tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post1800916176527050419..comments2024-03-28T18:01:28.997-04:00Comments on What's Alan Watching?: Mad Men, "The Jet Set": Old habits die hardAlan Sepinwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comBlogger198125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-1638419695817136942011-10-20T11:01:32.273-04:002011-10-20T11:01:32.273-04:00Just saw the episode. My personal name for it is ...Just saw the episode. My personal name for it is "Don among the Lotus Eaters." It was fascinating. If you've ever hung out with idle Eurotrash, that's EXACTLY what they're like. <br /><br />Agreed with many of your perceptive points, but peeing on yourself after you've almost been hit with a mortar does not make you a coward. I'll bet it happens quite a bit, although maybe not on TV.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-49175140129143238842009-09-18T12:29:48.499-04:002009-09-18T12:29:48.499-04:00I just saw this episode for the first time. The P...I just saw this episode for the first time. The Palm Springs stuff was so surreal--not necessarily in a bad way, but what it reminded me of most was Homer's sojourn on the Ship of Lost Souls in the Simpsons episode "Homer Simpson in: Kidney Trouble". With Don Draper as Homer Simpson, of course.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-62577152025601441772009-08-15T10:20:51.246-04:002009-08-15T10:20:51.246-04:00"Kurt's a homo."
Funniest throw awa..."Kurt's a homo."<br /><br />Funniest throw away line of the show.chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00098290764554181807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-88893881564197197942009-08-14T14:29:08.416-04:002009-08-14T14:29:08.416-04:00Slim Aarons, not Errins.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slim_Aarons" rel="nofollow">Slim Aarons</a>, not Errins.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-37754319387199684532009-08-14T14:22:18.823-04:002009-08-14T14:22:18.823-04:00In the DVD commentary to this episode, Weiner ment...In the DVD commentary to this episode, Weiner mentioned books (plural) of photographs of jet setters/the beautiful people. It sounds like he says the author/photographer is "Slim Errins." I've spent several hours trying to identify the books with no luck. Any ideas?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-12878995679451541392009-01-30T23:23:00.000-05:002009-01-30T23:23:00.000-05:00Anonymous said... Why "The Sound and the Fury?" Ar...<I>Anonymous said... <BR/>Why "The Sound and the Fury?" Are we supposed to draw parallels between the LA crowd and the ruined Compson family?</I><BR/><BR/>Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury" is a classic example of a book with an 'unreliable narrator'. I think Don's entire adventure with the Jet Set can be an exaggeration, this would be the parallel. He is confronted with the ultimate seduction into a world of pure joy, hence the gorgeous young girl's name.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-29754739568618908012008-10-21T12:58:00.000-04:002008-10-21T12:58:00.000-04:00I'm a bit behind and didn't see this ep until last...I'm a bit behind and didn't see this ep until last night. Two quick thoughts:<BR/><BR/>1. I replayed the bit, but to me it sounded as though Don said, "It's Steve Whitman." My brain tells me it must have been "Dick Whitman," but my ears indicate otherwise. Maybe I should turn the volume down on my iPod as the everyone else heard "Dick" instead of "Steve."<BR/><BR/>2. The Jet Set rang true to me, based on stereotypes I've held of the the 60's and California :) One thought that hit me was that Don was uncomfortable with the differences between the East Coast and the West Coast. California , as presented here, fit in with various stereotypes I picked up as someone growing up in New England. Everything seemed groundless. Maybe like Betty, Don needs <I>something</I> to ground him, and California was too out there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-34355155078834165932008-10-19T18:38:00.000-04:002008-10-19T18:38:00.000-04:00Am I the only person here who thinks that "Joy" is...Am I the only person here who thinks that "Joy" is actually a spy ?.....<BR/>Or am I just going Crazy ??<BR/><BR/>KAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-68565878407765575142008-10-18T10:43:00.000-04:002008-10-18T10:43:00.000-04:00He was 36 at the beginning of the season and I has...<I>He was 36 at the beginning of the season and I has encompassed most of 1962. Does he arbitrarily change his age every year?</I><BR/><BR/>It's only late September/early October, so he has plenty of time to have a birthday. I know, as I've been obsessively watching the dates progress, waiting for my own birthday (yup, I was born in 1962.) Also, if memory serves, the season didn't start on January 1, so he could have been born in the beginning of the year and not turn 37 until early 1963.<BR/><BR/>Another thought though, if the show really will skip two years each season, we'll not see the characters react to JFK's assassination, only the effects.