Basket of Kisses

IFC published an article on Barbet Schroeder and other unusual directors on Mad Men. This was back in November, so belated thanks to Basketcase Lisa.

Best of the Year, anyone? Zap2It’s TV Gal lists Mad Men as #1 on her favorite shows of 2009. The Associated Press includes Mad Men among 2009’s finest. The Boston Herald names Mad Men this year’s “most improved show.”

For the second third year in a row, Mad Men is on the American Film Institute (AFI) list of best television shows of the year. Time Magazine places My Old Kentucky Home #7 on a list of best television episodes this year, while iTunes Rewind cites The Gypsy and the Hobo as the best single episode of a 2009 television drama.

Update: Mad Men led the TV field for the 2010 Writers Guild Awards with three nominations (along with 30 Rock, The Office and Modern Family).

Ad Age charts the Twitter posts of Glee vs. Mad Men.

Jon Hamm has an uncredited voice role in A Single Man, which is is set in the ’60s and boasts the production team from Mad Men. Meanwhile, The L Magazine calls A Single Man “a feature-length, Los Angeles-based Mad Men spin-off,” and points out that a lot of Mad Men’s production design team was involved with the film.

Jezebel asks you to “Meet Joy Golden: The Real Peggy Olsen.”  Video galore.

Cultivator Advertising & Design in Denver produced a Mad Men-themed holiday card.  The attire is temporary, but the decor is permanent. Meanwhile, Ohio.com suggests you do your own Mad Men Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, DO NOT MISS Mad Men gingerbread (h/t Basketcase Esther).

Author and critic Chuck Klosterman talks to /Film about product placement in Mad Men (and 30 Rock).

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Tom Matlack interviews Matt Weiner for the Huffington Post. This is one of the most intimate and revealing interviews Matt has done (revealing about himself, not about spoilers or anything). (h/t Basketcase Ellen.)

How to have a Mad Men wedding.

Starpulse has fresh interview with Vincent Kartheiser. So does Salon (thanks, hullaballoo), but you might want to wait until after Sunday to read it. It’s not really a spoiler, but it’s very very VERY hinty and I would avoid it if I were you. (It’s a charming interview.)

Très Sugar compiles Mad Men quotes about sex.

A cute parody of Mad Men: “Mad Women,” with gender reversals throughout.

Several people sent us this cute Salon article about the absence of shorthand on Mad Men. Hell, I remember shorthand from offices in the 1980s!

The New York Times food section has an article about a toddler making cocktails. Of course, Mad Men is mentioned.

The Times is basically Mad Men Mad. This article on the cocktails of Mad Men catches a goof we’d missed (I’m adding it to our records now!) and also gives S3 “spoilers” (only on what drinks are served). (From Basketcase Allison.)

…And this article is basically a love song to Jon Hamm, complete with a video of his entire Tonight Show appearance! (Sent lovingly by Basketcase Debbie.)
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I warned you that Revolutionary Road comparisons would come fast & furious.

• This one quotes Weiner.
• This one acknowledges that Mad Men owes a debt to the novel, but doesn’t care for the film.
• The Boston Herald says Mad Men makes the movie look worse.
• Whereas the San Francisco Chronicle loves the film and is irritated by the comparisons to Mad Men.
• The Rocky Mountain News lands between these extremes.

There are more, of course, but you get the idea.

Starpulse lists ten great basic cable shows, with Mad Men at #1. This after pointing out that they are only even discussing basic cable because Mad Men changed it all. Are you listening, Lionsgate?

The AP predicts a continued interest in Mad Men-inspired style.

Many news sources list the boom of basic cable, with Mad Men as the primary example, as one of the most important media stories of 2008.

The National Post calls Mad Men the “Phenomena of 2008.” (I think they mean “phenomenon.”)

The “best of 2008″ news abounds:
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Much thanks to Basketcase Peter G for putting us on to this one.

The Boston Herald did a freaking piece that includes a segment on Basket of Kisses! Written by Tenley Woodman in a section called The Edge:

…Basket of Kisses is the place to swap details and insights. Discover Joan Halloway’s address in New York (yes, someone was watching that closely), debate Betty Draper’s age and decipher this addictive series’ subtle symbolism.

Whooh fucking hooh!!! Thanks Tenley!

• The San Jose Mercury News has a Who’s who on Mad Men scorecard sort of thing.
• Here’s another one of those articles tying modern fashion’s retro feel to Mad Men.
• This New York Times article about television watching notes the way that television is used as backdrop commentary on Mad Men.
• The Moment, a New York Times blog, interviews Janie Bryant. This one doesn’t credit her with a Mad Men Emmy nomination (which she doesn’t have) but gets the total hit count wrong (it’s 16 Emmy nominations, not 17).
• Watch with Kristin features interviews with Christina Hendricks, Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, and the lovely Rich Sommer from the premiere event.
• Lenore Skenazy, a fairly well-known columnist who I read in several different sources, sings the praises of Mad Men style in the New York Sun.
  

  ‘Mad Men.” I want everything on that show, from the ashtrays to the wall hangings to the lead actor.

  And I don’t smoke. And I’m married.

  I guess I could use a wall hanging.

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Last news before the season premiere!

New York Magazine’s Culture Vulture, which has been Mad Men crazy lately, explores Don Draper’s bookshelf.

Metromix of South Florida reviews Season 2. Still! Not! Reading! But the headline calls it the “best drama on TV,” so that’s something. The Houston Chronicle has another review I refuse to read. As does the Rocky Mountain News.

The Courier-Journal of Louisville, KY and Southern Indiana loves Mad Men and calls Jon Hamm “a delicious mix of Clark Kent, Steve Carell and Hank Azaria.” My head just exploded.

Progrrl alerted me to Judd Apatow’s great love of Mad Men (see 7:05).

Ad Rants has an interview with Matt Weiner that, not surprisingly, focuses on advertising. Weiner is at his best, offering great tidbits such as this (but truly, read the whole thing):

MK: Speaking of cancer, have you received a lot of complaints about the amount of smoking characters do onscreen?

MW: I do and I’m kind of disturbed by the fact that people do not have problems with child murderers and people eating each other’s entrails and yet they’re still so disturbed by the smoking, which is destructive, a personal habit and shouldn’t be encouraged. To tell the story without it is ridiculous. I grew up in this world in 1985. People can pretend like it didn’t exist and they can be disgusted by it, repulsed by it. Why don’t we do a movie about the Civil War, but not mention slavery.

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Obviously, you’ve noticed that Mad News, once weekly, has been running daily. There are so many articles that I’m kind of afraid I’m repeating myself; I’ll get ten of the same thing on a news feed. Forgive me if you see a link twice.

• Salon’s Heather Havrilesky writes a spoilery Season 2 review. I haven’t read it because of the SPOILERS.
• Variety writes up the premiere party, and quotes Matt Weiner as saying “Don Draper’s story this year is going to blow people away.”
• CBS News Early Show has a clip of an interview with Jon Hamm. And tiny clips of Season 2 interspersed with the interview footage. Tiny. Not spoilery.
• Basketcase simone found a Seattle writer apoplectic (that’s a fun word!) with excitement about the start of season 2 (we feel ya, buddy).

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