I totally agree! And what makes it worse is when Don puts his wife down, like in the swimsuit, telling her it was desperate! He just doesnt want other men to look but it is okay for him to do anything in a dress! And next week's episode has Jimmy Barrett hitting on Betty? So, is he because he knows about Don and Bobbi? He said something about looking at you and makes me laugh. I assume that was Bobbi he was talking about. When is Betty going to start running around? No wonder she has low self esteem with that worthless husband of hers running around on her and putting her down all the time! And Pete is just gross! Who would want him anyway? YUCK!

I thought this episode was absolutely amazing!!!! don and pete are some real characters. I think this episode was done very tastefully. Whether we like it or not these things do happen and it's not just the man's fault because as we all know it takes two to tango!!!!

Yeah, for real. I am no prude but can some of these men slow down with all the sexual activity?! Were men really cheating that much and that often? I know it is a tv show, but I think MM already has good ratings, or at least a dedicated fan base. I am overwhelmed at how much sex Don has. And that Pete Campbell....there is something wrong with him. I think he is the type of person who will just flip one day. He is just a little off. He is oddly socially inept while still being liked by his cohorts and the ladies.

Yeah, I agree about Betty's bikini. I hope that she wore/wears it anyhow. Don is the one who is desperate. I agree crnacc....Pete is gross! He reminds me of those creepy high school boys who tried to be popular but couldn't really manage it; and are some kind of sexual deviant.

lisa: you're right, it does take two to tango. These women that Don sleeps with do know that he is married. They could choose not to do these things. I always wonder why some women would do such a thing to another woman. At least concerning Bobbie Don could have refused her advances.

I think that if you take out all the sexual activity for don or pete people are going to say oh that is so fake and why won't the show portray a more realistic image for these men or women on the show. The fact that don and pete are cheating on their wives is nothing new under the sun but how much don is doing it is hilarious when does he find the time to make love to his own wife!!!! I think this is a sneak peek at what most men really do and I see it as an enlighting educating tool for women to study and to know the thoughts of a man.

Don't forget Matthew Weiner's connection with "The Sopranos". Wasn't Tony S. a murdering, adulterous, criminal that we all loved? I think Don is cut from the anti-hero cloth as Tony: we're not supposed to like what he does or how he behaves. But we are supposed to notice how this lifestyle is taking a toll on him. In the end, we should dislike Don's behavior, but have trouble disliking Don. The conclusions of this season's Episodes 5 and 6 show us Don feeling bad about being bad: he has a conscience.

In "The Sopranos" we saw that even mafioso have family lives, and in "Mad Men" we are being shown that even cut-throat, hard-drinking, womanizing Madison Avenue executives have families, secrets, and - once in a while - a conscience. In both shows we are being treated to the stereotype life we (and the characters) associate with people in these fields, but at the same time we also get to see what is happening behind the scenes in their personal lives.

Its brilliant. Please keep it coming!

it is great to hear that some things have changed,but then again some have not. as a 60's child,, the sexual ineundo was definitely right out there...but then, but don't you believe that it is actually worse now?

what about women actually going under the knife to fit a certain look? isn't that worse? Sex , (mostly naked females) is every where now....women are much more free now,,,which is a good thing...but some things don't change....like Betty's low self esteem...only nowadays it's called silicone, botox, plastic surgery....

Excuse me,,,,but "sexual activity'?? Please....

Vgrace: The way Don put's down betty in that bathing suit is absolutely so being a male shovenist pig!! He knows that she is beautiful and doesn't want another man to see that but that's just him being a man!!!

No blame for the women? Really? We know Don is a very damaged human being so that's his excuse. Pete's dad was very cold to him so maybe that's his excuse. So the women are either unable to resist any man or they are "loose". Not flattering to them either way.
The show has spent a lot of time showing why Don is like he is. If these characters weren't so dark, it would be like lots of other boring shows. The desire to watch the show is based on the fact that the situations are unlike any in most people's real lives. So if it upsets you so much, maybe you shouldn't watch. It's not worth it.

keep in mind that Don is that husband, brother, or uncle that we all have known at some point in our lives and I think it really hits home but we still love that person. I think peggy should let the cat out of the bag I wonder what would happen to her if she did in those days and times?

Joan is a total flirt if I do say so myself I wonder how many men she has slept with at the company?

*I* am not upset about the sex or the characters. This is a forum where we can openly discuss our observations of the show. So in my observation Don is becoming too predictable with all the sex. I don't want to be able to write his script for each episode but it is kind of starting to feel as though I can. I hope the writers will shake it up a bit and bring out some other facets of his personality. (And perhaps I am surprised that he can have so much sex what with all the drinking and smoking...)

