Oct 242009
Discuss.
The look she gives him when he says "Hold my calls" is beyond priceless.
33 Responses to “Allison is the Best Secretary Ever”
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Mad Men Season 5 Premiere: March 25, 2012
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Allison is a confident secretary. She is comfortable in her job. I bet she is roommates with a chick who has done the horizontal mombo with Don. The roommate is probably one of the girls Bobbie Barrett referred to when she mentioned Don's sexual reputation. Allison doesn't tip her hand to anyone. She likes her job.
She has been sleeping with Ken, perhaps from time to time, for like three years, but has the sense to maintain decorum and NOT attend the SC 40th as his date.
Nicely done, Allison.
#2 Roberta – huh? when was this shared?
Coop, watch the opening of Color Blue again, where everyone is hovering around Allison's desk.
She rocks. With all Don has going on in season 3 – it's good to see her excellent work. She's like a Joan-in-training.
I miss Joan this season…
Yeah, I think Roberta's probably right about the continuing off-and-on between those two. Alison is managing everyone's expectations around there.
Allison is Joan 2.0.
Let's not forget how very badly Joan could make a girl feel. Allison is a different flavor altogether. I mean, Joan ultimatetly is the different flavor, but I'm just saying–I don't think a great secretary is automatically Joan.
Simply put, she gets it.
I like Allison. She's definitely the most awesome secretary Don's had. Yes, even better than Peggy.
Allison is Nina Foch in Executive Suite, only younger.
Is Allison the one Ken chased around the office during election night? I can totally see Ken and Allison having an on-again off-again relationship.
Don said he wanted someone who would be happy the job of secretary and not want something more. Allison seems to be happy with her job. She has not made any major errors yet. I don't count not being able to read his mood shortly after she started working for him a major error.
It takes time to get to know your boss, especially when he's someone as enigmatic as Don Draper. It's probably a lot easier to read your boss's mood if your boss is Harry Crane.
RL – You're right. I now get the distinction you're pointing at.
I'm curious, do you think Joan's edge is a fairly natural personality trait for her, or did the rise up through the SC steno pool lead to the sharper claws?
I like that they have casually introduced the fact that Don has a capable secretary who likes her job…finally. She's very under the radar…
@ 12 less of me- I know you aimed your question at Roberta, but I thought I'd speculate on the origin's of Joan's edge.
I think Joan always had a bit of an edge. Growing up, she would give the most devastating put-downs, due to her natural wit. She's cruel but clever.
She clearly had a tragedy in her life, one that involved spending a significant amount of time in a hospital. My guess is the loss of one of her parents, or a boyfriend/almost fiance. She felt she had to make it on her own for a little while, at least until she could find the right kind of man to be her husband.
For whatever reason, Joan needed to make it on her own, and knew she needed the money. She saw that her best option was to advance through the ranks of the steno pool, and in order to advance, she saw what it would take, and did whatever was necessary.
I'd be curious to hear what other people think.
Joan rose thru the ranks when the company was smaller and good time charley Roger was running things. Joan was a good sectretary plus Roger was smitten with her. Now the company has become more serious with the brits running it and all. Allison was smart enough to be a good secretary plus she was able stay on the good side of Joan. She is smart enough not to "dip her pin in company ink", so I don't think she has dated Ken for that reason. The only person that has wanted to date Ken was Sal.
Too bad we don't learn more about the staff, they could easily do a spinoff show called Serling Cooper Clerical
As we've gotten to know Joan, we've certainly grown to love her. But she is what I would call a "man's woman" as opposed to a "woman's woman". We haven't seen her with many girlfriends (the ex-roommate and the doctor's wives). Now some of that I credit to her professionalism–she really gets that to manage people you need to keep a distance. But I also don't see that being too hard for Joan. "You're fun, and you're looking for a husband". She's really more fun with and engaged by men. I have had a few friends like that. They're awesome to go out with, but don't expect them to make sure you get home safe.
I would think the requirements to be an executive secretary was pretty strict then. I know in the early 70's one was expected to know shorthand at 80 wpm and typing at 60-plus, mistakes were not tolerated, in order to rise in ranks. Also it helped to "give great phone."
I agree that Allison is the best secretary Don has ever had. She gets it, indeed. She has the respect of Don, the boys club and the other women in the steno pool. It doesn't hurt that she's pretty but not over the top.
After the lawnmower incident, I thought Joan might have had some military experience. Weren't we in Korea 1950-53? And according to S1, wasn't she 31, in 1959? That would make her 22 in 1950. Could she have been serving then? I'm horrible when it comes to history, so any corrections, thoughts or ideas would be helpful. This is just something that I thought since she was so quick thinking during a medical crisis.
Joan might have taken a Red Cross class – that was real common after the Cuban Missle crisis.
@ 18 JoanvsJane-She could have served in Korea as a nurse, but she would have been rather young. I thing Gingere has the right idea. At some point before the lawn mower incident, she took a Red Cross type of class.
