged her transfer in the merger and assumed she was a a secretary. Peggy spends the day drinking and roller skating with Roger in the abandoned SC&P offices, eventually showing up to her first day at McCann Erickson hungover in sunglasses, holding a canvas of octopus cunnilingus, giving no fucks. Peggy's final scenes give her the happy ending that she deserves, career advancement opportunities left, right and centre and a man who loves her and understands her commitment to her work.
Peggy has been one of my favourite characters since the beginning - the timid underdog content with whatever comes her way and then growing into her own person who owned an apartment building, was well on her way to her dream job, and did not need a man to fulfill her dreams. With no education but secretary school, Peggy's life has been unpredictable but she has never wavered from her career.
I have always struggled identifying with second-wave feminism, always feeling like it was reserved for the white, middle-class working woman. However, watching Joan and Peggy's lives unfold throughout a revolutionary decade have made me appreciate where the anger and foundations of today's feminist movement. While they may not have delivered on Harris Olson last night, I like to dream that Peggy changes her mind a few weeks later and joins Joan to form the ultimate feminist business partnership.
"I've been to the beach"
Fighting for equality, visibility, and opportunities as a feminist is exhausting. There are days were I wish I could re-live my semester abroad in France where I lived in a bubble and spent most days relaxing along the Mediterranean Sea. Since coming home, I have carefully surrounded myself with safe and inspiring like-minded groups and people. But the real world doesn't look like that and more often than not, it still reflects many of the barriers that kept Joan and Peggy from their glorious happy endings.
I am so young but I am already exhausted with the persistent racism, sexism, patriarchy, violence, neo-liberalism, colonialism, capitalism, and oppression that shrouds our world. But when Joan dismisses the beach, she's really saying that she's all in for the fight to create her own space in the world, with her own rules. She's done being the eye-candy and passively accepting the life she's expected to live according to the men in her life. Instead, by the end of the episode, Joan is the one wearing the pants with one-woman start-up production company at her dining room table. Joan is hungry for more and sitting on the beach won't get her what she wants.
So, next time I find myself drained or disheartened by the feminist fight and pining for the beach, I will hold onto Joan's words. I'll tell myself, "I've been to the beach" - I love the sun, beach and cocktails, but I know I'm hungry for more and for better.
"I've been to the beach"
Fighting for equality, visibility, and opportunities as a feminist is exhausting. There are days were I wish I could re-live my semester abroad in France where I lived in a bubble and spent most days relaxing along the Mediterranean Sea. Since coming home, I have carefully surrounded myself with safe and inspiring like-minded groups and people. But the real world doesn't look like that and more often than not, it still reflects many of the barriers that kept Joan and Peggy from their glorious happy endings.
I am so young but I am already exhausted with the persistent racism, sexism, patriarchy, violence, neo-liberalism, colonialism, capitalism, and oppression that shrouds our world. But when Joan dismisses the beach, she's really saying that she's all in for the fight to create her own space in the world, with her own rules. She's done being the eye-candy and passively accepting the life she's expected to live according to the men in her life. Instead, by the end of the episode, Joan is the one wearing the pants with one-woman start-up production company at her dining room table. Joan is hungry for more and sitting on the beach won't get her what she wants.
So, next time I find myself drained or disheartened by the feminist fight and pining for the beach, I will hold onto Joan's words. I'll tell myself, "I've been to the beach" - I love the sun, beach and cocktails, but I know I'm hungry for more and for better.
For more reading, here are some of my favourite articles on last night's series finale:
How Mad Men Helped Me Understand the Anger in My Mother's Feminism
'Mad Men' Gives Joan and Peggy the Real Thing
The Annotated MAD MEN: Don Draper Buys The World A Coke
Film Crit Hulk Smash: The MAD MEN Finale And The Mantra Of Don Draper
The 10 Best and Worst Moments for the Women of Mad Men
For a laugh and awesome feeling, check out the 7 best lady burns from the finale.
And if after all that and you're like me and still not over the end of Mad Men, have a hug.