Delicious. I still have two hours to way for episode 10, and I'm already dying to see episode 11. I love these teasers.

AUTHOR: THE CLASSIEST , SLICK SHOW ON T.V. I HOPE AMERICA PICKS UP ON THIS ONE. EACH CHARACTER IS A CLASSI
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DATE: 09/27/2007 11:23:55 PM

Funny how Peggy always seems to be bailing them out when they can't come up with creative

And Pete says not to use her

Love this show! A friend told me about it and I am addicted as are all my friends. Wonderfully talented cast. Please, keep this one going. A winner!

This is just incredible; can't wait until next week...wit, sophistication, elegance best TV since Playhouse 90...

LMAO! "Sure, I'll just sit here and watch the door; that's all I'll do." (Or, in modern parlance, "Suck it, Campbell.")

LMAO! "Sure, I'll just sit here and watch the door; that's all I'll do." (Or, in modern parlance, "Suck it, Campbell.")

Best show in years. So smart, and intelligent writing. I worked in advertising since early 70's, and can relate. You nailed the nuances of the 60's from the styling to the behavior. All I can say is wow.

If you're interested, we'd love to have you:

http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/MadMenAMC

Ok, I'll say it, "Hmm, the plot thickens":) This show just gets better and better. Clearly, gaining the weight has led the men to notice Peggy has a brain. Pete, well he's an idiot. I wish we could get more background on his secretary. She seems like she doesn't take crap from him. Don up for a promotion? Is there trouble with Roger? So many questions. I'll be sure to tune in next time.

oh dear you can definetely see the weight gain in this episode. I think peggy has a bun in the oven, I wonder if it comes out this episode, in the preview she looks upset about something.

In my one half a century + in years, while watching first tv drama series other than westerns as a kid. Read ages of actors in series and was shocked to see that most are half my age! The true mark of an awesome experience when you are transported back to 1960 and not aware of the time warp. One of the actors was born on my 21st birthday (5/3/78) and while watching the dynamics of the character interaction play out I was certain they were my parents age! Wonderful series, best thing to happen to AMC since Bob Dorian, Nick Clooney and NO COMMERCIALS!!!!!!!! Back in the "Good Ole Days".

Jan W

I absolutely love this show!!!! I already dread the end of the season. Please, please - confirm it will be back next year!!

It is a little thing, but they have really done their homework. I know that Dr. Scholl's was connected to Chicago at that time.The attention to detail continues to impress me. It also reminds me that we have left behind some terrible habits while some things never change. Great work!

They've been picked up for next season - confirmed.

As for 1962, wow what a year! Everything from the Cuban missile crisis to the death of Marilyn Monroe. James Meredith enrolling at the University of Mississippi with the assistance of federal marshals, John Glenn in orbit, Telstar and the first transatlantic boradcasts, Johnny Carson becomes host of the Tonight show, the Second Vatican Council, Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall, West Side Story and Moon River, To Kill a Mockingbird, Dr. No and Lawrence of Arabia, invention of the audiocassette and silicone implants (can you hear the guys?), the U.N. resolution condemning apartheid, Andy Warhol's Campbell's soup can art, the Dick Van Dyke Show, muscle cars, Beach Boys Surfin' Surfari/409, the first Wal-Mart and K-Mart stores open, the Lear Jet is introduced, General Hospital and The Jetsons debut....

What a year!

If the writers are reading this:

Please, please give more attention to the women's make-up. For any woman who wore make-up before it went "all day" or water proof, fear would strike if there was humidity, tears, rain etc...and women touched up their make-up often! Why oh why aren't these little nuances shown?

How come when Joan was tearing up her tears were not gray? Her mascara would be down her face.

No woman in her right mind would be w/ out a hanky at that moment!

This may seem small, but it isn't.

Please show realism with the make-up like you did w/ the size of the apples.

It matters.

reply to Shannon--in that scene in the office Joan's makeup appeared to be lighter (as in it mostly wore off during that heavy action with the businessman.)Also she may have skipped the mascara on her lower lashes (the old prescription for not having raccoon eyes). If she were wearing a lot of face makeup, the tears would have run a river through the powder.

wonder why cooper's taking don in for a private meeting ... maybe to tell him to stop banging the clients?

Pete! He is such a bastard. I love it.

"Who the hell do you think youré talking to" Heh.

Maybe Sterling doesn´t come back for a while and Don have to take over.

Did anyone see the sneak peek for episode 11 that aired at the end of episode 10 last night? It featured Don and Rachel in bed together, with Rachel saying something along the lines of "I keep thinking of us being together," and Don replies, "We ARE together." Uh-oh. It's starting already! Rachel is envisioning a happy future with Don, who is already spouting the same lines he used with Midge! This guy is not in it to find a new wife. Also, was it dramatic foreshadowing that Rachel's sister tells her about the movie where the married man kills his pregnant mistress?

Peggy is totally pregnant.

Boring! Boring! Boring!

This show really needs electroshock treatment to bring it to life.

I keep waiting for something to happen. The charaters are so one dimentional and their dialog is so simple. Even the sex scenes are scripted into boredom.

The whole cast and crew should be force-fed Prozac! Let's get this piece of crap moving or dump it!

Feel free to move on, "bored to death."

I think "Peggy is so pregnant" is the new "Don is so Jewish". He wasn't, and she isn't. Way too obvious red herring. She's just gettng heavy and it's the producers toying with the audience. Besides, the way they are having her gain weight doesn't look like a pregnant woman to me. Been there twice. The baby isn't in your rear.

Totally in agreement with Carocat! Peggy's not pregnant. In episode 11, she has obviously gained weight in the face and jowl area, too (the magic of makeup!), and generally, that's not where pregnant women gain, especially at first. And I agree that she's gained weight in the hips and butt, whereas in pregnancy, it's usually right under the breastbone where you start to expand.

