TV: Mad Men

[Julia_Mae]

Peggy’s Mom got the best line, “I’m taking my cake because I’m not celebrating you shacking up.” or words to that effect. Peggy’s making it in a man’s world. I find it out of character that she would not have spoken up for what she wanted…marriage…considering she’s already been burned having a child out of wedlock.

She was humiliated. She was covering. She was also afraid of losing him. She was also trying to be the person she thought he wanted her to be.

What does the director tell the young actress about what’s the character is witnessing?

The way it was cut, she didn’t necessarily actually witness anything. However, the chance an actress in Hollywood beyond the age of 11 doesn’t know what that is, is extremely slim.

Joan, for all of her actions, wants the white picket fence. I think, as Peggy’s friend, she would not have encouraged the moving-in. Society wasn’t moving that quickly for a wanna be to risk all by shacking up.

I disagree about what Joan wants. By supporting Peggy, she was trying to comfort and support her, and, considering how her marriage turned out, probably thinks marriage would be a risky proposition in any case. I don’t see that Peggy risks anything by moving in, in terms of career. I agree with her Mom, though. Chances are, when he decides to get married, he’ll find a girl his own parents will accept.

Rodger’s ex is now transformed into a cougar.

I don’t know what this means. She is dating younger men? I didn’t see that.

Meghan realizes she can’t get the credit in her husband’s company and will more on.

I think it’s the opposite. She doesn’t want the credit he is trying to give her or the role as partner-in-advertising he is so excited about. All that credit just ties her more tightly to a job she actually didn’t want. She was working as a secretary while she was trying to make it as an actress. Then she fell for Don and… gave that up? Her father brings up a crisis for her in facing her own ambivalence. Right now, she isn’t anything. She’s not a full-time wife and mother, at work she wasn’t a respected team member, at work to Don she is still an exciting dalliance more than a colleague, now she can be both! But what does she want?

 

[Julia_Mae]

It’s not obvious to me why we should find Meghan’s father’s hang-ups so compelling, for example.

I don’t think we were supposed to find him compelling, I think her parents, their family dynamic, was to explain her character and his presence will help trigger a crisis for her in terms of coming face to face with her life choices.

 

[edwest2]

The show is trashy and portrays certain stereotypes as real. Or, in those few cases where it presents a few things accurately, it is yet another show that not only shows us the bottom of the barrel but the muck and slime underneath it. It is not entertainment but a form of propaganda.

Peace,
Ed

 

[Et_Cetera]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I know it’s not in accordance with Catholicism, but I’m happy for Peggy, and I think her bf seems like a decent guy. Peggy is one of my favorite TV characters of all time. I am happy for her success.

As for the scene with Sally, I wondered about that too, but I think they probably just had her open the door and then told her to look surprised/disgusted. I read in an article once that certain parts of the episodes are kept from her and that she watches edited versions.

I actually think Megan’s dad might have been a little jealous of her success, particularly after his meeting with the publisher went south. It doesn’t seem like he would have supported her acting goals either; I don’t know. He was sour for from the get-go.

The Heinz dinner and the award ball were both amazing.

 

[Et_Cetera]

The show is trashy and portrays certain stereotypes as real. Or, in those few cases where it presents a few things accurately, it is yet another show that not only shows us the bottom of the barrel but the muck and slime underneath it. It is not entertainment but a form of propaganda.

Peace,
Ed

No offense, but I’ve taken notice of your posts before, and you seem like such a downer. I don’t know why you want to be miserable with everyone. Go outside and smile about something.

 

[aicirt]

As for the scene with Sally, I wondered about that too, but I think they probably just had her open the door and then told her to look surprised/disgusted. I read in an article once that certain parts of the episodes are kept from her and that she watches edited versions.

The Heinz dinner and the award ball were both amazing.

Here’s my problem with kids in these parts: In the real world, if a kid was subjected to witnessing oral sex it would be child abuse and must be reported. But for some reason…art?..the actress is told to look surprised etc. but not told what is going on. So her immagination hasn’t been stimulated to think, " What is it that I’m surprised about that they don’t want me to see?" Yeah, this works.

The character does see oral sex being performed by another granny figure, her step-mom’s Mom, on Rodger, definitely an uncle figure. So there’s a lot of stuff she is going to have to filter and I don’t see how this can’t effect Sally. And if it doesn’t, why have the oral sex in the scene? She would have had the same impression of them if she saw them kissing.

