"Mad Men" on AMC (US) - (Spoilers Within)

[KittyT]

I don't agree with all of his actions, but I think in the end he is redeemable.

I'm just having a really hard time understanding most Loungers' feelings toward his character. Maybe it's just me, but I find there to be nothing redeemable or likeable at all about his character. Don Draper is utterly despicable.

 

[LadyStardust]

Well again, it's all just a matter of perception. Personally, I think at this stage, it's a little harsh to call Don a total lost cause. He has bad qualities, but the thing is, he does acknowledge them, if only within himself, and I think we're seeing the struggle against those become ever more apparent. Also, I rarely judge anyone as lost causes unless they have proven time and again they have no conscience and -no- sense of remorse for their mistakes and bad actions, and from what I've seen this is not the case with Don. I haven't made any deep philosophical analyzations of this series and its characters yet, but I don't see that as necessary as of now.

 

[LadyStardust]

I don't think they generalize everyone - just everyone within a certain place and time

You're right in that they're only portraying limited atmospheres, but therein also lies a problem I think, for example with viewers with barely a passing interest in vintage/history, and it will greatly influence their perceptions of everything/everyone at that time as portrayed in this show. It's a sad fact, but lots of people don't bother to delve into anything besides what is fed to them. Now, if these same viewers decided to do their own research, and maybe even talk to people who lived back then for their perspective, that would be wonderful.

 

[Rooster]

Now, if these same viewers decided to do their own research, and maybe even talk to people who lived back then for their perspective, that would be wonderful.

MY mother worked in offices as a secretary in the middle 50's and wasn't treated like those women on the show. My Aunt worked in business offices in Chicago all through the period, she tells me the men were always gentlemen. If the behavior that is being displayed on Mad Men happened, it sure didn't happen in the midwest.
I'm still enjoying the show anyway, even if I find some parts somewhat unlikely from a midwestern point of view.
I seriously doubt if my Aunt Lucille was ever on her back on a couch at the office with her legs in the air....

 

[Feraud]

I'm just having a really hard time understanding most Loungers' feelings toward his character. Maybe it's just me, but I find there to be nothing redeemable or likeable at all about his character. Don Draper is utterly despicable.

I wanted to watch the show to keep up with current events but also find the character of Draper despicable.

How does a person hang in there and root for the redemption of someone who in real life most of us would probably not give a second thought to?

 

[scotrace]

When his first thought upon receiving a $2500 surprise bonus was to go get his mistress and fly to Paris... he lost me.

Pig.

 

[LadyStardust]

Oh for goodness sake. I for one am not sitting there and ROOTING for him, I simply said I don't think he's all the way gone yet. His behavior is disgusting most times, but the fact that it's all backfiring on him still makes me think he'll see the error of his ways. If there's one person I do think is lost, it's Stirling.

 

[Rooster]

When his first thought upon receiving a $2500 surprise bonus was to go get his mistress and fly to Paris... he lost me.

Pig.

Yep, that knocked me over too. Then when she wouldn't go, he stuffs it down here blouse and leaves! $2500 was an incredible amount of money in those days!

 

[Tomasso]

I noticed that Joel Murray (Bill's younger brother) has become a regular, playing Fred Rumsen. I've always liked him.

 

[Sylvester D]

For every era, there are detractors and defenders. For example, people on this board talk about the "golden era" of the 20s- 40 or 50s. Well, during this same golden era America expereienced the Depression, WWII and Korea. Therefore, some may not call this the golden era.

 

[KittyT]

For every era, there are detractors and defenders. For example, people on this board talk about the "golden era" of the 20s- 40 or 50s. Well, during this same golden era America expereienced the Depression, WWII and Korea. Therefore, some may not call this the golden era.

As I've seen it on this board, "Golden Era" refers only to the 1930s and 40s. That said, what does this have to do with this Mad Men thread?

 

[Matt Deckard]

It's a fake look at the past... and where is the straight laced guy? does everyone have to have a mistress? even Jimmy Oslson? I know it's suposed to be a serious show, yet there are no clean cut men in the office and the women want to be womanized... even the one secretary that I thought might hold out.

