"Madmen" and the Bills

[bbb]

My wife likes it so I watch it. And I was in the advertising business in the mid to late 60s and know a bit about the culture. It's a caricature and not a particularly good one. And, like it or not, it's essentially a chick show ("Look how piggish those Neanderthal men are, and how wonderful those feisty women are"): Men Bad, Women Good.

 

I watch some other chick shows with my wife and even like some of them quite a bit (Nurse Jackie, Damages), so that's not my objection. I find it gets the "tone" of the times wrong, as well as what it was really like in advertising at that time. I think it's poorly written and that most of the actors are dreadful, community theater talents.

 

As to Jersey Shore, Survivor, Bachelor and all the rest of that garbage, well, the morons have to be entertained too. Why resent it?

 

 

It's a chick show that I hear about on every guy podcast I listen to - Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Jason Whitlock, etc..........Then what shows should a real man be watching these days? What do you think is well written if you think this isn't?

[birdog1960]

Are you sure that it wasn't you sitting at the table and your kids were in the living room? Just joking, my parents had the 8 track turned up so I couldn't remember the conversations...............

i wouldn't be surprised if that's the way the seating arrangement works now in many households. if so, it's a loss to all concerned.

[A tisker a Tasker]

A chick show? Poorly written? Poorly acted?

I don't think its any of those things. Not even close.

 

Name another show where so much is communicated to the viewer without the actor speaking. I can't think of one.

 

For the record, my wife finds the show incredibly boring. Its pretty much the one show I have to myself.

 

I think Peggy is more like George Wilson - Overachiever who was brought in to do one job and ended up being fantastic at another.

[stony]

My wife likes it so I watch it. And I was in the advertising business in the mid to late 60s and know a bit about the culture. It's a caricature and not a particularly good one. And, like it or not, it's essentially a chick show ("Look how piggish those Neanderthal men are, and how wonderful those feisty women are"): Men Bad, Women Good.

 

I watch some other chick shows with my wife and even like some of them quite a bit (Nurse Jackie, Damages), so that's not my objection. I find it gets the "tone" of the times wrong, as well as what it was really like in advertising at that time. I think it's poorly written and that most of the actors are dreadful, community theater talents.

 

As to Jersey Shore, Survivor, Bachelor and all the rest of that garbage, well, the morons have to be entertained too. Why resent it?

 

Well, the show began in the early 60s, as Kennedy was killed during last season and they're in season 4 already. I wasn't around then, but the early sixties are more closely aligned with the conservatism/conformity of the 50s. I think the show conveys that image very well, despite the tendency (as you point out) to stereotype certain elements of the time period. I couldn’t disagree more with your assessment of the writing for the show, and the Emmy’s the show won last week would seemingly agree with me. Also, Jon Hamm won an Emmy too for Don Draper.

[bbb]

A chick show? Poorly written? Poorly acted?

I don't think its any of those things. Not even close.

 

Name another show where so much is communicated to the viewer without the actor speaking. I can't think of one.

 

For the record, my wife finds the show incredibly boring. Its pretty much the one show I have to myself.

 

I think Peggy is more like George Wilson - Overachiever who was brought in to do one job and ended up being fantastic at another.

 

He says this:

 

And, like it or not, it's essentially a chick show ("Look how piggish those Neanderthal men are, and how wonderful those feisty women are"): Men Bad, Women Good.

 

I don't think anybody is portrayed as wonderful in the show. They all have major flaws - male and female.

[yungmack]

It's a chick show that I hear about on every guy podcast I listen to - Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Jason Whitlock, etc..........Then what shows should a real man be watching these days? What do you think is well written if you think this isn't?

You want to know what a real man watches? A real man watches Bills games and doesn't break down crying. He is permitted to lovingly fondle a pistol. But no sobbing.

 

I tend to watch science, history and documentary programs more than dramas. But among the tv shows I think are well-written, off the top of my head I'd include Breaking Bad, Fringe, Dexter, and Damages. LIFE was a show NBC canceled when it moved Leno to 10 PM that had excellent writing. And I think the writing on Seinfeld was genius level.

[John Cocktosten]

My wife likes it so I watch it. And I was in the advertising business in the mid to late 60s and know a bit about the culture. It's a caricature and not a particularly good one. And, like it or not, it's essentially a chick show ("Look how piggish those Neanderthal men are, and how wonderful those feisty women are"): Men Bad, Women Good.

Whether it's a good representation of the Ad bizz or not, it certainly represents the "country club" culture that goes on in big business. I see it every time that we have a national sales meeting. Actually at our last meeting during the awards ceremony a big shot commented on stage how nice the resort was and how great the food was. He then went on to point out that it didn't matter to a certain female on his team because "she doesn't eat anyway!" Now I'm not overly sensitive, but imagine if she got up there and called him fat? It's a man's world!

