He’ll never golf again!
That’s the only thing she found misogynist? 
My mom and I both love it. The show’s deliberate in its desire to make you totally want to do Don Draper even though you know exactly what he’s all about. And that he’d taste like an ashtray and a liquor cabinet had a nasty baby.
ETA - my boyfriend loves it too, so there are guys who do. I don’t know how he feels about doing Don Draper but he has a certain affection for Joan, yes.
True that - I think for that reason, his calling Joan a piece of ass was a necessary deviation from character. It underlined that there was nothing “from the heart” in their relationship: he thought of it as an executive perk, nothing more.
Most of it she finds kitschy and an amusingly accurate portrayal of that time. But she thought that that particular comment was gratuitous and over-the-top. Joan could make throwing up in the toilet a sexy act.
Actually, I think he was pretty much in love with her; he just treated her that way because he was in denial.
He obviously respects here more than anyone else at the firm.
Love love love Mad Men. People who claim it’s sexist obviously have no concept of history and/or period pieces. It’s like saying the Tudors is sexist. Frankly, I’m not in love with any of the male characters, but John Slattery’s acting is in a league of its own. January Jones is unfairly deemed a terrible actress, but I think her iciness is hard to replicate consistently, which she does without fail.
My mom, who is currently addicted to Deadwood, is this way. She had heard it was great, I told her it was great, but she also heard that it is horrible about it’s treatment of women. Gee Mom, 90% of the women in the series are prostitutes, so what do you expect? She got over it though she still shakes her head at how badly the women are treated - guess the dead men being fed to the pigs is okay:smack:
Regarding Betty and your concerns;
You’re right about her being easier to control if she’s financially dependent, but she’d never have gotten much alimony out of Don anyway. Alimony stops at remarriage and her plan is to spend 6 weeks in Nevada and fly home with a new husband. The most she could’ve expected anyway is a lump sum paymend from the sale of the house. She’ll really be screwed if this 2nd marriage goes bad. I don’t think Henry would have to pay anywhere near the alimony Don would be expected too (especially if it sours sooner rather than later) and Betty will be reduced to either trying to maintain her lifestyle off of the child support or blackmailing Don. Neither’s a very good option.
You know, I’m done with spoilers after
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You’re right about alimony stopping at remarriage; I had forgotten that. That said, Betty was foolish not to get that lump sum payment. She has given Henry the argumentative high ground, as it were, and entered into the new marriage as a pauper.
Honestly, if I were Betty’s friend, I’d be urging her not to get remarried right away at all.
And that, for a man in Roger’s position, is something else to be in denial about (in any era). He’d have to deny her that last, intimate measure of respect, or his entire role stops making sense. And without his role, he would have nothing - certainly not Joan.
The irony is too fine - for television, anyway.
FWIW, I have an aunt who worked in advertising during Mad Men’s time frame (and for decades after). IIRC, she had a similar position to Don Draper. She watches the show and while she finds the look of it to be spot-on, her own experiences working in that field, at that time, do not mirror the show’s in the slightest. She would best be described as formidable, however, so maybe other women/wives would be more easily bullied.
Update:
So, I’ve watched the first five episodes. I don’t love it. Does it get better, or did the gals here who love it love it from the beginning? It’s okay, but…
Woman. Love it. I even like watching Betty. I don’t care how much of a bitch she is, she’s purty.
I’m a woman and I love it. So do many of my friends. Consider:
At least four interesting female characters (Peggy, Joan, Betty and Sally). One hot guy (guess who). Gorgeous clothes. Set in something that’s recognizably the real world. Complex characters that don’t fall easily into the good guy and bad guy categories. No space aliens, ghosts, zombies, ninjas, serial killers or secret agents (so far).
And, yes, nobody cares about Betty being a bitch, because:
- She’s purty, as noted, as well as an excellent dresser, and
- She has some really good reasons for becoming a bitch (it’s all Don’s fault).
My wife loves Mad Men, as do I. I was talking to my sister about it and she said she didn’t want to watch it because the 60’s were a rough time for women in the workplace, to which I replied, “doesn’t that sound like an interesting topic to explore through art?”
Mad Monk: That’s exactly right. The big story in Mad Men is misogyny and how you deal with it. All the women in the series deal with it in their own way:
Peggy, by becoming a professional and doing work that men have to respect.
Joan, by playing along with the system, but doing it with dignity.
Betty, by lashing out both outwards and inwards.
Sally, by rebelling against her mother.
Most of the girls at the office, by grinning and bearing it. Peggy’s bohemian friends, by experimenting with new lifestyles.
Yup, it’s not surprising when you consider that most of the writers on the show are women and they seemed to be acknowleding the struggles their moms had to face. I’m surprised someone hasn’t read the Feminine Mystique yet, but I bet they do next season.
I bet Peggy or Joan reads that.
Female here, and one of the reasons I’m fascinated by the show is that I’m exactly Sally’s age. I can’t wait to see her story play out. I hope the actress doesn’t age too quickly to explore how the late 60’s affected her.
Oh, yeah, and there’s The Hammer, too. We need a Yum smiley.
Guys can be feminist.
I love Mad Men and the other two mentioned above. I am not a guy.