In the past few years, Reese Witherspoon has gone from a movie star to a mogul of the so-called golden age of television. Her starring and producing role on Big Little Lies was such a big deal that fans demanded a season 2 be written, despite Liane Moriarty’s book not having a sequel. Even Meryl Streep climbed onboard. So, when Witherspoon declares she wants to reboot a show, we should all pay attention.
On Thursday, Witherspoon went on Twitter to share a very stylish, very ‘60s photo of herself holding a glass of scotch. If you got Mad Men vibes, well, that’s exactly the point.
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“Hey January Jones, how am I doing?” tweeted Witherspoon, referring to Jones' stylish character Betty Draper. "Thinking of submitting this image with my #MadMen reboot application.”
Be still our beating hearts. Emmy-winning Mad Men, this time with Witherspoon sitting in the producer’s chair? If she’s not serious, she should be. Witherspoon seems like exactly the right person to tell a story about women climbing their way up through the advertising ladder at a time when they were not-so-subtly told housewife was the only truly acceptable occupation.
Though Big Little Lies is a soap set in modern-day Monterey, the theme of what a woman's real role should be still comes into play. In the first season, Witherspoon's Madeline Martha Mackenzie waxes poetic about full-time working moms and how she believes she is made to feel "less than" for not having a job outside of the house. Mothers who do have a full-time position on the show are criticized for not doing everything possible for their children. For the mothers of Monterey, it's a no-win situation.
If Witherspoon ever does consider making this reboot a reality, it will likely be in between working on a few new projects. The actress will next star on Morning Show, an upcoming series on Apple's yet-to-drop streaming platform. She will appear alongside longtime friend Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carrell.
Still, let's hope that January Jones approves of this Mad Men reboot — Witherspoon's vision might be just what we need to cut through reboot fatigue.