The Mad Men of China
Over the last several weeks I’ve gotten pretty into AMC’s show Mad Men. It’s all about the men (and women) of an advertising firm on New York’s Madison Avenue in 1959. The amazing thing about the show is how much its portrayal of late 1950s New York reminds me of modern China. Specifically, the provinces of modern China.
Here are a few common themes from the show, and let’s see if they sound familiar:
- The characters, led by Don Draper, smoke everywhere. They smoke in the office. They smoke in restaurants. And they smoke most feverishly with clients. (Maybe that’s not Beijing, but it sure is Lanzhou. Okay, so maybe it’s Beijing, too.)
- They drink in the office. And heavily at lunch. (That doesn’t happen in China. Right?)
- All of the people in power are men. All of the secretaries are women. (Quick, name the most powerful woman in China not named “Wu Yi.” OKay, that’s probably unfair. But when was the last time you went to a business meeting in central or western China where one of the top negotiators was a woman?)
- Pregnant women drink.
- And smoke.
- Everyone wears a suit. Even when it seems odd. (Like that guy who fixed you bike, had grimy hands, but was wearing a sports coat.)
- People say kind of racist things, but seem to have no idea they’re racist.
- Companies can get away with paying $38 a week.
So there you have it. For those of you who want to know what life in China is like, watch a few episodes of Mad Men. Alternatively you can move here.
This entry has been bought to you by AMC’s Mad Men.
