I choose Mad Men as my “film” to study. Even though it is not 20th century it is based on ~1960s culture. What I found interesting was the sexualization of women in the show, but also the power they have. It also went well with what Williams wrote in her paper about sadism and masochism. First I want to start with the power women have, and the powers they don’t have in the show. I focused on the episode “The Beautiful Girls” which is episode 9 of season 4. There are two female characters I focus on. Joan Halloway, the office manager at the advertising agency, and Peggy, a rising copywriter who is functioning in a male-dominated job. Joan is shown multiple times in the episode wearing red, a color of sex and power. She has power over the men in the office and can manipulate them due to their attraction to her. At the same time, she does not have the power to rise above office manager to attain a better job. Peggy on the other hand, is more “homely” and dresses much more conservatively, but she works very hard and forces the men to accept her as a copywriter, a job traditionally only men want. One of the secretaries in the show actually tells Peggy in this episode that “everyone in this industry is a sadist or a masochist”, referring to the men bosses as sadists and the women trying to make it as masochists. While they are talking about a different type of “masochistic suffering” on page 8 of William’s paper, the idea that “masochistic suffering…(can have) pleasure for the woman victim”, is applicable to this show. Peggy enjoys having to climb uphill against all these men, the challenge is fun for her. This idea effects many people today and I think is a part of everybody’s life when they look for certain challenges.
Joan: 
Peggy:
American Culture 