Jon Hamm: Breakout of the Year

So says GQ.

What a surprise it was to see Jon Hamm on the cover of GQ as I breezed by the magazine section of the pharmacy. But he looks great, and there is a flattering article that begs the question: how does a man as handsome as talented as Jon Hamm manage to stay hidden in Hollywood for a decade? Good question! They do, however, use the term "frat boy" to describe Jon Hamm enough times for me to find it discouraging. Oh well, I guess not all frat boys are terrible.

There is also a very Dick Whitman-esque picture of Jon Hamm in the GQ Men of the Year slideshow. (There is also a great picture of John Franco looking very James Dean for anyone that still has a soft spot for Freaks and Geeks alumni.)

Episode 13: "Meditations in an Emergency"

My head is spinning from last night's episode. It was brilliant, and the last for so long! I'm not even going to attempt to articulate anything yet, but I will say that I absolutely loved that the episode occurred during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Looking Back: Season 1 Episode 1

I started re-watching Season 1 this week, partly because I just don't remember it that much, partly because I want to speak more intelligently about it with people who have watched it more recently, and partly because it's a symptom of my obsession. While I was watching Episode 1 ("Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"), I thought about some things I had really loved the first time around and some things I had not picked up on in my initial viewing:

1. My goodness, the costuming and scenery is outstanding in this episode! It feels more obvious to me than it does in current episodes. I need to look and see if it is because they were more heavy handed in the pilot in order to familiarize us with the period or if there are simply more substantial ideas that I am paying more attention to.

2. The last shot of Don with the kids while Betty looks over is so interesting, the way it portrays this false idyll that they are living. If I had seen only that scene, I would think this to be a recreation of Donna Reed, but what a great way to show just how false that idea is.

3. The dynamic between Don and Pete is fantastic! Pete doesn't know whether he wants to kiss up to Don or fight with him.

Also, there was this copywriter I didn't recognize who appears early on, then seems to float away. I wonder if that's the person Harry keeps referring to in the episode in which he becomes head of the TV department.

Meditations in an Emergency by Frank O'Hara

Inspired by my obsession with Mad Men, I bought Meditations in an Emergency by Frank O'Hara. It has reminded me how out of practice I am at reading poetry. And I require practice; I have discovered the interpretation of poetry not to be an intuitive task for me.

As I read this book, I am looking for its meaning in the context of Mad Men. I was quickly interested in the first poem in the book, and it reminds me of Don:

To the Harbormaster

I wanted to be sure to reach you;
though my ship was on the way it got caught
in some moorings. I am always tying up
and then deciding to depart. In storms and
at sunset, with the metallic coils of the tide
around my fathomless arms, I am unable
to understand the forms of my vanity
or I am hard alee with my Polish rudder
in my hand and the sun sinking. To
you I offer my hull and the tattered cordage
of my will. The terrible channels where
the wind drives me against the brown lips
of the reeds are not all behind me. Yet
I trust the sanity of my vessel; and
if it sinks it may well be in answer
to the reasoning of the eternal voices,
the waves which have kept me from reaching you.

More thoughts on the book as I make my way through...

Jon Hamm on Saturday Night Live

This Saturday, Jon Hamm will be on SNL. Much to my chagrin, I now feel compelled to watch it. (Or at least record it and skim it to see how Jon Hamm is.) Anyway, maybe you want to see it. Maybe you don't. Eh, SNL.

Episode 13: "Meditations in an Emergency" Sneak Peak

Okay, I have really been slacking on this my increasingly stagnant blog. I have to play the baby card here because now that Cate is back in her room, her crib is only feet away from the computer and typing that close to a baby wakes them up (so I discovered the hard way).

However, I did finally look at the sneak peak, and you should too! Things are not looking so good for our ad men friends (and enemies). And I do have to say something nice about Pete (why does this keep happening?): he appears not to have sold Don out. I wonder why. Is it only because the last time he tried to expose Don, he was reprimanded, or is there something else?

Episode 12: "The Mountain King"

Interesting episode! So Don has an almost familial relationship with Anna Draper? I didn't see that coming. (Although I did feel vindicated in discovering that I was correct in thinking that whoever Don called in ep. 11 was the same person he wrote a letter too. I think we all thought that though.) Nor did I anticipate seeing Don seeming so natural, not constantly protecting his facade. And poor Sterling Cooper -- Bertram should have stuck with his initial feeling and not sold. Oh, and Peggy had some interesting interactions this week. I love how she actually got what she want with Roger because she doesn't need to play games with him since he doesn't find her attractive. And did anyone else feel like Pete's visit to Peggy's office was the first time that he had a conversation with her that wasn't entirely self serving? And poor Joan! What an awful awful man she is marrying who would desire to strip away all the confidence she has about her sexuality.

Okay, so that was just a long rambling paragraph lacking in any cohesion, but I just wanted to get a post up so we can all discuss!

