It’s Time to Stop Idolizing Monsters
It’s certainly not much fun being one.
What Walter White, Don Draper, and Tony Soprano have in common is that they’re very relatable, authentic men who humanize many of the issues we go through as ordinary people. Walter White struggles with cancer. Don Draper struggles with childhood trauma. Tony Soprano struggles with anxiety and panic attacks and goes to therapy in a world that stigmatized mental health struggles.
They’re not perfect, but they’re human. Starting with Soprano, the protagonist of a deeply flawed hero was made. But the other side of them is that they are manipulators, murderers, rapists, and simply put: monsters. While they’re compelling characters who we should humanize, trying to be Don Draper, Tony Soprano, or Walter White sets a negative example of where we want society to be. What makes them so compelling is all three had a lot of problems that we can relate to, but excusing their actions certainly does set a bad precedent.
When I was in high school, Mad Men was the first of the three legendary TV shows I watched. And at that time, I looked up to Don Draper. I knew if I felt the way I did, other people certainly did as well — after all, Don Draper is charismatic. He is confident. He is handsome. He is powerful and successful. In the show, he binge drinks, chain-smokes, and treats…
