So this week I watched the first season of Mad Men.
I know they’re all a bunch of oppressive, lecherous, sexist, philandering and bigoted pigs – but seriously, they look great.
I know, I’m a bit behind the times, but I’m on the wagon now and I only wish I’d started sooner.
Vomit-inducing sexism aside, the show is visually brilliant – the clothes, the sets, it’s all so sexy.
But a word of warning, if you’re trying to quit smoking like me, watching this show is torture.
It’s basically porn for non-smokers.
The characters are constantly smoking, lighting up in any situation and blowing smoke into the air with such gusto that it’s enough to drive you crazy.
Anyway, the smoking is not important, but the clothes are.
I know how wrong this sounds before I even type it, but I love how the women on this show look like real women and the men look like real men.
Perhaps what I find so appealing is the clear distinction between the masculine and the feminine.
You’d never see any of the ‘mad men’ getting around in skin tight women’s jeans, these are men who still comb their hair for god’s sake!
When was the last time you saw a guy with a comb in his pocket?
This show reminds us of a time when people took the time regarding their appearance.
The men seem so manly with all their back slapping and spirit drinking; and so debonair with their suits, braces and hats.
I know they’re all a bunch of oppressive, lecherous, sexist, philandering and bigoted pigs – but seriously, they look great.
And the women; with their twin sets and pearls, the big colourful prints and the dresses that cinch at the waist and then blow out to a full skirt.
It’s all meant to be so demure, but really it’s insanely sexy.
They always have their hair done and their makeup is perfect, and once again, I know they’re oppressed and married to utterly atrocious men, but they look so good.
It’s a show that celebrates badly behaved people; they’re all cheating on their spouses, ripping people off, drink driving and smoking while pregnant, but they do it all while looking amazing.
And they remind us of a time when we weren’t so scared, when we weren’t assaulted each day by fear-mongering campaigns telling us what to not eat and how fast to drive.
It was a far simpler time, when people didn’t know as much and perhaps they didn’t even care, but they sure as hell looked a lot better.