I get that this is more like a soap opera and not a documentary, and I'm not complaining. I love this show. It is my favorite show on television right now.

The fact is, Betty IS desperate...for Don's or someone's attention at least. For him to disgrace her, to say something to purposefully hurt her when he's such a filanderer shows the double standard of that day.

Pete's a total jerk--that he could come over to Peggy's for a late-nighter (is that his baby? might have missed an episode) and expect something from her, but then look at her with such disapproval when she tries to force her way in to "his" world--he really seems jealous of her. And that lie about the Clearasil account. He's trying every way he can to make himself (feel) superior to her.

Don is totally the Tony Soprano type--the failed hero. We love him, want more of him, but some of the things he does come from a really dark place. In this episode he seemed to be realizing how other people see him...when his daughter applauded him on Memorial Day...when Bobbie talks about his reputation...again when his daughter utters the same words--"I won't talk." Talk about an epiphany. You could almost hear him saying "is that what people think about me?" He can't stand for anyone to think they have a line on him--maybe they're getting closer to knowing his history or his self. (remember the episodes last year with his brother showing up out of nowhere and then killing himself, Pete trying to blackmail him?).

I think Don/Dick behaved as he did because the disgust in himself was rising... His carefully built image of himself as the perfect rising, dynamic young executive is in tatters...He sees now that his philandering has made him an object of talk...And likely that is about to turn to ridicule. His pose as Lt. Don Draper, Korean war hero is not really in danger yet but his shame at seeing his daughter's admiration was palpable. He's betrayed himself..Because he does have the talent and doesn't need to pose...As well as his family and he knows it. And it looks it like next week his come-uppance is due. At the hands of none other than Jimmy Barrett.

Can't say he doesn't deserve it, to an extent...Fortunately, since it's only the Barretts, it probably won't destroy him or Betty.

Vgrace - my thoughts mirror yours regarding all the ETOH these clowns ingest during the day, then go home at night for a few more highballs and then, we are supposed to believe that they are in any condition to copulate??? I suppose, since they are on the young side (mid 30s) it's possible. After all, it is TV! Don will be outed by Cooper (recall he does know about the alias) and although he is portrayed as an aging, wacky buffoon he did not get to where he is by being a dolt. Pete is a Don-Wannabe and a smarmy skank. Every single one of these characters are living in total alienation. From their loved ones, from themselves and from their jobs. Although the all seek love not ONE of THEM knows how to handle it. They're grossly inept at relating to one another with the exception of using raucous or conversly pious approaches to life. The ETOH and TOB were the accepted accessories of the day and I remember all of this from the perspective of a a FIVE year old little girl. That is why the early 60s were entirely different from the late sixties and the young people didn't 'trust anyone over 30!"

You have it wrong. He did not punish her because she talked; he tied her up because of what she said; namely that he has a pattern of womanizing which is not how he wants to see himself. Also, for what it's worth, Pete did feel guilt when he came home, didn't you see that look he made?
I honestly don't see anybody resisting the likes of Don Draper. I have not seen such a handsome guy since early Mel Gibson; that is way pre-anti-semitic Mel Gibson. If a guy as handsome as he is is not having a lot of sex I don't know who the heck is.

Good point Sandy. They definitely were better dressed! It really was like wearing a uniform...a facade.

I just want to clarify to all that I am not in anyway saying that infidelity does not exist today. It always has and always will. I guess the issue for me is that the overall expectation/perception of the perfect loving family with a husband, wife, and 2.5 kids, was still intact then. Today we have varying notions of what marriage and families are, but then it seems as though there was one format that everyone was expected to strive for and be happy with. Yet...so many weren't. Hence the many movements that followed not only in the US, but around the world.

This all comes to you from a "spinster"--unmarried at the old age of 33! Haha! Even my own (divorced) mother told me (jokingly?) a number of years ago that it was too late for me and no man would want me now! hahaha! As if not being married was simply a sign of a lack of suitors or something being wrong with me, rather than a choice. That's my backstory. Those are they eyes through which I am viewing MM.

OK, TheRealDeal needs to relax about Don and his sex life. This is a TV SHOW, remember?

Take a couple of Valium, and wash them down with a shot of scotch. You'll feel fine!

If this TV SHOW really bothers you, change the channel, or get some counseling!

Sheesh! Don tying up a woman was hotter than HELL! It was just fun and part of his repetoire! Don's a first class freak!

