How lovely to be a woman

So, last night, my favourite show Mad Men started with the closing clip from the 1963 movie musical Bye Bye Birdie. Video here. 

This flick made a huge impression on my friends and me back then. We practiced all of Ann-Margret's moves and, I have to say, while watching Mad Men last night, I found myself on my feet ''throwing myself at the (imaginary) camera,'' as Don Draper said.

Yes, I was alone.

Bye Bye Birdie hit the big screen just before Beatlemania, and it came on the tail end of the Elvis worship. But it wasn't the singing idol(s) aspect we loved. It was the depiction of what we imagined teenaged life to be, the going steady, the parties, the dancing, the whole Barbie & Beach Party & Betty & Veronica thing.

Then came the Pill and pot, psychedelic music and a radical shift in pop culture.

But for just a few months, we lived in this glorious bubble, dying to be Ann-Margret, who was so much sexier than the perennial Disney star Annette Funicello.

Anyway, I am not embarrassed to admit that this bit below was my favourite scene and song, one I performed in front of the mirror, with one of my dad's sweaters. I still sing it every once in a while, just to make friends cringe.

And I still came out a feminist.

By the way, here's my treeware take of last week on the instructive value of Mad Men today.

(Jezebel and Feministing have their takes on last night here but be warned, there are spoilers.)

Comments

[Carla]

Do I see some parallels between you and Peggy Olson! Interesting episode for her character, wouldn't you say?

[Antonia]

A loaded episode, so many things going on. (And yeah, I cracked up when Peggy did the mirror routine.)

[sooey]

I have trouble appreciating the entertainment value of Mad Men because the sexism just makes me so mad! And I'm not sure how much has really changed some days.

I like Weeds.