Here Come the '60s: Be Fair, Mad Men

The fourth season of Mad Men starts Sunday, providing a political litmus test of sorts for viewers. The shift from the 1950s to the '60s fills conservatives with "apprehension" and liberals with "anticipation," writes Natasha Simons for the National Review. Each camp sees it through the prism of its choice: Liberals rejoice that the '50s—filled with "sexism, racism, and general prejudice"—will get their comeuppance, while conservatives fear the impending doom of the "Me Generation" and its hedonistic self-indulgence.

"Mad Men has lost its way a bit," writes Simons. Creator Matthew Weiner, "wrapped up in adoring his main character and the intricacies of a period he wants to evaporate, has fallen into a quicksand trap, not wanting to move on, despite his obvious political loyalties to the ’60s generation." But move on he must, so let's hope Weiner "is interested in portraying history with a fair hand. Falling into a rote ’60s nostalgia would be wholly unwelcome for a show that has come to be known for its nuance." (More Mad Men stories.)