What I Liked About "The Jet Set"

I was quite frustrated by "The Jet Set" for all the reasons we have been discussing through comments this week. In the context of larger story lines, it felt like a step back. However, I decided there were also a few things I liked about the episode:

1. The title. "The Jet Set" conjures up images of a stylized 1960s. I'm definitely into that. I wish we had seen more of those images. When Don first arrives at the house Joy is staying in, it had that feeling to it. That was mostly it for those images.

2. In the last shot of Don, he is in the Mad Men pose from the opening credits. Nice touch!

3. Pete. Okay, I admit it. I enjoyed watching Pete enjoy his trip to California, being starstruck and generally in awe of being on a business trip. And an added bonus: he enjoyed himself while managing to never more rascally than to reschedule his meetings poolside.

4. Don calls someone and identifies himself as Dick Whitman. I know there are already a lot of mysteries to solve, but I'm into this one. Who did he call? Does that person know he is also known as Don Draper? Is this the person Don sent the letter to in Episode 1? My enthusiasm for this moment will quickly dwindle, however, if we do not see Don meeting with this person.

5. Joy's wardrobe. The women really do get to wear outstanding clothes on this show!

Episode 12: "The Mountain King" Sneak Peak

They actually are back to addressing Pete and his adoption story line! Check out what's going on in the sneak peak:


I can't imagine Pete is happy about having this information out at work. I wonder who will most feel the effects of his displeasure.

Mad Men and... Jeopardy?

On Friday, Jeopardy is going to have an entire category devoted to Mad Men. Maybe it's my negatively over Sunday's episode, or maybe I'm having a moment of anti-establishment myself, but it seems early in the series' lifetime for this type of behavior. But anyway, you can find out about it here.

Episode 11: "The Jet Set"

So?

Mad Men Goes Graphic

Apparently, there is a graphic artist who is creating desktop wallpapers of Mad Men scenes in her spare time. Some are pretty literal, some more interpretive. Either way, they are amusing. You can check it out here.

I found the following graphic, "Joan and the Xerox", to be interesting since it not only portrays the feeling of a scene, but also epitomizes Joan's role in the office.


The question is, what makes me more of a geek? My current Alan Lee depiction of Rivendell wallpaper, or having both a Mad Men blog and wallpaper? I'm not sure, but for now, I'll stick with Lord of the Rings.

Episode 11: "The Jet Set" Sneak Peak

Well, the sneak peek is another office meeting that gives away almost nothing. These moments are quite amusing, though, particularly Sal's part in them.

Episode 10: Betty

This episode had me feel that I could finally understand Betty and her relationship with men better. I felt such sympathy for her as I realized how little of her life is formed separately from her relationship to the men in her life, and how much she desires to salvage the little she has, even as it is falling apart in front of her. Betty obviously tried for a long time to ignore the problems in her marriage, Don's infidelities, and their lack of a connection. Watching the connection with her father dissipate because of his dementia felt like watching the course of her relationship with Don over a much shorter period, starting with trying to cover up the small then increasingly large problems, and finally ending with a moment in which Betty abruptly recognizes she can't take it anymore.

Despite feeling that the meeting between Betty and her neighbor was contrived, it was interesting to watch Betty talk candidly about her failing relationship. This conversation highlighted for me that, despite her inability to stand entirely on her own, Betty is learning to fortify herself and look more frankly at her life.

Betty's decision to join Don on the floor and her behavior afterward epitomized her confusion. I loved that despite her approaching Don, by the next morning she was gone, dressed and holding onto the facade she needs to make it through the day. The facade of this character has chipped away, and watching what appears is captivating.

Episode 10: Sidetracked

Maybe it was because I was watching the episode through a headache-induced fog, but the feel and pacing of "The Inheritance" surprised me for an episode so late in the season. I have often thought of the movement of a season of Mad Men as similar to that of Six Feet Under in which the first third or half of the season sets up the rest of the season by introducing a number of conflicts and acquainting you with the current state of the characters. The second half contains more movement, story lines climax, and there is generally more action (or as much as you might get in this type of show). This episode, however, felt more like a set up episode from earlier in the season.

Ever since "The Gold Violin", this season has felt like it's heading more speedily toward a climax, and for two episodes I felt like everything was unraveling. This episode slowed that movement. I suspect the next episode, "The Jet Set", will deliver on some of the tensions created in "The Inheritance", especially between Don and Betty. For example, it appears that Don has given up on Betty, and I expect we will see more of the Don exhibited in his relationship with Bobbi this season. However, I still feel a bit sidetracked. I thought I knew where we were going with the season after "The Gold Violin", but many of the conflicts set forth in that episode have not since been seen.

Episode 10: "The Inheritance" General Thoughts

I haven't gotten a chance to write about this episode yet, but thoughts? Comments?

