“Peter, may I speak to you for a moment?”
–Season 3, Episode 13: “Shut the Door. Have a Seat”
A few weeks ago, I asked “What Would June Cleaver Do?” Since then, I’ve been thinking about the traits that I want to incorporate into my own life and thinking about who my role models could be.
This morning I had an “a-HA!” moment when I realized that the character “Trudy Campbell” from Mad Men has been resonating with me. This realization took me by surprise because I thought my favorite character was “Joan Holloway Harris.”
So, who is Trudy and why does she speak to me?
- She has developed into the epitome of a “wingspouse.” Unlike the stereotypical bored housewife “Betty Draper” character, Trudy is her husband’s partner in their mutual success.
- She is feminine without being girly (as can be seen in the photo, above, from the Derby Day party).
- She dresses appropriately. Now, granted, her character is a Park Avenue housewife with the money to go with it but her clothes aren’t showy or over the top. For example, even when she is wearing the “wife uniform,” also known as the shirtdress, it is out of nice fabric and she looks relaxed and confident wearing it.
- She rolls with the punches. When she found out that she and her husband weren’t able to conceive, she redefined her role within the marriage and moved on instead of wallowing in bitterness.
- She cooks and takes pride in being a homemaker (although she has alluded to “having help” cleaning…which would make sense given her income bracket).
The irony that a modern character is a role model is not lost on me. But, I think her character helps me examine through my modern lens what it was like to be homemaker during that time period. Because Matt Weiner, the creator of Mad Men, is such a stickler for detail, her character provides an interpretation that I can understand.
How about you? Has a modern character ever helped you relate or understand your 50′s homemaker-self better?
Just wanted to say hi again and that your sweet message on FB reminded me how much I miss my friends and KR so I fired up a post over there!
xx L
Yay! We’ve missed you but I surely understand how other projects can take away from blogging time!
I encourage everyone else to visit Kitchen Retro for an affectionate look at midcentury quirkiness: http://kitchenretro.blogspot.com/2010/07/news-in-salads.html
“Has a modern character ever helped you relate . . . ” You know, I thought about it — and the answer is: not so much. The goal is impersonal for me — a standard rather than a person. Even my retro person, my grandmother Ina, I never really knew, so I pursue her through what few letters I have and the works of the day.
Thanks for asking that question. I enjoyed thinking about it.
I’m way behind on my Mad Men watching so I obviously need to catch up and learn more about Trudy Campbell!
Good post, Dr. J.