 

As far as the woman of the show, you must have not been paying attention this season because they're featuring Peggy insecurities, Joan's jealously and Betsy's entitled/childish attitude. Not very flattering if you ask me.

 

I'm right with you there on Breaking Bad and Dexter. Oh and I've been catching reruns of the Wire, holy sh*t is that show great!

[bbb]

You want to know what a real man watches? A real man watches Bills games and doesn't break down crying. He is permitted to lovingly fondle a pistol. But no sobbing.

 

I tend to watch science, history and documentary programs more than dramas. But among the tv shows I think are well-written, off the top of my head I'd include Breaking Bad, Fringe, Dexter, and Damages. LIFE was a show NBC canceled when it moved Leno to 10 PM that had excellent writing. And I think the writing on Seinfeld was genius level.

 

I have heard Breaking Bad is excellent.

 

I think if you worked in any industry and they made a show about it, you would have a lot to quibble about. This was actually in the Buffalo News today, written by Liz Smith. Sounds like her friend, Mary, is like you, not high on the reality part of it. But, I really like what Liz says about the dramas outstripping that:

 

I just love all the adulation for this TV show, because I am still convinced that I was the first popular columnist ever to write about it and to urge people to “wait for it” to debut back in 2007.

 

I remember alerting my perspicacious friend, Mary Wells Lawrence, who became an ad heroine by breaking the glass ceiling for women back in the 1960s.

 

Even though Mary came to look on “Mad Men” with a jaundiced eye and has found many a fault with it, I am proud that I saw something unusual in this show. Its compelling and sometimes mysterious dramas have outstripped whether the show reflects the exact and actual Madison Avenue rituals of the late ’50s and early ’60s.

[Thurman#1]

You want to know what a real man watches? A real man watches Bills games and doesn't break down crying. He is permitted to lovingly fondle a pistol. But no sobbing.

 

I tend to watch science, history and documentary programs more than dramas. But among the tv shows I think are well-written, off the top of my head I'd include Breaking Bad, Fringe, Dexter, and Damages. LIFE was a show NBC canceled when it moved Leno to 10 PM that had excellent writing. And I think the writing on Seinfeld was genius level.

 

 

 

Dexter's a chick show. All that stuff with his sister, his wife and LaGuerta. Especially the wife. Come on. Great show, but it's for chicks.

 

Whether it's a good representation of the Ad bizz or not, it certainly represents the "country club" culture that goes on in big business. I see it every time that we have a national sales meeting. Actually at our last meeting during the awards ceremony a big shot commented on stage how nice the resort was and how great the food was. He then went on to point out that it didn't matter to a certain female on his team because "she doesn't eat anyway!" Now I'm not overly sensitive, but imagine if she got up there and called him fat? It's a man's world!

 

As far as the woman of the show, you must have not been paying attention this season because they're featuring Peggy insecurities, Joan's jealously and Betsy's entitled/childish attitude. Not very flattering if you ask me.

 

I'm right with you there on Breaking Bad and Dexter. Oh and I've been catching reruns of the Wire, holy sh*t is that show great!

 

 

 

The Wire. Oh, yeah. And Battlestar Galactica.

[yungmack]

 

 

I'm right with you there on Breaking Bad and Dexter. Oh and I've been catching reruns of the Wire, holy sh*t is that show great!

And The Wire is based on the newspaper reporting of the same guy whose writing inspired Homicide: Life on the Street that was produced by Buffalo guy Tom Catalano. Which reminds me of another well-written show produced and written by a Buffalo guy (David Milch): Deadwood.

[Buftex]

My wife likes it so I watch it. And I was in the advertising business in the mid to late 60s and know a bit about the culture. It's a caricature and not a particularly good one. And, like it or not, it's essentially a chick show ("Look how piggish those Neanderthal men are, and how wonderful those feisty women are"): Men Bad, Women Good.

 

I watch some other chick shows with my wife and even like some of them quite a bit (Nurse Jackie, Damages), so that's not my objection. I find it gets the "tone" of the times wrong, as well as what it was really like in advertising at that time. I think it's poorly written and that most of the actors are dreadful, community theater talents.

 

As to Jersey Shore, Survivor, Bachelor and all the rest of that garbage, well, the morons have to be entertained too. Why resent it?

 

 

 

Freddy Runsonm is that you? If this is what you get out of watching the show, you either don't watch very closely, or are as perceptive as a child.

Edited September 16, 2010 by Buftex