Basket of Kisses

Now that season 5 of Mad Men is finally within our sights (whew!), the question that keeps popping up in my mind is, “Whither Joan?” Yeah, I made a complete clown-nose of myself before Tomorrowland, insisting that Joan went through with the abortion because nothing else made sense for her. After all, this was Roger’s [...]

Welcome to another Mad Through the Seasons edition of our Holiday Season Fundraiser. We’ll revisit one post per season. This is Don Draper we’re talking about, and so that in itself was quite a feat! Season 1; Rachel This is not just a crush–he is crushed by her. Don is thinking about Rachel as a [...]

In this very special installment of the Basket of Kisses December Fundraiser, we’d like to take a moment to pay homage to those (characters) who have passed away. “I tell you I was blind, and now I see.” –Ida Blankenship, The Summer Man “I know everything about you and I still love you.” –Anna Draper, [...]

Occasionally on Mad Men, I am not sure if I’m supposed to like certain characters or not. Betty’s sister-in-law Judy is a good example. Betty sometimes acted as if Judy was manipulative, but I never saw Judy act anything but helpful and sweet, and in a very genuine way. So I don’t know if it [...]

November 1,2011. I had a funny experience today.  While at a favorite antique shop today with my darling mother, I was taking in all the nostalgia around me when my eyes fell on a strangely familiar doll.  It had up-swept blond hair,  and a luxuriant, strapless pale blue brocade gown. “That doll looks like Betty [...]

Discussing The Wheel, Basketcase Paul Jefferson asks: One scene I cannot and have not really fathomed is where Peggy, in the tryouts for the Relaxa-sizer, is intentionally cruel to the woman during the audtion. At least, it seems to to be, or she is being obtuse to her own behavior. Is it revenge by the [...]

Watching My Old Kentucky Home for the umpteenth time, I realized how much this episode deals with the theme of outsiders. There is a line that is repeated: “What are you laughing about?” “What are you laughing about?” Honey, one of Joan’s dinner guests, asks her husband when she is the only one who doesn’t [...]

Here are the things I look forward to seeing once again in Mad Men Season 5 … – Don and Sally eating together – we’ve seen them share eggs at midnight and rum-soaked pancakes.  These scenes are always so darn sweet.  Throw in salted chocolate ice cream with Grandpa Gene and Sally’s the people’s choice [...]

photo credit: Outdated Productions Season 1 started off with Don at a bar talking to a bus boy about cigarettes. Season 4 began with a reporter from Advertising Age interviewing Don. While the new season does not start until March 2012, I cannot wait to see what appears onscreen after the opening credits roll. I [...]

On one of Matt Weiner’s episode commentary–I think Three Sundays, but I’m not sure–Matt said of Peggy, “She’s a light.” Now, I’ve thought about that a lot, and about people who are lights, and what that means, and I think, no, Peggy is not a light. Roberta Lipp is a light. If you’ve met my [...]

I was watching Season 4′s Waldorf Stories yesterday. Don and Peggy are talking about the Clios—he’s going, she’s not—and she says, “Well, good luck this afternoon.” “You’re not supposed to say that,” he corrects her. “Oh. Well, break a leg,” she says. I thought this exchange seemed strange and I realized why afterwards. As an [...]

Throughout the past 4 seasons we have seen numerous characters host parties and celebrate holidays, both in and out of the office. In “Marriage of Figaro” we saw Sally’s birthday party. “Flight 1” was the party at Paul’s new place. “Public Relations” showed Thanksgiving with the Francis’s. “For Those Who Think Young” showed different characters [...]

For those of you who don’t know, Gaslight is a play brought to the screen in 1940, and then again, most famously, in 1944 by George Cukor, starring Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman. In it, a husband endeavors to drive his wife insane by faking a variety of phenomena and then denying knowledge of them [...]