Mad News, August 29-September 2, 2009
Last News we posted a link to Tom Shales’s clueless little sneer at Mad Men, but didn’t say much of anything about it. Well, Bob Sassone is here to fix that.
We also previously linked to Jim Edwards criticizing Sterling Cooper. Now he wants to fire Don Draper.
The Oregonian interviews Carri Bugbee, she of @PeggyOlson fame.
Art & Copy, a documentary about advertising, has opened in select cities. Looks cool.
IF Magazine interviews Matt Weiner. He expresses love for his fans. It’s mutual.
An Ian Spelling interview with Elisabeth Moss notes that she’s having an exceptionally good year.
Christina Hendricks is an IGN “Babe of the Day.”
The New York Times Arts Beat opens their review of My Old Kentucky Home with
This post contains spoilers, but they’re in a good place right now.
Once again, someone gets the idea to interview Jerry Della Femina about Mad Men. And Steve Penner finds the article causes him to reminisce.
Close up on some gorgeous jewelry that Janie Bryant wore.
THR interviews Elisabeth Moss (via Reuters).
An analysis of the Emmy race.
Jack Nicholson interviews January Jones.
David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun didn’t like episodes 3.02 or 3.03 and asks his commenters to talk him out of it.
Black Girl Blogging is horrified by Roger’s blackface.
Mad Men secretarial accessories from Bobbins & Bombshells.
Slate wonders if Mad Men is “just a guilty pleasure.”
A very thoughtful article on the tension between architectural preservation and renewal, as embodied in Mad Men’s Penn Station versus Madison Square Garden argument.
The Des Moines Register writes about Iowa native January Jones’s mom shopping for a vintage dress.
Low brow vs. high brow; popular vs. art; CSI vs. Mad Men.
The Cablevision chief talks Mad Men, Hulu, stuff.
Basketcase Hazel tells us that epsidoe 3.01 is available online outside the U.S.
This blue tufted bed not only acknowledges the Mad Men connection; it’s called “Draper” fabric!
Basket of Kisses: The unofficial blog of AMC's Mad Men. Where all the cool kids meet & greet to talk about Don Draper, Janie Bryant, Christina Hendricks, Jon Hamm, Matthew Weiner, & subtexty things.
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September 2nd, 2009 at 10:13 am
I read that Slate article yesterday and I could only slap my forehead in disbelief! How could you come away from S2 with all its many and varied discussions of a changing role for women and just how necessary it was and think show is all surface! Dumbfounding!
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:28 am
Ha! Pete actually landed that aerospace account on the California trip. (it's one of Pete's accounts in episode 1, this season) So, Don's inadvertent hands off approach in Jet Set worked. Hate it when people do crits and don't pay attention.
In your face, Jim Edwards
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:14 am
I don't know where everyone here lives but whenever I take the train to Manhattan, I surface at Penn Station/MSG. Let's compare Penn to Grand Central. Ummm, no comparison. Grand Central is lofty, spacious, well lit, clean(ish), boutiquey, swave and deboner. Penn is a rat maze, literally and figuratively. It's low ceilinged, dark, meandering, confusing, neon and fluorescent, cheesy and drab. Movies will never be made at Penn. The lighting makes everyone look like pallid and washed out refugees from some futuristic zombie war. NJTransit did a major upgrade on its waiting area with sleek pink marble and Mozart on the PA. But there aren't enough chairs for people who have to wait an hour or more between trains. There's always a mad rush to the escalator when the track is announced with a lot of pushing and shoving. Think Japan subways without the charming, white gloved treatment.
Grand Central is grace and graciousness. Penn was designed by the Soviets in the Kruschev era.
Never been to Madison Square Garden. From what I can tell, it's just am arena. BFD. Like they couldn't have put that in the Meadowlands? Oh, that's right. That's where they dumped the detritus from the old Penn station.
As for change, Grand Central survived pretty well intact and functioning beautifully.
Who knew?
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:22 am
The Oprah episode should be exciting…I wonder if Matt will be on with Jon & January.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:23 am
I've met Tom Shales at TV critic stuff back in the '90s, and he seemed, well, a bit pompous, which may or may not have been because he was kowtowed to by fawning PR people 24/7.
In this piece Shales seems inordinately miffed that other critics and the damned populace have not had the sense to kowtow to his opinion about Mad Men — and they continue to do so for three seasons! The noive!