Dakota Fanning was given the part of a child rape victim and all hell broke loose over that. She had to be told all the gruesome facts in order to do the scene which brings us back to the child abuse issue.

What did you find amazing re. Heinz and the ball?

 

[utah_rose]

Peggy’s Mom got the best line, “I’m taking my cake because I’m not celebrating you shacking up.” or words to that effect. Peggy’s making it in a man’s world. I find it out of character that she would not have spoken up for what she wanted…marriage…considering she’s already been burned having a child out of wedlock.

Don’s daughter walking in on Rodger and Don’s MIL. What does the director tell the young actress about what’s the character is witnessing? I feel involved in putting a kid in that position by watching the show. The kid could have gotten the same message by seeing them flirt or kiss.

Joan, for all of her actions, wants the white picket fence. I think, as Peggy’s friend, she would not have encouraged the moving-in. Society wasn’t moving that quickly for a wanna be to risk all by shacking up.

Rodger’s ex is now transformed into a cougar. She was a stiff woman of her time who did lunch. Now this?

The “shacking up” came way later I think, maybe 1967 0r 1968. I think Peggy was afraid of losing her boyfriend. And I’m with her mother. My parents would have acted just the same way. Funny Peggy has enough self esteem to be working as a copy writer but doesn’t observe that in her private life.

Still trying to figure out Meghan’s parents–sounds like her father is a socialist and her mother sleeps around and maybe both parents have an open marriage. However, unless Meghan gets really upset (because she hasn’t tried out for an acting career ) with Don I doubt that she’ll leave the agency. As for Don’s daughter, I don’t think that she knew exactly what was going on, but that it was wrong.

Also, why is Betty and he husband absent so much? Anyone know?

Meghan realizes she can’t get the credit in her husband’s company and will more on.

 

[edwest2]

No offense, but I’ve taken notice of your posts before, and you seem like such a downer. I don’t know why you want to be miserable with everyone. Go outside and smile about something.

I’m just pointing out what’s wrong with the show. It depicts scandal. No Catholic should watch it. “miserable”? Where did you get that?

Peace,
Ed

 

[Julia_Mae]

I’m just pointing out what’s wrong with the show. It depicts scandal. No Catholic should watch it.

How do you know what it depicts if you don’t watch it?

 

[Et_Cetera]

I’m just pointing out what’s wrong with the show. It depicts scandal. No Catholic should watch it. “miserable”? Where did you get that?

Peace,
Ed

I mean, I don’t personally know you, but it seems like you’re always posting negative things. It’s fine that you don’t like this program, but why try to spoil it for others? You’re always trying to talk about restrictions.

 

[aicirt]

I’m just pointing out what’s wrong with the show. It depicts scandal. No Catholic should watch it. “miserable”? Where did you get that?

Peace,
Ed

Yup, Ed, it does depict scandal and so do many of the other shows. Besides the problem I stated in a previous post, I’m also busy checking off the number of homosexual affairs depicted in most of these shows including Mad Men, Smash, The Good Wife, etc. All to have society dummy down some more morally. And then I switch to EWTN.

 

[utah_rose]

It portrays scandal but not so much about Catholics. I think the mainstream news hours (on the broadcast stations) display more about scandal (Catholic politicians that don’t listen to the Church) than this program.

There is a book out now called “Mad Woman” and it portrays what went on in the ad agencies regarding women.

Some of Mad Men is exaggerated, but according to her many agencies were into the same thing, although one agency insisted in glass doors for the ad agents to see that no hanky panky was going on,

I worked at a radio station at that time (not rock) and some of the same things were going on there!

 

[utah_rose]

Yup, Ed, it does depict scandal and so do many of the other shows. Besides the problem I stated in a previous post, I’m also busy checking off the number of homosexual affairs depicted in most of these shows including Mad Men, Smash, The Good Wife, etc. All to have society dummy down some more morally. And then I switch to EWTN.

The only one I watch is Mad Men. Most of the others have included homosexuality in them though. I usually watch most of the crime shows like NCIS and so far not much of that has crept into their scripts, but I read that “Glee” is worse for trying to include teens in this immorality. I’ve only seen ONE incident in Mad Men referring to homosexuality,

 

[aicirt]

It portrays scandal but not so much about Catholics. I think the mainstream news hours (on the broadcast stations) display more about scandal (Catholic politicians that don’t listen to the Church) than this program.

