tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post6292867880308913017..comments2024-03-19T03:23:06.738-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Mad Men, "A Night to Remember": Make room for DannyAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-28319130983334900002009-03-23T19:14:00.000-04:002009-03-23T19:14:00.000-04:00I think Father Gill does look a bit like Pete, onl...I think Father Gill does look a bit like Pete, only better looking and less weasely. And taller.<BR/>Colin Hanks seems to have inherited all of that easy charm of his dad and I love his work here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-71915400755261148852009-03-07T14:24:00.000-05:002009-03-07T14:24:00.000-05:00I thought Father Gill looked a lot like Pete Campb...I thought Father Gill looked a lot like Pete Campbell, too; although I can't stop thinking Colin Hanks also looks so much like his dad. It must be hard for him to date--every girl his age grew up watching Splash and the Money Pit and Big, and probably thinking Tom Hanks was the nicest, cutest man they'd never grow up to marry.Kate Lechlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15144349260641118479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-90616244352155089692008-11-12T20:23:00.000-05:002008-11-12T20:23:00.000-05:00WOW. One of the best episodes ever.John Hamm,Janua...WOW. One of the best episodes ever.<BR/>John Hamm,January Jones and <BR/>Christina Hendricks all deserve <BR/>kudos for superior performances. <BR/><BR/>I wonder where Joan's character is going to go. She was breaking my<BR/>heart as she struggled to say <BR/>nothing about having to show the<BR/>'new guy' the ropes of the job she<BR/>was doing so well. <BR/><BR/>The Drapers at home! Not much to<BR/>say that everyone else hasn't said.<BR/>I think Don's outburst in an <BR/>earlier episode about how he pays<BR/>the bills and puts clothes on <BR/>Betty's back was telling. He DOES<BR/>think he's a good husband and <BR/>father because he provides. <BR/><BR/>Man I love this show.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-35433646046701416902008-09-24T01:41:00.000-04:002008-09-24T01:41:00.000-04:00I'd like to argue this point, as my mother *was* o...<I>I'd like to argue this point, as my mother *was* one of those suburban housewives.</I> <BR/><BR/>Pamela Jaye, I think it's fair to say that not all suburban housewives in the 1950s and '60s were like your mother. I mean, Betty Friedan didn't just make up all those women she wrote about. The women who wrote "I Want a Wife" and "Click: A Housewife's Moment of Truth weren't fictional characters. They were real, live, actual people. <BR/><BR/>Also, I don't think it matters that someone's real life personal experience is different from what we see on the screen. I understand that personal experience can color how someone feels about a fictional character, but that experience doesn't negate the validity of a character. If you don't like Betty, I get that. But that doesn't mean there's no truth to who Betty is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-10122297232156670392008-09-22T12:56:00.000-04:002008-09-22T12:56:00.000-04:00edited for horrendous typos that made sentences ma...edited for horrendous typos that made sentences make no sense<BR/><BR/><I>Like Betty, lots of women were depressed ...because they were stifled creatively and felt trapped by marriage and motherhood. They weren't necessarily "crazy." They were struggling with their identities and yes, self-medicating with booze.<BR/><BR/>...but I do sympathize with her because being a suburban mom isn't easy nowadays...I can't imagine how stressful it was in the 1950s-1960s when you were expected to be perfect and have no life outside the confines of your home...and you had to be obedient to a selfish husband like Don.<BR/><BR/>Interestingly, Betty Draper ...most certainly is suffering the malaise of the "modern" suburban housewife.<BR/></I><BR/><BR/>I'd like to argue this point, as my mother *was* one of those suburban housewives. <BR/><BR/>She wasn't depressed (my father was) she wasn't alcoholic (she would be after my father died, nearlt 40 years later) she *did* have to be obedient to my father, who was very often verbally abusive to all of us.<BR/><BR/>But when he was not there, she watched her soaps, fed her family, did the laundry, rushed just before my father got home to make it look as if she'd cleaned all day, visited with the neighbors - especially the elderly ones (and ran errands for them - on foot, as she didn't drive, but the grocery store was just down the street) as well as those her own age, and *spent time* (not just "quality time") with her children.