Totally in agreement with Carocat! Peggy's not pregnant. In episode 11, she has obviously gained weight in the face and jowl area, too (the magic of makeup!), and generally, that's not where pregnant women gain, especially at first. And I agree that she's gained weight in the hips and butt, whereas in pregnancy, it's usually right under the breastbone where you start to expand.

yeah - lots of red herrings ... shows a lot of confidence on the part of the producers to throw stuff like that in. very sopranos-like.

as for boredtodeath, the show's just not everyone's taste. but if you really look, there's some great performances and great writing here. if you can, take a look at 'babylon' and 'hobo code' for examples of the show at its best.

Love the "sneak peeks" - I am hooked!!!

Don, indicated to the twins to call 911, while Roger was having the heart attack. In 1960, there was no 911, emergencies were dialed through the operator "0".

Is the above correct or am i delusional ?

Thanks

Lane, if you go back and rewatch that scene, Don tells the twins to "Call an ambulance, and then leave". I heard it as "Call 911" the first time too, but I guess that's because it's such a common phrase too.

For Lane, your comment about 911 made me check my video tape of Thursday's episode, and what Don actually said to the twin sisters was, "Call an ambulance and then leave." so they probably did dial the Operator for help. Can't wait for the DVD!

You can only carry the suspense so far. In the last episode, we learned the Don/Dick thing was probably nothing more than Don/Dick wanting to cover up his past (I don't think he assumed someone else's identity, I think he just made one up for himself to further distance himself from his unsavory past). But really, when is it going to be announced that Peggy is pregnant with Pete's baby? Or is she just binge eating? As for Pete, he is a totally unappealing person and I cannot imagine what Peggy ever saw in him. Draper's answer to everything is to have sex - and with numerous partners! His wife Betty is either the most clueless person on earth (she is certainly one of the most child-like), or she is practicing denial to the hilt! It's a wonder Don doesn't have a new case of VD every week! Robert Morse has really aged (as we all have). I remember him in "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and "That's Life," and I did not even recognize him at first in "Mad Men." His appearance and voice have changed dramatically! Are we going to discover that Joan Holloway is bisexual? Seems a possibility given her roommate's admission. Roger Sterling is just way too kinky for my taste! I find his character disturbing. Draper's just one dimensional (it's all about sex) but Sterling is just plain weird.

And to all who claim that Don told the twins in Episode 10 to "Call 911 and then leave," That IS NOT WHAT HE SAID! He said: Call an ambulance and then leave." I don't know how anyone could have heard the "911" reference. Everyone is always looking for errors in this show that don't relate to the 1960s time frame, and I suspect some of you mishear and don't pay attention, or you get so nit-picky that you search for things at which to finger-point. Anyway, the dialog was factual for the times in this episode.

Real Deal: Well you obviously don't read or pay attention to the previous posts, because that was already pointed out. ;)

A few weeks ago I remember thinking, "I hope they can keep up this quality of writing" - instead of them keeping it up, I find that it has just gotten better and better. I LOVED episode 10!!! I haven't gotten this hooked on a TV show in a long time. I totally disagree with a minority of posters who find characters one-dimensional, I find they all have great range and that adds to the unpredictability of the show. The acting is also first-rate even the bit parts are played with great skill.

One really picky timeperiod question I had (not yet born in 1960 myself) was when Roger was on his hospital bed and was questioning his behavior in life he asked "what's that about"? - it's a basic question using simple words, yes, but also a question asked with Roger using the same inflections that I find to be part of our popular culture now, you could easily imagine Jon Stewart asking that question, was it common like that back in 1960? I kind of doubt it...

Yes, Roger's "what's that about?" line is a contemporary LA thing that has infiltrated the rest of the country, but was NOT used in the 60s or 70s or even 80s. These occasional but very dumb and glaring verbal missteps are like, SO totally, awesomely annoying.

Dear Bored to Death,

Go watch Desperate Housewives. I love the pace of this series.

Up yours to the person who is so TOTALLY upset (and didn't bother signing their name to their post) that I pointed out the fact that one of Draper's lines was spoken correctly. Oh great omnipotent one please forgive my TERRIBLE indiscretion of posting something that apparently someone else had PREVIOUSLY pointed out. I must have missed their post but I don't see anywhere on this site that it says we must be PERFECT and READ EVERY post before posting our own opinions. So again, whomever you are, chill, as this is ONLY a television show, and this board is meant to be fun, it's not a TEST to see who makes a mistake, makes a typo, or annoys YOU!

Dear The Real Deal: Please get over yourself

I worked for McGraw-Hill Book Company in the 1960s. Mad Men captures the corporate world of that era and its culture and values in a stunning, precise way. Every totally accurate detail triggers a flood of memories that I had forgotten. I cannot say enough good things about the writers. It is pretty amazing to me to see these perfect actors capturing a time they couldn't possibly remember.

The expense account fueled alcohol culture reminds me of sales/editorial meetings when they would wheel in a cart of mixed drinks, bloody Marys and screw drivers, during the morning break.

At 4:30 p.m., there would be an open bar before everyone went out for dinner and drinks. You had to pace yourself because it was against the unwritten rules to appear drunk. I could never figure out how the Don Draper guys had climbed the pyramid but I did know they talked in a coded cool and were really competitive with each other. Don Draper and Tony Soprano have nothing in common on the surface and everything in common inside their heads.

Johnny Hughes, author of the upcoming novel Texas Poker Wisdom.

Everything about this show is so real,as I was about the same age as Peggy,in 1960,and I remember it all, the sexual harrassment,the smokers cough inthe am,which I am paying for now,with my Copd.(Chronic obdtructive pulmonary disease) The boredom with home and kids after working in offices, It is like a flashback,and I a love it,cause I lived it.

