Mad Men

"Adecade ago, Matthew Weiner was a little-known writer who landed a job on The Sopranos with a script for his own show. In Sydney last week, he was on top of the world - in demand from writers, producers and fans - as the creator of one of TV's most acclaimed shows in recent years. Mad Men, set in a 1960s New York advertising firm, has taken all before it since its debut two years ago, including consecutive Emmy awards for outstanding drama series and best writing in a drama series. There have also been Golden Globes, Writers Guild awards and a BAFTA. The show is a persuasive advertisement for the successful marriage of substance and style. Weiner, who had been carrying around the idea for Mad Men in various forms for years, was working on the sitcom Becker when the pilot finally emerged. If he had already found a place in the business and in his personal life - married to Linda, an architect and sounding-board for his work, and with four children - an existential question remained:... more... - RAPatton

"In Draper, he constructed a man who sells not only product and dreams, but himself. His journey along the highway of social mobility is strewn with car wrecks from his past. "I have affection for all of them,'' Weiner says of his characters. ''They live with me all the time and I'm very hard on them. ''I like to think that every single character has a reason for doing [something]. As... more... - RAPatton

"For three seasons, Sterling Cooper has sold Lucky Strikes, Hilton hotels, and Belle Jolie lipstick. And for three seasons, AMC has sold us Mad Men, in an effort to re-brand itself as something greater than the home of not-so-old movies. Sometimes the sell has been too ham-fisted, and sometimes we've resisted. But after the fireworks of that spectacularly satisfying finale, we can no longer deny that we're watching one of the most bold and unpredictable shows to ever air on television — and that AMC has given Matt Weiner full creative license to go for it. AMC's new marketing is all about "original" content — and you will not find more original TV than a show that can accommodate Betty's Demerol-addled delivery (the most brilliant childbirth we've ever seen on TV), the lawnmower bloodbath (the boldest mid-season correction we've ever seen), Betty and Don's confrontation (simply the tautest piece of television we've seen in years), and a season finale as original, striking, and madcap-crazy as this one. We're sold. Signed, sealed, delivered, Matt Weiner, we're yours. (At least until next season.)" - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

"One thing to remember about the fall of Rome metaphor that has dogged this season: When the Roman empire collapsed, its people didn’t just cease to exist. A new order rose up. In fact, when Freud wrote Civilization and Its Discontents, he also leaned heavily on the metaphor of Rome, as an example of how successive social orders warp and shape individual psyches, with each generational... more... - RAPatton

The Mad Men season 3 finale was satisfying on so many levels. I thought the Season 2 finale arc was mesmerizing, but this was better; simply amazing to watch. The writers have really figured out what makes these characters pop and they delivered that secret sauce by the bucketful. Season 4 is going to be a delicious cocktail of Mad Men concentrate. I can't wait. - veo

anyone know of a torrent for this? I refuse to install itunes. - veo

"Like the best pay-cable shows, Mad Men is a showcase for its sparkling ensemble, which means that some of the best scenes happen during meetings and at parties. But by now, we all have our favorites (more Sal, more Joan, more Peggy!), and for this viewer, the isolated Betty Draper made for a maddening third-season emphasis, less mysterious than simply blank. Huge things happened to her...but whether it was Weiner’s instructions or something stuck within Jones’s performance, Betty stayed dead at the roots, a petulant Hitchcock Barbie even at her most exposed." - Derrick from Bookmarklet

Weiner has said that he feels he's been "training" his audience. Very small details, on the face of it, take on large, metaphorical meaning when "de-coded". I've watched an episode and gotten nothing from it... then it brews for a while, and I get a stream of insights and "ahh!" clicks and such. I think it's a deft, almost subterranean show. - T. Brent, technopeasant

This is very odd. Children watching Sesame Street wouldn't get the Mad Men references (or they shouldn't anyway; that is adult programming!) and on top of that, this has nothing to do with Mad Men anyway. - veo

What do you mean "has nothing to do with Mad Men"? It's just a bit of whimsy. - T. Brent, technopeasant

Cute. - Derrick

bump for derrick, who seems to have missed this, :( - chaz2b

@bettydraper "Then again, marriage might turn @_HenryFrancis into @BadHenryFrancis." - chaz2b

"It’s one of the biggest questions raised by Mad Men, one that’s been hanging in the smoky, perfumed air ever since Don Draper first lit up one of his Luckys back in the winter of 1960: how will the series deal with the assassination of President Kennedy, the linchpin event of the 1960s in popular mythology if not entirely in fact. One of the broader points creator Matt Weiner has been trying to make with the series is that America had no innocence to lose with Kennedy’s murder—or on 9/11, I’d add—but still this was a shattering event for the people who lived through it. Not that Don will suddenly go mod on November 23, 1963, or start singing “Kumbaya” with Father Gill, but presumably the series, with its antennae so quiveringly attuned to its era’s history, will also pivot on Dallas in some crucial and, one hopes, compelling sense. At the very least I expect Roger to curl his icy lip and crack a good sick joke. It has to have been the elephant in the Mad Men writers’ room, a hurdle Weiner has presumably been mindful of ever since he realized the show would survive long enough to make it to 1963." - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

Sunday's episode was pretty good I have to say. - Thomas Hawk

re-posted from Cory - T. Brent, technopeasant

"Like most women who call themselves feminists, I've spent my life avoiding men like Don Draper, the incorrigible ladies' man at the center of Mad Men, a show about a Madison Avenue advertising agency in the early 1960s. I took a pass on the show during its first season, catching up with it on DVD when the mounting enthusiasm of friends and co-workers piqued my curiosity." - T. Brent, technopeasant from Bookmarklet

he needed it, but i foresee more violence in that rel'p, sadly... - T. Brent, technopeasant

He totally rubbed one out. O_o - Derrick

*feels sheepish* at first, i thought he was doin' smack (wouldn't put it past Kinsey) - T. Brent, technopeasant

Directly inspired by the razor sharp 1960s tailoring favored by the characters of Don Draper (played by Jon Hamm) and Roger Sterling (played by John Slattery), the "Mad Men Edition" suit has been reinterpreted for today by award-winning costume designer Janie Bryant: slimmer than our Fitzgerald fit and featuring period details. The hand-finished, American-made suit evokes the clean style and sophistication of the early 1960s. Offered in a "static" grey sharkskin fabric, the 2-button jacket features narrow lapels, hacking pockets and side vents. Plain-front trousers. Dry clean. Made in the USA. Limited edition, available only while supplies last. - Derrick

"The US series Mad Men may have scooped Emmys for being the best show on television, but its real stars do not even have speaking parts. The sleek suits of its advertising executive Don Draper, and rear-enhancing sheaths of Joan Holloway's secretary have a cult following all their own. And now the hit show, which is set in a 1960s Manhattan advertising agency, is rolling out Mad Men-branded clothing lines that could see the series give Sex and the City a run for its money in the style stakes. First up is a limited-edition grey sharkskin suit for Brooks Brothers, which goes on sale online tomorrow. But Janie Bryant, the show's costume designer, plans to add evening gowns, men's accessories and office wear." - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

"“The guy I was dating when I first got to L.A. was not supportive of my acting,” she says. “He was like, I don’t think you’re going to be good at this. So—f**k you! He only has nice things to say now—if anything, I should thank him. Because the minute you tell me I can’t do something, that’s when I’m most motivated.” By the time she’s telling me this, we’ve finished our beers and queso and are sitting in our seats for Los Angeles, and I’m too occupied with figuring out who the “guy I was dating” is to take this story as it should be taken: as a warning. Because by now, January has already finished her first in-flight drink and is giving me a hard time for being slow on mine. It’s clear that she’s taking the notion of having fun on her “vacation” very seriously; it’s up to me to keep pace. Shouldn’t be a problem, I think. She’s so small—give her another beer or two and she’ll be asleep. Mistake number one: doing what that skeptical boyfriend (as it turns out, a guy named Ashton... more... - RAPatton

all i can say is... :O... that, and maybe, 'wow'. - docrivs

:) - RAPatton from iPhone

She married the guy who plays the stoner frat brother who lives in the basement even though he graduated years ago on Greek? What a lucky dude. - cecily

I need to find one of these on eBay - Mike Doeff from Bookmarklet

"Shhh. Not everything on the "Mad Men"set is genuine 1960s vintage Manhattan. The sofa, chairs and coffee table in Don Draper's office are made in Los Angeles by Futurama. Owner Jeffrey Perry, who began selling vintage furniture in 1986 and has since reproduced classics in the manner of William Haines and Vladimir Kagan, created the Boxy sofa pictured here with a nod to the late Southern California designer Milo Baughman. Made from walnut veneer with steel legs, it starts at $1,495 and can be ordered in a variety of upholstery fabrics and wood finishes. The chair that Draper (Jon Hamm) is sitting in, above left, costs $750; the coffee table is $495. Pieces can be custom-sized, and delivery time averages two to four weeks." - Derrick from Bookmarklet

want! - Jason Wehmhoener

"The Profumo Affair was a 1963 political scandal in the United Kingdom that is named after the then Secretary of State for War, John Profumo. The Profumo affair developed after Profumo had a brief relationship with a showgirl named Christine Keeler, who was also reputedly the mistress of a known Russian spy, and then lied in the House of Commons when he was questioned about it." - T. Brent, technopeasant from Bookmarklet

skatalizin' !! - T. Brent, technopeasant

"How long can Mad Men's master of spin keep up the facade?" - T. Brent, technopeasant from Bookmarklet

But the genius of Mad Men is that, from the get-go, it has never been that superficial – the show might feature plenty of sleek, shiny surfaces, but it was always more concerned with the mess that lies beneath. That idea is distilled in Mad Men's central character, suave ad man Don Draper (Jon Hamm). With his suburban home, flourishing career and model wife, he is the embodiment of the American Dream. - T. Brent, technopeasant

"Were you, like us, a bit sad to see that Joan’s wedding on Mad Men happened between seasons 2 and 3? Joan’s a fashion icon even in the secretarial break room, so there was no telling how great she would look rocking an early ’60s bridal creation. Even if she was marrying a creepy sometime-rapist, Joan would have had those hips working the aisle in style — lots of crinoline and a Jackie-style white pillbox hat and veil topping it off, perhaps? But no, we didn’t get to witness the ceremony or even get to see any wedding pictures, just silver-fox Sterling tipping his hat to Joan and calling her “Mrs. Harris”in episode 1. Matthew Weiner, why have you robbed us of this wedding-day bliss? We keep small hope alive for a flashback later this season but will have to be somewhat consoled by bratty Margaret Sterling’s impending nuptials. Meanwhile, it turns out we can live out our Joan wedding fantasies with actress Christina Hendricks modeling contemporary bridal fashions in the Fall 2009... more... - RAPatton

If it has no bearing on the advancement of the story, then no, I'm not that sad. I could see Roger getting drunk and making a scene, but I'm sure he wasn't invited. - Fleagle

"Remember when the boys of Sterling Cooper were working on the Maidenform account, and they pointed to each woman in the office and declared her a “Jackie Kennedy” or a “Marilyn Monroe”? You didn’t have to be Joan Holloway, head of the secretarial pool, to appreciate their conclusion: “Joan is a Marilyn. No! Marilyn is a Joan.” Joan, like any bombshell who knows her stuff, lets her curves do the talkin’. Therefore, her office look is simple: a figure-hugging dress, a little red lipstick, and jewelry that draws attention to her assets. Click through our slideshow to get the jaw-dropping look that has all the men on “Mad Men” wrapped around Joan’s little finger." - RAPatton

"Design History plum sweater dress, $89.10, Bluefly.com Lauren by Ralph Lauren pumps, $109.00, Piperlime.com Jeweled starburst pin, $68, J.Crew Rouge Dior Replenishing Lipcolor in Fantastic Plum, $28, Sephora.com Essie Really Red nail polish, $8, essieshop.com Pencil necklace, sold out, Etsy.com" - RAPatton

"Not since Sex and the City have we seen a television show shape the fashion zeitgeist with quite the reach as AMC’s Mad Men. “I saw an ad for Wal-Mart that had a funnel-neck suit, tweed, and a pencil skirt,” says Janie Bryant, the show’s genius costume designer who also won an Emmy for her work on the seminal HBO outlaw series Deadwood. "And I thought, ‘Oh my God! That’s Mad Men!” Bryant talks to ELLE.com from her Los Angeles costume shop, wallpapered with images from the 1960s (see left), about how Mad Men’s proto-feminist heroines—Joan, Betty and Peggy—got their style." - RAPatton

"THE REFERENCE POINT “She’s like a young Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina. It shows a young girl becoming a young woman. That’s Peggy.”" - RAPatton

Tasty! - ‘-.-’ Tutivillus Grift

as an actress, she can somehow communicate with heat. love it. - T. Brent, technopeasant

"Not that you were worried, but AMC today gave Mad Men an early pickup for a fourth season next year. Look how excited Don and Betty are!" - Derrick from Bookmarklet

Good luck holding on to Jon Hamm beyond another season. He's going to want some cashola very soon. - Fleagle

"In more ways than one, I would say. So far, this has been my favorite episode of this season. Granted, we’re only three shows into the latest run of “Mad Men,” but “My Old Kentucky Home” will stand out as one of the more witty and sophisticated although still disturbing episodes of the season, if not the series. And it had so many (gold-accented bone-china) plates spinning in the air -- but not one was dropped. While the working plebs of Sterling Cooper were stuck at the office, the elite executives were living the high life at Jane and Roger Sterling’s Derby garden party held at the local segregated country club. One of the show’s most wickedly critical moments comes when we see Roger Sterling performing Stephen Foster’s Kentucky anthem, complete with the lyric “The darkies are gay.” As if that isn’t enough to cause wincing, Sterling is in black-face. Cue dropping of glasses filled with subpar Trader Joe’s wine in American homes everywhere. Did “Mad Men” need to go there? I think... more... - RAPatton from Bookmarklet

Thx for the Ta-Nehisi link, C.! "Don't try to be 'inclusive.' Just try to be human. Just tell me a story." Yeah. - Ayşe E.