TV: Mad Men

[utah_rose]

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.

I remember Peyton Place was a hot book too. Recently I finally say Baby Doll on cable TV and it was nothing, except a little scantly clothing. Of course that could have been edited out. I think “The Carpetbaggers”, Harold Robbins book was much worse. I was reading those in my early twenties and making sure my mom didn’t see them. I do remember though taking the “pledge” for the Legion of Decency every year, and our Catholic paper always had the movies “rated”. Of course when we were teenagers we were curious about the ones that we condemned or indecent, but not so much as the guys were, All in all, I think Mad Men at exaggerates some things (drinking for example) but again after working at some companies during that era, a lot of that was going on, but I can’t remember open homosexuality in the early sixties. But plenty of affairs were going on in the office that we “weren’t supposed to know about”. So all in all I think Mad Men is pretty realistic, but some things like living together a little before it happened, unless New York was ahead of its times. By the way most of the ad women in “Mad Women” were married though some to the heads of the departments, and some also had kids.

 

[aicirt]

I remember Peyton Place was a hot book too. Recently I finally say Baby Doll on cable TV and it was nothing, except a little scantly clothing. Of course that could have been edited out. I think “The Carpetbaggers”, Harold Robbins book was much worse. I was reading those in my early twenties and making sure my mom didn’t see them. I do remember though taking the “pledge” for the Legion of Decency every year, and our Catholic paper always had the movies “rated”. Of course when we were teenagers we were curious about the ones that we condemned or indecent, but not so much as the guys were, All in all, I think Mad Men at exaggerates some things (drinking for example) but again after working at some companies during that era, a lot of that was going on, but I can’t remember open homosexuality in the early sixties. But plenty of affairs were going on in the office that we “weren’t supposed to know about”. So all in all I think Mad Men is pretty realistic, but some things like living together a little before it happened, unless New York was ahead of its times. By the way most of the ad women in “Mad Women” were married though some to the heads of the departments, and some also had kids.

I never did find out what the fuss was re. THE MOON IS BLUE. Did you?

 

[Et_Cetera]

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

I really liked how Don and Megan worked together to sell the Heinz pitch. It was great to see Don back in work mode a little bit–nice to know that he still has the magic touch, so to speak. And we get to see that Megan really is talented and involved and also intuitive with regard to the business. As for the ball, Roger’s little crack at Pete was good, and Pete’s discussion with Megan’s dad was also enjoyable. Also, I usually really like Sally/Don interaction.

 

[gam197]

or

iginally posted by 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.

I must have missed something. Peggy was the first generation of birth control women who could have it all - sleeps with who she likes and makes no bones about it. She is a feminist to the core.- a soft version of germaine greer. Likeable- not quite.

I watched the first three seasons and the show is addicting. It is one big soap opera. What makes it so compelling is the ad agency theme and how the products came about and were marketing, the era of the time, and the history.

I did give it up but am tempted to see the remaining seasons. It reminds me of Dallas. Soap operas at night seem more appealing.

What is the Moon is Blue and Paper Doll. I missed these.

 

[gam197]

originally posted by Utah rose
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 think that this took place in New York is crucial. Peggy’s mom brings this up. The girls that stay in the city were known to fool around.

It depended on the company. I worked for a major company and it was very, very professional - there was a undercurrent where you might hear whispers but nothing like this.

I also took a job at another major company in the sales department and there was one nationality of bosses which I will not mention but around the first day on the job, my boss asked me to go get a “French maid Apron” Glass doors may have helped but we had glass cubicles and the secretaries would sit on the bosses laps. Couldn’t wait to get out of there.

 

[Et_Cetera]

or

I did give it up but am tempted to see the remaining seasons. It reminds me of Dallas. Soap operas at night seem more appealing.

Watch the remaining seasons! You won’t be disappointed. The fifth has been fantastic so far.

 

[utah_rose]

Last night’s episode was really good too, sans the sex scenes (I have a Tivo so I skip over those as well as most of the commercials. ) I am beginning to like Peggy more but last night’s episode re Pete makes me believe he is still a sleaze ball and a sneak besides.

Also don’t know if anyone is watching the Pitch (also on the same network)but it’s a modern reality show between two competing advertising agencies for the right to advertise a product. Pretty interesting but despite all of the modern methods (and younger casual people) you can see some of the same principles acted out.

 

[Et_Cetera]

Last night’s episode was really good too, sans the sex scenes (I have a Tivo so I skip over those as well as most of the commercials. ) I am beginning to like Peggy more but last night’s episode re Pete makes me believe he is still a sleaze ball and a sneak besides.

Also don’t know if anyone is watching the Pitch (also on the same network)but it’s a modern reality show between two competing advertising agencies for the right to advertise a product. Pretty interesting but despite all of the modern methods (and younger casual people) you can see some of the same principles acted out.

I liked last night’s episode too. It was a bit more plot driven than the last few. I didn’t think it was quite as good as the one from last week, but still fantastic. Pete’s a strange guy; I think he doesn’t really know what he wants. I don’t think he’s a happy man. As was said earlier, he wants to be Don, but he isn’t and can’t be.