Taking a Red Cross class was very common in the sixties. I was ten in `1963. My whole Girl Scout troop took a Red Cross class in 1965. You had to be at least twelve. We were working on a badge in first aid . . . but everyone I knew tended to take the class.
So when I was twelve, I knew about tourniquets. And first aid kits.
Virtually all establishments, even today, have first aid kids and most people tend to forget they are there. It takes a cool head to call for the kit instantly, like Joan did.
I hope the show reminds folks, actually, about first aid kits.
Every once in a great while, when I am out and about in the world, I have needed a band aid or an aspirin. Instead of finding a drug store, I have taken to asking if there is a first aid kit on the premises. There always is. And it always contains band aids and aspirin.
Once in while, an establishment's protocol requires that someone write a report on the band aid request. About a year ago, I asked for a band aid at my local swimming pool. The kids working behind the ticket counter were surprised that someone asked for a bandaid and surprised to be reminded that, yes, there was a first aid kit there. Of course the kids were told about the first aid kit in their training. .. but no one expected to ever use it.
Gosh, what are the bandaids and aspirin for?!!
At the pool, the next day, I was asked to complete a full report to justify the bandaid, to cover the public park district's 'liability'. . . which I did because I was swimming there every single day (I swim a mile daily) . .
anyway . . cheapo first aid kids sold at CVS Pharmacy might not have tourniquets but any good first aid kid does. And everyone should know about them.
Back in the sixties, everyone knew about first aid.
Great first aid info, tizzie, Thanks.
I like to speculate that Joan might have worked in a hospital, maybe as a candy striper? Or maybe just a receptionist, but I also think that she must have had extensive first aid instruction. I imagine she might have been in Korea, but that might be stretching it. I also could really stretch it an say (as I speculated before) that maybe Joan was the original Don Draper's lover in Korea (I'm sure this is not the case at all!) but if if were, if she had lost the original Don Draper, that would have been her great loss.
And Allison? She is a great addition to the cast, and she's the best secretary Don could have (maybe other than Joan). I like the idea of her and Ken. Maybe that's why he's happy all the time– he's with the only other person at Sterling Cooper that's happy!
p.s. Can't Wait to see Joan's follow up story tomorrow night!!!!!! We all miss her!
I was a Girl Scout, too, and we got all kinds of first aid instrction. We learned to do CPR on Resusciannie, and Resuscibaby, we learned how to treat burns, remove splinters, deal with bee stings, make a split for a broken arm and yes, tourniquets. Joan, as office manager, probably had a training class or might have been a scout, too. Of course, it was quick thinking.
Back to Allison: if Don rises in SC or goes to his own firm, she could be a central figure. She doesn't know about Dick Whitman – yet – but Pete may blab to her if he sees a need.
Joan is indeed impressive. However, she has nothing but contempt for anyone she thinks hasn't figured things out as completely and correctly as she thinks she has and for anyone who can't keep their acts together at all times when other people can see them.
It has cost her a lot to live up to that perfect persona and I suspect the cruelty she unleashes on those who falter is nothing compared to what goes on constantly in her own head trying to keep herself from screwing up.
Allison was shown sitting on Ken's lap with a big smile on her face right before the lawnmower accident. It seemed to imply some sort of relationship between those two.
Remember when Don came back from California and was all "Hey Donna!" to her. Awww, I like Allison too. She's longest surviving Don secretary since Peggy, right? He better not fire her.
Personally I think Pete/Hildy and Paul/Lois are the funniest ad man/secretary combinations but Allison is proving to be very competant. And her and Ken make a cute couple.
I think that Allison will be around awhile. Matt didn't want Don's rotating secrataries to become a thing a la Murphy Brown.
To answer RG's question, yes, Alison is the one who turned out to have blue panties. And then snuck out of Ken's office with him while Harry was sneaking out with Hildy.
#29 Deborah – thanks for pointing that out, I did not notice that before about Allison and Ken.
I think Ken and Allison are "friends with benefits" before the phrase existed.
We don't know enough about Allison … Don treats her like dirt … have they ever had a conversation that was not perfunctional? She may be a caharater "too far." Whatever … btw … has happened to Peggy O? She still seems to be in the dog house. I want to see Don and Peg get it on … before she jumps ship and goes over to Duck's side.
I dig the Allison character. For the reasons mentioned above in #28. It got a little old to see Don having a new girl all the time. Seems to me that even in a high-powered position like Draper's some bells would have gone off now and again if he had a new girl every year. (I could be wrong but my perception of those days was that Secretaries were Secretaries and weren't popping in and out of jobs because living in the city is expensive and if you were lucky enough to land a good job, you held it.)
I like that she's part of the team and seems to have no ulterior motives as far as Don's concerned. That doesn't mean she doesn't have a life outside of work (which I think we've seen with her dalliances with Ken) but it's nice that it's not the focus this season regarding Draper.
Good stuff!