I watched the pre-view of Peggy. In the last episode, instead of losing the Dr. Shoals account, it should have been a different company. When Peggy comes in after Don throws all the stuff off his desk

he should have said: "Peggy you can stop eating all those Hostess Twinkies....we lost the account." Peggy Rocks!

Pete's trouble with Peggy is twofold:

First, she's not the type to just go into his office for a quickie. Instead she challenges him about their relationship.

Second, the other guys like Don and Freddy Rumsen are bringing her into the creative mix, making her a possible competitor, not just a secretary. Pete, sensitive to such things, suspects that she might become an (gasp!) account exec. Possibly replace him even though one of the guys said, "You're not going to get fired." Pete thinks that given more experience, Don wouldn't hesitate to move Peggy up.

What that guy who makes the comment didn't know was that he has already been fired by S-C once and that was the worst day of his life. So far.

By the way, the way he was "rehired". I about died laughing. Roger came back on Pete like a fraternity president to tell him how Don had put himself on the line to keep Pete. Total bull**** but effective.

Pete has to know Roger wants him gone and that Don has less than complete trust in hi abilities. He also has to suspect in the back of his mind that the only reason he has this job is because of his family connections.

His fraternity experience was also less than the best despite his recounting of the mascot's funeral. The "Hump the camel Campbell" recognition by Matheson at the department store indicates how he was perceived by his frat brothers.

To: Bored to Death

Somebody said: Those who are continually claiming bordeom are usually the boring themselves.

"Some of my mother's friends -- all housewives -- seemed cartoonishly seductive, like that was what they were thinking about all the time. I also remember the same polished manner of dressing, the girdles (believe it or not, high school girl were encouraged to wear girdles as a kind of date-night chastity belt even in the early 60's). Hair always done, dresses and lots of makeup, heels, big chunky jewelry and French perfume, pretty much all the time -- very similar to what we see on Mad Men. Lots of flirtations going on with the married people too -- I'd eavesdrop on my parents' cocktail parties. The women would look as seductive as possible, just to go to the neighbor's house! Of course they didn't get out much, stuck at home with the kids all day. And all of that hair-doing and dressing took a ridiculous amount of time."

===========

I can relate -- I was a kid in the '60s and my parents partied on weekends, mostly in each other's unfinished basements, but man, they dressed to the nines for those parties. Beehives, "shift" dresses, mostly in satins, high heels, big clip earrings, stockings with garters, and always gloves when you went out. My little sister and I had to dress up to go shopping downtown, with our patent leather mary jane shoes and muffs in the winter time.

So I wonder: It seems that at the onset of the Women's Lib movement is when women threw all sense of decorum and class and dignity out the window. First it was the hippie movement with the torn clothing, bare feet, beads and tie-die, on through the 70's, 80's, 90s and now the new millenium with our tattoos, nose rings, piercings, and thongs peeking up over our waist-bands. Women have left nothing to a man's imagination and wonder why we're treated so disrespectfully. In the 60's it was "Queen for a Day" and the Dave Garroway show. Today's women are shown on Jerry Springer and Girls Gone Wild. Yep -- we've come a long way baby!

I think Draper and Cooper are going into Sterling's office to discuss Draper replacing Sterling. Sterling will die by the last episode. He's always been credited as a special guest.

In response to pandora and carocat, peggy is pregnant. In this preview Rachel's sister mentions how the mistress gets pregnant by a married man and is murderedthis seems to be forshadowing of some kind.

I agree. The dress she is wearing and the loose fitting coat is obviously hiding the bulge in her stomach.

I agree. The dress she is wearing and the loose fitting coat is obviously hiding the bulge in her stomach.

To Anyone Bored re Mad Men,

"Boredom is the inability to recognize and comprehend the subtle vibrations of the universe." Don't know who said this but I've always liked it. Boredom is a choice of ignorance.

This show isn't for the shallowest thinkers, IMO. There is more going on (due to the myriad of issues of the time period) here than in most dramatic shows. And just think: the next season will be 1962. As pointed out above, there are even more interesting possibilties afoot. How will the show approach the genesis of the Civil Rights movement? How will the advent of Drugs, the Beatles, a glimmering of hostilities in South Eastern Asia, Student Activism vs. The Grey Flannel Mind, The Medium as Message, Esalen, The Kennedy Assassination and more play into the show. Lots of stuff to anticipate. The philosophical discussions here and on other blogs re this show seem unique to the media.

To the above poster who mysteriously never signs a name...I still don't think Peggy's pregnant. The weight gain is not in the right areas. She'd be in maternity clothes by now, and it would be obvious to everyone, especially the way maternity clothes were made back then. Also, I have already posted about Rachel's sister's comment about a movie in which a married man kills his pregnant lover. Ever think that maybe that very thing could happen to Rachel, not Peggy??? Why would anything that Rachel's sister said have anything to do with Peggy, anyway?

Just recently found out last week that my cable TV provider, Comcast Verona (NJ), is switching two channels from the regular basic service to Comcast digital service on or about October 8th which will cost us extra per month to switch over. One of the channels is Court TV which I never watch, but the other is-- you guessed it--AMC TV, home of our favorite program. Maybe Mad Men is getting more popular than some of us think or could it be just a coincidence???

Mark, you thought maybe Roger asking himself "What's that about?" might have been a little "off" for 1960. Actually, that tendency toward self-examination was quickly growing in 1960. It probably took root with the post WWI "Lost Generation." And of course, the "beatniks" were already droning on and on about the meaning of life in 1960.

