The Mad Men Thread

I know members in the U.S. may have already seen this series, but its new to those of us here in the U.K. First episode was on BBC 4 last night.

I was at the blatant sexism, even by a doctor, towards women. I was wondering if it was really like that or the writer was laying it on a bit thick. My husband wanted to know if everyone smoked like chimneys back then too.

There was one actress, I don't remember her name, she was wearing a green dress and showing Peggy, the new secretary, the ropes. Was that her figure do you think, or padding? They're all rail thin these days, I don't suppose they'd be willing to put some weight on for a role in a short series.

That actress is Christina Hendricks. I am most familar with her work in Firefly. I think her figure is mostly natural, with the addition of a strong girdle or even corset.

Season 2 is supposed to start this summer, in the US.

I LOVE this show!

Honestly, I don't think they're laying it on at all. That's pretty much how it was.
I can remember my mom talking about stuff like that. She smoked when she was pregnant with me, too, in the 60s. It's just what people did then.

January Jones is really pretty, but god, what an awful actress!

I love the redhead, the Head Secretary, Joanie. She's great fun!

I quite enjoyed it although the constant smoking was really making me wish I still smoked.

Oh how I love, love, love this show!

Sexism was pretty blatant in the 60s especially in the work place from what I've heard.

I mean I started working in 1989 in a corporate environment and they were sending requests to temporary agencies for good looking blondes and stating how they should dress! Usually the preference seemed to lean towards tight dresses..... I wont even go into what men said directly to me. And I know laws on that sort of stuff were way stricter in the 80s than in the 60s!

My mom smoked and drank when she was pregnant with me and in the 70s our house and friends houses all had ashtrays and cigarettes on every table. Gross

I was intrigued by that booklet Peggy was reading at the doctor's. Something entitled Your Wedding Night? That would make for a chuckle or two today.

I enjoyed it as well, although none of the characters are likeable.

All that sexism just goes to show why we need feminism! We've come a long way baby (keeping with the cigarette theme!).

I'm astonished that what looks like neurological disorder Don Draper's wife with the numbness in her hands) is being treated as a psychological problem. Medicine sure has come a long way too!

I've been reading some reviews that are critical of what they perceive as the societal values fo the day being exaggerated.

"It’s not what you’d call subtle TV. There’s lots of smoking and drinking. It’s like ‘Good Night and Good Luck’, the George Clooney black-and-white film about Ed Murrow, made for the small screen.

The early Sixties sexism is non-stop and we have one of everything: one Jew (pretty and smart so no one gets too upset), one gay (in the closet, natch) and even a glimpse of a black man (a waiter in the opening scene).

We get the idea: this is before the Sixties. It’s as prehistoric as ‘The Flintstones’, all those middle class young white men running the world, cheating on their wives, going home to their families in the suburbs after drinking and chasing skirt in the big city.

And the suburbs are not like ‘Twin Peaks’ or ‘Desperate Housewives’. These are suburbs straight from ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’ or ‘Happy Days’, as American as apple pie."