Heather Havrilesky on Mad Men

1. Havrilesky's main insight about the show Mad Men is that it represents people's desire to achieve the imperfect "American dream" and the harsh realities that people will have to face to reach that goal. She describes many of the characters who have had to suppress or sacrifice parts of their lives to attain whatever their version of perfect is. Once the characters get there, they may find their perfect dream to be lacking in some way.
2. Havrilesky is a television critic for Salon, and she uses specific details as well as generalizations about the show that suggest she has followed it closely enough to have an understanding of each character.  
3. The first two paragraphs play heavily on ideals that most people grow up with, "we should be paid handsomely for our creative talents..." Also later in the essay, she uses specific examples from the character's lives to make it relatable to the reader, describing social pressures of marriage, romantic relationships, relationships within a family, and work.
4. I had seen the first episode of the show when it first came out, and didn't continue to watch because it didn't really interest me. Havrilesky doesn't really describe the premise of the show, so I don't really know any more about it than I did before. It does seem like she wrote her arguments for people who have watched the show and can put her examples into context. In that way she has made me want to go back and give the show another shot just so I know what she is talking about. On the other hand, her arguments are rather disheartening and I don't think this essay advertises why the show would be good to watch, so I remain mostly disinterested.