I had the same reaction: we should watch old movies, instead? Huh? After I spent 10 years editing a series of books, with the TV on as background, I must have watched, oh, EVERY old movie Hollywood produced during the Mad Men years. I've run out of old movies to watch.
But Mad Men has been, by and large, more accurate at portraying the essence of the period, than most of those films (and inspired by the best of those films — The Apartment, etc. — to take up where they left off.)
I'm also ticked off by the reviews that claim NOTHING HAPPENED in Episode 3: again, huh? Mad Men is also about reacting to the time and place, foreshadowing the world to come, and giving us a sense of real time in the characters lives.
All of which Episode 3 did: read the threads of previous comments on this site for background, the 2/3 of the iceberg below the surface,: Mad Man reveals what's above water as a warning of the tragedy waiting below.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:25 am
The sad thing is, today's Penn station is so much better that what it was in the 70s-80s. The remodel in the 90s tried to make it less oppressive….but you can only do so much. I have always regretted never being able to see the real Penn Station. NYC almost lost Grand Central too, luckily the loss of Penn galvanized people to save it.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:30 am
riverdaughter, you are KILLING me. "Futuristic zombie war." HA!
Here's some good tie-in: The destruction of Penn Station was the motivation behind the Landmark Preservation laws in NYC, which were championed by Jackie Kennedy; one of the first buildings she fought to save was St. Bartholomew's, which Margaret will be married in on 11/23/63.
As to what happened in episode 3? Peggy got stoned with the guys, Jane got drunk and embarrassed the Drapers, a strange and highly-placed man made a near-pass at Betty, there was singing & dancing, GEEZ PETE WHAT DO YOU WANT?
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:37 am
I just don't get those "nothing happened" people. They're always around whining about what I consider quality tv shows. (BSG had 'em too.) If S2 taught anything it was that you have to watch the whole season before you can say whether what was shown was significant. If that's not your thing, watch something else!
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:05 pm
I have to say, so much of my enjoyment, appreciation, and now my almost unbearable sense of anticipation for the next episode, comes from reading this and other MM blogs, with all the wonderful posts and insightful comments. I get so much more out of each episode than if I was left to ponder the interpretation myself — I wouldn't catch half of the subtleties, references and meaning.
But maybe Shales is the type of guy who would never lower himself to read other people's — especially people who aren't professional critics — insights to inform his own opinion and understanding. Too bad. His loss, not ours.
Carry on, Lipp ladies!
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:09 pm
From the appeal to fire Don Draper – "And he wasn’t even around to save Clearasil when that account walked out the door due to a family spat with the client."
This guy clearly doesn't watch the show. Don had nothing to do with Clearasil, aside from signing off on the campaigns. Even if he had been hands on, the nature of the conflict between Pete and his father-in-law was so personal and unavoidable that no pitch, even that of a Carousel caliber, would have been enough to keep the client.
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Andrew- so right. Remember Peggy's last words out the door of Pete's office "And I don't want you blaming Creative!"
That would have been Duck & Pete's job (Accounts) to save that one.
Sleeping with Bobbi? Hmmm… well, OK, yes, point taken. But if Don hadn't stepped in with the schmoozy dinner at Lutece (not to mention his little "talk" with Bobbi), Utz would have gone bye-bye.
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:39 pm
So Matt, if you're reading this, please liven up a mid-season episode by having Don stab Paul during a staff meeting.
Don could call in his secretary, have her enlist the help of the other "girls" in placing dying Paul in a closet somewhere, and continue with table agenda items.
When Paul's 9:30 arrives, Don could just say something Donlike: "I'll handle this," button his coat and head out of the office. Perhaps he raises his eyebrows at Pete on the way out.
You could sell a boatload of Clorox with a scene like that.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:19 pm
I'm thrilled they are going to be on Oprah! If the audience has to dress "Mad Men" style – it sounds like the whole show will be about them! I was hoping Oprah would do a "Mad Men" themed show!!
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:46 pm
If anyone is interested: A good resource on the NY preservation efforts that were inspired by the loss of Old Penn Station – http://www.nypap.org/ (New York Preservation Archive Project). Read about what they wanted to do to Grand Central …a bowling alley! Hells Bells!
Eventually they are going to post oral histories of people who were around and witnessed Penn Station's demise.
September 2nd, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Judybrowni – could not have said it better: "… the 2/3 of the iceberg below the surface,: Mad Man reveals what’s above water as a warning of the tragedy waiting below."