There is a book out now called “Mad Woman” and it portrays what went on in the ad agencies regarding women.

Some of Mad Men is exaggerated, but according to her many agencies were into the same thing, although one agency insisted in glass doors for the ad agents to see that no hanky panky was going on,

I worked at a radio station at that time (not rock) and some of the same things were going on there!

IBM was the Cadillac of businesses back then and ran a tight ship. I can also attest to companies moving the exec and his family if one exec was found playing around with another’s wife. Then there was the time when the exec kept his job but the secretary lost hers when someone walked in on their after hours affair.

 

[DlandFan06]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I know it’s not in accordance with Catholicism, but I’m happy for Peggy, and I think her bf seems like a decent guy. Peggy is one of my favorite TV characters of all time. I am happy for her success.

As for the scene with Sally, I wondered about that too, but I think they probably just had her open the door and then told her to look surprised/disgusted. I read in an article once that certain parts of the episodes are kept from her and that she watches edited versions.

I actually think Megan’s dad might have been a little jealous of her success, particularly after his meeting with the publisher went south. It doesn’t seem like he would have supported her acting goals either; I don’t know. He was sour for from the get-go.

The Heinz dinner and the award ball were both amazing.

Yeah, Peggy living with her bf is what I don’t agree with. Now I don’t know if it was in the historical context to bring that up or not but I don’t agree with him living with her.

I thought the dinner was alright. Bear in mind that I didn’t see the sex scene, I only saw Sally looking mortified. I’m not shocked by it; maybe I should be.

 

[Julia_Mae]

I’ve only seen ONE incident in Mad Men referring to homosexuality,

There was the highly respected art director who was gay, hiding it from everyone including himself, tried marriage, disastrously, was seduced by a client, I believe, and then fired. Also, Peggy, iirc, had a lesbian from another floor in the building ask her out. There was more recently Don’s birthday party where his wife is friends with some gay folk, apparently in the theatre.

 

[aicirt]

Yeah, Peggy living with her bf is what I don’t agree with. Now I don’t know if it was in the historical context to bring that up or not but I don’t agree with him living with her.

I thought the dinner was alright. Bear in mind that I didn’t see the sex scene, I only saw Sally looking mortified. I’m not shocked by it; maybe I should be.

I gave my thoughts re. that incident in last week’s show. What would shock us? PEYTON PLACE, 1957, was a hot book. I was babysitting and had to thumb through the pages before I got to the “good” part. The teenage girl was being raped by her father. I had to look for the book and for that part.

BABY DOLL, and THE MOON IS BLUE was also on the Legion of Decency List. You had to make an effort to see them…find out where the movie was playing, get in a car, drive, make sure no one saw you etc. etc. Now the stuff is right in one’s living room.

“Blue movies” were totally restricted. They just were not out to the general public at all. Now, you flick on the adult channels.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

I’m surprised that the treatment of race in this show hasn’t been mentioned. From what I’ve heard, it’s rather straightforward with its treatment of blatant racism in the 60’s in the U.S.

 

[Nec5]

I mean, I don’t personally know you, but it seems like you’re always posting negative things. It’s fine that you don’t like this program, but why try to spoil it for others? You’re always trying to talk about restrictions.

Well, we can’t all be pollyannas.

 

[aicirt]

I’m surprised that the treatment of race in this show hasn’t been mentioned. From what I’ve heard, it’s rather straightforward with its treatment of blatant racism in the 60’s in the U.S.

I think that was touched upon with Peggy and her secretary when she took her home to stay the night in her apartment. Peggy was talking to her about the glass ceiling she experienced and encouraged Patricia to keep trying. She hesitated about leaving her purse in the room. Really? She worked with the woman everyday who could have been rifiling through her purse everytime she entered Peggy’s office so that, to me, was a little overboard.

I’m picking up from your post that you do not live in the US. We are a BIG country. I had black bosses in the 60s,and black co-workers. We did not have segregated dorms in my mid-west university. Women had a glass ceiling and Catholics and Jews faced discrimination too. The Catholic break came with the election of JFK.