Racism -
1. Don and Betty's daughter Sally (wonderfully played by Kiernan Shipka) finishes reading from Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire to Grandpa. She leaves, comes back in the room, and swipes a $5 bill from his table (he's "indisposed"). Grandpa Gene realizes the money is missing, and pretty much blames the African-American maid.2. Later, at Roger & Jane's country club party, Roger sings in black face. By the way, the voice was good - was it John Slattery's?
Weed -
Hey, I'll be reviewing Weeds tomorrow, but here it is on Mad Men, and back in May 1963, as Peggy, Paul, and two other dudes partake. My typical question: Isn't this a bit early for 1963? I know, pot goes back to the 1930s and earlier, but at a Madison Avenue ad agency? And while we're on the anachronism trail, would people have been dancing the Charleston - as Pete and Trudy were at Roger's party - in 1963? Well, some really fine dancing by Vincent Kartheiser and Alison Brie, whatever the historical timing of the dance.
Sexism -
This is of course a staple of Mad Men, but did you catch those doctors at Joan and Dr. Greg's party talking about "code pink," which goes up in the hospitable whenever an "attractive, unconscious woman" is on the premises?
Thus Mad Men continues to make us uneasy by probing some of the racism and sexism of our not so distant past. But tonight's show also had some happier music as Joan sings "C'est Magnifique" and plays her accordion (and it sounded to me like Christina Hendricks' voice). And Paul gets to quote a little T. S. Eliot as he's stretched out stoned on the floor.
And it was nice to see Don and Betty kissing at the end...
See also: Mad Men Back for 3 and 3.2: Carvel, Penn Station, and Diet Soda
And from Season Two: Mad Men Returns with a Xerox and a Call Girl ... 2.2: The Advertising Devil and the Deep Blue Sea ... 2.3 Double-Barreled Power ... 2.4: Betty and Don's Son ... 2.5: Best Montage Since Hitchcock ... 2.6: Jackie, Marilyn, and Liberty Valance ... 2.7: Double Dons ... 2.8: Did Don Get What He Deserved? ... 2.9: Don and Roger ... 2.10: Between Ray Bradbury and Telstar ... 2.11: Welcome to the Hotel California ... 2.12 The Day the Earth Stood Still on Mad Men ... 2.13 Saving the Best for Last on Mad Men
And from Season One: Mad Men Debuts on AMC: Cigarette Companies and Nixon ... Mad Men 2: Smoke and Television ... Mad Men 3: Hot 1960 Kiss ... Mad Men 4 and 5: Double Mad Men ... Mad Men 6: The Medium is the Message! ... Mad Men 7: Revenge of the Mollusk ... Mad Men 8: Weed, Twist, Hobo ... Mad Man 9: Betty Grace Kelly ... Mad men 10: Life, Death, and Politics ... Mad Men 11: Heat! ... Mad Men 12: Admirable Don ... Mad 13: Double-Endings, Lascaux, and Holes
20-minute interview with Rich Sommer (Harry Crane) at Light On Light Through
6-min podcast review of Mad Men
The Plot to Save Socrates
"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News
"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book
more about The Plot to Save Socrates...
Read the first chapter of The Plot to Save Socrates .... FREE!
5 comments:
Hey! I'm sooo glad you're following this show! I only recently became a fan of it, over the summer, after watching the first 2 seasons on dvd. Now, I am just completely infatuated with everything about it--the subtlety used in some of the characters lines and/or behaviors, the classic cars, the fashion (love the suits the men wore back then!), the culture/lifestyle practices (smoking cigarettes EVERYWHERE, continuing to use alcohol and nicotine throughout 9 months of pregnancy, etc.)...I even enjoy the interior design/artwork used in the scene settings. And I'm typically not much of the "artsy" type. But this show is so fascinating to me, in fact, that I've watched each encore presentation that's followed all 3 episodes of this season.
Best line this entire season thus far:
Peggy: I'm Peggy Olson and I want to smoke some marijuana.
hahaha!
I also questioned the pot use at such an earlier time during the 1960's. But then, I assumed that it WAS New York City, after all -- a city that, even today, remains 2-3 years ahead of the bulk of the country in matters of style, fashion or "recreational activities" -- and 6-8 years ahead of Bama!
What was up with that stranger approaching Betty & asking for permission to place his hand on her abdomen?? I've never been pregnant, but I imagine that many women even today would feel uneasy if some strange person (male or female) approached them, told them they're single and, oh, by the way, 'what's that feel like? May I touch it?'. It was kinda creepy, if you ask me...
I have no way of knowing for sure, but the vocal timbres sounded like everyone's natural voices. I thought it was wonderful to get to see the actors sing and dance. I'm only sorry that Robert Morse didn't get in on the act.
I was surprised by the charleston myself, but from what people have written on other sites, it would have been common for young, well-bred people of the Campbells' age to be taught ballroom and social dances of an earlier era. I had to wonder if Pete and Trudy had quietly rented some rehearsal space earlier that week to polish up their "spontaneous" moves. : )
I'm from Basket of Kisses, and I'm here to help. ;)
1920s dance was a craze of the Mad Men era, just as swing dance was a craze in the 1990s. 1920s nostalgia in general was huge then. The episode is, in part, commenting on false nostalgia (hence The Decline & Fall of the Roman Empire).
Marijuana was very much a part of beatnik culture. Paul mentions it in episode 2 of season. Peggy has already been to the Gaslight to see Bob Dylan (season 2), so she's been exposed to it. Midge & her beatnik crowd turned Don on in episode 9 of season 1.
My favorite part of the entire show was when Don says to Roger that everyone thinks that he is being foolish. It is a real commentary on Don's character. He cheats on his wife to bring a semblance of happiness and escape, but he would never marry the woman that he cheated with. Roger did marry that woman, and I think Don sees that but is so blinded by his own sense of right and wrong (wrong being marrying the woman you had an affair with), that he refuses to accept Roger's happiness.
Good comments, everyone -
Just A Passerby - yeah, I found that guy a little creepy, too.
teka - I think you're right about the vocal timbres.
Deborah - yeah, I remember the pot in the first season, too - and I thought then that it was a little out of place. I'm basing this on my own recollections of the late 50s, early 60s - but possibly I didn't move in the hippest circles back then :)
Mar - I like your analysis.
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