The movie "Alfie" came out in 1966; the refrain in its theme song was "What's it all about, Alfie?" Alfie was a life-loving, womanizer who starts to question his irresponsible behavior and the resulting lack of substance in his life (very much like Roger Sterling in the hospital). Toward the end of the movie, Alfie (1) has a health scare and (2) experiences first-hand the consequences of his promiscuity when one of his conquests has to endure an illegal, poorly performed abortion. It leaves him asking, "What's it all about?"

One last note: 1960 was a cusp year. One era was ending and another beginning. I for one was happy to see that era go. I know there have been some comments that nothing has changed since 1960, that we've actually deteriorated as a society, etc., etc. I couldn't disagree more. If you were to get into a time machine and go back to 1960 and were made to spend a year there as the person you are now, I guarantee you'd be much more appreciative of the advancements we've made since then. Do a quick Google to compare civil rights and Constitutional law in 1960 and compared to 2007.

As for the deterioration of our society, you think seeing girls' thongs is an outrage? Try living in the era where you slept on curlers and had to wear a girdle, garter belts and stockings all day long. Not fun!

Hi People,

I don't think Peggy is pregnant, but she will come up with the first customer endorsed product I lost 35 lbs and you can too idea. And it will be a big hit, and she will be forgotten about shortly after and not like being back at the desk waiting for Don to tell her what to do. Let's not forget the real star of the show is 1960.

Thanks

One thing that hasn't been evident in the show (probably because it takes place in NYC, where people commute to work on trains) is that the cars back then (1960)had HUGE fins on the back.

It'll be interesting to see how they incorporate the fashion changes next season (the change between 1960 and '62.)

Jackie Kennedy was extremely influential--pillbox hats, short jacketed suits, and bouffant hairstyles (I predict that Peggy will cut off her ponytail and adopt a teased artichoke do next season.) One fashion statement I haven't seen yet (but may next year) is the "Ben Casey blouse." I think this came out in 1961. There were two very popular medical tv shows in the early '60s--Ben Casey (starring Vince Edwards) and Dr. Kildare (starring Richard Chamberlain.) Both lead characters wore plain medical shirts that buttoned up the side rather than the front (well, actually the side of the front--asymmetrical), culminating in a stand-up collar that also sported a button or two. This style briefly became a fad for young women,including me, who wore the "Ben Casey blouse." (For some reason, there was never a "Dr. Kildare blouse.")

"Women have left nothing to a man's imagination and wonder why we're treated so disrespectfully."

Sorry, no. Even when EVERYTHING was left to the imagination men (as a group, there are individual exceptions, bless 'em) treated women disrespectfully. See most of the men of Mad Men, for example.

It's not the clothes or hair or shoes. It's attitude, openly fostered in the first half or so of the 20th century. Rosie the Riveter's contributions in WWII were appreciated during the war years but once the boys came home it was buh-bye! Women who were earning a living at something other than cooking and cleaning - and enjoying it - were patted on the head and told that now their job was to support their family with bright clothes, white teeth, and tight smile. Hello, Miltown!

Does this not sound like the women (mothers anyway) of Mad Men? "Mother's Little Helper"

What a drag it is getting old!

"Kids are different today,"

I hear ev'ry mother say

Mother needs something today to calm her down.

And though she's not really ill

There's a little yellow pill

She goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper

And it helps her on her way, gets her through her busy day.

"Things are different today,"

I hear ev'ry mother say

Cooking fresh food for a husband's just a drag.

So she buys an instant cake

And she burns her frozen steak

And goes running for the shelter of a mother's little helper

And two help her on her way, get her through her busy day.

"Doctor please, some more of these!"

Outside the door, she took four more.

"Men just aren't the same today,"

I hear ev'ry mother say

They just don't appreciate that you get tired.

They're so hard to satisfy,

You can tranquilize your mind

So go running for the shelter of a mother's little helper

And four help you through the night, help to minimize your plight.

"Life's just much too hard today,"

I hear ev'ry mother say

The pursuit of happiness just seems a bore.

And if you take more of those

You will get an overdose

No more running for the shelter of a mother's little helper

They just helped you on your way, through your busy dying day.

-- Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

"Women have left nothing to a man's imagination and wonder why we're treated so disrespectfully."

Do you think that the buttoned-up, respectably covered women of 1960 were treated respectfully? Come on, rethink that one.

Ardilla -

The big fins were gone by 1959 and in those days/socio-economic group, cars were replaced every 2-3 years.

For the others - as mentioned above, clothing didn't make the difference in men vs. women attitudes. Thank the late sixties/hippie movement/liberalization of authority and the women's movement for the change in dress and attitudes towards women respectively.

On most levels, I think women are treated more respectfully now than they were in 1960. The women back then got the niceties, but as far as meaningful respect, not much. Just two cases in point as illustrated on MM: Peggy's first day of work at SC. She was dressed so conservatively, yet every man who passed her gave her the head-to-toe once over with no concern about her seeing it. Second, the psychiatrist divulging his assessment of Betty to her husband. No respect in sight.

I'll take the results of the women's movement and the hippies' liberalization of authority, with all the bad and good thrown together any day.

Same to you 1943. Get over YOURSELF! This is NOT the place for bickering so take it elsewhere. Grow up! This is supposed to be fun NOT a forum for your pettiness.

To: 1943, it seems that everytime someone makes a mistake in typing or whatever (or shoes NOT share YOUR high and mighty opinion) you come here and try and start a fight. That is all you seem to do. Quit nit-picking and squabbling with those who do not agree with you, or who have made a typo or committed some other infraction against your senses and go elsewhere! You were NOT named the policeman of this board and your constant remarks against other posters are are irritating and uncalled for to say the least. Believe it or not everyone is entitled to their own opinion (and we forgive typos and other infractions). You lambasted one poster for mentioning something that had previously been mentioned. For heaven's sake this is a TELEVISION show and a MESSAGE board, not the National Archives! get a grip and stop taking every little thing so seriously. People DO have the right to disagree with you without you attacking every chance you get!

