Thinking about the Text (p.175)

1. I believe that Heather Havrilesky's main insight about Mad Men is that it presents America as a soulless place obsessed with consuming things and never being satisfied with our place in society and how this take on things is an excellent representation of reality. She implies as much in the last line where she states that in the movies what got lost was our souls. (175) She says in the first line that “Americans are constantly in search of an upgrade.”(170) Her statement that the movie is a “reflection” of an “American puzzle”, confirms that the movie represents the American society in some ways. (174) An exact statement of her's is “The American dream itself is a carefully packaged, soulless affair.”
2. Havrilesky establishes her authority by giving precise details, and the fact that page 170 states that she is a television critic.
3. She appeals to readers' emotions by bringing the characters to life with her examples. For instance the use of the word “fear” when describing Betty's reaction to dinner with her new mother-in-law.(174) Phrases such as “sighs deeply” also appeal to readers emotions.(171) Describing characters, for instance saying that Joan is “the most adaptive, resilient and personally effective character on the show,”(172) causes us to consider them as people rather than insignificant role players. Basically she appeals to readers' emotions by causing us to do the opposite of what she claims the movies shows, emphasize.
4. I was not familiar with the Mad Men movie and while Havrilesky's analysis has given me a working impression of its premise I have no desire to watch it as it illustrates the parts of American society that I despise.