Portrayal of the 1950's Family

When one speaks of "traditional American values" our minds immediately bring up images of white picket fences, rows of identical suburban homes, and the good old fashion family togetherness of the 1950's. But as revealed to us by books like Stephanie Coontz's "The Way We Never Were" and shows like "Madmen", the quintessential, happy, American family of the 1950's was merely a facade -- crafted and perpetrated partially by the sitcoms of the era. "Madmen" portrays a much different image of what family life was like in the 1950's, and gives us a different perceptive with which to view that era.

In the 1950’s, the prevailing consensus (or propaganda if you will) was that getting married young, cranking our babies, and living a family-focused life in a homogenous community would bring you a happy, fulfilled existence. Shows like “Leave it to Beaver” assert just those thoughts. The parents are incredibly involved in their children’s lives. When Wally joins the football team in the episode “The Shave”, it becomes the focus of the family’s attention for the first portion of the show. Then once he starts feeling self-conscience about his lack of facial hair, the entire family becomes involved until the “problem” is resolved. At the end of the episodes, a moral lesson is learned and the family is happy.

But the dynamics at work in “Madmen” are completely different than those of 1950’s sitcoms. While the young men in the office are getting married young (like Pete Campbell), it isn’t viewed as the means to happiness. On the contrary, the boys joke around that it is something of a death sentence. And while both Don and Betty think that they have it all (a wonderful home, kids, money), neither of them are truly happy.

The sanctity of marriage and how it is treated is also something that differs between “Leave it to Beaver” and “Madmen”. In “Leave it to Beaver” the mother and father would never divorce, let alone admit that the family is unhappy. And forget about any mention of adultery. In “Madmen” divorce still carries a stigma, but marriage isn’t treated with the same reverence as in ‘50’s shows. Every guy in the office sleeps around, regardless of his marital status. Don alternates nights at home with Betty and with Mig in the city. And the night before Pete Campbell’s wedding, the only thing on his mind is sleeping with another woman.

Both of these shows are works of fiction. Neither of them can ever completely or accurately portray the families of the era, since generalizing every family even within a specific demographic is impossible. But media can carry a lot of power. “Leave it to Beaver” and similar shows have been so ingrained in our minds and culture that they’ve slowly become accepted as a truthful portrayal of that time period. But shows like “Madmen” help us to remember that things were never that simple and wholesome. The human condition is one that is defined by complexity, contradictions, and struggle. And this needs to be remembered whenever one is talking about “traditional American values” and the 1950’s.

Works Cited:

"Leave it to Beaver"

"Madmen"

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