Affairs, affairs, affairs.
It's probably not a good sign that I actively eschew watching or reading things with a heavy dose of romance yet find it a little more tolerable when it's not two single people finding each other, but one single person and one married person. I mean, I thought the ability to rise above carnal instincts was one of the things that separated us from the beasts. Some of you may find refusing to suppress that part of you romantic—I say it's unsophisticated.
I guess the Mad men have mad cow disease or sumthin.
Anyway, moving on, here's what happened.
1-03: Draper visits the store of that woman from earlier episode and sparks fly. He goes home for his daughter's birthday party and is lovesick.
1-04: We learn Pete Campbell is from a super influential family and Betty has to babysit Helen Bishop's kids.
1-05: Peggy learns about Draper's affair. Draper's long-lost brother pays him a visit...but in the end, Draper is the one doing the paying (to get his brother to leave New York and never come back).
1-06: We learn Roger and Joan are banging like an old Model T. Draper has to try to sell Israeli tourism and starts thinking about women.
More ways in which Draper sucks
a) He built his daughter's playhouse with cigarette perpetually in hand and lots and lots of beer. Aren't you not supposed to use power tools when drinking? (On the other hand, if you need beer to build things, that would explain my competence in middle school shop class.)
b) He wakes up at home and his wife is in a maid outfit? This just after hitting on a woman who likes to give men orders (to paraphrase his description) ? Make up your mind, man.
c) He handles his lovesickness really poorly. Listen dude: If you're quiet all the time then no one will know, but someone will notice if you're normally somewhat nice and talkative. (Speaking from experience.) You're lucky your wife is too head-over-heels in love with you to think about it, but she's noticed. (Aside: You don't deserve her.)
d) He just left the party, drove around, and came back with a dog. What the hell. It's your daughter's birthday party. Isn't she more important than a second mistress?
It's probably not a good sign that I actively eschew watching or reading things with a heavy dose of romance yet find it a little more tolerable when it's not two single people finding each other, but one single person and one married person. I mean, I thought the ability to rise above carnal instincts was one of the things that separated us from the beasts. Some of you may find refusing to suppress that part of you romantic—I say it's unsophisticated.
I guess the Mad men have mad cow disease or sumthin.
Anyway, moving on, here's what happened.
1-03: Draper visits the store of that woman from earlier episode and sparks fly. He goes home for his daughter's birthday party and is lovesick.
1-04: We learn Pete Campbell is from a super influential family and Betty has to babysit Helen Bishop's kids.
1-05: Peggy learns about Draper's affair. Draper's long-lost brother pays him a visit...but in the end, Draper is the one doing the paying (to get his brother to leave New York and never come back).
1-06: We learn Roger and Joan are banging like an old Model T. Draper has to try to sell Israeli tourism and starts thinking about women.
More ways in which Draper sucks
a) He built his daughter's playhouse with cigarette perpetually in hand and lots and lots of beer. Aren't you not supposed to use power tools when drinking? (On the other hand, if you need beer to build things, that would explain my competence in middle school shop class.)
b) He wakes up at home and his wife is in a maid outfit? This just after hitting on a woman who likes to give men orders (to paraphrase his description) ? Make up your mind, man.
c) He handles his lovesickness really poorly. Listen dude: If you're quiet all the time then no one will know, but someone will notice if you're normally somewhat nice and talkative. (Speaking from experience.) You're lucky your wife is too head-over-heels in love with you to think about it, but she's noticed. (Aside: You don't deserve her.)
d) He just left the party, drove around, and came back with a dog. What the hell. It's your daughter's birthday party. Isn't she more important than a second mistress?
e) I get that Draper can't paint his long-lost brother like one of his French women, but really, otherwise, couldn't he at least have a affair-type secret relationship? What could possibly be so bad that he can't see his brother ever again?
More ways in which Draper is amazing
a) Draper: "We're almost as happy to have him as you are."
Campbell's wife: "That's not possible."