Such prudes on this blog!

Don is becoming to predictable with his sex. Every time I see him around a women I try to watch his eyes and I'll say to myself well, she'll be next!!!!

All of these characters are very unique, but what puzzles me is that don't these married women even want to check up on their husbands. I mean I find it odd even in those days of no cell phones that these women are so relaxed and laid back I mean don't they even suspect something just a bit? We know Don is not having protected sex because of peggy but it is a tv show and I love every second of it!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, and to think I was feeling sorry for the dog...

I think Don and Pete are following what would be in character for them. And I'll have to say once again that Don looked extra hot tonight especially in the first bed scene with Bobbie. Did anyone catch how low the sheets came below his waist line... Yummy!
Ya', he may not want his little Betts to be out there in her hot bikini number, because he knows good and well that she will be a MILF, and he wants her to be his little angel.

Ironicly, the word is out that Don is a DILF and he can't handle it. I was hoping he wouldn't go all sour on Bobbie and we would see a little more action between the sheets, but suddenly ol' Donny boy is getting a conscience.

So everyone needs to lighten up. It's all part of the plot. He's really freakin' now and it's all very interesting...

Don does NOT want anyone to know him or talk about him. He's spent a lifetime creating a facade of perfection and does not want to be un-masked in any way.

That's why he keeps himself aloof from his colleagues and his family; he is a man caught inside the image he's created and he's deathly afraid of intimacy.

Meaningless affairs are a way to get physical intimacy which is a replacement for emotional intimacy. Rachel is the closest he's come to having an intimate relationship.

Don needs to be in control at all times or he will lose himself. He's just starting to realize that he's already lost: he has no connection with anyone, therefore no soul.

There were a lot of men like this during the time period: read "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" or any of John Cheever or John Updikes' novels.

Vgrace: There was a lot of sexual infidelity back then. People were simply better dressed at that time than in the later 60s and now, and the minute their clothes were back on, their consciences became part of the uniform.

The men of this era wanted intimate connections but they did not know how to get them. They learned how to be "Men" from their fathers: be a good provider, make the most money you can, buy the best house you can afford, drive the biggest car in the neighborhood, and have the perfect lawn -- after you married the prettiest wife. But there was no "how to manual" for them to become close to anyone -- including their wives and children. It was a lonely time and men were straight-jacketed into their roles as much as women were!

SAB has also messed up the marriage with her wackadoo behavior! She picks on her kids about weight (baby fat) and called the boy a liar because he may have traced a picture. Petty! She lies all the time to that pain in the ass neighbor Francine. She actually wanted Don to spank her son. Then she took Don's salt away!

I'm still not fathoming why this flake is so sympathetic! I feel for the workers at the country club, who had to be talked down to by snotty guests. I've sympathy for the workers in some sweatshop who made SAB's bikini. Those people have real issues and true problems. Unlike some socialite with a fat-ass house and spouse who has an apparently fat-ass d***!

I thought it was another great episode. All this sexual activity relative to Don and Pete I feel are right in line with their characters. Outside of the office, Don always seems to have that vacuous look and so it seems like this continuous parade of women and sexual contacts strikes me as his trying to feel something. About Pete...he's so insecure that it seems that these contacts are a means for him to feel that he's a man. Great great show. All of the actors and actresses are really creating fully realized portrayals of their characters. I don't know how they could be better. To the whole ensemble...keep on with your excellent work! I look forward to each episode.

It's easy to get disgusted by all the (seemingly) guilt-free cheating. I think Pete's night out though in this episode came after Peggy sort of shooed him out of her office, and feeling rejected he found an easy target to rebound with. And the look on his face when he sees Peggy at the strip place!
And the light bondage sex scene with Don and Billie? This girly found that pretty hot (and pretty funny when he walks out). We've seen Billie be soft and vulnerable, I think we're going to see her scorned and seeking vengeance...

All about madmen:

This is a messge board where we are allowed to give "our" opinion of things.

Secondly, I do not mix drinks with prescription drugs. By the way, I do not do drugs period!

If this is how you cope with such situations, you probably see yourself in alot of the characters of the show.

Don tied her up because he can't tie up his wife as they don't talk anymore and they don't talk any more as they don't have an intimate relationshp anymore because Don has completely messed up his marriage with his adultery. He has built a chasm between himself and his wife that is almost so wide he can't see her clearly and that she is a beautiful woman in the yellow bikini outfit. Women are either virgins or whores to him and every woman is seen this way, including his wife who he should be relating to.

