Mad News, October 9-14, 2009
Entertainment Weekly looks at Mad Men’s props.
Jon Gosselin should learn from Don Draper.
Christina Hendricks is in the November issue of The Advocate. That’s the one on the newsstands—the current print edition online is October. (Thanks Basketcase Gina.)
In connection to the news that Kater Gordon has left Mad Men’s writing staff, here’s a homegirl article about her Emmy win. (h/t Basketcase Peggy Joan.)
Via Basketcase Jude, CNN posts one of those “women dig bad boys” articles with (who else?) Don Draper as the main example.
John Slattery is fighting a sanitation project in his NYC neighborhood (thanks Basketcase Scott M.)
Matt Weiner talks to TV Squad about Season 3 and more…
Abigail Spencer talks about Suzanne Farrell with the Jacksonville Observer.
Janie Bryant has teamed up with Brooks Brothers to create a Mad Men edition suit inspired by Draper and the other well-dressed cads at fictional ad firm Sterling Cooper. Here’s a cute article about the town where the shirts are manufactured: Garland, Texas North Carolina.
Blogger John Bogert has just started watching Mad Men and writes about his reactions to the series as a whole.
Mo Ryan is thinking about Dollhouse, and thinking about the difference women on the writing staff makes. And that, of course, means mentioning Mad Men.
The Houston Chronicle praises the historical accuracy of the character of Connie Hilton on Mad Men, including the grandiose ad campaign ideas.
Conrad Hilton may have dreamed about the Moon, but Television’s Andy Levy reminds us about Hilton’s planned space hotel.
A little old, but we seem to have missed it: Elle does a neato quiz—which Mad Men woman are you (I’m a Joan)? (Thanks, Basketcase RetroGirl.)
Alan Sepinwall asks: “Who wants a Mad Men spin-off set at Bonwit Teller where Joan hires anyone displaced from Sterling Cooper?”
Robin Veith has also departed Mad Men. Alas.
Bryan Batt has a guest appearance on “Ghost Whisperer,” Fri, Oct 16th at 8 pm /7 Central on CBS.
Speaking of Bryan, Basketcase CPT_Doom shared that Bryan was on Joy Behar discussing gay rights and Mad Men.
Basketcase Debbie sent us a link to the Atlantic, which has jumped on the Mad Men bandwagon.
Bowdoin noticed the t-shirt.
Mad Men and Boomer nostalgia.
Entertonement has a Mad Men section of sound bites to download. We’re adding them to our links section.
Everyone’s talking about the January Jones GQ interview. Dlisted, in doing so, prints a very early picture of January (from Basketcase Sarah C.).
SF Gate assesses the state of Mad Men’s influence on men’s fashion; it’s sort of an overview, hitting a lot of individual news items you may have read. There’s a funny bit with Bryan Batt teasing Rich Sommer, though.
John Brummet believes that Don Draper winning AskMen’s “Most Influential Man” poll means the breakdown of Western civilization. Or something.
The economy of Mad Men.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
this comment from Slate’s talk (I linked to 47 but 47-49 is about this week’s epi and the quote below is from 49) about the show sort of sums up my feelings about the focus on the ‘burbs rather than S-C:
“I know exactly how it ends,” Miss Farrell says as she puts off Don’s advances. And that’s the problem, I thought, as I watched the scene. So do we. It’s a grim day for viewers when one character on a much-loved show says to another, “If we get together, it’ll be totally predictable,” and then they proceed to get together. You may roll your eyes each time Teach jogs on-screen, John. I start hoping Lois will ride by on the John Deere and write her out of the series once and for all.
One recurrent question in our conversations about Mad Men has been whether the show is fundamentally just a well-executed soap. Matthew Weiner is clearly aiming for something higher, but because he elected, from the very first episode, to focus so closely on the marathon philanderings of Don Draper, the show can occasionally revert to type. I get that both Betty and Don are using their affairs to enliven their humdrum surroundings and invest the most quotidian routines (Don commuting past that stretch of road; Betty receiving the mail) with hitherto unexplored erotic possibilities. In fact, I’m beginning to share the characters’ boredom with their suburban milieu, so any novelty should be welcome. The problem is, a will-they-or-won’t-they affair isn’t going to cut it at this point.
Really. As far as female stories on the show, Peggy and Joan have much more interesting storylines. I could care less what Betty/January looks like in s/m bondage wear, unless she develops such a rich fantasy life on the show that reality no longer gets her attention.
