Mad Men Madness (with a poll! wait for it!)

[Angeline]

This scene where she and Joan end up giggling at Peggy's "bull shit" was great. P's J's equal at last.

Thanks, Ange. What's your opinion on Betty?

Ditto on that scene. I love that Peggy and Joan have mainly supported each other.

I think that Don was right (even though he was a shit about it) when he said Betty is a child. She's so scarred by the loss of her parents. She needs a father figure (and looks like she got one in Henry). She's spoiled, vengeful and impulsive, tries to be a good mom but some of her behavior toward her kids is appalling. (Then again, her and Don having 8-year-old Sally fix their drinks is pretty scary, but that was the culture and times as much as their poor parenting, methinks.)

I ultimately find her sympathetic as I do most women of that generation because we know now women can do anything, but they didn't get those opportunities. I have to keep reminding myself that Joan and Peggy, even with their respective struggles to fit in, were by far the exception in their careers and ability to support themselves.

What do you think of her?

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Yes and so smart, so so smart. I think Peggy is Don without the darkness. I have been rewatching the old seasons because you can see so much you miss (there's so many layers of references there!), and you can see how the long arc of the story line is moving. I only see good things ahead for Pegs though I do wonder about that baby.

Are you seeing the current season or reading the reviews of what happens? (I don't want to throw in a spoiler by mistake!)

I'll just wait for the DVD (same with Breaking Bad) - as you say, the writing of M.M. is layered and can reveal more on subsequent viewing. I'm not worried about spoilers so neither should you.

It's interesting how strong the cast is, from Slattery to Joans mother, all perfect, even that sleaze-ball that used Joan.

 

[bronzeage]

He takes care of them because he loves to control people. Mostly that has worked in his favor--at least at his job. He is a boss I'd love to have for the reasons you mention. But all that drinking! Oy. He is definitely a high-functioning alkie.

Would you be insulted if I said you remind me a little of Roger?

Not at all. I am much more Stirling than Draper.

To my understanding, the drinking is pretty much accurate for the time.

I recently read a new book review of an old book. It was "The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit." It's the story of a WW2 veteran who is trying to be a success in the business world and is set just before the Mad Men era. This review took a different approach than previous ones. It charts the alcohol consumption of the characters. Nearly every person in the book walks around drunk, all day long. Everyone is self medicating and no one ever heard of post traumatic stress disorder.

I see the same pattern in my friends, which I saw in my parent's friends(I came from a tee-totaling household, so alcohol consumption was very apparent to me). My parent's friends were from cocktail generation. A drink at lunch was normal. A drink at the door when getting home from work was normal. Then, drinking from dinner till bedtime was normal.

The difference between my friends and my parents friends in my friends smoke marijuana instead of drinking. The pattern of consumption and the amount of time they spend in their medicated state is exactly the same.

 

[Angeline]

I'll just wait for the DVD (same with Breaking Bad) - as you say, the writing of M.M. is layered and can reveal more on subsequent viewing. I'm not worried about spoilers so neither should you.

It's interesting how strong the cast is, from Slattery to Joans mother, all perfect, even that sleaze-ball that used Joan.

Good actors but the writing is amazing. It's far from banal. And I love these series that are not situational but have a long plot arc. When I go back to some of these early episodes and see how carefully they foreshadow, well it impresses me. Of course history is the series' true compass: they can set everything by that. But I believe that after season seven we'll be able to look back and say they knew this was where Don et al were going from day one.

I'm not saying anything is wrong with situational shows, though--where one show doesn't necessarily connect to the one that follows it. If you knew how much Seinfeld and MASH are on in this house, well it's scary. And we keep laughing at the dumb jokes, time after time. Some of them are even code for us now. Hmmm. Perhaps this is a poem?

Not at all. I am much more Stirling than Draper.

To my understanding, the drinking is pretty much accurate for the time.

I recently read a new book review of an old book. It was "The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit." It's the story of a WW2 veteran who is trying to be a success in the business world and is set just before the Mad Men era. This review took a different approach than previous ones. It charts the alcohol consumption of the characters. Nearly every person in the book walks around drunk, all day long. Everyone is self medicating and no one ever heard of post traumatic stress disorder.

I see the same pattern in my friends, which I saw in my parent's friends(I came from a tee-totaling household, so alcohol consumption was very apparent to me). My parent's friends were from cocktail generation. A drink at lunch was normal. A drink at the door when getting home from work was normal. Then, drinking from dinner till bedtime was normal.

The difference between my friends and my parents friends in my friends smoke marijuana instead of drinking. The pattern of consumption and the amount of time they spend in their medicated state is exactly the same.

