American Life and Television from I Love Lucy to Mad Men

"I Love Lucy" and "Mad Men" are both iconic television shows that mirror a specific decade in time. Both productions expose the role of women in society. One in 1950s America, one in 1960s America. How did the referenced culture and political climate influence the decisions creators made to explain their point of view? Does art imitate life or does life imitate art? Author Mark Mussari takes readers on a journey from the beginnings of television, when families sat in the living room and watched the one television set they might be lucky to own, to the present, where an increasing number watch television on iPhones or on DVRs rather than in real time. This record of the ever-changing world of American culture is highlighted with a fabulous variety of photographs from the last six decades.