Guess we've exhausted our analyses of last week's epi and have another couple of days to go till the next. Thought I'd take a moment to go a little off topic here. I'm always talking about how much better off we are now than 1960, knowing full well that in some small ways we're not, but I don't want people to romanticize that "simpler" time. It wasn't simple. It was a very limiting time for women and minorities, and unfair for the men who had to shoulder the burden for the entire society on their own. Remember that MM is a highly glamorized version of mens' lives.

Anyway, my daughter asked me if there was anything I enjoyed about my salad days in 1960 and I really thought about that. Here are the things I miss about 1960. I miss communicating via a telephone with a cord or via face-to-face conversations. I did not have an electronic leash back then but somehow got business done every day. I miss people underestimating me because I was a woman operating in a man's world; much less was expected of me, and being good at my profession, I constantly enjoyed the element of surprise. I miss that 5:00 meant the end of the work day. I miss stand-alone stores (as opposed to malls and strip plazas). I loved the big department stores and the little dress shops and hat shops. I miss the boxes with handles that they put a new dress in for you to carry home. I miss having my milk and eggs delivered to my doorstep twice a week. I miss lunches at the diner, or sitting on a park bench with a bag lunch in the early days. I miss mens' hats; they were so handsome with a suit and the men took them off whenever they entered an elevator. I miss cocktail parties and going out to jazz clubs and having the doorman hail me a taxi when it was time to go. I miss smoking and drinking! Before we knew it was bad for us, there was a real bliss in meeting your friends on a Friday night and having a cigarette and a cocktail together. I miss that for most of us, 5:00 in the afternoon meant that we stopped working. I miss the days before granola bars and salads; I miss having donuts for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and meat loaf for dinner. I miss two-hour business lunches with clients; yes, we smoked and drank but we also got a lot of face-to-face business taken care of without the help of e-mail and Blackberries. I miss looking out of my office and seeing the wide-open spaces of the office floor before cubes were invented, and the social interaction that no walls afforded. I miss pre-PC conversations when you could call the shots just as you saw them and didn't worry about hurting feelings. And I miss people making offensive remarks around me, and being tough enough to take it. Most of all, I miss dancing cheek-to-cheek and feeling a man's hand on my back as he led me.

So there it is, as best I can remember--the "sweet" things about 1960.

Along the same lines as some of the above:

On Peggy's first day, Joan takes her into the ladies' room and there's a woman crying. Joan walks past the woman and Peggy asks the woman if there's anything wrong.

In a following episode, Peggy goes into the ladies' room again and there's another woman crying.

Initially I thought these women's stories would be brought out. I later realized the ladies' room was (probably still is) the only retreat where a secretary could cry after being sexually harassed in one form or another. A "lobster tail" comment could do it.

Ah, Ritt, I've been meaning to write about the crying women in the ladies room. Wasn't one of them the very brittle older marketing consultant with a German accent who advised the agency about cigarette smoking in the very early episodes? Having entered the NY ad scene in 1960, that scene reminded me of the time my boss, the Creative Director, told me, "There are two kinds of women in the workplace: bitches and cupcakes." That particular woman is the only real career woman Mad Men has yet introduced us to, and by definition, she was completely de-sexed. By the CD's definition, she'd of course fall into the bitch category.

What - Peggy pregant...didn't she get the pill at the swarmy cigarette smoking gynocologist recommended by veteran Joan?

*pregnant (spelling)

Peggy was given the script for the pill her first day. She may or may not have had it filled yet, but even if she began taking the pill that day it may not have begun working for a while.

Pete went to her apt. that very night, if I recall correctly. That would not have been enough time for the pill to work.

As for their second time together, that would have been too recent for the amount of weight she has gained. But we hardly see her eating anything.

It is possible that she is eating more as a stress reducer after work or as a statement that she does not have to follow in Joan's footsteps (which she already has with Pete, though) . . . or perhaps she is pregnant AND eating more to account for the areas of weight gain. Also . . . the pill itself could add many surprise pounds for some women and cause food cravings. I doubt this is Peggy's reason, but it did happen.

If she is pregnant, I don't think she is aware of it. I think she would come unglued. She does not have the support to handle this.

Addicted to this show is a gross understatement for me!!!

Paul and Ken in my initial observation added very little substance to the program. However, Ken's remarks about Peggy and the ensuing altercation has added a degree of substance to his character. There is something about Ken, he has rough "edges", that appear to be surfacing. Could he be from a similiar economic background as Don, without the "polish". Paul is just there!!!

Other than "Mad Men", the only series I watch is "Meerkat Manor". This does not include cable news, and tennis(women's only).

I worked as and intern for a major firm in 1963, while in school. During that period a significant number of the men(mid to late 20's/early 30's), were either talking about becoming involved with women working for clients, or picking women up in bars. I traveled my last summer with those guys-complete madness. Also, everyone smoked. I was 18, at the time and the next 3 summers were really educational-to say the least.

Noticed that I am one of the few males posting on this blog. Observations are very interesting.

I think if Peggy is pregnant Pete will certainly want her to have a abortion. Which Peggy won't have for religious reasons. Pete will go off the deep end because he has the most to lose ie. his lifestyle and wife. Big deal Don has reinvented himself. Who wouldn't with a past like that. But why tell the client you have just slept with your story?

penny321 - truly enjoyed your "retrospective" above. well said.

overall, for those on the board who remember this period first-hand, the comments seem to fall into a tone of either romanticism or of look-how-far-we've-come. your post was interesting because it was both.

in terms of mm, i think this is one of the ways the show is so much like sopranos ... we watch these people, and look at all the horrible things they do (both knowingly and unknowingly), yet we identify with them and are entertained by their stories.

to me, it feels like mobsters were replaced with the s-c crew (one crew for another), but in a very intriguing and fascinating way.

just another reason this show would work on hbo. let's hope amc backs this winner in the media.

