Hello Beautiful People,
The hit television show, Mad Men, ends this evening.
And truthfully, I JUST started watching this show.
And yet, with the little time that we’ve gotten to know one antoher, I completely understand the Mad Men craze. The “What Would Peggy Olsen Do?”, articles. The art. The stories. The complete and utter obsession.
I get it, I do.
As much as I get it, I don’t think I could encapsulate what this series as meant to so many people any better than the one and only, Ms. Jennifer Ashley Tepper. To me, well, Jen is Peggy. And let’s be honest, the world needs more Peggys.
I know that “Mad Men” is a TV show, but it has changed my life. It is my favorite television show of all time, and I love every character, every episode. But there is a reason that I dedicated my second book “To all the Peggy Olsons”. Having a character like that on television lit a fire under me about feminism. It made me feel understood in a profound way, as a professional lady. I thought about Peggy the day that I quit my last job. I thought about Peggy the day that I started my current job. She has taught me about leadership, choices, guts. I’ve thought “What Would Peggy Olson Do” a thousand times- in situations with co-workers, clients, friends, guys, family members, strangers. Peggy Olson is a flawed, realistic, brave, strong hero. I know that years from now, we’ll find that her presence on television inspired a whole new generation of professional women. “Mad Men” makes me understand my parents, my grandparents, New York, America. It makes me understand me. It has made me want to work in television in some capacity, at some point in my career, because now I really know what television can BE. Thank you, Matthew Weiner. Thank you for telling these stories the way that you have, for making audiences better and smarter, while some think they’re only being entertained. Thank you for creating something that will always mean so much to me, that will stay in my brain and my heart. Thank you for giving us these characters, and especially thank you for Peggy Olson. – Jennifer Ashley Tepper
We won’t be live-tweeting the show tonight. Instead we’ll be watching, enjoying, and soaking every last minute in.
We hope you’ll be watching with us!
Live, Love, Learn,