....on Mad Men. I never watched the first season when it aired last year and am just catching up with it now. The reason I didn't watch it was because of the stupid title "Mad Men." Why would I want to watch some mad men? I see enough of them in real life on a daily basis. But then, like all the other shows I eventually end up loving, I heard so much about it that I ordered the first season from Netflix.
As soon as I put in the first DVD, I knew I was going to love it because they explaine
d what mad men meant. It's a nickname they gave to the advertising executives who worked on Madison Avenue in the late 50's early 60's. I wasn't yet in the working force at that time, as I didn't officially start my first job until late in the 60's, but I knew I was going to relate to this show as it was probably going to depict the era in which I grew up.
d what mad men meant. It's a nickname they gave to the advertising executives who worked on Madison Avenue in the late 50's early 60's. I wasn't yet in the working force at that time, as I didn't officially start my first job until late in the 60's, but I knew I was going to relate to this show as it was probably going to depict the era in which I grew up.The casting of the show is phenominal and, even when I worked some six years later t
han this, the cast looks like everyone I worked with. The men in their beautiful suits and thin ties and the women in their form fitting sweaters and straight skirts. They all reminded me of how my mother used to dress. I also had an uncle who worked in the insurance industry. Everytime I saw him, he always had a suit and tie on and so many of these men remind me of him.....my Uncle Bob.
han this, the cast looks like everyone I worked with. The men in their beautiful suits and thin ties and the women in their form fitting sweaters and straight skirts. They all reminded me of how my mother used to dress. I also had an uncle who worked in the insurance industry. Everytime I saw him, he always had a suit and tie on and so many of these men remind me of him.....my Uncle Bob. It was a time when all was good in the world. It was post WWII, people were just beginning to own their own homes and the wives were everything men wanted them to be........subservient. Forty plus years later, it's actually amazing to watch how these women waited on these men. I hope the young girls today are watching this show to see how much progress has bee
n made since then. It was a world where men ogled you at work calling you sweetheart and honey; where you were the one to bring them their coffee in the morning; where you were the good wife who had a drink waiting for them when they returned home from work; where you were the good wife who had dinner waiting the minute they walked in the door; it's actually sickening to watch yet I'm mesmerized by it. I'm sure guys watching this show wish it would go back to the way it used to be because when they say "It's a man's world", it definitely pertains to this place in time.
n made since then. It was a world where men ogled you at work calling you sweetheart and honey; where you were the one to bring them their coffee in the morning; where you were the good wife who had a drink waiting for them when they returned home from work; where you were the good wife who had dinner waiting the minute they walked in the door; it's actually sickening to watch yet I'm mesmerized by it. I'm sure guys watching this show wish it would go back to the way it used to be because when they say "It's a man's world", it definitely pertains to this place in time.Ther
e are so many other things in this show that amaze me. First of all, they all worked in a cloud of smoke where everyone, and I mean everone, smoked. And when they got home from work, they smoked at home with their wives. It's rare to se
e any of them without a cigarette in their hands. And I was also amazed to see women smoking and drinking while they were pregnant. I'm surprised we all turned out okay. And when the men had meetings in the conference rooms in their offices, there were pitchers of Bloody Mary's right in the middle of the table with glasses for everyone. Each office had its own bar set up and these men drank all day long.
e are so many other things in this show that amaze me. First of all, they all worked in a cloud of smoke where everyone, and I mean everone, smoked. And when they got home from work, they smoked at home with their wives. It's rare to se
e any of them without a cigarette in their hands. And I was also amazed to see women smoking and drinking while they were pregnant. I'm surprised we all turned out okay. And when the men had meetings in the conference rooms in their offices, there were pitchers of Bloody Mary's right in the middle of the table with glasses for everyone. Each office had its own bar set up and these men drank all day long. It was nostalgic for me to see Masses said in Latin with people receiving communion w
hile kneeling up at the altar with the women wearing their "chapel veils". And I so remember the office typing pool where there were rows and rows of typewriters with secretaries typing away at them. And all the women wore nylons with garter belts and the mothers came down to breakfast in their negligees. And when the husbands came home from work, they ate with their ties still on and watched TV after dinner in them as well.
hile kneeling up at the altar with the women wearing their "chapel veils". And I so remember the office typing pool where there were rows and rows of typewriters with secretaries typing away at them. And all the women wore nylons with garter belts and the mothers came down to breakfast in their negligees. And when the husbands came home from work, they ate with their ties still on and watched TV after dinner in them as well.In one scene, the children are playing and the little girl puts the plastic from the dry cleaning over her head and is running around like this. You expect the mother to yell at her telling her how dangerous this is but instead she just yells at her telling her that the dry cleaning better not be messed up since she took it out of the plastic bag. Throughout this entire series, you continually remind yourself how times have changed.
Since this show is about advertising, it's so interesting to see how many well known companies they're trying to do ad campaigns for. It brings back some of the products of the 60's that were new inventions at the time that we would laugh at now....the polaroid camera, the Kodak carousel for viewing slides, the first Xerox machine, clearasil....the list goes on and on and reminds me of that time in my life when I first heard of these products.
Regardless of all of the above, this is one of the most fascinating, well acted shows I have ever watched on TV. I'm continually amazed that some of the best shows now are those that are not on the mainstream stations like NBC, CBS and ABC. This one is on AMC while other favorites of mine are on FX (Damages and Nip Tuck), Showtime (The Tudors) HBO (Entourage) not to mention all of the great things on HGTV, Bravo, Animal Planet, The Food Network, etc., etc.
I have now finished season one and am caught up with season two and will have to wait until Sunday nights to watch the new episodes. I wish I could watch this show all day long....that's how much I enjoyed it. Everything about it is fascinating. So if you haven't caught this show yet, I encourage you to do so. You will not be disappointed no matter what your generation.
2 comments:
Is this better than, say....THE TUDORS? LOL LOL
J
I don't think it's fair to say this... :|
"I'm sure guys watching this show wish it would go back to the way it used to be because when they say "It's a man's world", it definitely pertains to this place in time."
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