As even the most casual of 'Mad Men' viewers (seasons 1-4) can tell you, the early 1960s was not a lovely time to be a woman. The Don Drapers of the world were only too happy to serve up offensive comments, cloaked in a light layer of English Leather and shined to a high-gloss finish with a heaping dollop of Brylcreem.
And, in one very eyebrow-raising example, sung to a swingin' beat perfect for your next John Cheever-esque cocktail party, I introduce you to Jack Jones' "Wives & Lovers." It's a serious little ditty that tells you -- in no unclear terms -- that if you have the audacity to wear curlers around your husband, don't be surprised if that husband leaves you.
Some other thoughts:
- You know you have a one-way express ticket to Offensive Town when a "love" song starts out with: "Hey, little girl..."
- This performance was in 1964, but Jones originally recorded the song in 1963. "The Feminine Mystique" was published in 1963. Clearly Jones missed that memo.
- Jones' recording won a Grammy.
Here's what Betty Draper thinks of it: