New to 'Mad Men'

[Top41]

So I've been meaning to watch season one forever, never got around to it, and then season two was set to premiere this past Sunday, so I figured I'd jump in now rather than getting two seasons behind. I will watch season one at some point, but I really wanted to see it and figured I could probably follow it somewhat. (I also read EW.com's brief synopsis of last season for each character.)

I liked what I saw in the first ep of the second season, though I wasn't blown away by it. I guess maybe I heard too much hype? I think the show captures the period incredibly well--I've heard the showrunner is super-strict about every detail being in place. And I thought the characters were interesting, albeit a little cold. I didn't take to any of them right away. I know it's only one episode, but usually at least one character intrigues or touches me on some level.

The ones that drew my attention the most were the two actors I recognized, Christina Hendricks and Vincent Kartheiser. I thought their characters were interesting, but I also enjoyed seeing actors I recognized. Anne Dudek had a cameo, too, as Betsey's friend; had she ever been on before?

I'm not trying to be down on the show; I'll definitely watch it again. I just wasn't totally grabbed by it like I expected to be given people's comments about it.

Are there any die hard fans of the show here? What do you love about it?

 

[firehawk12]

I was reading a news magazine... I want to say it was Macleans, but I can't remember... but I just had to laugh because they quoted someone calling the show "man porn", since it romanticizes a time when things were better for a specific group of people.

I've been meaning to watch the show since what the hell else is on during the summer, but I just haven't had the chance.

 

[Top41]

I was reading a news magazine... I want to say it was Macleans, but I can't remember... but I just had to laugh because they quoted someone calling the show "man porn", since it romanticizes a time when things were better for a specific group of people.

Man porn, lol, I like that.

I've been meaning to watch the show since what the hell else is on during the summer, but I just haven't had the chance.

That was kind of my thought about it--summer is a good time to get into a new show because there's nothing on. My summer has been pretty busy, but I made a point to watch this because people have had such good things to say about it.

 

[Samurai8472]

but I just had to laugh because they quoted someone calling the show "man porn", since it romanticizes a time when things were better for a specific group of people.

Man porn, lol, I like that.

With Christina Hendricks its a proper term

 

[Super Grover]

We already have Man porn, it's called Porn.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Top41, I'd really try to get hold of season one and watch it. Everything will make sense to you if you do. Mad Men is extremely character intensive. It starts off very slowly and then you get sucked into the story of these characters' lives in a time period of changing attitudes. Matt Weiner hopes to be able to do five seasons. The first was set in 1960. This season starts in February 1962. He hopes to carry it through to 1970 because it was a period of such tremendous change.

There are so many unanswered questions from season one that he's going to answer, but we have to be willing to go along for the ride. I've found it a very addictive series.

 

[Super Grover]

This season starts in February 1962. He hopes to carry it through to 1970 because it was a period of such tremendous change.

I'd love to see a 70s and 80s version of it. Can't you picture Don Draper doing lines with his Amex card in some club bathroom with heavy synthesizer music blaring.

 

[HRHTheKING]

Are there any die hard fans of the show here?

Yep. Me.

What do you love about it?

I love the aesthetic of the show. Very similar to "Apollo 13" and "LA Confidential"

The era it's set in is completely alien to me, therefore fascinating. It's interesting to watch the casual "nothing out of the ordinary" attitude towards racism, sexism, smoking and drinking.

The characters are mysterious and dark.

Plus, it's got Christina Hendricks in it.

 

[CaptJimboJones]

I tried Season 1 and frankly found it to be depressing. None of the characters were likeable or even particularly interesting, so I gave up on it after about three episodes. The show seemed to be focused primarily on the sets and costumes and props ("Look at us, we've created such a realistic time period!") than the actual story or characters.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Can't you picture Don Draper doing lines with his Amex card in some club bathroom with heavy synthesizer music blaring?

I can picture Don paying alimony when his wife reads "The Feminine Mystique" in a few years and finally leaves him. Betty is so typical of the high society, east coast ladies of her era. Born in the 30s before WWII and the baby boomers--her parents were fairly well off. Her mother reinforced to Betty her whole life that her looks were the most important thing; her looks would help her catch a husband who could give her a home in the suburbs. Ergo, Betty would be "successful." Betty's supposed to want that and be completely satisfied....so why isn't she? Every woman is supposed to want a house in the suburbs, to be able to be a homemaker with a well off husband. Betty did everything right, so why is her husband bored with her? She didn't count on a dirt poor boy who'd consider her a trophy wife to prove that he wasn't trash. He landed the rich blond beauty queen to validate his own worth, to show the world he was successful, but he doesn't really love her. Betty's going to be searching for a sense of worth once she gets those crows' feet. Turning 30 was traumatic for women once upon a time, at least women like Betty. To turn 30 and not have a husband was to be an old maid. People thought that way. Young women today don't appreciate what the women of a generation or two ago went through, what a bill of goods women were sold. How quickly we forget.

As for Don, he can jump off a cliff. The way he treated Adam.....I'm done with him. Sometimes it's too late to make it up to people, Don.

 

[Top41]

Top41, I'd really try to get hold of season one and watch it. Everything will make sense to you if you do. Mad Men is extremely character intensive. It starts off very slowly and then you get sucked into the story of these characters' lives in a time period of changing attitudes. Matt Weiner hopes to be able to do five seasons. The first was set in 1960. This season starts in February 1962. He hopes to carry it through to 1970 because it was a period of such tremendous change.

There are so many unanswered questions from season one that he's going to answer, but we have to be willing to go along for the ride. I've found it a very addictive series.

I definitely want to see season one. I got it on DVD, but I've been watching another show's first season and wanted to finish that up first. I haven't had a ton of time to watch TV, but Mad Men is definitely up there to watch soon.

Are there any die hard fans of the show here?

Yep. Me.

What do you love about it?

I love the aesthetic of the show. Very similar to "Apollo 13" and "LA Confidential"

The era it's set in is completely alien to me, therefore fascinating. It's interesting to watch the casual "nothing out of the ordinary" attitude towards racism, sexism, smoking and drinking.

That's part of what drew me to it initially. Plus, my grandmother watches it because she likes the fact that it's set during a time when she was young. We've watched some of the same shows over the years (Sex and the City, Grey's Anatomy--Grandma's pretty cool ), so it's nice to have those to talk about.

I tried Season 1 and frankly found it to be depressing. None of the characters were likeable or even particularly interesting, so I gave up on it after about three episodes. The show seemed to be focused primarily on the sets and costumes and props ("Look at us, we've created such a realistic time period!") than the actual story or characters.

Characters are big for me--I have to like them to get into a show. There has to be at least one character that I'm really pretty into or fascinated by to be into a show. It helps if there are multiple ones, but there's got to be at least one. I hope some of them will grow on me.

I can picture Don paying alimony when his wife reads "The Feminine Mystique" in a few years and finally leaves him. Betty is so typical of the high society, east coast ladies of her era. Born in the 30s before WWII and the baby boomers--her parents were fairly well off. Her mother reinforced to Betty her whole life that her looks were the most important thing; her looks would help her catch a husband who could give her a home in the suburbs. Ergo, Betty would be "successful." Betty's supposed to want that and be completely satisfied....so why isn't she? Every woman is supposed to want a house in the suburbs, to be able to be a homemaker with a well off husband. Betty did everything right, so why is her husband bored with her? She didn't count on a dirt poor boy who'd consider her a trophy wife to prove that he wasn't trash. He landed the rich blond beauty queen to validate his own worth, to show the world he was successful, but he doesn't really love her. Betty's going to be searching for a sense of worth once she gets those crows' feet. Turning 30 was traumatic for women once upon a time, at least women like Betty. To turn 30 and not have a husband was to be an old maid. People thought that way. Young women today don't appreciate what the women of a generation or two ago went through, what a bill of goods women were sold. How quickly we forget.

Not to take away from anything women went through back then because they obviously had a lot to contend with, but it's not like those stereotypes are dead and gone today. Many people today still judge a woman's worth on whether or not she's got a man, and many women judge themselves and each other by that. We've come a long way, but there's so much that's latent or just under the surface that's still there.

Didn't mean to go off on a tangent. The idea of following the characters through the sixties is interesting to me as well.

 

[HRHTheKING]

As for Don, he can jump off a cliff. The way he treated Adam.....I'm done with him. Sometimes it's too late to make it up to people, Don.

Admittedly it was a little harsh, but Don wanted to cut all ties with his former life, so I can understand that he wanted nothing to do with his brother. Part of the problem is that Don has no idea who he really is or what he wants from life. He's got a dream job, a beautiful home, and a wife and kids, but he doesn't seem satisfied with anything.

 

[Holdfast]

I couldn't get into the show itself, but the wardrobe design is absolutely wonderful, esp. for the men. Brilliant stuff.

 

[HRHTheKING]

The women look pretty good too.




I think both men and women in the Sixties looked more stylish and elegant than they do today. Men looked like gentlemen and women looked like ladies.

 

[Super Grover]

Can't you picture Don Draper doing lines with his Amex card in some club bathroom with heavy synthesizer music blaring?

I can picture Don paying alimony when his wife reads "The Feminine Mystique" in a few years and finally leaves him. Betty is so typical of the high society, east coast ladies of her era. Born in the 30s before WWII and the baby boomers--her parents were fairly well off. Her mother reinforced to Betty her whole life that her looks were the most important thing; her looks would help her catch a husband who could give her a home in the suburbs. Ergo, Betty would be "successful." Betty's supposed to want that and be completely satisfied....so why isn't she? Every woman is supposed to want a house in the suburbs, to be able to be a homemaker with a well off husband. Betty did everything right, so why is her husband bored with her? She didn't count on a dirt poor boy who'd consider her a trophy wife to prove that he wasn't trash. He landed the rich blond beauty queen to validate his own worth, to show the world he was successful, but he doesn't really love her. Betty's going to be searching for a sense of worth once she gets those crows' feet. Turning 30 was traumatic for women once upon a time, at least women like Betty. To turn 30 and not have a husband was to be an old maid. People thought that way. Young women today don't appreciate what the women of a generation or two ago went through, what a bill of goods women were sold. How quickly we forget.

As for Don, he can jump off a cliff. The way he treated Adam.....I'm done with him. Sometimes it's too late to make it up to people, Don.

You know that was a rehtorical question.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

You know that was a rehtorical question.

You know, you misspelled "rhetorical." "H" before "e."

Admittedly it was a little harsh, but Don wanted to cut all ties with his former life, so I can understand that he wanted nothing to do with his brother. Part of the problem is that Don has no idea who he really is or what he wants from life. He's got a dream job, a beautiful home, and a wife and kids, but he doesn't seem satisfied with anything.

It was more than a little harsh. Adam didn't have anybody. Would it have killed Don to have a cup of coffee once a week with the kid? Don's character has always rubbed me the wrong way while Pete, whom I should hate with a vengeance, I don't. Maybe it's that Kartheiser is a better actor. I'm not sure why. He's always seemed to have more nuance to his acting, at least in my opinion.

 

[Super Grover]

You know that was a rehtorical question.

You know, you misspelled "rhetorical." "H" before "e."

typos happen.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

So do rude remarks.

 

[Super Grover]

Sorry, your soapboxing was getting on my nerves. I get it already.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Deal with it. Put me on ignore if you don't want to read it.