Feminism in Dollhouse and Mad Men

There is a fascinating article by Emily Nussbaum on the New York Magazine website about the exploration of sexual consent in recent episodes of Dollhouse and Mad Men. I'm a huge fan of both shows and I think one of the reasons that both of them are so compelling is that both explore sexuality in compelling and sometimes disturbing ways that. The only show on television that can really compare is HBO's Hung.

This article is noteworthy because for the most part critics haven't really had the guts to talk about the way these shows deal with sex. Critics of Dollhouse usually limit themselves to expressing distaste of the show's "prostitution" subject matter, while only the sexism of Mad Men's male characters. As Nussbaum explores in her article, both shows have very complicated sexual dynamics where the supposed victims are often so morally compromised as to be complicitous with the victimizers.

If you're a fan of either show the article is worth reading.