Comments on: You don't know!

By: business ira

business ira — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 15:46:18 +0000

I do not think that you are right, have you in fact studied the information?

By: Justin

Justin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:14:48 +0000

Crystal ball entry: Presumably Joan will be at Roger's wedding, if it goes ahead as planned. Will she be the only one to turn up, and they fall into each other's arms? Or is it just Roger has another coronary, but Joan copes as usual?

By: MD Man

MD Man — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:26:44 +0000

#118 – Thanks, Deborah! I didn't even put that together. Duh!

By: not_Bridget

not_Bridget — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:26:11 +0000

#32: "Joan is not that smart. And I believe that Weiner has made this clear ever since Season 1."

It's good to be flexible!

By: DRush76

DRush76 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:17:45 +0000

I have to disagree. I don't think that Joan has ever been able to read Peggy very well. I still think of that scene when she discovered that Peggy had no interest in Paul Kinsey. Joan seemed very surprised by her discovery.

I don't deny that Joan is intelligent. However, I don't consider her decision to marry Greg as a smart one.

By: christina

christina — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:53:26 +0000

"She was never able to correctly read or understand Peggy."

i could not disagree more. i think she's always been able to read peggy very well. that she doesn't relate to what motivates peggy is an entirely different thing.

again, i don't think that has ANYTHING to do with joan's intelligence. neither does her marrying greg for the wrong reasons.

By: DRush76

DRush76 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:38:53 +0000

Joan may be smart, competent and "sassy", but she is not perfect. I agree with falafel's take on her character. For all of her intelligence, Joan ended up marrying a man for all of the wrong reasons – for pride and appearances. She was never able to correctly read or understand Peggy. What does that really say about her? That deep down, she is no different from Betty, Don, Pete or anyone else who has married for superficial reasons? As for the argument that Joan has a soul and Betty does not, I can't agree with that assessment. I would say that both women have souls. But their souls are expressed in different ways.

By: Hideaway

Hideaway — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:08:14 +0000

I continue to return to this thread for so many reasons, fascinated with the perspective of those who are younger and athough they love Joan for all the reasons we all love her, cannot possibly understand the presuppositions under which Joan is operating. Jill E. has offered astute perspective, rounded out by her father-in-law's views. For those of us who grew up in the 50s, our hearts are breaking for Joan . . . we know she'll make it, but we know the price she is paying. It took much courage and energy to navigate the system. And I'll add this (one more time) to Jill E's observation, "You take what you get and do what you can." That was just the way it was. Smart and feisty women became adept at "managing" what they got.

By: Jill E.

Jill E. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:55:35 +0000

you get what you get and you donâ€™t throw a fit. I know, I know – Joan did! LOL

By: Jill E.

Jill E. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:46:04 +0000

One point that seems to get lost at times is the difference in "times" in comparison to today. Many of the reactions that we all have are based on "today's times" and "today's thinking". For the younger generation, we have all read and known that domestic violence was treated much, much differently in the 60's and 70's than it is today. It was common for Police to enter a domestic violence situation in the 60's and do absolutely nothing stating that it was a private situation and to be handled personally. My mom was a victim of domestic violence and the police would come and go with no intervention. At the hospital, they never even asked what her injuries were from. IT was not questioned. Even the church told her to go back home and "work it out". She has stated many times that you just did not leave. Where was she to go and how would she support my sister and I? Today women make up close to 60% of the work force, there is choice and freedom that was not available to people like my mother or they thought so. Whether it was either spouse committing domestic violence, it was treated much differently and many reactions posted are according to today's standards. Please don't take this that I am condoning it in any way, it was just handled differently and people had much different thoughts about it. To be bashed in the head with a vase was probably considered minor when there were women who ended up in the hospital with major injuries and still no intervention. My mom was one of them. There are also many reactions to Betty the housecat. Again, a "housecat" was not uncommon in the 60's and only those who were around in that time can truly understand what women faced. It is such a different life with freedom and choice, who knows how anyone would react unless you are living in that moment.

With regard to women in the 60's and 70's, Joan would have been considered very resourceful and a strong women even if she made a "poor" choice in a mate. People did not live together nor did they have long courtships as is common today. It is very difficult to see ones flaws in a short period of time. As I like to say, anyone can "put on a show" for a short period of time, it is only when the acting gets tired, that the true persona is identified. Many times people did not have enough length of a courtship to see the true persona. Greg raped her not too long before the wedding. I for one don't think that she had the time or the "times" to process it. That does not make Joan any less smart. She is one sassy, competent, resourceful woman who attempts to make the best out of any situation and work it. That is a SMART person.

My father-in-law says that people think way too hard today about their spouses and the notion of commitment is too frivolous. He married in 1954. We have had many great conversations surrounding their youth because of this show although they state that their lives were never as glamourous as what we see on Mad Men. As my daughter would say and my father-in-law would agree wholeheartedly, you get what you get and you don't throw a fit. That is the way it was. He will freely admit that the marriage was not the happiest (celebrating 55 years this year), but would never have dreamed of leaving. Different Time, Different Place.