Mad Men is a classic television series created by Matthew Weiner which will most certainly go down in history as one of the most well-written shows of all time. The series highlights the daily struggles brought on by "the decade of discontent." "Discontent" is the perfect word to describe how these characters feel. Almost no one in the series is satisfied with the current position in life they hold. Despite how powerful the people of Sterling Cooper Ad Agency are, each employee strives for more. More money, more rights, more opportunities.
We don't believe these loveable characters will ever stop fighting for what they believe in, and that is what the '60s were all about. To reminisce on this powerful series, let's look at some hilarious Mad Men memes that will make you want to binge the series all over again!
GETTING BUSINESS DONE THE RIGHT WAY
Priorities.
If Don ever had a "one true love" in his lifetime, it was not Betty. It was not Megan. It wasn't even his career. It was alcohol. Alcohol was what kept Don Draper going. It provided him a source of comfort and ease perhaps to wash away the thoughts of his messed up childhood. Were his excessive drinking habits wildly unhealthy? Yes. But Don Draper was a man of his time, and back then, people consumed alcohol like water.
Nowadays if you are caught drinking on the job there is a good chance you'll get fired on the spot, but back then it was a part of the cultural norm. Yet Don's obsession with that alcoholic buzz didn't suddenly stop after he left Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, oh no. He was so in need of booze that he had his own children act as baby bartenders. All we can say is "Yikes, Donald!"
CO-WORKER GOALS
The look on Joan's face says it all.
Peggy and Joan could not be more different. For the majority of the series, these differences in values and femininity caused significant conflict between the two; however, as the series progressed, Joan and Peggy became a team.
It took time for their bond to develop though because the two were living in a severely sexist workplace where women were expected to be pitted against each other rather than come together and support one another. Ultimately, both Peggy and Joan learn a great deal from each other and it is easily one of the most beautiful connections in the entire series.
DON HAS NEVER HEARD OF "COMMITMENT"
The term "commitment" might as well be gibberish to the stern-faced businessman, and the fact of the matter is, Don seems to have little to no remorse for his consistent adultery. Poor Betty and Megan! Moral of the story is, never marry Don Draper, folks.
Don may have a jawline that can cut glass and a mysterious James Bond aura that drives the ladies wild, but at the end of the day, our boy D.D will never want what he can actually have. He is constantly scouting for more. More women, more booze, more money. Eventually, in the finale, it is suggested that Don might finally change his ways when he realizes all he has lost in such a short span of time.
WE ALL KNOW THAT ONE LOOK
Don Draper isn't exactly the type of person one would call "animated." For the most part, it seems as though his face is glued together into one stoic (and iconic) look that sticks out at any given moment. It doesn't matter how intense the situation is- for the most part, Don's look will remain neutral.
It is almost as though this man cannot be fazed anymore due to the fact that he believes himself to be a man who has seen the world and all it has to offer. You could place a flying pig in a fairy costume right in front of Don's face, and chances are he won't so much as raise an eyebrow. Like a boss!
WE ALL KNOW THAT ONE KID
We all know that one kid who watched a handful of Mad Men episodes and then quickly decided to change their major to marketing. Perhaps the real world career choice isn't as glamorous and fun as it seems to be on the hit AMC series set in the '60s, but who are we to say.
Yet listen up, folks: Changing your major to marketing in order to live your life like Don Draper and Peggy Olsen does not mean you will get to drink like a fish on the job. That's just not how it works in today's day and age. Yet, who knows? You might be able to come up with an ad as epic as "I'd like to buy the world a Coke," like our boy Don.
JOAN? MORE LIKE REGINA
The internet seems to be fascinated with the idea of mashing up Mean Girls with Mad Men, and it's kind of amazing. Yet to be honest here, any Mean Girls reference mashed up with a pop culture phenomenon is always appreciated. Even though the film came out more than a decade ago, it's still impossible not to create memes out of the movie mashed up with any given series.
To be honest, it works perfectly with Mad Men. In the workplace, Joan is your classic mean girl while Peggy is the innocent (and slightly naive) Cady Heron. Does that make Roger Sterling Aaron Samuels? Is Don Draper Shane Oman? We'd love to know.
TOO CLASSIC NOT TO NAME YOUR KID AFTER IT
We all remember that classic moment in television history when Peggy did her slow-motion badass walk into McCann Erickson. It was so perfect and glorious, it's almost worth naming your kid after. It perfectly captured the evolution of Peggy Olsen, a character who was once so tremendously self-conscious and unsure and is now perhaps the biggest boss in the history of biggest bosses.
Peggy's story on Mad Men is one of the most interesting and inspiring stories of all, so it made the moment especially epic for fans of the series. If you look up the word "iconic," the definition of the term will reveal that scene.
WHAT SELLS? NOSTALGIA.
Don Draper:
In Greek, 'nostalgia' literally means 'the pain from an old wound.' It's a twinge in your heart, far more powerful than memory alone. This device isn't a spaceship, it's a time machine. It goes backward and forward, it takes us to a place where we ache to go again.
We all remember that one incredible speech Don gave during his pitch meeting about the power that derives from nostalgia.
There is nothing in the world like it. Nostalgia is perhaps the most powerful feeling of all, which is why we as a generation were all so totally down to support the revival of The Jonas Brothers when they came out with their hit single "Sucker". (Plus, we all know Don would be a total Joe fan.)
DON'S AWFUL DRUNKEN PITCHES
This meme is derived from that one memorable Mad Men moment when Don was on top of his high horse and decided to attempt a pitch in front of clients while drunk. Since that scene, fans of the show have been creating memes that parody
Don's awful pitch meeting and his incredibly dumb advertisement idea. If Don were in modern times, perhaps he would come up with this terrible idea featuring a dog's sexual preference. Yikes, Don. Yikes! Get yourself together, man! There are enough air bud movies as is...
A CINEMA CLASSIC...
"Not great Bob!" is one of the funniest and most quotable lines in the history of Mad Men. It is uttered by the one and only Pete Campbell, a character who has surprisingly grown on us throughout the course of the series.
At first, we could not stand his character and looked at him as the "Draco Malfoy" of the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. Yet over time, he was one of our favorite characters on the entire show. Pete was especially loveable in this comedic moment when he confronts his co-worker on the fact that his mom went missing on a cruise. The cruise that his co-worker suggested she go on! That certainly causes Mr. Campbell to feel "not great, Bob!!"