TV Programs

MAD MEN

Mad Men is set in the 1960s at an advertising agency on Madison Avenue in New York City. The plot focuses on the business of advertising agencies as well as the personal lives of the characters. As such, it regularly illustrates the changing moods and social mores of 1960s America (Weiner, 2007).

Mad Men depicts parts of American society and culture of the 1960s, highlighting cigarette smoking, drinking, sexism, feminism, adultery, homophobia, and racism (Stanley, 2007). There are hints of the future and the radical changes to come in the 1960s. Themes of alienation, social mobility and ruthlessness also underpin the tone of the show (Denhart, 2009).

After watching these trailers the themes mentioned are evident. Evidently, Mad Men seems to illuminate gender issues, its male characters are praised or expected to partake in drinking and adultery, while the female characters are often punished. Critics suggest "Mad Men straddles the line between a nuanced portrayal of how sexism and patriarchal entitlement shape lives, careers and social interactions in the 1960s (and, by extension, today) and a glorified rendering of the “fast-paced, chauvinistic world of 1960s advertising and all that comes with it.” Today, many believe men still have more power in business as a ceiling effect is still present for women in business. However, race and sexual preference are two themes that have been altered since the 1960s. In fact, Human Resources and the government have developed laws forbidding discrimination on sex, race, and more which have altered the business world for the better.

ABC2020

This TV program is exploring workplace behavior in a somewhat scandalous way. It conducts interviews with employees, business gurus and other experts, shows security camera recordings of suspicious behavior of employees and tells wild stories from workplaces. In November 11 episode “Workplace Confidential” covered topics from hiring to firing and commuting to raging employees (Abc, 2012).

Nowadays TV programs, even these documentary type programs as the Abc 2020, incorporate bits of reality TV into their shows because it feeds peoples need to see what other normal people are doing. By showing terrible work experiences, wild and aggressive workers and difficult commutes, the Abc 2020 is, in addition to entertaining the viewers, expressing an opinion that everything is not well in the working life. 

One of the major factors for these wild escapades shown in the episode is low job satisfaction that clashes with high expectations. Conflicts arise when one party perceives that another party is going to affect negatively on something that is important to the first party (Langton, Robbins, & Judge, 2011, p. 210). In addition to conflicts, workers are worn out by hectic pace of work, and these two combined result in unexpected behaviour.