<BR/><BR/>I knew my mother - her favorite color, movie, book (she read a lot too - her library card number was famous at our local branch) singer, actress, flowers, perfume, other things i can't recall right now, as well as her values and beliefs (and the way she protected me from my father, or at least comforted me after).<BR/><BR/>She was taught that the best thing you could do was to help other people. I admired her in that (if not in that if you were unhappy you should cure it by helping others). She was brought up by nuns after being removed by the state from a crazy mother in a large Catholic family that only grew larger before she got back. (after marriage, she was.. if not Protestant, at least in no way Catholic)<BR/><BR/>She was into walking and taking vitamins (none of which helped my asthma - though i learned to take lots of pills at once (pantothenic acid is something you *never* want to chew))<BR/><BR/>My father worked two jobs, so that she could stay home and take care of us. Which she did a very good job of (even if the cleaning was an afterthought (and her cooking wasn't that great - I gained a lot of weight after I left home - perhaps the girls on 90210 have my mother as a cook - i was 105 when I left).<BR/><BR/>The only thing she didn't teach us was that, for her daughter, the world would not be the same.<BR/><BR/>I don't think my mother was unhappy as a housewife. I don't remember her aspiring to be anything else (or anything). And I really think she was part of the glue that made good neighborhoods, well- behaved children (who weren't automatons, but were just polite, responsible citizens) and kept the elderly from having to go to nursing homes.<BR/><BR/>There may still be women like this. I just think my mother's priorities were pretty darn good.<BR/><BR/>When i was 19, she went back to work, and had no time for us (my brother was 13). I missed her.<BR/><BR/>When I was 22, the family moved to another state and I did not.<BR/><BR/>When my father was dying she quit to care for him and didn't go back(though she thought of it). she ran around with her friends for a while and then stopped, and then she watched a lot of tv and read a lot, she drank too much, so that when she started having health issues that affected her balance, we didn't notice, thinking she was drunk.<BR/><BR/>(at this point i must stop to gripe about Lexie Grey saying she's an ACOA, when her childhood was perfect. just because her father is a drunk *now*, that does *not* put her in that class. ACOA is more developmental, i think. a way to survive learned in childhood. my father was not an alcholic then either - he just blew up like one (something Thatcher and Susan never did - but I bet Ellis did.)<BR/><BR/>Back to my point - my mother would have said that life is what you make it - and she did good (unlike Betty) cared less for appearances than for good manners and politeness and giving to others, and she made the world a better place, both then, and in children who grew up resposible and not adding to the burdens of others in society (unlike siblings of friends who've done drugs, committed thefts, ended up in jail or unmarried with children they could not support).<BR/><BR/>Of course, when she chose not to have a funeral (both my parents chose this), all the people who admired her and loved her for all the good she did for them, were upset that they could not gather to praise her, and were angry at *me* but...<BR/><BR/>Perhaps Betty does feel unfulfilled, but I don't see any aspirations toward any kind of "work" or even "charity" or volunteerism in her (unlike my mother). She only cares about how she looks to others. And more and more, she really does seem a spoiled (or at least needy and damaged) child.<BR/><BR/>And, as "needy and damaged" goes, Meredith Grey (while perhaps whiny) is a far better (fictional) person than she is - at least *she* always gathers her friends in support of whichever friend needs it most, making a family out of those who are not her blood, while Betty couldn't be bothered with those who *are.* (at least not till they grow up to people who will "shame her" in front of her friends (and btw, where *are* those friends? her neighbors have husbands who cheat too. is she too "image" oriented to even gripe to them?))Pamela Jayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06135379188588301400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-9964380741704067502008-09-22T12:40:00.000-04:002008-09-22T12:40:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Pamela Jayehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06135379188588301400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-964336968881249472008-09-19T14:14:00.000-04:002008-09-19T14:14:00.000-04:00Joan's fiance is played by Sam Page who was Casey ...Joan's fiance is played by Sam Page who was Casey on Shark. He cute, and they did well making him look "dated."