Mad Men and Damages definitely work to expand understanding of Millennials beyond the initial definitions put forth by Strauss and Howe. These shows move beyond the world young adults and into a broader context. While Mad Men is set in the 1960s and centers around professional adults, it certainly has millennial sensibilities. Ellen in Damages is a millennial character in the ‘real’ world. Both of these shows present a sense of moral ambiguity touched upon throughout the term, out of college or high school and into the work place.

In Mad Men this is very much centered around Don Draper (or Dick Whitman, which could relate to millennials shifting identities as made possible by social technology? I don’t know, that might be a stretch). Don Draper, like Tyler the Creator as discusses in my presentation, is a walking paradox. He has extramarital affairs with numerous women, demands a certain level is respect/obedience as a man (as evidenced in his professional meeting with Rachel Manken), yet also demands men to give women a certain level of respect (as evidenced in his interaction with Pete and Peggy) and his date with Rachel complicates any depiction of him as a complete misogynist (as does his future working relationship with Peggy). Another seemingly paradoxical element of Don is his ambition and genius displayed in the Lucky Strikes account dealings, and the pessimism displayed in conversation with Rachel on their outing. Themes similar to this were seen in other programs throughout the term such as Secret Lift, Veronica Mars, and Gossip Girl.

Damages also presents a complex narrative dealing with moral ambiguity and ambition. While Patty seems to have a firm sense of justice, she is willing manipulate people and make shady deals to win her cases. This, in turn, complicates Ellen’s ambition upon entering Patty’s firm, as her desire for success comes into conflict with her morals and values. Both of these programs expand Millennial discourse beyond the original view of good, clean, and idealistic generation. While the ambition is still there, the binary between right and wrong is deconstructed, or at least brought into discussion rather than taken as a given.