Comments on: Don Draper/Dick Whitman

By: John Rothchild

John Rothchild — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:01:14 +0000

The ACTUAL stuff that is used on Don Draper’s hair!

http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/30/look-the-part-2-mad-men-hair-uncovered/

By: cshore

cshore — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:41:26 +0000

I apologize that my first post at this fabulous site is to take issue with another comment, but I simply can ‘t let this go unremarked upon:

“Rural farming is hard work but it hardly creates a complicated soul.”

toby,
My father was raised on a farm in NC before and during the Depression. He and his 8 siblings were very aware via movies, newspapers, radio, passers-by that a very different world existed beyond the tobacco rows. He bolted for Europe during WWII, then left the South for good for NYC and eventually its suburbs, where he never really fit in yet neither could he return. His was among the most complicated souls I have ever encountered, yet so were those of some who stayed on to farm. Never underestimate the extent to which urbanites are under the spell of pop culture and ideology or the conflict experienced by rural folk whose lives remain perhaps more connected to both the very real and the manufactured.

I have always thought Don’s farm background is an exquisitely powerful reason-enough for his complexity.

By: hullaballoo

hullaballoo — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 05:09:07 +0000

Oh, and in episode 11, Indian Summer, Pete intercepts some mail of Don’s, which is how he finds out about Don’s past.

By: hullaballoo

hullaballoo — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 05:07:09 +0000

HandEDave, only 2 Sterling Cooper employees (that we know of) know about Dick/Don. One is Pete Campbell, the other is Bert Cooper. Rachel Katz (nee Menken), a former client of Sterling Cooper knows a little about Don’s upbringing, but doesn’t know his real name is Dick Whitman.

The Dick Whitman/Don Draper backstories are contained in episodes 5G (episode 5), The Hobo Code (episode 7), Long Weekend (episode 10), and Nixon vs. Kennedy (episode 12) of the first season.

By: HandEDave

HandEDave — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 04:17:18 +0000

Jumping ahead a bit.. Which episodes should I watch to learn how certain employees of Draper’s agency “learned the truth” about Don’s past? I’ve missed quite a few of the first season.

By: Deborah Lipp

Deborah Lipp — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:41:00 +0000

Oh Gods, you’re right; it keeps getting worse.

By: theturtle

theturtle — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:50:39 +0000

This week’s episode alludes to him selling cars in (we’ll say) 1952, since he says “that was the ‘49, this is the 1950… the car is two years old.” Am I seeing this wrong, because this messes up the whole WW2/Korea timeline.

By: Sue

Sue — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:55:37 +0000

FYI: My father was born early 1928, graduated high school June 45 and was drafted. Not sure of date of draft - his 18th birthday Jan 46?
He served overseas in Phillipines. Upon his death we learned he was considered a WWII Era Vet. Got a certificate too.

By: Deborah Lipp

Deborah Lipp — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 22:03:26 +0000

Jeff, Roberta blogged about the timeline here.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:44:44 +0000

Could it be possible that Dick is younger than the real (dead) Don?