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-10342944097362460722008-09-19T13:54:00.000-04:002008-09-19T13:54:00.000-04:00*Wow! Thank you, Sunny b, for commenting on my co...*Wow! Thank you, Sunny b, for commenting on my comment. I appreciate that.<BR/>*No, I didn't notice Peggy's shorter hair. I have been waiting for the new 'do/feminine Peggy at the office, too, since she was given that advice. <BR/>*Great catch on that SI magazine: way to be "working," Warren.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-21668726092576931672008-09-19T09:28:00.000-04:002008-09-19T09:28:00.000-04:00What is the name and who is the actor who plays Jo...What is the name and who is the actor who plays Joan's fiance? He looks young, but I swear I remember him from the soap Santa Barbara, over a decade ago.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-23531801139217272162008-09-18T02:25:00.000-04:002008-09-18T02:25:00.000-04:00dylanfan,or that this show has the most organic pr...dylanfan,<BR/><BR/>or that this show has the most organic product placement ever?<BR/><BR/>Heineken didn't advertise this week, but it was a solid advertiser during the first few episodes of this season, as was Playtex, I think.<BR/><BR/>Then each advertiser gets a show focused on its product, however archaic, but still we've already given mindshare to those brands.<BR/><BR/>very clever AMC marketing geeks..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-3937911308444895372008-09-17T23:07:00.000-04:002008-09-17T23:07:00.000-04:00Did the comment with the link to the couleur cafe ...Did the comment with the link to the couleur cafe song get deleted? Just curious ... I was about to say how cool that site was but couldn't find it to quote. <BR/><BR/>While I'm here, did anyone mention the irony at the end when Don gets a Heineken out of the fridge at the office when the pitch was that Heineken is the beer that people drink at home?Maultsbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07019613132174731919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-75016528945946352922008-09-17T22:02:00.000-04:002008-09-17T22:02:00.000-04:00First, Harry is most of the men in my office today...First, Harry is most of the men in my office today! I honestly have not been able to figure out why they get promoted, or how they keep their jobs. That episode was SPOT ON. Furthermore, having grown up in a working class Catholic family, the Peggy family plotline reminds me of a woman I know, who after bearing 14 children was told she needed a hysterectomy. She went to her priest for permission before she'd agree to the surgery. Priests had A LOT of authority.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-54069436870469379032008-09-17T16:52:00.000-04:002008-09-17T16:52:00.000-04:00I don't think Betty has a lot of options as a ...I don't think Betty has a lot of options as a woman at that time & from her socioeconomic class. She signed on for the wife/motherhood thing and Don's not holding up his end of the bargain. She managed to keep it together until after everyone had left the dinner party. Not to mention, as someone noted earlier, he's been Gaslighting her. It'll be interesting to see how the changes of the 60s play out with her.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-9292018370407629292008-09-17T14:02:00.000-04:002008-09-17T14:02:00.000-04:00Love this blog. Whiskey - I agree w/ you complete...Love this blog. Whiskey - I agree w/ you completely re: both Betty and Harry. As a previous stay at home mom and now a full time worker I have issues w/ both of them.<BR/><BR/>Question for Sports Illustrated fans - the SI that Warren was reading in the office did not have a glossy picture on the cover. Were these not around in the 60's? (I was, but not an SI reader then)<BR/><BR/>Francine - great comments/observations. Did you notice that Peggy's hair seemed significantly shorter in the scene w/ the CYO committee? New 'do' coming up??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-81766536416447077772008-09-17T13:54:00.000-04:002008-09-17T13:54:00.000-04:00"We've seen that over and over, and most recently ..."We've seen that over and over, and most recently had it shoved in our faces when she leaves the garbage behind after their bucolic picnic. That was not just something people did back then, that was something mindless, selfish people did and still do."<BR/><BR/>Uh...and where does that leave Don the beer-can-thrower?<BR/><BR/>Make no mistake, I think Betty does have a certain childlike quality and so far has not demonstrated the capacity for the kind of outside-the-box thinking that we've seen in others. But I still attribute a lot of that to the way she was raised (to be a "lady") and the lack of exposure to other ways of being and behaving. She's really struggled to conform to those standards, only to see they don't mean anything - they don't secure Don's devotion, and they don't bring her fulfillment.