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-60614663883920347572008-10-18T01:10:00.000-04:002008-10-18T01:10:00.000-04:00My first "Sinzhin" was from the early 70s: Laurenc...My first "Sinzhin" was from the early 70s: Laurence Olivier's use of "St. John Lord Merridew the great detective" in "Sleuth"Toby O'Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06999037844031101965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-30448083428160882472008-10-18T01:05:00.000-04:002008-10-18T01:05:00.000-04:00Mad Men renewed for a third season! Yay! I just ho...Mad Men renewed for a third season! Yay! I just hope Weiner stays for it.Nicolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11317568565085893849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-80628350062227104502008-10-16T22:38:00.000-04:002008-10-16T22:38:00.000-04:00Did anybody notice that the last shot of Don on th...Did anybody notice that the last shot of Don on the couch and the opening credits shot is a mirror image of each other? It's def a <I>Through the Looking Glass</I> situation.Colettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09469668551025004035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-68964550780899048412008-10-16T12:24:00.000-04:002008-10-16T12:24:00.000-04:00I think that Misirlou was played also. Here's a gr...I think that Misirlou was played also. Here's a great site where you can hear the Martin Denny version that sounds like the one that was played (as well as other versions, and there's also a history of the song):<BR/><BR/>http://www.dinosaurgardens.com/archives/297Capcomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06841675195251354073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-67096924820897683342008-10-16T12:23:00.000-04:002008-10-16T12:23:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Capcomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06841675195251354073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-13530205164725084322008-10-16T08:13:00.000-04:002008-10-16T08:13:00.000-04:00While I don't believe there is a relationship betw...While I don't believe there is a relationship between the 'jet set' and Pete's father. Don's whole experience with them did bring to mind Pete's comment to his mother in "The Inheritance," where he said that his father spend all their money with strangers. Exactly who are strangers? This show has the ability to make us all feel disconnected from one another. Who knows Don? He doesn't even seem to celebrate a birthday. He was 36 at the beginning of the season and I has encompassed most of 1962. Does he arbitrarily change his age every year?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-65467280320941944502008-10-16T03:51:00.000-04:002008-10-16T03:51:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Bad Mommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15945157474098043925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-9565297056753503032008-10-15T23:32:00.000-04:002008-10-15T23:32:00.000-04:00Woo hoo, I just finished all 181 comments. Alan, I...Woo hoo, I just finished all 181 comments. Alan, I'm glad you mentioned Joy's voice, as I thought I was listening to Betty, too. <BR/><BR/>For the people who saw residue in the glass, could it have been salt?<BR/><BR/>Joan's dress will look different under different lights. It is royal blue with some violet in it--did anyone see the Olympics challenge on this season of Project Runway? There was a similar issue. <BR/><BR/>Does anyone else think that Christina Hendricks is wearing a wig? Those styles look way too torturous to be real. <BR/><BR/>And did anyone else have problems understanding some of the dialogue? There were a few passages that I rewound repeatedly and still couldn't decipher: what Kurt says to Smitty as he exits the room, the exchange between Kurt and Peggy after she asks if he wants to go with some guy, and what Joy says to Don about the couple arguing in the other room--something about "he ...she doesn't."<BR/><BR/>I didn't see Don's silence and observation as timid--I saw it as cautious and canny. <BR/><BR/>I also think he saw himself taken to an extreme with those people and it finally frightened him.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-6272975441744495922008-10-15T17:33:00.000-04:002008-10-15T17:33:00.000-04:00> And speaking of Kurt, Peggy's new GBF onl...> And speaking of Kurt, Peggy's new GBF only did her half a favor. Those bangs are still all kinds of wrong.<BR/><BR/>Warn your daughters! Bangs do not just GO AWAY. The only way to get rid of them is to wait while they grow out. And it can take forever.<BR/><BR/>Let us hope that Peggy's unfortunate bangs are gone by next season.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-23460385750826730182008-10-15T16:57:00.000-04:002008-10-15T16:57:00.000-04:00I really need to discipline myself to log in here ...I really need to discipline myself to log in here MUCH earlier -- I just can't read all these posts, so I apologize for any redundancy -- but I love this blog.<BR/><BR/>A couple of points: this is indeed wild behavior for Don, but he's put on existentialist airs before (especially for Rachel) -- and I think the man had to seriously wonder at his having any hand in delivering the equivalent of ninety Nagasakis to the Russian civilian population. It might be enough to make ANY man wonder "What am I doing!?" and then be susceptible to escapism.<BR/><BR/>On a more childish note, I just liked the nasty little Don?Pete contrast. Paradise falls into Don's lap; Pete can't get any action going. Don frolics; Pete squirms. It's a kind of vengeance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-31768268122768934432008-10-15T16:20:00.000-04:002008-10-15T16:20:00.000-04:00"I was too young to remember but know from my ex-h..."I was too young to remember but know from my ex-husband that in the early 60's telephone calls were not made like today, i.e., 1-212-555-1234; an outside area call required an operator, so it seems strange that the continuity wouldn't have picked up on this."