'Mad Men': 9 Signs of Changing Times
Don Draper's wardrobe has stayed constant -- but his world looks a lot different than it did in 1960. See how the series has tackled moments of social change, from an interracial couple to single motherhood to the first time Peggy Olson smoked pot.
WORKING GIRL
Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) started out as a secretary, spending her days typing and fending off unwanted advances. But by the middle of season 1, she was penning ads for Belle Jolie lipstick — and not long after that, she was officially promoted to Junior Copywriter. Her trailblazing would pave the way for Megan Draper (Jessica Paré), née Calvet, who eventually became SCDP's second female writer. (Though in Megan's case, marrying the boss didn't hurt).
GUESS WHO'S COMING TO STERLING COOPER
Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis) fancied himself an iconoclast — so it's no surprise that he was the first character on Mad Men to date across the color line. What's more, Paul's relationship with Sheila (Donielle Artise) was more than a fling; it lasted for almost an entire season, until Sheila realized Paul's heart wasn't really in the whole civil rights thing. Later, Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) would briefly date a black woman as well.
I'M COMING OUT
Poor, closeted Sal (Bryan Batt) never embraced his homosexuality on the show. But a younger generation apparently doesn't have the same hang-ups. In season 2, strapping German ad man Kurt (Edin Gali) casually announced that he ''make[s] love with the man, not the woman.'' And in season 4, Peggy met Joyce Ramsay (Zosia Mamet, who's currently starring on Girls), an openly gay photographer. Now, if only we could get Sal back...
THE STRAIGHT DOPE
When Don Draper's (Jon Hamm) bohemian mistress (Rosemarie DeWitt) offered him a joint in season 1, the show implied that marijuana was illicit and dangerous. By season 3, Peggy and Paul were smoking up in their office — and these days, drugs other than alcohol show up regularly on the series. The latest and greatest example: Roger Sterling's psychedelic acid trip. The saddest one: Don discovering his old flame is addicted to heroin.
TYPE AA
Between three-martini lunches and booze-soaked client dinners, most of the Mad Men themselves are functioning alcoholics. But in season 4, the oft-inebriated Freddy Rumsen (Joel Murray) reemerged after a long absence — and this time, he was totally clean and sober. Eventually, Freddy revealed to Peggy that he had become a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Though Duck Phillips (Mark Moses) was also an admitted alcoholic, Freddy's the first character we saw successfully kick his addiction.
NO SMOKING?
Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce was literally built on the back of Lucky Strike Cigarettes. But in late season 4, SCDP learned that its biggest client was leaving for another agency — and Don responded by declaring, in writing, that SCDP would never again peddle a product ''that causes illness, and makes people unhappy.'' Sure, his reasoning wasn't exactly altruistic — but rejecting cigarettes ostensibly on behalf of public health is a huge deal on this smoke-filled show.
THE NEW GIRL
In season 5's premiere, SCDP's partners found themselves in a bind when an ad they had placed as a joke drew hordes of African-American job applicants. They ended up hiring Dawn Chambers (Teyonah Parris), the agency's first black employee — and, more broadly, the first character of color who's not a housekeeper, a janitor, a waiter, a grocery store check-out girl, or an elevator operator. Next up: a black copywriter?
GAINING A RELIGION
From the very beginning, Mad Men's offices have been chock-full of anti-Semitism — despite the fact that several characters, including Jane Sterling (Peyton List) and Faye Miller (Cara Buono), are Jewish. Now the talented young Michael Ginsberg (Ben Feldman) has joined SCDP's copy staff. While he isn't the firm's first Jewish writer — that'd be Danny Siegel (Danny Strong) — he's certainly its most openly, emphatically Jewish employee. Let's hope his stereotypical father doesn't show up again, though.
SINGLE WHITE FEMALE
Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) realized early on that her fiancé Greg (Sam Page) was bad news. Unfortunately, she married him anyway — and after having a child, it seemed like she'd be stuck with Greg forever. (Never mind that the baby isn't his.) But this season, Joan finally found the strength to tell Greg to get lost. Now she's Mad Men's first single working mother, not counting a peripheral character from season 1. Will she convince SCDP to build a daycare?
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20395708_20591311,00.html
WORKING GIRL
Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) started out as a secretary, spending her days typing and fending off unwanted advances. But by the middle of season 1, she was penning ads for Belle Jolie lipstick — and not long after that, she was officially promoted to Junior Copywriter. Her trailblazing would pave the way for Megan Draper (Jessica Paré), née Calvet, who eventually became SCDP's second female writer. (Though in Megan's case, marrying the boss didn't hurt).