<BR/><BR/>And as for her parenting, I agree with lizkdc.lyleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00954420869268632653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-22573509919234509202008-09-17T12:05:00.000-04:002008-09-17T12:05:00.000-04:00I hope this discussion of the character of Betty w...I hope this discussion of the character of Betty won't devolve into a "Mommy Wars" debate. Here's the deal, from my POV: regardless of what a rat-bastard Don is, Betty is still shallow and selfish and would be that way even if Don was the most faithful & deserving husband. We've seen that over and over, and most recently had it shoved in our faces when she leaves the garbage behind after their bucolic picnic. That was not just something people did back then, <I>that was something <B>mindless, selfish</B> people did and still do.</I> Betty's whole existence is predicated upon being the object of desire: the men must desire her and the women should desire her life. All of you who are trying to defend Betty from a feminist POV, have you forgotten how she treated Helen Bishop? She slapped her at the supermarket (humiliating her publicly) and then went home and allowed Francine and the local posse of housewives to malign and ostracize the woman (even furthering her PUBLIC humiliation). And what exactly was the divorcee's sin? Remember Betty telling her shrink that she felt sorry for Helen Bishop because she was obviously jealous of Betty's life? Puhhleeze! What goes around, comes around. I'll go to the mat to defend Helen Bishop, Anita, Clara, Mona, Kitty, Joan & Peggy. But I have very little sympathy for the Bettys of this world, past or present. Truth be told, I think that's Weiner & co's objective, to show us these two characters that are SO gorgeous, their beauty is really irresistible but their inner personas are SO rotten/corrupt... garbage. Like supermarket fruit, LOL. Betty *chose* Don -- she was a model, it's been made clear on the show that she was always the pretty girl so she would've had her pick of suitors -- in order to live out her version of the Grace Kelly fantasy. And it backfired! Some have mentioned Marilyn Monroe's tragic death as an event that'll wake up Joan's character but I wonder if it'll wake Betty up as well. Marilyn had her choice of husbands and possible outcomes, yet no one could give her enough of the attention she craved and she wound up dead and alone. In fact, the more I think about it, Don should also see her as HIS cautionary tale. ;-)<BR/><BR/>And BTW, I am an educated stay-at-home mother of two in a remote suburb, not that I really think that matters when it comes to my opinion of Betty.<BR/><BR/>Moving on to Harry, I don't fault him for wanting to go home to be with his pregnant wife. As others have more eloquently pointed out, he's just clueless in general as to how to do his job ("the Maytag people are sensitive to Communism." heh) or even how to read people, which should be a basic skill for someone in advertising. I'm not saying he should've *known* that Joan wanted the job, since Joan probably didn't even realize that in a fully-formed, developed-thought/desire sort of way. But he definitely should've read his CLIENTS and how they responded to Joan and that should've prompted the thought that her presence at meetings would be valuable to his TV Dept.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-58662998510602760252008-09-17T10:20:00.000-04:002008-09-17T10:20:00.000-04:00girl detective, I'm not a parent and I have a grea...girl detective, I'm not a parent and I have a great amount of sympathy for Betty. Watching her disintegrate as her world falls apart is heart breaking to me. Is she hard on the kids? Yes. But I guarantee that more than a few kids saw their mothers drunk in the middle of the afternoon back then (as they no doubt do now. It's not a phenomenon that ended with the feminist movement), kids who also had distant fathers, kids who ended up raising themselves because their parents were so fucked up by the decisions they made without thought, since those were the decisions they were expected to make. It's something I would hate in a real, live, actual person, but in a fictional character, it's riveting, if painful, to watch.