I don't get Mad Men

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JM Aggie08

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2006
8,413
1,007
136
I hate him even more because he's engaged to Rory Gilmore :(

alexis-bledel-vincent-kartheiser-are-engaged.jpg

Is it just me, or does it look like he's been trimming his hairline back for the show? Look closely at his scalp.
 

BudAshes

Lifer
Jul 20, 2003
13,989
3,346
146
MM is overrated for sure. The first two seasons were entertaining because of Don's mysterious past. Now that's been done with, it's just luke-warm work drama with mildly interesting happenings. I finally stopped watching 3-4 weeks ago.

Why Mad Men sucks:

1. After Draper's mysterious past was wholly revealed, there is no more backbone of the story. Similar to House, you gotta keep a main element that keeps you going. If not at least the current events need to be entertaining. It's not. Just same old crap about fighting over and with clients.

2. Why the fvck is everyone all cheating little whores? We accept Draper's cheating ways because he's a handsome protagonist? He cheats on Betty for no reason, cheats on his new wife, then on and on. Then you got this little bitch Peter who also cheats even before the marriage started. Cheat cheat cheat.

3. I do appreciate the authenticity of the show's era- social issues, drinking, smoking, discriminating, brand cameo appearances, etc. But it's all just superficial. Strip that and the cheating, the show is an empty shell.

The show is really suffering from aimless direction. You get these tidbit useless past about Don's coughing and losing virginity. How the fvck is that interesting or relevant?

Yeah just take away all the good parts of a show and it sucks, what a surprise...
 

poofyhairguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2005
14,612
318
126
I get your complaint about the loss of something unifying like Don's back story. I think that its still around though- like him seeing his dead brother everywhere. Its like Don wants to be a real person, but he is in too deep with his bullshit.

I don't mind the cheating though. It has a clear point- Peter feels he is invincible until he is not. And Don, well he tried to put that behind him but then his new wife had the gall to put something as a priority over him so he acts out rather than crush her dreams because she is good with the kids. I think the dynamic of this guy who isn't of changing with the times and is fighting back by digging deeper in past behavior is interesting. Don as a character can't grow, and so neither can anyone else in his world.

The office is a different story. I care less and less about their success. Also I don't understand why Betty is in the show anymore. She was married to Don and that is the only reason anyone gave a crap about her. She is a terrible actress who only provides comidic value when she got fat.
 

Doppel

Lifer
Feb 5, 2011
13,306
3
0
I watched S1E1 about half of it and got bored. I will get back to it I think and give it another try.

Not thrilled to see a near consensus on Breaking Bad vs Mad Men, though. BB is not by any means a fast paced series. I'm nearly done what is on Netflix and it's good, but damn is it ever slow.

NFS4 I think made the OP's point inadvertently when it said it takes two seasons (ie. dozens of hours) to work up to something good.
 

desura

Diamond Member
Mar 22, 2013
4,627
129
101
3. I do appreciate the authenticity of the show's era- social issues, drinking, smoking, discriminating, brand cameo appearances, etc. But it's all just superficial. Strip that and the cheating, the show is an empty shell.

The show is really suffering from aimless direction. You get these tidbit useless past about Don's coughing and losing virginity. How the fvck is that interesting or relevant?

It's because, as I said in an earlier post, there are NO ADS in the show that is about the Madison Avenue ad executives. That is what should have been the heart of the show, but they never even tried to present the amazing old advertisements. Instead, off the bat, it is a Stepford wives treatise which depicts the era as being all about the mistreated women.

Not that it shouldn't be an element. The real Madison Ave. men were womanizers, etc.

but they also came up with brilliant ads. Where are the ads?