This thread, with its mixture of nostalgia for the time period and debates about contextual accuracy in scripting and set design demonstrates the terrific job the writers and directors are doing. If this were an HBO series, I have to believe it would be garnering even more critical acclaim.

Speaking of which: any opinions as to why it is buried on such a relatively obscure network? I wonder if it was pitched to and rejected by HBO before winding up on AMC?

AMC is a genius and a wizard for pulling this off on a network of mainly rerun movies. I hope it helps their stature and I think there is room for quality programming on any channel.

If it were on HBO I think many may not be able to see it as adding a new package to cable is so costly. Now this is worth it. However, many just don't have the bucks for the next tier up the cable packages.

Thanks to AMC for allowing more to view this - and thanks for the replay directly afterward and at other times. I have to see this twice to study it.

I wish I had had this starting out my career in broadcasting and advertising even in the mid seventies. I had no idea of the male-female scenarios. Now it helps me understand a lot of what dazed me.

MAD MEN - and discussion sessions - should be required viewing for everyone before their first job. Seriously.

And, for the guys here, please keep posting. I love to hear what you're thinking about this. It is a rich experience.

BTW - Peggy is thinking that Pete "likes" her by his advances.

I think she is in for a big surprise about all that. She would not be the first to be fooled. I really hope she finds some hobby though.

AND - I sort of hesitate to even say this, but now I may understand those who step out with others. Not condone, but at least see the various "needs" or perceived needs by compartmentalizing one's self and not being truly able to be one's self with spouse. Rather than just conquering, it does seem to be reaching out for (the illusion of) closeness.

At least, getting the discussion going may help everyone become more aware of past and present. And then, the seriousness aside, these characters do really provide for a few good laughs. I sort of feel like I am actually in their board meetings or at their lunch. The long segments really help.

Penny 31 - loved your comments. I wasn't there (born 67) but from what I have heard those were in fact the good things. There is always something to miss about a prior time in history, we gain something, we lose something as time goes on.

On a general note regarding "things haven't changed at all" well that really isn't true . .there is always improvement to be made. I was recently "Whining" as he correctly put it, to my father, that things hadn't changed for women. He put me in my place. It's true, I had to quit my job as a lawyer because hours sucked, I couldn't do what the guys did as a mother, childcare ate my salary etc. Wah poor me. Yada Yada. To which my mother replied, yes that sucks and we need to do better . . .no question. But I would have loved to go to law school but Cornell (her undergrad) had a quota in the law school: 3 women. (1958)." I don't even want to know what it was for Blacks or Jews. No things aren't perfect. But they are better. There are more choices. What I love about this show is that it illuminates both what HAS changed and what HAS remained the same beautifully. (i.e. no one would get away with that sexual harassment today . . note the jury verdict in the Madison Square Garden/Isiah Thomas case yesterday).

However, I would happily wear gloves and hat every day! The fashion ROCKED!!!

There was an article in the NY times about a month ago about the decline of HBO and it said that Mark Weiner did give HBO first dibs on Mad MEn, but they passed!

Idiots.

I love Thursday nights again. Sooo looking forward to tonight!

If Peggy were pregnant (which she is not), and if she were already showing this much, it would be waaaay past the point for an abortion, even the back-alley kind of the 1960's.

In response to Penny 321: I agree completely with the 5:00 pm comment. I long for the days when it was not considered a disgrace to work 9 to 5. Another thing I think was better in the past (1960 and for a couple of decades after that) was that there was no expectation to be constantly accessible. No cell phones, no voice mail, no e-mail. When you left work for the day, you left the job behind until the next morning. No one expected you to check on your messages from home, on the week-end, or on vacation. They could reach you by phone in an emergency if you were home(as Cooper did with Joan after Roger's heart attack), but it was considered an extreme measure.

On the downside, hardly anyone had air conditioning back then, including a lot of offices.

WHAT'S THIS? Tonite's ep contains a love scene in a laundry room against a vibrating washer? This is what the DJ says on 101.1 CBS FM Oldies station in NYC

when discussing tonites TV fare. Did anyone in NYC hear this? Is anyone out there at 2:25 pm ETD.

Look at the bottom question on the scene survey on this site. It refers to an episode we haven't even seen yet: "Betty discovers the spin cycle on the washing machine". Oh, I'm tuning in tonight...for BOTH viewings.

I love this show! I hope the dvds are available soon, with lots of fun extras!

My thoughts today:

1. The spin cycle. Oooooohhh! Can't wait.

2. My kids love hearing me talk about my 70's childhood ... to them it sounds dangerous, but slapstick dangerous. We laugh about it: how little the phantom adults cared where we were, what we were doing. That was the end of the period of change that hasn't yet happened in "Mad Men". All those women -- their worlds are going to change so dramatically. Everything I remember followed those changes. The stifled neighborhood Betty lives in will eventually become the ghost town my friends and I ran around in, 15 years later. Funny.

3. Regarding progress in race relations: yes, things have changed. Not nearly enough.

4. Regarding women in the workplace: you BET things have changed. Work is the single most critical part of what I consider my independence (Thanks, Mom! I'll never forget that rant in the living room when I was 12! I was the one holding the baby at the time! You're welcome!). I only wish that more of my girlfriends did not think they have to do it all -- go to work and raise their kids -- to some Plutonic ideal of career-driven Mommy-ness that does not exist. Ladies. RELAX. Your children are fantastic -- really! -- and any of you, on her worst day, exceeds any past gold standard of motherhood, set either in our mothers' time or our grandmothers' time. You know this. Now go have a drink.