I’m really interested to see what happens with Don and Megan now that Megan has quit. It will almost definitely bring some drama. Peggy yelling out, “Pizza time!” into the phone was great. I love the little bits of humor in this show.

 

[aicirt]

I liked last night’s episode too. It was a bit more plot driven than the last few. I didn’t think it was quite as good as the one from last week, but still fantastic. Pete’s a strange guy; I think he doesn’t really know what he wants. I don’t think he’s a happy man. As was said earlier, he wants to be Don, but he isn’t and can’t be.

I’m really interested to see what happens with Don and Megan now that Megan has quit. It will almost definitely bring some drama. Peggy yelling out, “Pizza time!” into the phone was great. I love the little bits of humor in this show.

Yeah, Pete is strange. Who would go to bed with him? Raise your hands. So what’s with the women on the show? They don’t pick up he’s strange?

 

[Julia_Mae]

Yeah, Pete is strange. Who would go to bed with him? Raise your hands. So what’s with the women on the show? They don’t pick up he’s strange?

He seems perfectly normal to me. In fact, he seems like a sort of standard for the average male. I see nothing for the women to pick up on.

 

[Et_Cetera]

Yeah…Pete is definitely unnerving and a little unhinged, and I think that some of the women must not be around him enough to pick up on it. It seems like his wife Trudy is pretty unaware of his major issues too (like the cheating). She has put up with some weird behavior in the past from him, probably because she is very concerned with projecting the image of a perfect family, but if she finds out about the other women things will get bad.

 

[Married39]

Hi Everyone!

I know it’s bad to say but is Christina Hendricks the hottest woman around or is it just me. I am absolutely in love with those curves!!

 

[Et_Cetera]

Hi Everyone!

I know it’s bad to say but is Christina Hendricks the hottest woman around or is it just me. I am absolutely in love with those curves!!

Haha, she is a very pretty lady indeed!

 

[utah_rose]

Sometimes and this is the case now, I’m glad to be a woman and not be bothered by women like Christina. I wouldn’t say that any of the guys on this show are good looking except for the actor play Don Draper. But I just LOVE the fashions and the dresses.

By the way, it looks to me that Christina has a “little help” with those curves, some lingerie that makes her curves more prominent. But she is a good actress though I didn’t care for her so much at first. I’m not sure that in real life during that time they would have an office manager who really looked like that.

I think in fact that if you dressed that way in an office you’d be either ostracized by the rest of the women or be told to go home and change.

Peggy wears clothes that were fashionable at that time—in fact a few of the pleated skirts she wears are very similar to ones I had. Her hairstyle also fits that period, but wondering if its actually her hair or a wig (we really used to use a lot of hairspray on our “flips”).

 

[Julia_Mae]

I think in fact that if you dressed that way in an office you’d be either ostracized by the rest of the women or be told to go home and change…

This is an interesting comment. Dressed what way? I might not be remembering, but I have not seen her in anything low cut, any short skirts, she seems appropriately girdled. (I agree about the enhancements!) If she wears clothes that would be loose, they would not fit her elsewhere and the shoulders of her garments would fall off her. She can hardly afford to have her clothes custom-made.

And guarantee none of those men want to see her in a tent dress. Which I don’t think were sold at this time. A few years later, I believe.

 

[tomarin]

Hi Everyone!

I know it’s bad to say but is Christina Hendricks the hottest woman around or is it just me. I am absolutely in love with those curves!!

It’s definitely not just you. I’m in the minority in that I don’t see what the fuss is about.

 

[edwest2]

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

I have watched it. That’s one of my prerequisites for criticizing anything - I have to see it myself.

Peace,
Ed

 

[edwest2]

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.

That’s my point. Too many Catholics either “close their eyes” or just ignore the obvious moral problems on TV. I’ve watched how things purposely changed over a 40 year period. Honestly, if we had gone from 1968 to 2012 overnight, there would be protests, and if those weren’t heeded, a lot of TVs, broken beforehand, would be out waiting for the trash pick up.

Seriously folks. I read this on a message board where I’m a moderator: “We don’t want to feel sinful, or shameful or guilty ever again.” So, TV and the movies are turning into the image and likeness of what those people want.

Sex - doesn’t mean anything.
Marriage - doesn’t mean anything.
Divorce - doesn’t mean anything.
Scandal - what scandal? I’ll do what I want.

Pleasure, pleasure and more pleasure. Fancy clothes, booze, illegal drugs, and lots and lots of sex with whoever. To quote part of a review for the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: “Bisexuality, for once, is treated as no big deal.”

Got that, my fellow Catholics? No sin, no shame, and no guilt right on your TV.

God forbid,
Ed

 

[tomarin]

By the way, does anyone know whether the real versus fantasy status of the murder of Don’s old girlfriend was ever cleared up? I guess that since there hasn’t been a police investigation or a body found under the bed, it was just a fever-induced hallucination.

 

[Et_Cetera]

By the way, does anyone know whether the real versus fantasy status of the murder of Don’s old girlfriend was ever cleared up? I guess that since there hasn’t been a police investigation or a body found under the bed, it was just a fever-induced hallucination.

It was supposed to be a fever dream, thankfully.