Image Credit: AMCYou’d think a class about Mad Men might focus on the art of seduction, better living through structured undergarments, or how to win over attractive women and influence drunks. But no! Northwestern University’s MM class is about history and commercialism. Well, that sounds good too.
Professor Michael Allen’s course, Consumerism and Social Change in Mad Men America 1960-1965, is a freshman seminar, and he told the Northwestern Newscenter that he likes teaching history and politics “from the ground up.” “Mad Men provides a good understanding of how ordinary people participated in history and produced change in politics broadly conceived,” he said. “In class we’ll discuss the ways women got involved in second-wave feminism, how they decided to enter the workplace, as well as the emergence of civil rights activism, which often occurred in commercial settings, such as lunch counters and drug stores.”
So … I want to take this class really badly. I want to think about how choices of what to buy inform and are informed by how we see ourselves in a changing society! What was I thinking taking Medieval Women’s Religious Writing instead of stuff like this? (Just kidding — I actually loved that class so hard.)
Shall we sign up for this together or what, PopWatchers?
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Is there a way to petition this professor to make the class available on iTunes university?
Amen to that! I’d love to take this class!
I really want to take this class!
I feel like there should be a dress code for this class.
And if a guy doesn’t remove his hat when a lady walks in, it’s perfectly acceptable for me to take it off his head and shove it into his chest for being rude.
LOL! Exactly.
The class is interesting and I probably would sign up but for Mad Men. For me, its one of those shows that I HATE but others love.
I really really wish my school had a class like this…and of course, dressing like the characters would have to be required.
OHHHH I want to go to there!!!
Can somebody please get the professor to write a book on this subject for those of us who CAN’T actually take what sounds like a really fascinating class?
I go to Northwestern, and I was really excited when I heard about this class (and when I saw the Mad Men Season 1 DVDs on sale at the bookstore), but unfortunately it is exclusively open to freshman only, and I’m a sophomore. More specifically, it’s only open to about 15 freshman, since it’s a seminar. Oh well. I still support the idea of teaching Mad Men in an academic setting.
This show is so boring.