You know what Bronz? No one in my family really drank either. We were too working class. My dad had beer in the basement for when his buddies visited, some Hennessy that no one ever drank (and some Manischewitz and Cherry Heering that no one ever wanted). My mother's brother (the one whose son ended up on Madison Ave) was a drinker. His family was very into that whole suburban NYC scene--think Philip Roth. We'd visit and my aunt and uncle were constantly drinking. Bloody Marys first then they'd move on to the scotch and wine with dinner, brandy later. My parents always seemed dismayed by it. eagleyez's family was like that: his dad was a man in a gray flannel suit, a big corporate guy, a big "macher" my folks would say.

One of the ad campaigns my cousin did was for Schlitz beer. My uncle had a framed photo of the ad in the rec room. It showed their house (big gorgeous mid-century suburban) and a water tank with the Schlitz logo on it positioned in the backyard. The copy said "[insert name of my uncle here] keeps a lot of Schlitz around." I recall looking at it often. Of course the irony was that they wouldn't be caught dead drinking that stuff. Even my father was a Rolling Rock man.

Anyway we all have our sources of medication, eh? Some are much healthier than others...

 

[Angeline]

Peg o my heart.

 

[Angeline]

Musical interlude

Mad Men Songs lists the music used in seasons 1-4. You know you want to hear those songs again! A few of my faves~

Agua de Beber


Tobacco Road


You Really Got Me


Song to Woody

 

[Angeline]

GIF of the week!

Last night on Season 6, Episode 10, "A Tale of Two Cities," poor Pete Campbell is pushed to the wall. He can't take any more change, he has just had it! And so he walks into the creatives' lounge, grabs a joint away from Stan and....

Meanwhile this song starts to play. Oh Mad Men, how I love you!

 

[Angeline]

Matthew Weiner Interview

This is a great and long (1.5 hours) interview with the show's producer Matthew Weiner and Don Draper's two wives, Betty (January Jones) and Megan (Jessica Pare). Lots of insight into the show's characters and production and I especially liked his comments about his writing process for the show.

For all you MM obsessives, enjoy!

Matt Weiner and the Wives of Don Draper

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Last night on Season 6, Episode 10, "A Tale of Two Cities," poor Pete Campbell is pushed to the wall. He can't take any more change, he has just had it! And so he walks into the creatives' lounge, grabs a joint away from Stan and....

Meanwhile this song starts to play. Oh Mad Men, how I love you!

Poor Pete, he's such a creep but I keep feeling sorry for him.

 

[Angeline]

Poor Pete, he's such a creep but I keep feeling sorry for him.

He is and I do, too. I think Vincent Kartheiser is a terrific actor because he makes you hate and love that character at the same time!

By the way, my favorite line of the season thus far is from him: "My mother can go to hell and Ted Chaugh can fly her there!" Lol, he gets so angry he's like Rumplestiltskin.

 

[Angeline]

Phony Facebook Recap of the most recent Mad Men episode. Get ready to laugh until it hurts.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Phony Facebook Recap of the most recent Mad Men episode. Get ready to laugh until it hurts.

Some what remeniscent of the gee bee. Good one, thanks for posting.

 

[CharleyH]

Love it and never miss it, but was too late for your poll. I just dropped in to say hello to everyone and to see what was happening. Apparently - TONS!

By the way, is that Louise Brooks in your AV, Ang? With a sudden wave of déjà vu, perhaps I asked that once already.

 

[Angeline]

Love it and never miss it, but was too late for your poll. I just dropped in to say hello to everyone and to see what was happening. Apparently - TONS!

By the way, is that Louise Brooks in your AV, Ang? With a sudden wave of déjà vu, perhaps I asked that once already.

Yes, we've been busy little poetry bees. And it is Louise. It's a cool shot isn't it? She looks ghostly to me.

You should write for the summer challenge. Lauren can, too, but like me and bronze she can't compete for the prize, just the prize of writing here.

You might want to check out the PSA thread in the main forum and see what you and La Hynde think about making the new poem reviews more relevant. That's a knotty issue we need to work out. Your opinions would be appreciated.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Finale tonight! A little closer to the DVD.

 

[Angeline]

Finale tonight! A little closer to the DVD.

It will not disappoint!

I am sad because I want it to last forrrreverrrrr.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

It will not disappoint!

I am sad because I want it to last forrrreverrrrr.

As long as it is not a fizzle - like Lost was.

 

[Angeline]

As long as it is not a fizzle - like Lost was.

I would say they have done a great job this year of displaying the chaos and anxiety of 1968, both in events and the lives of the characters.

I hope they get some Emmys this year cause I think they deserve them, especially Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Moss.

Oh and keep your eye on the new guy, Bob Benson. I'll be interested to hear what you think of him.

 

[NekoParks]

I would say they have done a great job this year of displaying the chaos and anxiety of 1968, both in events and the lives of the characters.

I hope they get some Emmys this year cause I think they deserve them, especially Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Moss.

Oh and keep your eye on the new guy, Bob Benson. I'll be interested to hear what you think of him.