5. I love the equality with men that I enjoy. I love the way I am treated. But I think we may have gone a bit too far with the political correctness. Some jokes are just funny -- and people (of either sex) should be able to tell them in an office without fear of being fired, or at least sent to some HR class to correct the "behavior".

6. I can't believe that I plan my week around this show ...

LOVED the line in the teaser saying, "OK, I'll just sit here and watch the door. I won't do anything else." It's starting, it's slowly starting... women beginning the backlash. I wonder if she's a temp, because I can't imagine his real secretary saying that.

Did they have temps in 1960??

I was a working member of the ad field in the 80"s and 90's.

I was discriminated against. In commercial art school, women were considered "out of place". We had to wear skirts straddling the drawing benches.

I was hired, and paid half or less of what my male contemporaries were paid.

Women in higher positions were afraid to lose their jobs, or were afraid of appearing invalid if they hired women artists.

What MadMen depicts is that a lot of time has past, but the bigotry, and sexism is the same. It just isn't spoken.

cms: I think the woman who said she'd just 'watch the door' is Sniveling Pete's real secretary (not a temp).

She's not fond of him. (No one is, except Peggy.)

Remember when the guys asked her to join them for a celebratory drink, and she made an excuse to leave? Also, when Sniveling Pete was pointing the rifle at people in the office, she moved the rifle to side and tried to conduct business as usual.

She's had enough of his juvenile behavior, and it's beginning to show.

Re Boop's recounting of overt sexual discrimination and bigotry, here's the critical difference between then and now: the Sex Discrimination Law of 1975. If you or anyone in your company had taken legal action with credible proof of violations, you could have sued. Salary discrepancies are typically the easiest to prove, so I'm surprised no one in your company took action.

I'm even more surprised that the women in your company were afraid to hire other women. The EEO laws make it advantageous for companies to hire women and minorities. If a company has a poor track record, they are at high risk of being investigated. To prevent this, a lot of companies have implemented quotas, and most managers are strongly encouraged to give preference to women and minorities in their hiring practices.

I happen to believe we've traded one form of discrimination for another, but I digress.

In 1960 there were no laws on the books to protect women in the workplace.

Does anyone here think that Roger will have some kind of religious awakening? I bet that he stops drinking. I'd like to see Betty explain the broken wash machine to the "Maytag Repairman" :)

Newest hot date destination! "COME ON BABE, LETS HIT THE LAUNDROMAT"

TALK ABOUT MULTI TASKING!

There was A show on last Sunday night, don't know what it was (it starred Sally Field) a couple had sex on,or aganist the washing machine. Now Betty has discovered her washer!

Gives a whole new meaning to Desperate Housewife. This just may be the latest trend.

Can't wait.

The Washing Machine thing as been done before, I can't remember where though. I wonder if it's just Betty and Mr Maytag. Or a menage a trois with Don. Can't believe I'm typing that.

Anyway, I worked in a corporate office in the mid seventies, and even then it was a sexist, male dominated enviornment. Secretaries were called "girls", as in "Have your girl call my girl". Once I was even approached by my boss with an offer of dinner from his client. Thirty years later it dawned on me that he was pimping me lol. Also, the expectations that I always keep coffee fresh, order his lunches (and all the male executives' lunches too) when he stayed in, pick up his shoes at the repair shop during my lunch, etc etc. The sexual come ons and remarks about our appearance were so commonplace, if women thought to report them all we'd never get any work done. The show brings back so many memories of those years; the godawful typewriter, ashtrays full of cigarette butts on my desk,the drinking after work with our superiors who suddenly became our peers at the bar. Those were the days.

After five years of that, I promised myself I'd never work in a coporate setting unless I was in management. And even to this day I try and talk my teenage daughter out of even taking summer jobs doing clerical work. Too many bad memories. I cringe watching some of the scenes of Joan and Peggy and the other women being treated at work. And then I remember that was me, too.

For cms: yes there were temps in the 1960s. The original Kelly staffing agency was started in 1946 ("Kelly Girls" - later "Kelly Services" from 1966 onward.)

im HOOKED!! ...

i absolutely love this show!!

thanks :o)

If you're interested, we'd love to have you: http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/MadMenAMC/

Just saw the 11th episode. The machine that Betty stands in front of is vibrating forward..."walking!" and will not need repair. And she has a sexual day dream there. Neato!

I think Peggy is NOT pregnant. She's gained weight so that they can "make her over" in the 1962's episodes. She'll be more classy as well as slim. Her clothes heretofore are very dowdy...and that pony tail! Ugh. You'll see a much more put together gal to go along with her creativity.

Oh. This was my first posting. Forgot to tell ya all...I LOVE THIS SHOW! (guess how old I am!)

cms -

"OK, I'll just sit here and watch the door. I won't do anything else." Not really a smart thing to say to the guy that you're a secretary to. On the other hand, Joan's her boss, not Pete. He can't fire her but he can ask for another secretary.

That said, Pete's completely incapable of coming back with an intelligent response. Something on the order of, "I thought you would and that's why I'm so grateful for you being such a terrific secretary, Hildy."

Leaving his glass on her chair? Either the janitors would toss it or Hildy would. "Oh, when you put it there, I thought it was another offer for a drink. I didn't want one, so I pitched it."

Pete may learn how terribly lonely it can be when the secretarial staff turns against you.

I just saw Episode 11 last night. What do you think that smarmy little rat, Pete, will find in Don's "Personal" package from his brother? Photos, newspaper articles, suicide note, etc? Will this create a blackmail situation where Don is given the choice of recommending him as his replacement or getting his past outed? If he keeps up this behavior, Pete may be one who ends up getting killed next season, rather than a Peggy or Rachel. And I suspect there will be more than one character that will have a motive to off the miserable, thinking- bear-writing, weasel.

