Basket of Kisses

If Mystery Date established Richard Speck as an analogy for Don Draper, then Signal 30 clearly (too clearly, in my mind) links Pete Campbell with University of Texas Tower sniper Charles Whitman.  As I’m sure most Mad Men viewers unfamiliar with the case have Googled by now, Whitman was a former Marine who, on August [...]

These are the saddest diet beverages ever. The one on the right is skim milk and orange pulp. The one on the left is made with water, sherry extract, and two beef bouillon cubes. No, really. Well, there’s also celery in it. Oh, and SELF-LOATHING. – Wendy McClure, Candyboots The above is an actual early [...]

                      With all the frustration going on on MM, this kind of sums up this season so far, doesn’t it?  Thanks for finding this, Deb. Chris Piascik  illustrates a great quote from Mad Men every week for his freind Aaron Cohen’s blog.  Good Stuff! You [...]

The Blue Tattoo: The Life of Olive Oatman, by Margot Mifflin You may never have heard of Olive Oatman, but if you are a fan of Hell on Wheels, you’ve seen her tattoo, which is exactly replicated on Eva, the camp whore who is in love with Elam Ferguson. Eva’s story is fiction, but that’s [...]

Do you remember what Don said to Peter in the pilot ‘Smoke Gets In Your Eyes?  He told him what to expect if Pete continued to behave like an a-hole. Don: “Campbell,  advertising is a very small world.  When you do something like malign the reputation of a girl from the steno pool on her [...]

Prior to Megan waking Don in Lady Lazarus, we had never seen this character without makeup. Back at work the next day, she had a full face on. Mid-sixties makeup is elaborate, there were false eyelashes and everything. Subsequent to quitting though, we never saw her in makeup again. We saw her at home twice, [...]

In the middle of Far Away Places, Jane Siegel Sterling lies on the carpet beside her husband. They are both tripping, and she is describing her feelings about an affair she hasn’t had. “There was a kiss,” she admits.

Guest Post by Basketcase SmilerG Don chuckled at the draft of the Sno Ball ad he saw in Ginsberg’s office, that showed Hitler getting hit. They’d never try to use such a notorious figure in a real ad and none of the other drafts seemed to impress him. He also didn’t seem to like Peggy’s [...]

So, Inside the Actor’s Studio had the cast of Mad Men on last night (Monday, May 14). They re-run these things constantly, so if you didn’t watch or record, there will doubtless be many opportunities. Anyway, here’s a rundown. First, this seems to have been recorded at about the same time as the Times Talk [...]

You’re lucky. I know. – Julia and Megan, Dark Shadows My first reaction to Dark Shadows was an overwhelming feeling of gratitude. If it is an accident that this episode premiered on Mother’s Day, it’s a happy one in my case. Dark Shadows inspired me to drop a note of thanks to our kids’ mom. [...]

I fly relatively frequently. In the past couple of years, I’ve flown on a red eye, leaving late at night, and I’ve arrived at airports at Oh-God-O’Clock. I’ve been to Kansas City, to Rio de Janiero, and every place in between: The waiting area for a boarding flight is simply never empty. Never. Now, most [...]

I’m thankful that I have everything I want, and that no one else has anything better. Betty can’t just be happy. She can’t just have what she wants. Having what she wants doesn’t feel good. Instead, what feels good is having what she wants at the expense of others. It’s a mean-spirited way to live, [...]

On tonight’s Mad Men: “Don’s competitive nature comes to the fore; Roger pursues some new clients; Sally is met with a challenge.” Please remember our NO SPOILER policy, which includes NO PREVIEW DISCUSSION. Also, please look for a recap post somewhere between 1am and 8am Eastern time. Enjoy! T-minus somethingorother.