Misogyny  Wrapped up in a Mid-Century Christmas Bow

Tis’ the season for the online posting of cringe-worthy, mid-century, sexist Christmas ads guaranteed to provide a hoot at how dated they are. How silly, a woman purring seductively at a Hoover vacuum cleaner. Or a gal nearly orgasmic over

Housework and the Happy Homemaker

Happy Homemaker To believe all the colorful mid-century advertisements no one was the beneficiary of the cold war culture of casual, carefree living more so than the housewife of the 1950’s and ‘60s. All manner of unparalleled ease from cleaning

Betty Francis’s Space Odyssey

The dawning of the Space Age may have caused some business men to ponder their obsolescence but homemakers needn’t worry- their jobs were secure. With Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 Space Odyssey looming over Mad Men, it would be no surprise if

Like Mother, Like Daughter

  Mid century mothers and daughters were clearly tied together not only by their apron strings but the same set of cultural expectations.  Not only did they share darling matching outfits but the same sunny enthusiasm for household chores. And