Fans of the AMC series Mad Men will now have something to go mad over at Northwestern University.

The critically acclaimed series follows the life of 1960s advertising man Don Draper, his career in the advertising business and his relationship with his family. Highly praised for its realism in depicting 1960s culture, politics and issues, Mad Men is now the subject of a history course at Northwestern, titled “Consumerism and Social Change in Mad Men America, 1960-1965.”

James Hay, professor of media and cinema studies at the University, said he could imagine reasons why a history professor would want to teach the show.

“History departments have been interested for some years in which ways the past is represented,” he said.

Leslie Reagan, professor of history and media studies, was a speaker at the February 2010 symposium at the University organized by the Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory titled, “Mad World: Sex, Politics, Style and the 1960s.”

Reagan found the scene when Peggy Olson, a copywriter in the advertising office, first goes to the gynecologist to be particularly accurate with the “rude and dismissive” treatment Peggy receives from the physician.

“A lot of college students who I have showed the scene think it is unbelievable and horrible in the way the doctor treats her,” she said. “Plenty of people who are older and watching are commenting that it is exactly right.”

Hay said it was true Mad Men refers to events that really happened.

“Events such as when Don gets tickets for his daughter to go to The Beatles or Kennedy being elected, these are events that really happened, but they are stitched into a world that is fictional but is somewhat recognizable to people who connect to pop culture,” he said.

Gina Duello, sophomore in LAS, said she is fan of the show and thought it was interesting how it portrays the 1960s.

“It’s interesting to seeing the different gender roles and how different it is from today,” she said.

Reagan added that the attention to detail fascinated many viewers.

“People look at the clothing and the design, and it’s very specific to the time period. And for a lot of people, that is what is really wonderful,” she said. “But, Mad Men has also attracted a lot of attention and scholarly commentary.”

Reagan said others feel the show continues an ongoing discussion about the accuracy of sexism, racism and its depiction of society in the 1960s in a negative light.

When asked about whether a class specific to Mad Men could ever be taught at the University, Reagan said she thought it was possible.

“It’s a combination of what faculty want to teach and what they believe students’ interest to be,” she said.

Hay added that he thought there should be a place for teaching everyday media and representation at universities.

“My opinion has always been that it’s their relationship to everyday life and to millions of people’s lives that make them subjects for discussion and analysis at the University,” Hay said.