Fan Scenes Contest

Okay, I know my links so far are mostly from AMC, but they have some good stuff up there. They had a contest in which fans submitted reenacted scenes from the show, and the winner gets to be a walk-on in Season 3. Here's the winning video:


I would have preferred something less obvious, but oh well. You can see more scenes here:
http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men-contest/

Wasting Time With Don Draper

Well, if you somehow have more time to obsess over Mad Men than this blog will provide, here are two other sites you might want to check out:

http://twitter.com/don_draper -- a twitter site for Don Draper created by a fan. Apparently, AMC was pretty upset about this and even got it shut down for a bit until they realized that they were getting free publicity. Go obsessive fans!

http://whatwoulddondraperdo.tumblr.com/ -- Another fan with an awful lot of time on his hands. Here, Don Draper answers your questions, helps you with dilemmas, etc.

The most interesting part of these sites, I think, is the way the authors attempt to capture Don Draper's speech pattern. There certainly is something about the way he speaks that is captivating.

Episode 10: "The Inheritance" Sneak Peak

Did anyone look at the sneak peak video for next week?


I heard from an AMC insider (heh heh) that Matthew Weiner insists these scenes give nothing away. I enjoyed this one anyway, particularly since it deals with Don and Peggy's relationship. (Thoughts on their relationship in the comments under "Morality and Compassion".)

Episode 9: General Thoughts

One of mine:
--Is Betty's set up of her friend and Arthur meant to help her friend (be compassionate), or to sabotage her?

Don: Foiled

I have been intrigued by the introduction of foils for Don in this show, particularly in the last few episodes. In episode 6, Duck and Don are paralleled when Duck leaves his dog on the street because he is reminding Duck of his conscience. At the end of the episode, Don tells Sally to leave him alone for the same reason. This parallel seems to be reminding us that Duck is a cautionary tale for Don -- divorced, on a downslide in his career.

When Freddy told Don he didn't know who he was if he didn't go into the office, it seemed another example of a character illustrating what Don's fate could (or will) be. So much of Don's created persona revolves around being an ad man, who is he if that is gone? Particularly now, as pieces of his life seemed to be stripped away.

"Six Month Leave": Morality and Compassion

In "Six Month Leave", two ideas seemed to dominate the episode: the characters' arbitrary sense of morality and their ability or inability to have compassion for others.

Opening the episode with the death of Marilyn Monroe immediately pointed to the issue of compassion. It came as no surprise to me that Don and Peggy's interaction over the event illustrated their ability to distance themselves from almost everything, stressed by Peggy's awareness that Marilyn Monroe's death could have had an impact on their Playtex account.

The firm's treatment of Freddy was an interesting study in both ideas. The idea that the firm would eliminate Freddy because of a flaw that he simply did not hide as well as the rest of the executives was appalling but unsurprising. Pete's ability to seize the moment as an opportunity for advancement was quite in keeping with his usual nastiness, but it was sad to see Duck continue to eliminate anyone or anything that reminds him of his own inability to control his drinking. That Roger and Don take Freddy out for a night of drinking after firing him for that very thing was so absurd that I had to laugh. I love that these characters have no idea that their behavior is so contradictory. I admit, too, that I liked Peggy better after this episode and her indignant belief that Freddy had been mistreated.

Don's notion of morality is so interesting to watch. He seems to use "It's personal" almost as a reflex. But if he believes that, why does he insist that Jane no longer work for him? Why not ignore it? I'm also trying to figure out why he felt so strongly about Freddy staying at the agency. His treatment of Peggy in the past seems to indicate a strong sense of loyalty and compassion, but I guess that is only a professional value? I wonder if his relief of being exiled from his house is only because he is not dealing with the problems of that relationship, or because he can stop trying to appear perfect when he leaves the office. The idea that he had a right to exact some revenge on Jimmy is terribly interesting considering he was sleeping with Bobbi.

Pete appears to have absolutely no conscience. I can't stand him, yet I can't look away. The way he treats his co-workers, Don, his wife... He epitomizes the selfish ideals held by so many at Sterling Cooper.

Five to Go...

There are five episodes left this season, and I can't wait to see tonight's episode. After the unraveling began in the last episode, "A Night to Remember", I am much anticipating the next events! And maybe they will finally start going somewhere with this season's story line for Peggy.

Opening Day

This is a big day for two reasons:
1) The Mets are playing what may be their last game ever at Shea Stadium before they move to the much less romantically named Citi Field.
2) I am making my obsession with television, and specifically Mad Men, official by starting this blog.

There seems to be a growing number of people who are watching and obsessing over Mad Men and are interested in talking about it. So, on this day I invite you. Come! Embrace your obsession. Take a break from Facebook. Read, post, and comment at this blog. Don't get me wrong. I'll hang out here by myself to interpret, be mesmerized, and rant if no one joins me. But it would be more fun with company.

If you want to stop by to read, and comment, please do. If you are interested in adding posts to the blog, even better! (If you want to be able to post, send me an e-mail or add a comment to this post, and I will add you as an author so you can get started.)

Oh, and if you know others who would be interested in stopping by, pass this information along. Everyone is welcome.