I think the fashions are pretty good though the acting and the story... Some good lines and a forced smoking drinking and womanizing attitude are what I think the show is about. Not a real history, though a brash grabbing sensability with story inbetween. Draper sends his boss off stone drunk walking to the wrong car then forgetting to turn on his headlights? Even the people in the 60's would have let the guy sleep it off on the couch.

They try very hard to push the era and it doesn't seem at all fluid. From dropping the names of food item brands when they eat them to running into a buddy getting his racket re-stringed... things that aren't common now are over showcased in the show and being common then.

Anywho, that's my take. I'm off to eat a Pop-Tart and update my MySpace page.

 

[ITG]

It's a fake look at the past... and where is the straight laced guy? does everyone have to have a mistress? even Jimmy Oslson? I know it's suposed to be a serious show, yet there are no clean cut men in the office and the women want to be womanized... even the one secretary that I thought might hold out.

You've stated quite well why I was disappointed with the episodes I saw last weekend. I don't have much desire another episode. I guess I was expecting to find some wholesome characters to the show, but have yet to find any.

 

[Tomasso]

All the episodes are available at Sidereel.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I really enjoyed the latest episode. The show remains surprising and fascinating. However...

To pick up on my complaint from weeks ago, the show is highly exaggerated for dramatic effect. Mad Men should NOT be taken as being truly historically "representative" of the time and place - it may get the settings reasonably accurate, but its presentation of the sexual and societal mores is turned up to eleven!

While it is reasonably accurate in terms of depicating Madison Avenue (and the suburbs, the Village, etc.) in 1960, it's major overkill. You want racism, sexism, druggy beatniks, a gay man closeted even to himself, toxic amounts of alcohol and tabacco, unrestrained sexuality, the amorality of advertising, class divisions, marriages built on lies, anti-Semitism?... It's all here, but with absolutely no subtlety - it's the sledgehammer approach.

And that's fine - it's a television entertainment, not a history textbook. It's great fun, and provides an interesting new viewpoint into its time and place - but it's more primetime soap opera than history lesson...

 

[scotrace]

Very much true. I hope younger viewers don't accept the show at face value for accuracy.


I only wish there really were that many wiggle dresses.

 

[ShortClara]

I think this TV show is what the creator has a vision for it to be - it's under no obligation to have a good guy or anything else. I've worked in places or been in places where most of the people were distasteful to me, and to think that a place wouldn't attract people of all a certain type... well, I think it could easily happen if the man hiring hires one type of man.

Don is the "hero" of this show, and I think he's repugnant a lot of the time, but I think his journey is interesting and he'll either redeem himself or he won't. Why does that show have to have "good" people in it? The last remaining "good" secretary is "bad" because she sleeps with the young one? Yes, I guess. I don't go around sleeping with married men (except my husband! LOL), but no one is perfect. I think that one is hoping for a happy ending that won't come. There are a few of the ad guys who haven't been screwing around I think, and our resident gentleman in-the-closet turned down hot love just this last episode - there! Restraint!

Perfectly responsible people make for boring TV/ plays/ whatever. Bring it on, Mad Men!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Good point. It's fiction, just as all those wholesome Doris Day films from the same era were fiction. They're opposite ends of the scale, that's all.


Unwholesome for family viewing? Look, the show is adult-directed and adult-themed. I don't see anything about it that would interest kids.
A bunch of oddly-dressed grownups in offices and apartments: little Johnny and Betty would be bored silly.

.

 

[Starius]

I agree with you, Clara. I mean, after all, some of the same guys behind this show brought us The Sopranos. You can draw some parallels between them in that leading men of both shows are more like anti-heroes. And, for both shows, I think they're good at raising questions of morality of the characters without having to define any clear cut answers.

 

[ShortClara]

And, for both shows, I think they're good at raising questions of morality of the characters without having to define any clear cut answers.

Yes!! I agree with you, too! But hey, I'm one of the 1% that thought the end of The Sopranos was genius!