"Mad Men"

[WILD1]

Has anyone esle been catching the new series on AMC about ad executives of the 50's/60's called "Mad Men"? I think I've seen most of the episodes and enjoy them but I'm shocked and amazed at what the workplace was like, (past tense, thankfully!), for women....and EVERYBODY smoked, EVERYWHERE! So glad it was all before my time.;)!

[Jeff Craddock]

Has anyone esle been catching the new series on AMC about ad executives of the 50's/60's called "Mad Men"? I think I've seen most of the episodes and enjoy them but I'm shocked and amazed at what the workplace was like, (past tense, thankfully!), for women....and EVERYBODY smoked, EVERYWHERE! So glad it was all before my time.;)!

I haven't seen it, but I still cringe to think of what things used to be like not so many years ago (70's). There was a time when I would see clients in therapy sessions and part of the prep was making sure that we BOTH had ashtrays. And there were always plenty of ashtrays on the conference table for staff meetings. No place was out of bounds for smokers, as long as there was an ashtray nearby. After quiting smoking, I remain astonished at what our offices must have smelled like. :shock:

We have come a long way....

[HOMEYCAT]

The writer was a guest on NPR yesterday and I got to hear some of the dialogue. It's the same writer as from The Sopranos.

When I was a kid in Lexington, guys talked like this all the time. Sexism in the workplace. The racism was rampant too. Everybody smoked. We had ashtrays provided in the classrooms at Xavier as late as '67 to '71.
The dialogue rang true, but I haven't seen the show.

This show , I think, is set in the late 50's....It was a very different time.

[WILD1]

I haven't seen it, but I still cringe to think of what things used to be like not so many years ago (70's). There was a time when I would see clients in therapy sessions and part of the prep was making sure that we BOTH had ashtrays. And there were always plenty of ashtrays on the conference table for staff meetings. No place was out of bounds for smokers, as long as there was an ashtray nearby. After quiting smoking, I remain astonished at what our offices must have smelled like. :shock:

We have come a long way....
Considering your profession, you'd have loved one episode, in particular. The segment featured "Don Draper's" (the main character) lovely, young wife, "Betty", who's stifled and miserable at home with two kids and an extremely unattentive, not to mention unfaithful, husband. "Betty" experiences unexplained medical issues like the temporary loss of sensation in her hands, etc. and can't find a medical diagnosis for them. "Betty" tell's "Don" that her latest doctor recommends a phychiatrist and "Don" says the ad agency employs a few and gets her a recommendation. "Don", feeling guilty, decides to meet "Betty" in the city for a nice dinner and presents her with a token piece of jewelry after her first session with the psychiatrist. The scene closes with them returning home after their romantic outing and "Don" telling "Betty" that he'll be upstairs in a moment..."Betty" heads upstairs to retire and "Don" enters his den where he calls "Betty's" psychiatrist to ask about her session and the doctor tells all. I was floored! Absolutely no respect for "Betty's" privacy, at all! It was so patronizing and disrespectful and maybe even illegal but was also probably not all that uncommon as, at that time, women had such little power and/or influence over their own lives!
There's also another episode featuring the Darper's new neighbor, a divorcee', who's insulted and ridiculed by both men and women, due to her happily unmarried status. This was a real eye-opener to me.

[baldcat]

I've seen it and its one of the best shows I've seen in a while.

As far as the smoking culture of the past.......I can remember seeing cigarrete machines in the old Corbin hospital when I was a kid.

And my grandma used to go to a doctor who smoked like the proverbial chimney. He would even come into the exam room puffing on one.

The times have indeed changed.

[UK78ALUM]

While I do enjoy the show, there is one part that truly bothers me to the point that I can't watch that part.

The opening credit animations are exactly the same as the video of the people jumping from the WTC towers. Watch the opening with this in mind next time. To be a show set in NYC, it is incredibly insensitive. Every time I see it, I think "what the hell were they thinking?"

But I must be the only one to notice, as I've seen no other objections.