Draper: "Well, maybe you're right."
b) "Listen to me, Pete. I need you to get a cardboard box and put your things in it."
c) He built a playhouse in a morning. That's some Phineas and Ferb-level productivity right there.
Pete Campbell: lots of possibilities
And by "possibilities" I mean slightly differentiated copycat behavior. Colleague writes a story? He wants to, too. He's arrogant, yet impressionable—a curious combination. He's needy and entitled, which isn't surprising, perhaps.
More ways in which Draper is amazing
a) Draper: "We're almost as happy to have him as you are."
Campbell's wife: "That's not possible."
Draper: "Well, maybe you're right."
b) "Listen to me, Pete. I need you to get a cardboard box and put your things in it."
c) He built a playhouse in a morning. That's some Phineas and Ferb-level productivity right there.
Pete Campbell: lots of possibilities
And by "possibilities" I mean slightly differentiated copycat behavior. Colleague writes a story? He wants to, too. He's arrogant, yet impressionable—a curious combination. He's needy and entitled, which isn't surprising, perhaps.
It's so obvious he's gonna drive his wife into the deep end and then blame her.
Schools of secuction
Draper: Work. "I'm married." Work. Lunch. Wait. Or, alternatively, come home to a loving wife.
Campbell: Talk to impressionable secretary. Show up at her door, drunk, later. Get it in. Or, alternatively, ask dad for financial help. Get turned down. Lie about asking. Obtain the coitus.
I hope Trudy has a good Relationship Agreement.
Glen Bishop and Betty Draper (1:30)
That was uncomfortable.
Stringing strings together
So we have two romances in which it's the woman who wants no strings attached (Draper + mistress and Roger + Joan) and one in which it's the man who wants no strings attached (Draper + Jewish department store woman). Another way in which the show is making gender dynamics more nuanced than just nonstop misogyny.
Some more assorted thoughts on relationships:
It doesn't go unnoticed, Mad Men.
You know what does, though? An advertising company having a room with one-way glass. That has gone unnoticed all these years? Why would Sterling Cooper need such a thing? Is that the office vroom vroom party starter room?
Schools of secuction
Draper: Work. "I'm married." Work. Lunch. Wait. Or, alternatively, come home to a loving wife.
Campbell: Talk to impressionable secretary. Show up at her door, drunk, later. Get it in. Or, alternatively, ask dad for financial help. Get turned down. Lie about asking. Obtain the coitus.
I hope Trudy has a good Relationship Agreement.
Glen Bishop and Betty Draper (1:30)
That was uncomfortable.
Stringing strings together
So we have two romances in which it's the woman who wants no strings attached (Draper + mistress and Roger + Joan) and one in which it's the man who wants no strings attached (Draper + Jewish department store woman). Another way in which the show is making gender dynamics more nuanced than just nonstop misogyny.
Some more assorted thoughts on relationships:
- Forbidden love? Start with lunch. It's just work. Then hold hands.
- Peggy's face when she hears the phone sex omg
- OK, so Joan tells Peggy she can't help unless she tells her where Draper went. Then the firehead tells Peggy to just do what she would've done anyway and then makes her feel guilty for telling her about Don's affair. Diabolical and also perverted.
- A conversation I liked, between Roger and Joan.
"Roger, i know as much about men as you do about advertising. Sneaking around is your favorite part."
"I have a lot of favorite parts."
--> Yes, thank you. I can think of two favorite parts at least when it comes to an affair with Christina Hendricks. - "I don't know what to say." Loved Betty Draper at that moment.
- lol at the comment that Israel and America have a love affair. It's only what, the late 1950s? It ramped up quite a bit in the coming decades. At any rate, good thing BDS wasn't a thing back then. Would've had a field day with the gripes and antisemitism.
- I still don't get why Roger told Pete that Draper fought for him.
- I <3ed the back-and-forth between Don and Roy.
It doesn't go unnoticed, Mad Men.
You know what does, though? An advertising company having a room with one-way glass. That has gone unnoticed all these years? Why would Sterling Cooper need such a thing? Is that the office vroom vroom party starter room?
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