That is perfect. As perfect as Peggy
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Thanks, didn't have time to explicate: but Roger's blackface in 1963, for instance, is horrifying precisely because of the Civil Rights fights, the bombings and the firehoses.
Roger is the tip of the iceberg of white privilege and obliviousness, Carla knows what a missing $5 usually means for a "negro" woman worker, and it's only the assumption of Grampa Gene's senility, his infantalizing by the other grownups, that may have saved her.
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Did have time to read all the posts…OPRAH – MAD MEN – TIVO – When?
September 2nd, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Cast did a press conference recently…maybe for emmy's?
http://www.wireimage.com/GalleryListing.asp?navty...
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Stop The Presses! I just saw this new Instyle Weddings issue at the store today and Christina Hendriks has the most gorgeous wedding gown layout! Unfortunately, this is the only cover picture I could find of it online (too tiny) but it's really gorgeous! Maybe someone can get a copy and scan it here, she's just beautiful!
http://img2.timeinc.net/instyle/images/cm/cm_wedd...
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I saw Art & Copy at the Santa Barbara Film Festival in Jan. and can safely say that anyone reading this blog would definitely enjoy it.
September 2nd, 2009 at 6:46 pm
As for Draper – Dorothy Draper – my mom and I spent New Year's at The Greenbriar, which she decorated. My style is completely contemporary – think Dwell Magazine – and I felt like was in hell. Big floral patterns, stripes, flouncy things, pink and green and white. Now, if that's your taste that's just fine, but it made my head spin.
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:56 pm
Nothing happened?? Are people so Tarantino-ized now that they can't conceive of a piece of filmed entertainment where nobody gets shot, stabbed, or strangled to death?
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:06 pm
I gave it my all on Zurawik's blog on the Baltimore Sun website! I even asked him to check out this site for some intelligent insight.
I, too, don't get the "nothing happened" crowd. Maybe those are the same people who were disappointed when people weren't offed on every episode of "The Sopranos"! Those people annoyed me, too.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:42 am
An interesting discussion on Mad Men and male privilege from a political blog:
http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/200...
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:53 am
Oh, and this one from the Atlantic:
http://ta-nehisicoates.theatlantic.com/archives/2...
(Might it make sense to have "feminist and anti-racist Mad Men news"?)
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:23 am
There's definitely a gulf between those who get Mad Men and those who don't. Given that 99.99% of scripted TV and film are plot-driven, there are a lot of folks who have trouble grasping and don't have the patience for a drama that's character-driven. Mad Men's never gonna get CSI numbers, and that's okay; I'm just grateful the powers that be at AMC have realized the show's value.
Mad Men's a writer's show, and Weiner's deservedly earned a rep as a writer's writer. But out here in L.A. I do see something of a backlash building. Read any Mad Men post by Nikki Finke (she's a fan) on her showbiz industry blog and it's greeted with any number of negative comments. Given that her readers and commenters are largely industry types, I think there are a number of people in the business who feel threatened by the hype and accolades the show gets, for the very reason that it's not like the 99.99% of product that they are responsible for.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Vincent interview with Vanity Fair, it's funny for someone so young he's very eccentric…
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2009/09/m...
September 3rd, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Enjoyed the Sassone piece, and that he had a MM yourself avatar on the page. I too have wondered about the uptick in the "nothing happens" comments, but put it down to the newbies -supposedly over 4 million watched the Season 3 premiere -great news. I just hope Matt and company ignore them completely. And I agree with Sassone, Shales dislike of MM tells me he's a critic I don't need to consult, and why would I when so many good ones that appreciate MM are around?
September 4th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Bobby is clearly a different actor. I am well aware of a tendency to hide his identity to minimize this change. Still, after those poignant scenes during Season 2, I am bereft! How I miss the original Bobby. Can others fill me in?
September 4th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Alex, Jared Gilmore is the new Bobby; we don't know why. We loved Aaron Hart but we adore Jared and we think you will too once you get to know him.
September 4th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Deborah, thanks for bringing me along.
September 5th, 2009 at 7:38 am
Ann-Margaret reacts to her episode shout-out:
http://www.movieline.com/2009/09/ann-margret-vs-p...
September 7th, 2009 at 12:34 am
I was quite cynical about how long AMC would allow international access to their Mad Men video player and I was right to be because it is now blocked.
Sigh.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:10 am
[...] Girl Blogging is a Mad Men fan. I found out about this through Basket of Kisses, the pre-eminent Mad Men fan site online. Elle at BGB has written some pieces on the new episodes [...]