Basket of Kisses

I’m having a hard time with Ken’s being dateless for Roger’s party.

Clearly it was a deliberate choice on the writers (Dahvi Waller and Matt), perhaps to show give Pete a little one-up in this Head of Accounts competition. And I admit I am no expert on the period, but the impression I get is that at that time and in that place, you absolutely knew to bring a date to an event. It was not something you would consider and then pass on; it was understood. Maybe maybe maybe your date would cancel at the last minute, and you’d have to scramble, and even then you’d go through the proverbial or perhaps even literal black book and start going farther down the preferred list. And Ken would know this better than anyone, and probably has more numbers than most. Hell, he also has access to professionals, he might even in this case be willing to go that route.

Remember that in a somewhat more intimate setting, the Drapers’ dinner party in A Night to Remember, Duck had planned on bringing a date. I had found this shocking, but in a Mad-Men-shows-me-period-things-that-just-kill-me-because-really-who-does-that kind of way.

Duck: I’m sorry I’m late. My date canceled.
Betty: Oh, you should have called. I might have been able to replace her.

And:

Duck: Sorry I’m late. I didn’t want to come stag.
Don: Nobody cares.
Duck: I don’t know. My wife hated odd numbers.

So I’m sorry, but I’m not buying it.

Has anyone else noticed that, during Maidenform, we see that Duck has ducks on his office wall?

Ducks.

So I’m watching Season Two, commentary by commentary. I have little tolerance for commentaries–and I mean, physically. I love them, but they put me to sleep. So it’s late Saturday afternoon and I’m only partway through my second viewing of Flight 1.

The first commentary was Hamm and Weiner, and this round it’s Kartheiser, who really is hilarious, and Lisa Albert, the writer of the episode. And so now I am listening to the second discussion in as many hours about the ethics of the decision to pursue United Airlines.

This plane has gone down and three hours later Duck, Sterling and Cooper are ready to cut Mohawk Airlines loose for the opportunity to pitch for American. Don is incensed. The ethical outrage has two components. One is, the plane is still smoking and we’re looking for the business opportunity? And the other is, we’re going to cut ties with a good, paying client who has our trust for the chance to get in front of their much larger there-really-is-no-competition competition? (more…)

From Six Month Leave:

Peggy: If it wasn’t for him I’d still be a secretary.
Pete: If it wasn’t for me you’d still be a Junior Copywriter. I refuse to feel bad. We’re going to get raises. You could get his office. Now, I’ll go first. Congratulations, Peggy.
Peggy: Congratulations Pete.

From Meditations in an Emergency:

Duck: I’d like you to replace me as Head of Accounts. I’m trusting you with this information, because I’m going to be the president of the new Sterling Cooper
Pete: Congratulations.
Duck: Congratulations to you.

It just felt like one of those Mad Men echo moments. And it is my duty to report those.

Happy birthday to Mark Moses, the teetotaling creative-hating Chauncey-abandoning Herman ‘Duck’ Phillips! His list of credits is quite impressive, but also makes me think I’ve probably seen this guy a hundred times. Mark has high billing in two feature films that are in post-production, so we’ll definitely keep our eyes open this year.

Also today we are celebrating the birth of Crista Flanagan, the ambitious and well-meaning Lois Sadler. Crista’s is another actor whose career is getting more robust by the minute, mostly on the comedic end of things.

They’re both busy, but hopefully they will be back for Season Three.

Birthday kisses from the Basket!

This came up, as so many thoughts do, from interacting in our comments section. You Basketcases are so inspiriing.

Weiner writes as if he doesn’t care whether we like the characters or not. Yet he writes from the inside, and because of that, many of us do like them.

He shows us their darkest and ugliest deeds, and we are free to dislike them for it. He shows us Don cheating on his wife, Duck abandoning his dog, Betty shoving Sally into the closet, and Roger cavorting with underage twins. These are dislikable behaviors. And indeed, many Basketcases do dislike one or more of these or other characters.

But the writing isn’t just showing the behavior, it’s showing the person choosing the behavior. It’s showing Don’s compartmentalization and his need to be loved, Duck’s struggle with alcoholism, Betty’s struggle with rage, Roger’s…well, Roger has no damn excuse. The things we see don’t make bad behavior okay, but they let us relate, and empathize, and care. If I knew Betty, I wouldn’t become friends with her, but I can empathize with her seething rage at a husband who just doesn’t get it. We can hate Duck for letting that dog out, but we can—at the same time—recognize the agony of being looked at with love when you know in your heart you don’t deserve it.

What is so fascinating about the writing is it does show us this dark underside. Think of any TV show, any movie, with characters well-drawn enough so that we feel we know them. You think they haven’t done things this bad? People do bad things. Good people do. Other writers just don’t show those things to us. But think of your favorite characters on your other favorite shows, and think: What do they do when the camera is off?

One of my favorite tidbits in A Night To Remember is Duck not having a date. Earlier in the episode he tries to cancel altogether.

(Though I wonder if maybe it was an excuse, and he was really trying to avoid a drinking occasion, as it’s probably been getting more difficult for him post-Chauncey.)

