About ten days before the premiere of Mad Men Season 3, I started reading reviews of Out of Town. There are a number of excellent reviewers out there; both top-line reviewers at prestigious websites and publications, and smaller journalism, film, and television sites. A lot of people have jumped on the “Mad Men Mondays” bandwagon. Many of the reviewers are quite good; you’ve seen praise here often enough for Alan Sepinwall, Paul Levinson, Matt Maul, and others.
So after the premiere, I felt like maybe I should be writing reviews as well.
I’ve changed my mind. We don’t do Mad Men Mondays here; every day is Mad Men day. We don’t write a review and then move on to our other work, we spend an entire week discussing, and then keep discussing. I don’t need to condense my thoughts into a single cohesive essay; I can give each thought its own essay.
So, no more reviews. I’m going back to doing it the Basket way.
12 Responses to “On the subject of reviews”
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"I don’t need to condense my thoughts into a single cohesive essay; I can give each thought its own essay. "
I prefer this approach. It allows us (your readers) to participate in a very direct way.
If this were any other show — all it would need is a single review, which could then be discussed in a day. Badda-bing, Badda-boom. done.
But this show is a multi-course meal. Each plate must be discerned by the palate. So, yes, individual portions please.
I totally agree with you, "we don't need no stinking reviews", we are the best site about MM anywhere, period! I just adore you Lipp sisters, I check you out every single day.
Deborah, since you are one of the site's moderators, I say that you should go ahead and post reviews of the episodes. And the rest of us can add our own thoughts on the episodes – just as Alan Sepinwall and the HOUSE NEXT DOOR site do.
but… but… she just said she didn't want to.
Dang straight.
Yeh!! You said it lipp-sister!
Besides – you have a 24/7 Mad Men thing happening here. Since there is so much time between seasons… we have plenty of time to pick apart minutia… so much going on in this show just to wrap it up in one review!
I also must say – having managed to read 239 responses (last night and today) to last night's episode – the comments here are wonderful. They are positive, insightful, smart and funny. I don't know if you just attract some lovely fans or you delete the nightmare people – but it's a pleasure to read smart post after smart post after smart post…
Stephanie, we have deleted very few people. Fewer than 5 in two years, I think. We have awesome Basketcases.
I love it the way it is, don't change it yet. Giving each thought about the show its own essay gives us readers more to savor and more space to talk about it. Plus, the show is upping its game in terms of texture and complexity, there is no one review or one recap that captures it all.
I still think it would be a good idea for someone to post a review of each episode.
Yes Rosie, someone does, everywhere else. We are the only (or practically the only) Mad Men devoted blog; 24/7, 365. This post explained our reasonings for not doing it.
Rosie, I have a day job. So does Roberta. Both of those jobs are highly demanding. We spend hours a day of our own time on the blog, and if I don't want to write a review I AM NOT FUCKING GOING TO.
Hope that clears it up for you.
Well I just threw away my girdle with the whalebones, so count me among those who are grateful for no-review Mondays. Reviews demand structure, and I don't think that's why I come here.
This is where I come to be — while not exactly random — more thoughtful about my favorite show. It lives in my subconscious from episode to episode, and as the thoughts it inspires float up, I like to find them (and sometimes discuss them) here.
I think I'm finally getting it: this show isn't really about the characters. For me, it's about how I react to what happens and why. I like how much it makes me think. I like that it keeps me up at night. I like that I don't know exactly what I feel about some scenes, that they resist comment, that they rankle for some time after the fade.
This is what makes the show work. It's not a-crime-plus-a-perp-plus-a-thing-and-another-thing formula, like the background noise my kids watch. It's not the oh-my-God-did-you-see-her-flip-that-table reality crap. It's not even the boom-boom-pow stuff served up over on HBO's "True Blood": where you have to love or hate a character, or the show dies for you.
Mad Men is deeper. It sweeps the subconscious. It's art.