Sterling Cooper David Steve

No no, don't panic, it's just the title. This one is quite comical, as comical as Mad Men can be anyway.  It's comical in that you watch someone self destruct before your eyes.  It's almost as if actions have consequences this season! This episode is about the tragedy of war and how it affects people, it's about loss, it's about fresh starts, it's about what a name means, it's well, it's Mad Men. The death of Marilyn Monroe hangs over this one.  I think this show integrates historical stuff into the narrative better than most shows do.  Not only do we have the death of Marilyn, but we have Floyd Patterson, the fact that 'BBDO hired a coloured kid' and the impending Missile Crisis. Steve drops some excellent analysis right at the end, blew me away. Sadly, Steve had been spoiled about the Jane thing. mp3 download

This week we discuss 'A Night To Remember', Season 2, Episode 8. This one is about trying on new identities. It's also about a dinner party. It's also about a CYO dance. It's also about how men are idiots and don't know it. It's also about how Maytag aren't soft on communism. It's also about how Father Gill is, first and foremost, a priest. It's also about how housewives love green! mp3 download

Wherein politics and art intersect.  Wherein we find out that Mad Men is abstract impressionism. Maybe you feel like you have to like the podcast in an Emperor's New Clothes sort of thing. The counter culture is coming up more. Yup, it's SDS! You want to watch those horrible muppet coffee ads?  Here's a link.  They're disturbing, in a great way. It's a Rothko!  Oh so smudgy squares? I can't figure out if Bert likes the painting, or, if it's just an investment.  But, really, it's none of my business! Poor Sal. Line of the episode goes to Jimmy 'What people?  Comedians?!' mp3 download

  I'm pretty proud of this week's title.   We've had music that was a year or two off but the show opens with a song by the Decembrists.  Colin Meloy, the lead singer and songwriter of the band was born in 1974, so, like, Sally could be his mother.  I'm not saying she is, but we can pretend right? LOTS of military themes this week, not surprising as it takes place during Memorial Day weekend.  Memorial Day, it's when Americans remember those who fought for the USA and didn't come home to have ribs.  Oh and great prices on mattresses! There are some great bits in the episode where Peggy is just off screen.  It reminds you that while she's as good as Don, or close, already, she's still not quite part of the boys club. Look, Kinsey is bound to have a good idea now and then. I hate watching people shave on TV. mp3 download

Wow, we've almost done 20 of these things! My watch through curves have crossed. Don and Bobbie Barrett get in a car crash because the barbiturates and rye have finally caught up with Don.  He was right at the legal limit, he blew a .15 Bobbie gives Peggy some good advice here, though, Peggy takes it differently than Bobbie intends. Grin and Barrett is the dumbest tv show name ever. Roger plays paddle ball because it adds mystique.  Freddy plays Mozart on his fly because, well, because he's Freddy and he's probably hammered. mp3 download

Yup, we're a third of the way through season 2.  While last week was a bit of a placeholder (though it introduced the Barretts) this week's episode is a strong one. This week also gave Steve flashbacks to his Catholic upbringing. I'm the straightest guy you'll ever meet, but man, Don looks good in casual wear. Colin Hanks is here as Father Gil. Duck continues to duck things up. Bobby 1 (Steve won't get this reference for a while) gives his finest performance in this episode. mp3 download

It's a couple of days early this week as I have a bunch of meetings on Friday.  When we started recording one guy was President, then partway through, another guy was! Wherein we meet Bobbie Barrett, we meet Jimmy Barrett, we find out drinking has a downside and other fun stuff. Bobbie is in some ways a female Don, but really more an amalgam of Joan and Peggy (Steve's idea, he's probably right, he's a Dr.) Why are horses sexual?  I find it odd. That storyline about the Defenders is a real story.  I love when the show puts real events in the timeline of Mad Men. Roger quite smoking, can he bum one off of you? Don grabs Bobbie like the now former President did. Don went to the movies for the first time in the series, that'll happen more. Harry got the wrong paycheque and eventually became the head of TV. mp3 download

Actually don't join us, because that plane crashes. This episode features the crash of Flight 1, and the aftermath at Sterling Cooper. This week is about loyalty, and about fidelity.  Things, oddly, that Don has in the episode. We open at Kinsey's place.  He's having a party!  He's a pretentious twit!  He has a girlfriend!  She's black!  What?  As Steve notes, it would be odd enough for a black person to be even in the same room with a bunch of white people, much less be dating each other, in 1962. Joan is a racist.  Like a horrible racist. Peggy's family might be raising Peggy's kid. Betty and Don have Francine and Carlton over for bridge.  Carlton is a horrible person. Duck, Roger and Burt want to dump Mohawk. Hank Lamont of Mohawk airlines compares Sterling Cooper dropping them to Pearl Harbor. Steve has a nice breakdown of Vatican II. mp3 download

  We're back!  Happy New Year! We're on to season 2, episode 1, For Those Who Think Young. Kinsey has a beard, as does Sal..... The themes of this episode are public vs private sexuality, and, childishness vs youthfulness.   We meet Kurt and Smitty for the first time. We get a lot of Camelot references. We see how striking Betty Draper is. Don is taking a barbiturate, which, well, doesn't mix well with rye, let's say that. Oh and I mixed up years a bit at the start, a thing like that. mp3 download

People often ask me, what are your impressions of season 1 of Mad Men?  My reply is 'I'm sorry, I don't do impressions, my training is in experimental psychology' because I'm a comic genius.  (Feel free to sub in 'English literature' if you want to put a Steve spin on the quote I have stolen from Airplane 2). So this is basically a free form discussion. We start out by talking about the importance of other shows that got us here, shows like Twin Peaks, Babylon 5, The Sopranos, Oz, The Wire etc. Then away we went. Steve very good at this literature analysis thing, I like it! We wonder if the show is about advertising (it isn't) or is it meant to make us reflect on our current society (we think so). Steve got a book called Mad Men and Philosophy that sounds really great. We'll likely take a break during the Holidays (Happy Holidays to everyone) and come back in 2021 for season 2. mp3 download