Long-time readers know I'm a fan of the AMC original series "MadMen" on Sunday nights. It is an intelligent, stylish look into the world of early 1960's Madison Avenue, with a compelling ensemble of characters and a meticulous eye for period detail.
That said, I'm beginning to see the seeds sown for my future alienation from the series. First and foremost, there is entirely too much psycho-babbble flahsbackery going on that tries to create in us a sense of why the main character--Don Draper--has turned out the way he has. Fact is, I couldn't care less how he got the way he is. He is interesting BECAUSE he is the way he is.
Secondly, we've got a growing story-line in which one of Draper's co-workers deals with his quite obvious homosexuality. Sorry gang, I just don't like seeing dudes making out.
Finally, there is whole "time" element. Period shows always have to struggle with the fact that time flies...Happy Days did it more poorly than most, with Ron Howard and the gang looking a lot like late 1970's TV stars by the show's ends. MASH did it well, mostly by not using time as a variable. The problem with MadMen is that things just plain stopped being as cool after JFK was killed, Viet Nam ramped up, cities began to burn, hippies began to multiply and the Civil Rights movement kicked into high gear (not saying there's anything wrong with Civil Rights). But the retro-cool of the 1950's ended in late November 1963, and I surely hope the show holds off on getting to that point as long as it can.
I understand that next season's plot line has the firm being sold to McMann and Tate so that Mad Men can morph into Bewitched.
ReplyDeleteNever watched the show. Any gratuitous nudity and drug use? I can't watch a show that has no gratuitous nudity and drug use. I really like gratuitous nudity and drug use in my escapist television viewing. However I'm not completely close minded. I will accept chronic alcoholism.
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