As I was saying last week to GhostGirl, I tried to get into Mad Men on DVD, but if I wanted to watch people smoke for an hour and act like assholes, I’d go to a bar. However, here’s an article in the LA Times about the relationship between Dan Draper on Mad Men and his secretary (later copywriter), Peggy Olson, Mad Men Makes Soul Match, that makes me think my judgment was hasty. Basically, the article makes the point that sometimes the most fulfilling, most helpful, most soulful relationships at work are matches between coworkers that are mostly philosophical in nature, such as the relationshpi between Dan and Peggy:
Some pairings aren’t romantic at all; instead they share something deeper, a life philosophy. The AMC show’s most powerful example, suggested in only a few strokes, is advertising master Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and underling copywriter Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss). These two are kindred spirits, professional allies, soldiers marching for a keep-it-to-yourself society in starched collars — hers Peter Pan, his from Brooks Brothers. Both thrive in the impersonal atmosphere of the ad agency, where imagination helps.
Perhaps I’ll have to watch a bit more as I’m intrigued by this sort of workplace relationship. And you’ll recall, this was also discussed under Work Spouse, Work Spouse Redux, and, to a lesser extent, Do You Have a Best Friend at Work?
October 26th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I think it’s one of the best shows on TV, and certainly the best written. We came into it about halfway through the first season, so I haven’t seen the first few episodes.
What strikes me is the modern eye on the relationships between men and women through an exquisitely crafted depiction of this complicated period in history. The men are assholes, most of them, because that’s how to “be” a man at that point in society. But the fascinating thing about the show is how deeply it goes into what the women are experiencing in trying to live up to the Mary Tyler Moore ideal of womanhood, too. And the exploration of homosexuality.
And some of my favorite actors doing what they do best, and also the costumes, for sure.
October 26th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Sometimes you just aren’t in the mood - AND the first episode is usually the worst of any series. I have to say that this is our current crush. I love the Republican outlook of the agency - I love how straight laced they all are - knowing that in just a few years time the “peace and love” moment is going to unravel them. I also love that the women are bored at home and have nothing to do but smoke - heaven forbid they actually parent their children. It is suburb writing with incredible attention to detail.
Give it another shot- you may find it more fascinating the second time around. Those assholes deserve a second chance.
October 26th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I did like the costumes and the writing, but it left me feeling really icky. I’ve been trying to figure out why.
We should keep in mind that it took five years for me to get into the Sopranos, and then I was all over it. Slow to boil, I guess.