How are you getting ready for the final season of "Mad Men"? Binge watching the show on Netflix? Digging around online for reviews and recaps of past episodes? Taking an in-depth, exploratory college level course?
Yep. You heard that last one right. Anne Helen Petersen, a media studies professor at Whitman College, developed an entire course based on Don Draper and the gang and then wrote about her experience to Slate. We've seen crazy college classes before -- remember the one dedicated to all things Beyonce? Unfortunately this doesn't sound like the easy, phone-it-in kind of course we were hoping for.
Each student signed up for a Netflix account and was responsible for watching two-five episodes assigned by the professor. Not too difficult, right? Students were also required to read books written around the time period the series is set in -- everything from "Revolutionary Road" to "Sex and the Single Girl" is included on the list -- and write a critical analysis on main characters of the show.
According to Petersen, the final exam had the 24 students answer "one of two deceptively simple questions: 'Who is Don Draper?' or 'Who is Peggy Olson?'" Instead of just saying what they loved about the show, students were encouraged to take a deeper look into the culture and characters the show was built upon.
Analytical essays and philosophical life questions, we'll leave that to the overachievers and stick to our original Netflix marathon idea.
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