<BR/><BR/>As for whether Betty would actually confront Don about his infidelities back then, look at it from a structural point of view. Betty is a main character. The main characters are the one who experience the most conflict, and the ones who act most outside the norm. I wouldn't want Betty to be a stagnant character. I wasn't expecting this kind of a downfall for her, but I think it's fitting, considering the time and what's coming. <BR/><BR/>Also, just like the issue of whether she would have worn that bikini, if the writers decided she would confront Don, then she would. I don't find it out of character (she stood up to him a few times in season 1), and I don't think it matters whether her friends would have done it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-80486362296369143692008-09-17T09:02:00.000-04:002008-09-17T09:02:00.000-04:00Only on this blog, and with these commenters, woul...Only on this blog, and with these commenters, would I read so many comments! <BR/><BR/>When Harry's office mate says to him he can't believe Harry can talk to Joan, I think this points to the core of Harry's character: myopic. He talks to Joan because he doesn't notice her sexually, as he doesn't notice how awesome she is at the script job.<BR/><BR/>My hope for the show is that Peggy is the anti-Don--her character will be the redemption of his. They both suffered shame and out of wedlock birth issues, yet I think he'll be left behind as she goes forward, with feminine mystique and Bobby's advice to become like Mary Wells.<BR/><BR/>I'm curious (just curious, not judging!) how many of the Betty haters are parents, because I know I found it a lot easier to criticize parents before I became one, and experienced the fatigue, their incredible needs, the screaming, the mess, the loss of self, and on and on. I'm a stay at home mom and suffered post partum depression; I can really relate to Betty, even as I see her obvious flaws as a person and a parent. I find that parenting is fleeting moments of joy with lots and lots of work, and it's often hard to remember the quality/quantity comparison. Like much of what Mad Men does, it's showing a real, thus often ugly, side to what looks pretty and ideal on the outside.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-41085106791835895402008-09-17T08:28:00.000-04:002008-09-17T08:28:00.000-04:00brilliant, brilliant episode. - my wife and i have...brilliant, brilliant episode. <BR/>- my wife and i have wondered about January Jones. As Betty, she's had a difficult job to do: she's an actor, playing an actor. But like all the characters in MM, Betty is completely lacking in self-awareness and only dimly aware of the contradictions between what she (thinks she) wants - the house, the husband, the kids - and what she's got. think of all the layers there. Jones was tremendous, and completely credible here, as someone for whom the lightbulb, after buzzing and spitting, finally comes on - via an SC advertisement in which her husband played a huge role. <BR/>-- As ever, great comments here. esp. re clothes - clothes as armour, as irritant, as code. The party dress ends up rumpled and soiled, Don's suits are in a pile, Joan's bra strap chafes. And at the end, everyone is casting them off including the priest, and all are exposed (even Don, sans wedding ring - nice catch there). Pretty powerful. hell, i was about tingling.<BR/>-- There are always moments of little jokes. Crab's wife, in the bag before dinner, walking into the wall, everyone laughs. Me too. <BR/>-- One final thought. Weiner & Co. love that closing shot, pulling back slowly. And they love to close with Draper, alone. but doesn't that final image look like a mirror to the opening credits' final image - instead of closing in from behind on a stylized Draper, we are being pulled away from the real Draper right in front of us. And instead of a cig in his right hand, that's a Heineken bottle. beautiful shot start to finish, fantastic work from Hamm. <BR/> Off that image, Draper is headed on one hellacious bender.<BR/>Oh, and great blog. big thanks to Allan for the insights and everyone for the comments.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-90560348506410751882008-09-17T02:14:00.000-04:002008-09-17T02:14:00.000-04:00what was it about the commercial that set her off?...<I>what was it about the commercial that set her off?</I><BR/><BR/>I assume it was seeing and hearing Jimmy deliver the ad in much the same way that he delivered the news of Don's affair to her (minus the salty props, of course).Shawn Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05703481653646144923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-59319766715474126532008-09-17T02:00:00.000-04:002008-09-17T02:00:00.000-04:00Mad Men is incredible. I find that coming here an...Mad Men is incredible. I find that coming here and reading the comments and insights after watching each ep is a wonderful companion activity...with many of the comments helping me to interpret the many shades of gray and subtle nuances of the show.