Don Draper Is AskMen.com's Most Influential Man of 2009
Don Draper has always held sway over Maddicts. But the extent of this fictional ad man's influence goes much, much further: To wit, the just-released results of an AskMen.com survey reveal Don Draper to be the most influential man of 2009.
"Men are seeking the stability of tradition in the masculine qualities that they imagine their fathers and grandfathers to have had," says James Bassil, AskMen's editor-in-chief. "The character of Don Draper brings all these traits together, and in doing so speaks directly to the modern man. He's a man whose time has come."
The site's fourth annual poll includes honorees from fields such as entertainment, politics and sports. Sterling Cooper's creative head nudged out sprinter Usain Bolt, President Barack Obama (last year's winner), Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and American Idol producer Simon Cowell.
To see the rest of the results and find out more about the survey, click here.
The only fictional character in the entire lineup. (Although you could say, as the AskMen editors did, that many of the personalities mentioned were a product more of their PR people than themselves.)
Quite a compliment to the abilties of Jon Hamm, Matt Weiner and the rest of the writing and production staff.
Take that, Bryan Cranston!
Yeah, take that Bryan Cranston! Don Draper is style icon that every man should emulate, and Jon Hamm keeps me awake at night!
Maddicts, please follow the link above and comment and show Don some love. He even beat out the President!
Wow! Who'd a thunk it?? A fictional character coming out on top. If the character were not so beautifully played by Jon Hamm, well, who knows. Praise to Jon, Matthew and everyone on Mad Men. I heart you!!!
Amen & ditto to all that from me!
P.S. JH/DD, you send me!
Amen and ditto to all that from me.
Ooops....thought the first one didn't post.....(famous last words, I know)
The only thing that's left missing is that pesky Best Actor Emmy, and, of course the cover of People Magazine and the bestowing of what we already know: Don Draper/Jon Hamm is the Sexiest Man Alive!
@kathiemarie - I totally agree with you.
Even though I watch Breaking Bad, I feel that any good actor can play that role.
But it takes a GREAT actor like Jon Hamm to make a fictional character soo believable that he was named "Most Influential Man of 2009". Now that's saying something.
Love the show reminds me of childhood...it may be fictional but babyboomers can relate to the characters....
I'm a huge fan of MM, with its incredibly talented cast and crew. But the fictional character Don Draper is our society's most influential man? Seriously?
Get Betty's shrink on the line - ASAP!
This poll is supposed to be fun, I suppose. But am I alone in pondering how a FICTIONAL character became considered an influential "man'? I can suspend disbelief as well as the next viewer, but really!!! On the other hand, it's a commentary on the sorry state of men and their personas these days, when we have to look up to (and lust after) a fictional character.
This poll is supposed to be fun, I suppose. But am I alone in pondering how a FICTIONAL character became considered an influential "man'? I can suspend disbelief as well as the next viewer, but really!!! On the other hand, it's a commentary on the sorry state of men and their personas these days, when we have to look up to (and lust after) a fictional character.
He's a fictional character . . . and an unpleasant one at that. Are they kidding?
I can see that most of the nays are men, possibly feeling the understandable inadequacy many of today's men would experience at being compared to a style icon like Mr. Draper, but there has been a huge influence in everything from fashion to furniture directly attributable to Mad Men and the excellent portrayal of Don Draper by Jon Hamm.
Let us not forget that Don Draper is the face of Mad Men, and unless you have been living in a cave the past two years, you would be aware of the influence the show has been.
The sloppiness of the past two decades is slowly being replaced with men actually dressing and groomimg again, and that is no small feat.
Now if some of the people that you guys think shoul be #1 instead of Don Draper could actually accomplish something, they might get my vote too.
Don Draper is exactly where he belongs - on television, where "style" trumps substance on an hourly basis.
If Don was a real person - living next door - his appeal would fade quickly and the neighborhood would tar and feather him.
Not my neighborhood!
Well, I, for one, would be borrowing a cup of sugar every day!
Oh, I see... Wisteria Lane!
:)
No, if Don were in my neighborhood, it would be Hysteria Lane!
Sorry, SCfan. Remember it's the 60's. Doling out cups of sugar is WOMAN'S work. You'd probably only see a very put-out Betty or the maid.
As for "style icon" the Draper character is simply wearing what any business man of the times would wear. Put in its perspective, Draper's suits and shirts are utterly forgettable and blend into the background -- which is what such clothing was designed to do.
I'd be sure I borrowed my cups of sugar only on the weekends....a girl can hope, you know....didn't you see 30 Rock when Dr. Drew Baird loved baking so much he apologized to Liz Lemon for smelling "like frosting"?
I can borrow my cup of sugar whenever I feel like it. I'd even bring him a home baked coffee cake. So there.
@SCfan: you're killing me! I like your determination.
That's how I felt before I watched "Wee Small Hours", now I just want to take my 12" cast iron skillet over there and apply it into the side of Don's head!
..."apply it to" I meant to say. In other words, bean him good with it.
@SCfan: Now you know how Betty feels about Don... one minute she wants to do him, the next she wants to do him in!
Yeah....I'd bash him unconscious ~~ and then when he came to, we'd have a nice homemade coffee cake.
I'd even leave him my recipe!
No one's ever accused me of being a bad neighbor! ha ha