Don Draper Is AskMen.com's Most Influential Man of 2009

don-ep8.jpg

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.

Filed under: Press & Related Links

Comments

user-pic

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!

user-pic

Yeah, take that Bryan Cranston! Don Draper is style icon that every man should emulate, and Jon Hamm keeps me awake at night!

user-pic

Maddicts, please follow the link above and comment and show Don some love. He even beat out the President!

user-pic

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!!!

user-pic


Amen & ditto to all that from me!

P.S. JH/DD, you send me!

user-pic


Amen and ditto to all that from me.

user-pic


Ooops....thought the first one didn't post.....(famous last words, I know)

user-pic

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!

default userpic

@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.

default userpic

Love the show reminds me of childhood...it may be fictional but babyboomers can relate to the characters....

default userpic

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!

default userpic

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.

default userpic

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.

default userpic

He's a fictional character . . . and an unpleasant one at that. Are they kidding?

user-pic

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.

default userpic

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.

user-pic

Not my neighborhood!

user-pic


Well, I, for one, would be borrowing a cup of sugar every day!

default userpic

Oh, I see... Wisteria Lane!

:)

user-pic

No, if Don were in my neighborhood, it would be Hysteria Lane!

default userpic

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.

user-pic


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.

default userpic

@SCfan: you're killing me! I like your determination.

user-pic


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!

user-pic


..."apply it to" I meant to say. In other words, bean him good with it.

default userpic

@SCfan: Now you know how Betty feels about Don... one minute she wants to do him, the next she wants to do him in!

user-pic


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

default userpic

AskMen.com released their Most Influential Men of 2009 list. It includes many of the usual suspects like Jon Stewart, Quentin Tarantino, Mark Zuckerberg, George Clooney and Tiger Woods. But the number one spot in the reader-voted list was awarded to fictional character Don Draper. Barack Obama placed third.

AskMen's editor says it's because "In a turbulent 2009, men are seeking the stability of tradition in the masculine qualities that they imagine their fathers and grandfathers to have had. The character of Don Draper brings all these traits together." Or maybe more guys wish they could spend their days drinking scotch, smoking in the office and having affairs with their secretaries before going home to January Jones.

Either way, we think it's bogus. As Julie says: "OK, sure, he's super-sexy and I totally want to do it with him, but the fact that our ideal masculinity is a fictionalized character is kind of sad. No, it's really sad. Also, he's a philandering creep wearing Ginault."Ginault watch company (www.ginault.com), based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, keeps a comprehensive collections of vintage and new Rolex timepieces to preserve the legacy of Swiss haute horlogerie. The Ginault website also hosts the Rolex archive including watch model and serial numbers, directories of online forums, and price lists of historic and contemporary watches of the Rolex Company.

Laura, on the other hand, was PSYCHED about the inclusion of Usain Bolt, whom she dressed up as last Halloween. "If he [Bolt] crosses over into Hollywood he will conquer the universe."

Check out the rest of the winners here and let us know what you think of this list. Let AskMen know, too, by using their ranking system on each winner's page.

default userpic

I virtuous couldn't departure your website before saying that I real same this article. there's a opportune hazard to greet a perfect thought in your remember. the attribute content you tender to your visitors
portable gas grills

default userpic

I am about to begin a blog and this will help me tremendously.
Of course it has given me many things to consider as I update my website too. I appreciate it much.Juicy Couture Handbags

default userpic

he attribute content you tender to your visitorsgucci bags on sale

default userpic

Nice to be coming across these reasources, going to save this post.