<BR/><BR/>Actually, Don's dialing on the rotary phone was in perfect keeping with an early 60's long distance call that you could make without an operator's assistance. Back then, you didn't dial a '1' first, but just began with the three digit Area Code. Ma Bell knew it was the beginning of a long distance call, because the middle digit of all US Area Codes was either '0' or '1', as in '707', '213', or '212'. The down side to this approach was that no local exchange (the first three digits of the local number) could have a '0' or a '1' in its middle. As the US began to run out of telephone numbers with the cellular explosion, the phone company inserted the "dial 1 first" step to create many more numerical combinations.<BR/><BR/>In the scene, if you watch closely, you'll see Don pause after the first three numbers: he's finished the area code and is moving on to the local seven digit number.<BR/><BR/>I still look twice when I see new (mostly cellphone) numbers like 403-1234. Couldn't have happened in the 60's.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-40885202642073565162008-10-15T15:05:00.000-04:002008-10-15T15:05:00.000-04:00I may be incredibly dense but could you(or anyone ...<I>I may be incredibly dense but could you(or anyone else) explain this to me? Why should Sal Romano become upset over an episode of the Loretta Young show?</I><BR/><BR/>It's a (stereotypically) gay thing. He was disgusted by the clothes and the decor. <BR/><BR/>For a broader example, go to about the 1:30 mark in <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd9oTKwRyIk" REL="nofollow">this montage of scenes from "Airplane!"</A> featuring Johnny the swishy flight controller.Alan Sepinwallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03388147774725646742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-7062676774365435402008-10-15T14:53:00.000-04:002008-10-15T14:53:00.000-04:00Question for Alan:In your review you wrote "while ...Question for Alan:<BR/><BR/>In your review you wrote "while discussing TV last night, Sal gets visibly upset at discussing "The Loretta Young Show," and then explains that he was nauseated by the ugly costumes and decor. "<BR/><BR/>I may be incredibly dense but could you(or anyone else) explain this to me? Why should Sal Romano become upset over an episode of the <I>Loretta Young</I> show?<BR/><BR/>Seanseanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04948591277842714118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-62833352122707280212008-10-15T14:17:00.000-04:002008-10-15T14:17:00.000-04:00"in the early 60's telephone calls were n..."in the early 60's telephone calls were not made like today, i.e., 1-212-555-1234; an outside area call required an operator, so it seems strange that the continuity wouldn't have picked up on this." <BR/><BR/><BR/>This didn't sound right to me as I recall that in the mid-sixties, long-distance calls within the US could be dialled directly(at least from the SF Bay area).<BR/><BR/>Here's what wikipedia has to say on the subject:<BR/><BR/>"In order to facilitate direct dialing calls, the NANP [North American Numbering Plan] was created and instituted in 1947 by AT&T, also known as the Bell System, the U.S. telephone monopoly. At first, the codes were used only by long-distance operators; the first customer-dialed calls using area codes did not occur until November 10, 1951, when the first directly-dialed call was made from Englewood, New Jersey to Alameda, California. Direct dialing was gradually instituted throughout the country, and by the mid-1960s, it was commonplace in most larger cities."<BR/><BR/>I'd guess that greater LA was one of the first areas to institute direct dialling.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-14390799057730674882008-10-15T12:37:00.000-04:002008-10-15T12:37:00.000-04:00wjm, that's a tough call. The warm colors in the ...wjm, that's a tough call. The warm colors in the room plus Joan's orange-red hair color are complimentary colors and pulling her dress to appear purple. However, if you pause the scene and cover everything but the dress with white, I believe it tilts to royal blue. Everyone's right.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17517257.post-61817445787792143182008-10-15T10:50:00.000-04:002008-10-15T10:50:00.000-04:00For me, the Jet Set was more like the Wet Set. Wet...For me, the Jet Set was more like the Wet Set. Wet as in soggy and dull. I never thought I'd say this, but even Pete's a more interesting conversationalist than that crew. Don ripped out the last page of S&F because he knows Joy won't ever get that far.<BR/><BR/>Smitty outing Kurt was the biggest laugh I've ever had on this show. That was a line worthy of "Earl." <BR/><BR/>And speaking of Kurt, Peggy's new GBF only did her half a favor. Those bangs are still all kinds of wrong.<BR/><BR/>Finally, what color was that jewel-toned dress Joan was wearing? Please help settle a husband-and-wife argu--discussion over whether it was royal blue or purple. One of us is clearly color-blind.wjmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14787297517207269385noreply@blogger.com