WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
Two Sundays ago, Mad Men dealt a scandalous sex card that shocked and polarized fans.
Some of you thought like Pete: Seize the day! When opportunity knocks, answer it. But some of you felt like Don: Sex is NOT the appropriate way to land a client! Nothing is worth Joan’s dignity.
So when Joan agreed to give her body to a slimy Jaguar dealer in return for a partnership and the satisfaction of knowing she scored the job for ’em, Twitter went NUTS!
Were they trying to say women can only sleep their way to the top? Or were they merely reflecting the truths of the time period? Was Joan taking advantage of the best deal for her self and her family? Or did the empowering empress lose some of her cred??
Christina Hendricks tells The Hollywood Reporter of her character’s shocking twist:
“The question is, what would you do to protect your family? Joan is raising her son all on her own. She has no help from anybody. So is it noble? Is it slutty? I don’t know.”
Well either way, Joan did it!! And she ended up pretty much set for life. …but she did it with her body, which is still pissing A LOT of people off.
As we always say, to each their own! Some place high moral standards on their body while others view the utilization of it as a talent in its own. And both are personal decisions.
But what seems most bothersome about Joan’s particular trade is how she clearly didn’t feel in control. Doing something she’s not comfortable with isn’t true to the Queen we know.
Still, it was her decision. She was aware of everything that would come with it: a partnership, money, potential shame. And she agreed.
While it’s true the knowledge of Don’s opposing stance could have moved her in the other direction, that can be unsettling as well. Because again, don’t we know a woman who doesn’t let anyone influence her personal decisions??
Guess that’s what makes Mad Men so great. They show their larger-than-life characters with all the real-life complexities of our world. And watching them deal with it is the best part!!
[Image courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter.]