About that package Pete lifted from Don's desk: I don't know that he kept it, or opened it, or will use it against Don later. But as territorial as Pete was in Don's office -- entitled as he thinks he is to pretty much anything he wants -- I would not put it past him.

I don't think I've ever seen a better onscreen portrayal of the rich kid who has to work. Pete's a great character.

Last night belonged to Betty, though. Her scene with the air conditioner salesman was perfect: humid in every sense. I loved the way she mentioned the visit to Don (offhand that night, in bed); watching her enjoy the memory of his reaction was even better.

"He's very protective." Classic Betty.

When Cooper offered Don the partnership, and promised to introduce him to Ayn Rand: that was good. But if anyone's going to get introduced to a famous author on this program, it should be Betty -- and the author should be Betty Friedan.

I do not see any major character getting killed off in the near or distant future -- despite the dramatic hypothetical Rachel's sister tossed out last night. These people's lives seem impossible to me, but it's thrilling to watch how they manage all the compromises their time forced them to accept. Killing any of them would be the easy way out ... for the writers and the actors. Who'd want to watch that?

I mean, it's not TV ...

The Ayn Rand reference (Joke) was so on point for this time period. If you love this show you'd probably find her work interesting. There are some undertones of her philosophy and objectivisim throughout the script. If you don't feel like reading her work "The Fountain Head" was made into a fantastic movie. I'd recommend Atlas Shrugged if you want a real taste of her though, you won't be disappointed.

tiramisu - you said the washing machine thing had been done before, I remember it from an episode of "Mad About You", Jamie is locked in the laundry room and took a viagra? The machine kicks into spin mode and she eyes it as if she is being tested...since she can't get to Paul.

I appreciate everyone's contribution in this blog, I watch the show religiously and have no one to discuss it with! I think there isn't a character on the show who is what we might first think they are. I read in comments from one blog about the "Shoot" episode, that Don declined the job because he didn't like being controlled or manipulated. In a different one that he saw the picture of Bets and didn't want that "advertisment" disassembled. Then in a completely separate one that he wouldn't leave Sterling-Cooper because he would have to start at the bottom again, and his background might be more closely scrutinized. I think all of these reasons are true at the same time, and that is what I so richly enjoy about the show. I think to write off Mad Men because it portrays the rife chauvinism present in the work place and at home, misses the point entirely. It certainly isn't glorified or celebrated, if anything it is starkly revealed for the empty souled response it is. I don't see any one character revelling in their position, though they throw around aphorisms that they are self-satisfied, hoping that whoever they are pitching it to is buying so they can feel secure. Is anyone struck by how each character is longing for the "lie" of how wonderful their life is supposed to be, contrasted with the black and white reality of their real "life"? Mad Men is such a gift and I enjoy all the analysis!

Ah, thanks nightingale. MAY was so long ago, forgot all about it. IA with you re: Don's reasons for turning down the job. The modeling photo stirred up all things he secretly feared - his perfect Madison Ave Created family coming apart, losing control over his fate, and exposure of his life/lie.

Just when you think you have these characters figured out, the next episode comes along and challenges those conclusions. Love it.

One question...when the heck does iTunes upload the episodes? I set the timer incorrectly on my DVR and only managed to record two minutes of the episode. I really need to watch it again, soon!

"He's very protective." Classic Betty. as a viewer above points out. I think there's more to it.

Don's temper was way out of line with Betty when Roger made a pass at her. It was not her fault, but Don thought so.

I hope Don does not pop a cork. He's managing to control everything right now, but if that control slips, he could, too.

I think Adam left most of the $5K for Don. Adam wanted family, not money. the money on the desk/dresser in his room was probably to pay off whatever he owed on the room, and probably even some to cover the clean-up costs, I'd bet.

He seemed like a sweet guy. Injured and looking for what matters - family.

I still don't know why Don couldn't embrace him as an adult. guess the past was just too painful, but not Adam's fault.

I hope Pete's WIFE finds the box and makes it all right with Don.

"Ah, thanks nightingale. MAY was so long ago, forgot all about it. IA with you re: Don's reasons for turning down the job. The modeling photo stirred up all things he secretly feared - his perfect Madison Ave Created family coming apart, losing control over his fate, and exposure of his life/lie."

I agree with you both. The reasons (for Don turning down the job) are multifaceted and rarely (as in life) just about one thing.

I wanted to add that I think his seeing the photos stirred something in him about his mother the prostitute (subconsciously, perhaps). Remember when Betty told the therapist that her mother called her a prostitute for being a model? I doubt she ever shared that with Don, but there might be a subtle connection.

NOT ON ITUNES???? Missed this episode and keep getting a message that it's not on ITunes in USA. What is up with that

In response to Laurie B:

Yes, Girdles were worn daily even to school. I got my first Girdle in 6th grade! I had no need for it; it simple held up my stockings on Sunday going to church. In highschool most girls I know wore a garter belt, no girdle; things were starting to loosen up!

No one in the 50's and 60's would make a visit downtown without being dressed in Sunday best, even to go to the department store or hairdresser. No jackets, no jeans, no socks, ever!

But on the other hand I picked up my husband from a bar after a school reunion (we have one car) and stayed for one drink. I had to ask for a glass and the female bartender gave me a scowl, because all the women were slugging down their beer from the bottle. I observed the adult women in the bar. Most had on jeans and sneakers with hoodie sweatshirts. They looked sloppy and unkempt. When my daughters come to a celebration I would never expect to see them with jeans and sneakers and t-shirts and hoodies, but I have been to wedding and baby showers where the women arrive looking like they were cleaning out the garage, and I am shocked. Women today should take more care with their appearance. I think when I watch Mad Men I am realizing the absolute clothing social mores that were so stylized then and how sloppy men and women look now.

Think about it.