Mad Men fans were dissecting Episode 9 ("Shoot") this week. Laary in particular was struck with the double-entendre of the episode's title, noting the scene at the end when Betty literally shoots the pigeons: "The closing scene, one of my favorite songs playing in the background, Betty in total control, with the cig hanging out of her mouth, shooting those damn pigeons who dared to harm her family. Priceless," he said, and then went on to comment, "It is one of the most compelling, most influential, most graphic scenes that I have ever seen. I have always thought that Betty was the most striking, beautiful, and sexy of all the women. This scene enforces it."

Meanwhile the forum considered the male attitudes of the era, wondering if all men styled themselves as "Masters of the Universe." Dixiegirl seemed to think so: "The writers have effectively nailed the game playing that went on back then," she wrote. "I find the opening imagery fascinating...in that it captures the soulless-ness of the men. And how they eventually fall through the cracks...into an empty space." McGillicuddy, however, wondered if there wasn't a bit of exaggeration going on there, stating that, "I would be offended, fifty years from now, if I saw a show about bankers that painted the illusion that all men were narcissists at the turn of the century," to which Dixiegirl conceded, "Well no, not ALL men / women are like the cast in MM. So hopefully 50 years from now...there would be a more inclusive group represented."

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