While it's easy to talk about Jon Hamm's Don Draper as the protagonist of Mad Men, the TV show owes a lot to Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks. Playing Peggy Olson and Joan Holloway Harris, respectively, the actresses were a huge part of what made Mad Men work. However, Peggy and Joan were far from friends at first. As two of the few women at Sterling Cooper, the ad agency the series follows, who gained success and respect, there were many instances throughout Mad Men when the pair were at each other's throats.
Anchoring the cast, Peggy and Joan were the first two women to get a foothold in the misogynistic world of Sterling Cooper. While Peggy gives her share of jabs throughout their time working together, Joan is particularly harsh toward Peggy, especially in the early seasons. There are many reasons why Joan would initially be mean to Peggy, instead of seeing her as an ally. The reason Mad Men is such a timeless show is that it understands how and why people like Peggy and Joan would go on such a layered journey in their relationship.
Joan Is Harsh To Peggy Because She Cares About Her Survival In Their Sexist Workplace
Joan Understands What Happens To Women Who Aren't Aware Of How The System Works
Since Mad Men is set in the 1960s, the series continuously grapples with the inherent sexism and discrimination that were part of the cultural ideology at the time. This manifests in many ways, but Mad Men specifically touches upon the experience of women in the workplace. The series demonstrates how this changes with the social movements of the era. Peggy and Joan represent these ups and downs, and when Peggy starts at Sterling Cooper, Joan feels immediately threatened, worried that there's only room for one intelligent, confident woman at the company.
While Joan's criticism and rudeness are to protect herself and keep Peggy down, they're also Joan's way of helping Peggy understand what's expected of her at Sterling Cooper. Joan knows what happens to women who don't have their guard up and aren't in control of everything they do and say at companies like Sterling Cooper. The nuances and complexities of relationships like that between Joan and Peggy are part of the reason that a revival shouldn't happen. As much as Joan is angry and scared, she doesn't want to see the more naive Peggy get hurt.
Joan & Peggy Butt Heads Because Of Their Different Strategies For Getting Ahead
They Have Methods For Fitting In And Finding A Place In The World Of Advertising
The nature of the workplace for women in the 1960s pitted women against each other, and Peggy and Joan represent two distinct camps of thought on this subject. Joan attempts to make the system work for her, using the men around her and their attraction to her as leverage and power. However, even though Peggy becomes an insider, she attempts to change the system completely, rising through the ranks of the agency and convincing Don and the other men to take her seriously as a copywriter and contender in the business world.
It's safe to say that part of Joan resents Peggy for her ability to shake things up and gain the respect of the men.
It's safe to say that part of Joan resents Peggy for her ability to shake things up and gain the respect of the men around them without using her sexuality. This builds tension between the pair for many seasons. However, after Don, Roger, Lane, and Cooper break off from Sterling Cooper, Joan's expertise and understanding of the business start to be recognized, setting her up for success and a partnership by the later seasons. When Joan feels like she's on a level playing field with Peggy and allows herself to feel as ambitious as she is, it alters their relationship.
The Mad Men Characters Respect Each Other In The End
Peggy & Joan Ultimately Recognize Each Other As Equals Who Can Help Each Other
When Joan gains self-assuredness, she begins to recognize that Peggy isn't her enemy in the workplace who will take opportunities from her, but an ally in the fight against the men who are their real opposition. By the final season, Joan even tries to bring Peggy with her when she opens her own company, seeing that Peggy is a skilled copywriter and that having two women at the helm of a business is a strength, not a weakness. Additionally, neither of them was one of Mad Men, and this was a unique position.
10 Best Movies & TV Shows Starring Mad Men's Main Cast
The main cast from Mad Men have been in a diverse number of some of the best movies and TV series since the Matthew Weiner series ended.
There are many instances in Mad Men when Peggy and Joan commiserate over Don's actions and how he gets away with everything, as well as the other men at SC&P. Being able to talk about the slights they received from the men and discuss how they go unrecognized for their work bond Joan and Peggy, making them longtime friends, even if their world views are still different. Watching Joan and Peggy become such wise and capable characters who trust each other is one of the best parts of Mad Men.
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score |
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
Mad Men (2007–2015) |
94% |
95% |
- Directors
- Michael Uppendahl, Jennifer Getzinger, Scott Hornbacher, Matthew Weiner, Lesli Linka Glatter, Tim Hunter, Jon Hamm, Barbet Schroeder, Daisy von Scherler Mayer, Ed Bianchi, Jared Harris, Matt Shakman, Lynn Shelton
- Writers
- Jonathan Igla, Robin Veith, Carly Wray, Kater Gordon, Bridget Bedard, Cathryn Humphris, Chris Provenzano, Brett Johnson, Rick Cleveland, Tracy McMillan, Andrew Colville, David Iserson
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