It would also be nice to get some sort of female presence like the overbearing “death vish” woman to tick off the males. She and Kurt could translate each other for the rest of the S-C office.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
I just read Matt W’s interview at the link.
He says Don was definitely hitting on Suzanne Farrell in the eclipse scene. Ok so now we know that.
And he talks about Don realizing that he’s become Don Draper — the suit in the suit, the guy on the train, the dad who hits on teachers, the city slicker in a caddy.
I hadn’t really thought about 723 in exactly that way. After striving so hard all these years to erase Dick Whitman and become Don Draper, now he realizes that to the outside world, he IS that guy. Does he want to be that guy, anymore than Betty wants to be that woman with the beautiful house and kids in Ossining?
Hmmmmm.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Just a quick correction… Garland TX is a suburb of Dallas. The Garland they are talking about in the article about the BB shirts appears to be Garland, NC.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Oops.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Here’s an article written by John himself on Huffpost and a video with his neighbor.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-slattery/help-save-hudson-square_b_318768.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/real_estate/2009/10/11/2009-10-11_untitled__2mad11m.html
October 14th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Sigh. Well. Okay. There’s nothing in that Jon & Kate article that’s technically wrong, I guess, but it’s kind of like trying to make a coherent argument that it’s better to feed your kids fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables than a steady diet of heroin and chunks of broken glass.
Of course the characters on Mad Men are more inherently interesting and complex and say more about the human condition than Jon & Kate — they’re characters. That’s their job. Of course the stories on Mad Men are more dramatic and compelling and emotionally satisfying than the lives of a divorcing suburban couple with a bunch of kids — it’s drama. That’s the whole function of drama. Reality — despite what many neophyte screenwriters will patiently try to “explain” to you — is not dramatic. Not only is not dramatic, it’s the opposite of drama. That’s why we invented it. That’s why reality TV ultimately doesn’t work. It may be perversely fascinating and horrifying and depressing and it may suck a certain type of person in for a certain amount of time, but it’s not dramatic. If it were, we wouldn’t need shows like The Hills, which are scripted and staffed with “actors” and “writers” and “directors” while purporting to be spontaneous and unrehearsed. If it were, it wouldn’t be necessary for the producers of reality shows — all reality shows — to manipulate and stage and orchestrate “interesting,” “confrontational,” “controversial” events among their participants. Because to the uneducated viewer, two (or three, or six) people screaming incoherently at each other for three or four minutes has many of the superficial characteristics of drama, and as long as you don’t pay too close attention, you might almost think you were watching something dramatic when Occitane calls Mysteek a ho and Debutante throws a fish at Frottage for sleeping with Kugel.
But all it really is is a failed attempt at creating the illusion of drama.
Hell, even I watch The Soup religiously, to catch the twenty-four minutes worth of reality TV each week that’s actually amusing enough to be bothered with. But to make the pronouncement that a well-scripted, well-acted drama is preferable to watching the pathetic meltdown of a pair of self-serving narcissists (especially when it’s been drawn out over how many years now?) isn’t just missing the point, it’s kind of not even getting that there’s a point to be made. What’s really sad is that that point even exists — there was a time, not long ago, when no self-respecting TV network would allow a show on the air that didn’t at least make some pretense of having writing and acting and production values. Now they’ll basically throw anything at the screen as long as they don’t actually have to pay for it, and it will definitely get much, much worse before it gets any better.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Wow.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
By the way, I meant to send this in to be included in Mad News, but I … forgot.
It’s January Jones being interviewed by … Jack Nicholson in Interview Magazine. Plus, holy shit, a video of her answering questions. Easily the most animated and interesting inveview of JJ I’ve ever come across. That old Jack charm.
She’s not too hard to look at.
http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/january-jones/
October 14th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Disappointed to learn about Robin’s departure, and am curious to know what happened. Anyone have any insight?
October 14th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Coop, that Interview interview is old and it keeps making the rounds. I’ve already included it in the news twice because I forgot it had been there.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Jon Gosselin and Mad Men mentioned in the same breath makes me vomit.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Uh, talk about burying the lead…
Robin Veith leaves the show, too? Wha?
Odd that two former assistants, turned writers have left in the last few weeks. Wasn’t she the only “regular” staff writer? I don’t think this is about “normal” turnover. But I’m just cynical about things like that.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
#10 Deb – oh.
#11 Shelly – right.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Robin? Leaving?
Holy freakin’ what??
October 14th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
OMG!!! Frottage slept with Kugel???? No WAII!!!!