<BR/><BR/>One thing that still eludes me - when Betty saw the Utz commercial, what was it about the commercial that set her off / triggered her immediate reaction to call Don?UnwantedTouchinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14459449971542271695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-4724661867738101512008-09-16T23:26:00.000-04:002008-09-16T23:26:00.000-04:00I think you guys are being a bit too hard on Harry...I think you guys are being a bit too hard on Harry. It's not at all unreasonable to want to be able to leave the office at 5:00 on account of a pregnant wife -- in fact, it shows an admirable dedication to family over work that's rare in the Sterling Cooper environment. As for his not considering Joan for the script-reading job, I'm not sure that anyone would've done that in his place. Joan has been "queen bee" of the secretarial pool for a long time and, as Alan notes, has never displayed any inclination to do anything else. Add to this the fact that he was eager to fulfill the wishes of a boss (Roger) with whom he was on shaky ground, and it's clear that Harry is just doing what seems right for his own stability and for the survival of the television department. Sure, it would've been nice for Joan if Harry had a burst of maverick decision-making and offered the job to Joan against Roger's wishes, but that wouldn't be the prudent thing to do under the circumstances. I felt bad for Joan too, but let's not blame Harry--after all, she's a college grad and a smart cookie--and the object of all men's desires--so if she'd wanted a different kind of life, she probably could've had one. It may be too late for her now.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08917874378666399043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-72563654455002321052008-09-16T20:16:00.000-04:002008-09-16T20:16:00.000-04:00I agree with all those who said the Feminine Mysti...I agree with all those who said the Feminine Mystique will feature heavily in upcoming episodes, or in the very least, suffers from 'the problem without a name'. I find it strange how callous so many women are to her. She is not likable in a traditional sense or charismatic like Don. But her continual alienation from her children and those around her is so brilliantly done and it captures a sentiment that many mothers I'm sure have felt. <BR/><BR/>Society it seems to me (as a non-parent) has a real issue with the idea of a parent not liking being one, or resenting their children. We know that Betty used to live in the city, was a model, and lived an exciting life. Now, (seeing her friend who is still living that lifestyle, sans marriage problem and children) she is alone, isolated in the suburbs with a husband she sees, at best, occasionally. She's the one who ferries them to school and to dance and back. She looks after them day and night. Yes, she has help. And yes she has friends around her. But I think her (and I do think it's slightly disturbed) attitude towards her children (Sally's weight and her pure annoyance at her son) stems from all of this, and it's something that many women face. The only thing she has, just for herself, is her riding. That is her only time to be alone, to have a space no one encrouches on, which is why I imagine, she won't take Sally with her. I wasn't sure where they were going to go with Betty (ie perhaps an abusive storyline) but in the end, I think all her attitude towards her children, the booze (um, how does she self-medicate more than Don does? She may accidentally break a glass but she doesn't drive drunk) all stems from this suburban housewife complex. <BR/><BR/>And does no one else see the complete irony in that Don completely belittles her when she asserts herself or spars with him, and yet consistently goes after highly intelligent, assertive, and independent women? He doesn't want his wife to fit that role though that is the type of woman he loves (and perhaps from a paternal perspective, why he helps Peggy be like that)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-69258848249327405492008-09-16T20:09:00.000-04:002008-09-16T20:09:00.000-04:00ok, back for more... I think this now officially c...ok, back for more... I think this now officially counts as some form of therapy for me! In trying to understand this world, the world of my parents & hubby's parents, maybe we can finally heal from so many of the wounds we have in common with the Sally & Bobby Drapers out there.