This season of Mad Men was outstanding. When Don re-accounted his "real" childhood experience with a Hersey bar, I had tears in my eyes. Rarely has the sixth season of a show been this strong. Ironically, as Don begins to live more authentically he is losing his patina of glibness. He is seeing the effect of his deceptiveness and alcoholism on the people he loves: his ex-lover (Sylvia), his daughter (Sally), Megan (his second wife), his secretary (Dawn), his business partners (especially Ted), his sons, and his ex-wife (Betty). Then, there is the final betrayal of being cast out of the advertising firm that he started. SC&P will regret letting go of a major talent like Don. I will be fascinated to see where Don goes from here. He is a quintessential American anti-hero character: part Hemingway's Nick Adams; part Horatio Alger; and part Fitzgerald's Jay Gatsby/James Gatz.

Also, I think Bob Benson's character is fascinating. I knew that he had to be more than a supporting player. I love what he did to Pete with the Camaro. He is a master manipulator. Poor Pete. Once again he discovers another fraud and can't do anything about it.

Of course, Roger still gets all the best lines: "It's all fun and games until someone shoots you in the face."

 

[Angeline]

This season of Mad Men was outstanding. When Don re-accounted his "real" childhood experience with a Hersey bar, I had tears in my eyes. Rarely has the sixth season of a show been this strong. Ironically, as Don begins to live more authentically he is losing his patina of glibness. He is seeing the effect of his deceptiveness and alcoholism on the people he loves: his ex-lover (Sylvia), his daughter (Sally), Megan (his second wife), his secretary (Dawn), his business partners (especially Ted), his sons, and his ex-wife (Betty). Then, there is the final betrayal of being cast out of the advertising firm that he started. SC&P will regret letting go of a major talent like Don. I will be fascinated to see where Don goes from here. He is a quintessential American anti-hero character: part Hemingway's Nick Adams; part Horatio Alger; and part Fitzgerald's Jay Gatsby/James Gatz.

Also, I think Bob Benson's character is fascinating. I knew that he had to be more than a supporting player. I love what he did to Pete with the Camaro. He is a master manipulator. Poor Pete. Once again he discovers another fraud and can't do anything about it.

Of course, Roger still gets all the best lines: "It's all fun and games until someone shoots you in the face."

Love your summary, Neko! And I am going to start having Mad Men withdrawals this Sunday, I'm sure.

I hope this season earns MM some Emmys. At the very least, I think Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Moss did some incredible acting this year. And Kiernan Shipka! That young girl knocks it out of the park every time. I was sure the season would end on an ugly note, likely with Don having a heart attack. It really seemed to be moving that way to me. But it had a softer ending (that last scene with Don and Sally exchanging that look made me cry). And now I think that season 7 may be more about the redemption of Don, which will only come as he allows himself to be who he really is. All the brains and talent are still there, but he needs to make peace with being Dick Whitman and I think he took the first steps toward it in that last episode.

ETA: I think Bob Benson is another Don Draper. Fascinating!

 

[NekoParks]

Love your summary, Neko! And I am going to start having Mad Men withdrawals this Sunday, I'm sure.

I hope this season earns MM some Emmys. At the very least, I think Jon Hamm and Elizabeth Moss did some incredible acting this year. And Kiernan Shipka! That young girl knocks it out of the park every time. I was sure the season would end on an ugly note, likely with Don having a heart attack. It really seemed to be moving that way to me. But it had a softer ending (that last scene with Don and Sally exchanging that look made me cry). And now I think that season 7 may be more about the redemption of Don, which will only come as he allows himself to be who he really is. All the brains and talent are still there, but he needs to make peace with being Dick Whitman and I think he took the first steps toward it in that last episode.

ETA: I think Bob Benson is another Don Draper. Fascinating!

I agree...it's like Don has been living his life in the Eighth Circle of Hell...listlessly wandering through his life...making the same mistakes again and again...

Now he sees his own daughter about to embark on the same treacherous path. Don has been emotionally frozen unable to feel the love that he has for the people in his life...almost an emotional aphasia. He has trouble recognizing his true feelings, because they are so overwhelming. Ironically, Don is the opposite of a sociopath/psychopath; he feels too much. Don is a battered sensitive soul that had to deaden his feelings in order to survive his harsh childhood environment--classic attachment disorder.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

This is a bit of idiotic Mad Men fun.

 

[Angeline]

This is a bit of idiotic Mad Men fun.

I'll be Joan.

 

[Angeline]

And the nominee is...

2013 Emmy Nominations are in and here's the Mad Men stats:

Best Drama Series

Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Jon Hamm

Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Elisabeth Moss

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Christina Hendricks

Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Linda Cardellini (Sylvia Rosen)

Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Robert Morse (Bert Cooper), Harry Hamlin (Ted Cutler)

And that's it. No supporting actor nod for Vincent Kartheiser who actually found a way to make the amoral, sniveling and pathetic Pete Campbell sympathetic? Really? And no writing or directing noms? Grrrrr. I'm pissed.

Pete wuz robbed!

 

[Angeline]

Here is a great thoughtful article from one of my favorite blogs that answers the question: Why should I watch Mad Men?