Thanks for that, Rosey V. Hilarious! I too am almost as devoted to the Soup as I am to Mad Men. And I agree with Shelly: Jon Gosselin is to Don Draper what dog puke is to a rare two-inch thick rib-eye steak with a glass of ‘61 Gevrey-Chambertin.
October 14th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Garland is the best kept secret in NC for preppy boys like me. (locals actually call it a “mill”, not a “factory” or “plant”, but whatever)
Pharma reps and traveling sales weasels have known about it for years. Not exactly a high end retail experience (the store is like TJ Maxx, except BB gear only), and it’s all last season’s stuff, but:
Ties are $5 apiece. ($4 if you buy at least 5)
Buttondowns: $20
Wool Trousers: $15
It’s in the middle of nowhere, but if you’re ever in the neighborhood and dig that kind of stuff, check it out.
I bought a seersucker suit for $40. Still haven’t worn it (as it makes me look like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man), but what a great experience.
October 14th, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Thanks for the additional info on the Hilton Hotel on the Moon.
Here are some other cool links about it that I posted the other day on the main Wee Small Hours thread, in case anybody missed ‘em over there …
http://www.spacetoday.org/SolSys/Moons/TheMoon/MoonHotel.html
http://www.resonancepub.com/space.htm
October 14th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
#7 Sounds more like the process of drama to me. See #6.
You know while we’re on the subject, there is one thing about “the process of drama” that I sometimes tire of, and that’s the weekly THEME, especially writ as large as it sometimes is in Mad Men. It’s really not the case that every person in your world will suddenly become implusive all in the same week (as in last week’s show), or that everything that happens in a short period of time relates to self-deception, or expectations, or whatever. It’s not that I begrudge this little bit of Drama, it’s just that when you’re hit over the head with it week after week, it becomes a bore.
But I’m pretty sure I’m in the minority, especially around here.
October 14th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Andre & Maria are still regulars, hull.
October 14th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Lisa Albert is still there, too (afaik).
October 14th, 2009 at 6:05 pm
There’s a lot of really interesting articles here. What’s really wonderful about Mad News is reading what everyone else has to say about the articles. I took the quiz, and I’m a Peggy, which I think is pretty accurate.
October 14th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Sorry for burying the lede. I think I assumed that by the time I posted Mad News, we’d already be discussing it. It was actually added to the original Kater Gordon article, and I think we were discussing it in that post.
October 14th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Check out Rachel Shukert’s totally hilarious unsolicited advice for Betty Draper:
“http://thefastertimes.com/unsolicitedadvice/2009/10/13/not-that-you-asked-betty-draper-edition/”
October 14th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
I found an original ad for the lipstick featured in the EW Article–
Here’s the original ad for Revlon ‘Futurama’ (it’s # 5)
http://books.google.com/books?id=gz8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA21&dq=Revlon+lipstick&lr=&as_pt=MAGAZINES#v=onepage&q=Revlon%20lipstick&f=false
And here’s the one featured in the EW Article
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20308587_20309881_4,00.html
(BTW, if you saw the actual article in EW magazine last week, there was a picture of Elizabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks getting their make up done–and Christina was in the purple dress with her hair up! This gives me hope that Joan will be back–Unless they were just getting ready for their photo shoot in an earlier edition of EW (same outfits)
October 15th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Donny Brook – I understand your aggravation with parallel stories. I think these are often done to provide EXCLAMATION points because many others don’t watch a show as closely as others and then read about the episodes.
Most everything in drama is about execution.
At the same time, those things you bring to the show, your level of sophistication in watching a show, influence your feelings too. In the past I found that when I started to study how something was done, especially in the arts, I would face a moment when “the magic” was gone because I had learned how the magicians do the tricks.
There’s always a little bit of sadness in that.
October 15th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
#1 Esme: Seconded. I want to know more about what’s happpening with Joan and Peggy and feel like I know more than enough about the unfillable pit of need that is Betty Draper and the increasingly desperate state of the Draper marriage.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some sort of Bonwit Teller/Sterling Cooper merger. I realise it’s an incredibly long shot, but I’m grasping at straws right now!
October 16th, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Great article about the Mad Men props. http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/an-interview-with-scott-buckwald-prop-master-for-the-hit-tv-show-mad-men/
October 17th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
@ 27 Aran-Thanks for posting the article. It was a real treat to learn about the process of obtaining and constructing props. My fantasy is to walk around the prop department and costume department on “Mad Men.”