<BR/><BR/>I agree & disagree with the Anon commenter who said this wouldn't happen in 1962, the Betty & Don fight. I agree because <I>feelings</I> just weren't discussed in general. That's why the subtext of this show is constantly "appearances ARE deceiving", and we're continuously faced with these people who are trying to be something they aren't or at the very least to get others to buy in to their make-believe. I *really* don't think that Betty says Don humiliated her by <B>having an affair</B>, I believe she's humiliated by his having an affair that became PUBLIC, with a woman Betty sees as "so old". I think as more of the story unfolds, it'll be clearer that Betty married dashingDon! to live a life of ease, sophistication, and glamour. Each of the characters is in stark contrast to others, and Betty is no exception... how many mothers of two maintain that lovely figure that Betty maintains? (in the days before women went to the gym regularly and all aspired to be MILFs) Betty's clothing --including everyday clothes -- is still very 50's-ish when you compare her to the other women we see of her social circle. She is humiliated because as I alluded before, instead of coming off as a worldly, sophisticated wife/mother/woman, she is shown up (by her purchase of the Heinekens) to be a commonplace/predictable any-housewife whose husband cheats on her with a woman that isn't even younger or prettier. !!! A wife back then wouldn't have yelled at her husband for having an affair (she would've suffered it in silence), but I'm pretty certain embarrassing her in front of company is a whole other story. Plus, Betsy's behavior is usually immature anyway -- she wouldn't have yelled at Don for not helping out with the kids since back then dads weren't expected to do that. She yells at him because he's not doing/giving her what she wants and she tends to react like a petulant child. Oh, and while I'm at it... I'm another who feels that when she said that Sally would be playing Piglet, she was more than a little amused. Weight is definitely an issue for her and we're bound ot see more of that as Sally gets a little older.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, on to the others in this ep, because there are so many gems. Joan: yes, she got her comeuppance for mocking Peggy. She got a taste of the boys' carrot and has to go home to massage her tortured flesh, empty-handed/no scripts. The comment the fiance made about her job being "walking around being stared at" didn't seem out of place to me because back then (and frankly still all too often today) that's what a woman was supposed to do, be eye candy. [let's pause for a moment and think back to Betty's role in life] And so far, Joan has used that to her advantage, to get what she wants. But she's "losing" her appeal, I think we're seeing her curvier as a sign that she's getting older and it's not so easy to maintain that girlish figure (trust me), even with the aid of flesh-torturing heavy-duty girdles. She's last-year's model to Jane/Peggy's next year's model. She's starting to see that her curves alone won't prevent her from becoming an afterthought. I have a mad girl-crush on CH and love the Joan character, as flawed as she is. I hope she gets a great arch and finds a way to join Peggy on the boys' side of the office. Oh, the bon-bons & cravings remark I took to be the fiance's promise of a life of ease for Joan. [how well did that turn out for Betsy?] I really don't think we'll get another surprise pregnancy on Mad Men, at least not this season. BTDT, let's move on.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Roger: such a delicious cad, I nearly fell out of my chair with the lingering anticipation of the smartass comment that was sure to follow "Duck, Crab. Crab, Duck" Yet what we got was that million dollar smirk. Perfect. And maybe, just maybe Roger is in a very indifferent way shutting doors for Joan. As far as he's concerned, she's leaving SC & him soon. Time for a new model ;-)<BR/><BR/>Fr. Gill: I don't find his pushing Peggy to confess inappropriate (I don't think he meant her to do it right there he was just trying to persuade her to get it done), tho I do think there's a sexual tension between them. And I'm not surprised he reminds so many of Pete. The men most interested in Peggy are moral opposites, go figure! I'm hoping we'll be seeing that develop in the coming eps.<BR/><BR/>Peggy & Anita: they're sisters which makes them eternal rivals as well as close friends. I loved that scene of brief intimacy between them, where Anita's able to unburden a bit to her little sister (about children, mother & husband, her responsibilities in life) before the priest comes in and they're once again competing for someone's attention. I'm glad to see her as an obvious counterpoint to Peggy and her choices. And in that scene we also saw another wife trapped & burdened by societal expectations. Yeah, I don't blame Peggy for having different goals.<BR/><BR/>Harry: *sigh* the Television Department is about to suffer due to his cluelessness and lack of ambition.<BR/><BR/>Does anyone else want to go raid the MM set and take home all that groovy furniture & decorations? Or am I the only one?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-84021036360923932412008-09-16T17:14:00.000-04:002008-09-16T17:14:00.000-04:00Anonymous - you mean your ex-father-in-law was hid...Anonymous - you mean your ex-father-in-law was hiding a secret identity? Wow!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com