Then he shows up all apologetic. He makes the remark to Don about how his ex-wife would never have allowed for uneven seating. Betty says she could have found someone for him.

Okay so some of this mentality is vaguely familiar to my born-in-1965-year-old mind. And we’ve seen it with some of the ‘hired help’; bringing in dates for the clients.

But holy crap. I just. cannot. fathom.

It’s science fiction to me, really.

I am a single woman in my (sigh) nearly-mid-forties. And I go everywhere alone. Bars. Weddings. Dinner parties (not that there are many of those). It is an antiquated notion to me that I might possibly be called in to be someone’s date, or vice-versa. Sounds as fun as some medieval torture device.

Some things are better now.

This is a chat between Deborah Lipp and Matthew Weiner on Monday, January 19 12, 2009, the day after Mad Men won the Golden Globe award for Best Television Drama. It was before he signed the contract with Lionsgate, as you’ll see.

My experience with interviewing Matt is you maybe get one question in and then he’s off and running; full of thoughts, ideas, questions, answers, and joy. But this time he was less ebullient, a little tired after such a thrilling night. Our conversation was warm but perhaps less diverse than in the past.

You guys are not “the Internet.”

Deborah Lipp: How are you? Did you have a great night?
Matt Weiner: I am so happy, I can’t even tell you.
DL: We are pretty happy for you. And thank you so much for the mention!
MW: Why wouldn’t I? If I want to say shitty things about the Internet, I’ve got to say nice things about the Internet. You guys are not “the Internet.” I love it, it makes me very, very happy.
DL: Congratulations. You earned it, man.
MW: Thanks, thanks a lot. I’m really tired, I didn’t really sleep. I’m not talking to anyone today, so you can know that.
DL: Okay.
MW: And I don’t want to talk about the deal. We can talk about anything else.
DL: Well, I’m obligated to try.
MW: I talked about it last night, you can see what’s out there.
DL: So what would you like to say to your most loyal fan base, first?
MW: Thank you so much for supporting the show. I feel what I always wanted as an artist was to have an intimate relationship with the audience, and you have made that possible.
DL: : Wow. We love that it is so much your baby. It’s like an auteur thing, there’s a handful of people working on TV where you know it’s them. And Mad Men is you.
MW: Well, that’s very nice. If that’s me, that’s better than I thought I was. It’s a lot of people!
DL: : Well, sure!
(more…)

Just one of those nice little dialogue echoes we like so much.

The Jet Set
Duck is meeting with Saint John Powell of Putnam, Powell, and Lowe, setting up the purchase.

Duck Philips: “51% will cost you a lot less than you think. Plus a finder’s fee.”
Saint John Powell: “Two percent?”
Duck Philips: “I want to be in charge of all international business and I have to be President. Creative reports to me or the whole thing falls apart.”

Later in the episode, Joan brings Duck a case of Tanqueray that has been delivered anonymously from PPL. He hands her a bottle and says:

“Well, thank you Miss Holloway. Why don’t you just take this, as a finder’s fee.”

What’s on his mind, do you suppose. Heheh.

Part 1–The section from the recent Fresh Air interview where MW discusses the opening credits

(In response to Terry Gross saying it reminds her of September 11th)

I did the opening credits almost two and a half years years ago. And I had this image of this man falling out the window because if the show was on the air in 1960, they’d be talking about the stock market crash. When businessmen jump out of the window, it means something is wrong. I did not want it to be part of September 11th, other than the way that is part of our consciousness that something’s wrong, and that this man is metaphorically in freefall, and that canyon of buildings which are covered with images from his life in advertising–that’s the world that he’s falling through.

And then you just see him; that this is going on in his mind in the end, and that he’s sitting there in the pose of perfect confidence. And that’s what I was interested in, was a psychological state. It’s funny that no matter how much you abstract that image… it’s so powerful, and he’s a modern man he’s got a suit on and it’s computer animation and there’s a lot about it that should technically distance you from it, but it doesn’t. And the music is falling also… so for me I wanted to introduce people to this character and I only was allowed thirty seconds; the Sopranos opening titles are a minute and a half, and you can tell a whole story . So I had to go to the graphic punch of that.  And AMC is in New York, I lived in New York; I understand what this image means to people. This is part of the message of the show; it’s unpleasant and it reminds you of something.

Part 2–Betty falling through a canyon of buildings

A Night to Remember… Betty’s storyline in this episode, though it would have proven frustrating for the viewers, would have made for a perfectly respectable season closer. I know it wasn’t planned this way, but I’m glad it wound up that there was breathing room afterwards, via a week off to watch the Emmys.

First, she rides. Hard. Trying to shake it off; all the horrid feelings. And hugs that horse, gives it love for helping her, and being willing to connect with her the way no one else is willing. She turns to the horse the way she turned to Glen.

Then she starts in on Don. Not nearly as sweet as when she gave him her ‘honeydo’ list in Marriage of Figaro.

Later she uhh… beats on that poor, innocent chair.

For the dinner party, she is poised perfection. Her smile never breaks, even as she and Carla are cleaning up. And the second that she is alone with Don, she goes to the ledge. (more…)