GUESS WHO'S COMING TO STERLING COOPER
Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis) fancied himself an iconoclast — so it's no surprise that he was the first character on Mad Men to date across the color line. What's more, Paul's relationship with Sheila (Donielle Artise) was more than a fling; it lasted for almost an entire season, until Sheila realized Paul's heart wasn't really in the whole civil rights thing. Later, Lane Pryce (Jared Harris) would briefly date a black woman as well.
I'M COMING OUT
Poor, closeted Sal (Bryan Batt) never embraced his homosexuality on the show. But a younger generation apparently doesn't have the same hang-ups. In season 2, strapping German ad man Kurt (Edin Gali) casually announced that he ''make[s] love with the man, not the woman.'' And in season 4, Peggy met Joyce Ramsay (Zosia Mamet, who's currently starring on Girls), an openly gay photographer. Now, if only we could get Sal back...
THE STRAIGHT DOPE
When Don Draper's (Jon Hamm) bohemian mistress (Rosemarie DeWitt) offered him a joint in season 1, the show implied that marijuana was illicit and dangerous. By season 3, Peggy and Paul were smoking up in their office — and these days, drugs other than alcohol show up regularly on the series. The latest and greatest example: Roger Sterling's psychedelic acid trip. The saddest one: Don discovering his old flame is addicted to heroin.
TYPE AA
Between three-martini lunches and booze-soaked client dinners, most of the Mad Men themselves are functioning alcoholics. But in season 4, the oft-inebriated Freddy Rumsen (Joel Murray) reemerged after a long absence — and this time, he was totally clean and sober. Eventually, Freddy revealed to Peggy that he had become a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. Though Duck Phillips (Mark Moses) was also an admitted alcoholic, Freddy's the first character we saw successfully kick his addiction.
NO SMOKING?
Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce was literally built on the back of Lucky Strike Cigarettes. But in late season 4, SCDP learned that its biggest client was leaving for another agency — and Don responded by declaring, in writing, that SCDP would never again peddle a product ''that causes illness, and makes people unhappy.'' Sure, his reasoning wasn't exactly altruistic — but rejecting cigarettes ostensibly on behalf of public health is a huge deal on this smoke-filled show.
THE NEW GIRL
In season 5's premiere, SCDP's partners found themselves in a bind when an ad they had placed as a joke drew hordes of African-American job applicants. They ended up hiring Dawn Chambers (Teyonah Parris), the agency's first black employee — and, more broadly, the first character of color who's not a housekeeper, a janitor, a waiter, a grocery store check-out girl, or an elevator operator. Next up: a black copywriter?
GAINING A RELIGION
From the very beginning, Mad Men's offices have been chock-full of anti-Semitism — despite the fact that several characters, including Jane Sterling (Peyton List) and Faye Miller (Cara Buono), are Jewish. Now the talented young Michael Ginsberg (Ben Feldman) has joined SCDP's copy staff. While he isn't the firm's first Jewish writer — that'd be Danny Siegel (Danny Strong) — he's certainly its most openly, emphatically Jewish employee. Let's hope his stereotypical father doesn't show up again, though.
SINGLE WHITE FEMALE
Joan Harris (Christina Hendricks) realized early on that her fiancé Greg (Sam Page) was bad news. Unfortunately, she married him anyway — and after having a child, it seemed like she'd be stuck with Greg forever. (Never mind that the baby isn't his.) But this season, Joan finally found the strength to tell Greg to get lost. Now she's Mad Men's first single working mother, not counting a peripheral character from season 1. Will she convince SCDP to build a daycare?
http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20395708_20591311,00.html
Is that Fred from Drop Dead Diva in the second to last pic?? I miss that show, no shame
I love Drop Dead Diva, ngl.
SMH at Matt Weiner.
also i have this really, really bad feeling about betty. idk like why was the grandma taking care of them? did they ever clarify that?
Betty's husband is a politician, so he has to travel a lot for his campaigns. Plus January Jones was pregnant during filming, so they cut down on a lot of her screen time.
And Betty and her husband are off doing stuff, probably political. It was talked about briefly but I cannot remember.
IDK what's going on with Betty because I feel like that whole cancer storyline was never completely resolved, and there could definitely be something going on that we haven't seen yet, but I think for now we're supposed to be left to believe she's off traveling with Henry because it's election season and he works in politics (or that JJ is still on maternity leave).
she just needs to drop his ass off at a turtleneck convention and then never pick him up again, that's how they should break up
he needs to keep wearing those cardigans
Black copywriters existed in 1966.
Mad Men doesn't show history with accuracy. They often revive it. Like, come on.
I hate all the people who are like "Oh, no it's ridiculous to have a black character with lines and a story on this show! It's not accurate." Cause a guy getting his foot run over by a lawnmower at an office story is so much more plausible.
Edited at 2012-04-30 09:52 pm (UTC)
and tbh it was starting to get this way since last season :(
there needs to be more tension
YES!