newcritics - Latest Comments in Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

madison — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:49:57 -0000

In my opinion, most people give it good ratings because either they like the era,Download mad men episodes from here.....

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

addison — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:45:46 -0000

i think this is one of the BEST shows on TV right now. Unpredictable, provocative, surreal, and occasionally funny.Not every episode hits the mark, but even a "bad" episode of Mad Men is better than a lot of shows on TV today. Try this link for Download Mad Men Free

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Henderstock — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 15:51:03 -0000

Ã¢â‚¬Å“'Stoned on martinis' doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t seem like whitebread 1960 executive dialogue to me, perhaps IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m wrong."

"I believe you are wrong. Anyone out there old enough to know for sure?"

I was in college during the time in question, but did flirt with majoring in advertising, since that was the only way a slightly creative, artistic person could succeed in those days--or so I thought.

"Stoned" was occasionally used as a synonym for drunk, but mainly among the unhip and non-drugwise, so it probably fits here.

My wife and I caught two other possible anachronisms: (1) to hit on, i.e., to make a sexual pass at; and (2)reference to a "play group". I don't recall play being so organized by parents then, but I went to a public school in the midwest, so what do I know?

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Tom K. — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 11:35:13 -0000

*Hitler youth indeed. Cartoons, they are.*

Thanks for the insight, Yoda.

*Ã¢â‚¬Å“Stoned on martinisÃ¢â‚¬Â doesnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t seem like whitebread 1960 executive dialogue to me, perhaps IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢m wrong.*

I believe you are wrong. Anyone out there old enough to know for sure?

* * *

I enjoyed both episodes. Doesn't quite strike me as true-to-life, more as satire disguised as true-to-life. But then, I thought that of the Sopranos, too.

What I like best is: (i) the overdue de-mythologizing of the "Greatest Generation" and (ii) the even more overdue de-mythologizing of US society in the late 50s-early 60s. Conservatives, in particular, are guilty of suggesting people were so much better then. That always struck me as wrong: folks don't change that much, and someone was responsible for raising all those Boomer brats.

BTW, I t

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

blue girl — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:30:28 -0000

This show is live blogging gold, TW. It's got it all -- everything you could ever want to rip to shreds, yet you can't stop watching.

Gold, Jerry, gold!

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Jason Chervokas — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:24:24 -0000

There is no story, BG, that's the problem. Wolcott nailed it perfectly, period detail, social mores, and checklist of references have been left to do all the heavy lifting.

And BG nailed it too--except I think the problem isn't just that the writers don't write women the way women think, speak, react, they don't write men that way either.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

blue girl — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:23:34 -0000

Thank you, TW.

No way is he being portrayed accurately. No way! I've worked with millions - millions! of copywriters and none have ever been that smooth.

In your dreams, fellas!

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Dan Leo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:22:26 -0000

Nah, Blue, the gay dude was another guy, and yeah, I think the other dude is a copywriter. Although I don't know who's gayer, the gay dude or that sweater chick.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Tom Watson — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:20:05 -0000

Straight copywriter - the "nice guy" of the bunch.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

blue girl — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:18:51 -0000

Somebody help! Was the dork who kissed the girl a copywriter? Was he the gay one?

I need to put him into context in my mind.

What's his story?!

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

blue girl — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:17:38 -0000

Yeah, Dan...but I get the feeling that the men are being portrayed the way men imagine and dream what men were. Not how they actually were.

You might have one or two slick guys, but I imagine most weren't so slick.

But, again, I saw little of the show.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Tom Watson — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:17:10 -0000

Yeah, I was thinking about Revolutionary Road tonight. The whole too much happiness and suburban emptiness thing...this was no Yatesian tale though, as yet. There seems to be no discernable plot (well, except for Nixon).

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Dan Leo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:12:22 -0000

Y'know, the thing is Blue and Mrs Peel, you're gonna see these attitudes in any movie or TV show from 1960 on back, not to mention the stories of John Cheever and books like Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, etc. So, yeah, I think it really was like that back then. I think it's still like that in about half the country. Life sucked in many ways if you were a woman back then, and it sucked a hell of a lot more if you were not white.

Of course life still sucks now but in different ways.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

sluggo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:10:27 -0000

what sweater?

and now I know why my Dad was a Gillette man. When he died he had 6 or 8 large cans of Right Guard in the linen closet. He always an early adopter.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

blue girl — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:10:13 -0000

I mean, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s New York in 1960. Show us that, donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t tell us that

They can't afford location shots. They're cigarette budget is too huge!

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

blue girl — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:09:00 -0000

I missed this part...

You know the guy who took the secretary on a tour and then kissed her later in the office?

What is he? A copywriter?

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Tom Watson — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:05:57 -0000

Yes, it's so damned nice to look at I'll give it another shot, at least. And invite you all back of course. But BG is right, it's aggravating, and not just for the sexism - it's too closed in, not enough of a sense of what's going on. I mean, it's New York in 1960. Show us that, don't tell us that (Jason's right about the gratuitous pop references - like a checklist). Put it into a greater context. The Sopranos did that.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Chuck Tryon — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:03:55 -0000

I was thinking that th sexism feels like a Neil LaBute movie without the profanity.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

blue girl — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:02:06 -0000

I didn't see much of the show cuz of my stupid computer problems, but from what I did see -- it is beautiful, but it's so aggravating. To me, it's so forced. Was it really like that back then?

I agree with M.A. that it's not charming at all. It makes me uncomfortable. Makes me kind of feel like I might have killed my husband in his sleep if I at that age and in that position back then.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

James Wolcott — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:01:29 -0000

Not to be a stuffy traditionalist and all, but I find myself missing a discernible storyline; instead, the social mores of the period are doing the heavy lifting, which is no way to advance a narrative. But it's nice to watch a show where none of the characters are tattooed--absence of ink gives the skintones an even golden gleam.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Tom Watson — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:00:14 -0000

Someone will need to die - and soon.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Dan Leo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:59:47 -0000

What women want, Don, is to get what they want without having to ask for it.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

blue girl — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:59:19 -0000

The redhead in the office? Her sweater was rather, um, tight.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

Chuck Tryon — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:58:50 -0000

Sluggo, it looks lik at least six episodes according to IMDB.

Re: Live-Blogging Mad Men - Darren Stevens or Cary Grant?

sluggo — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 22:55:51 -0000

How many episodes are we guaranteed of this? Lots of threads tugged loose so far, and I'm looking for more beats and jazz and Castro and, oh there was the bomb just now. We have pictures in my mum's attic that could be from these sets.

Single malt tonight, a few rocks only cause its hot.