Every time Betty looks like anything other than June Cleaver, for Pete's sake, Don acts like her father! Is it because his mother was a prostitute? Perhaps Don equates "slinky" clothing with not being proper for a good wife to wear. Don's tastes vary so much, I can hardly keep track anymore.
Midge: the loose, comfy artist look who might forget to put on underwear.
Rachel: classy dresser and not that sexy
Bobbi: floozy but can pull herself together for a meeting.
Betty: Grace Kelly at all times and not "allowed" to show too much skin.
And, dammit, how is Betty coming off as "desperate" by wearing a two-piece"?? She was being fashionable, ya dolt! Is Don jealous of Betty because HIS possession wouldn't be caught dead wearing that thing and maybe she might attract somebody better than Cheatin'/Liar Don?

It's late and I can't think of enough degrading words to call slimebag Pete, but he looked at himself in the mirror and smiled...like "Hey! I made another conquest just to prove I'm a man and I got away with it again!" Hopefully, his "viable" seed won't make the journey.
Worm, Slime, Pond Scum, SOB then comes home late and looks eerily into the mirror. Later, Don looks at himself in the mirror. Like the popular phrase asks: "How can you stand to look in the mirror every morning??"

That was life in the early 1960s. Not all men were heels but plenty were and it was easier to get away with it.

Besides, Peggy gave Pete the brush off ("I've gotta lot of work to do"). There is some justice.

Jane Seigel is a hotty. She sounds like she might be dangerous.

In that era, many men went outside their marriage to get sexual treatment that they thought would be insultng or disrespectful to their wives. The lonely girls at the office were the easiest pickings because there was no legal protection from harrassment then. It there was no office girl available, they picked up somebody at a bar, paid or otherwise. There were also a lot of sincere passionate love affairs in that era because so many young people married too young and to the wrong person -- again, looking for something outside marriage that the marriage wasn't providing. Life was just different back then and these guys are no worse or better than the real ones werel.

@jolie10: did Pete smile? I missed that.

I'm not having a hard time disliking Don these days. I don't think there's much that is redeeming about him for now, personally. He's a good provider; he used to do excellent work at the agency (have my doubts there these days); he's not abusive to his kids; he helped Peggy.

On the other hand, the fact that he's banging an older woman (Bobbie's what, 10-15 years older than him?), kind of now almost puts him in the gigolo category (a client that "supports" him by giving SC their business). I wouldn't put it past Bobbie to retaliate in business by complaining about his "unprofessionalism" to Bert Cooper if Don doesn't "put out" for Bobbie.

Don really fits the "handsome is as handsome does" saying. He ain't that handsome anymore in any way, shape or form as a human being.

Cheryl:

Well Stated.

I'm the first to admit that Don's handsomeness is the main reason his slutty behavior is given a pass! See, I like seeing a sexy man in a sexy situation! But Don's still "likeable" to me for the simple fact that he treats his kids with affection.

By that same token, many people on MBs continue to wonder how could Don cheat on "his beautiful wife?" If she were a tad homely, would his cheating be more acceptable?

It isn't just her looks Visan. At least in Season 1, she may have been vapid and intellectually unchallenging, but she was very sweet with Don, and really loved him and "wanted" him.

Mr. Can't Keep It In His Pants isn't interested in what is freely offered up to him (sex) by his own wife? Most husbands would jump on an opportunity with a wife who wanted to screw them all the time (which Betty stated - she thought about him, about "wanting" him, and "doing this" (sex) all the time). That's a turn-off? It's not like he'd be bedding a troll.

Bobbie is so mesmerizing as a conversationalist? Or Midge? Or even (don't shoot me) Rachel?

I guess I crossed over from the DD fan club after last night when I realized that he's probably slept with hundreds of women. Midge and Rachel were not anomolies. Bobbie, I couldn't quite figure out - I put it down to her aggressiveness and Don's "sadness" over losing Rachel. Now, I believe that Don's dick will take him anywhere, and no one is remotely special to him. He is his father and mother's son.

I agree with Danny S observation that "we should dislike Dons behaviour but have trouble disliking Don". I'm disliking Don's behaviour more every week, but I suppose his good looks and charm make him hard to hate. Don has turned into a sex addict. It's not being a prude, but to leave work or to leave his family at a social affair just to have sex with another woman makes him look sleazy. Also I still don't understand why Don cheats on his beautiful wife with less desirable women. Also, the comparison between Don and Tony Soprano is exactly what I was thinking about. They are very similar. I'm hoping that Betty will soon rebel against Don and give him a taste of his own medicine.

My one concession about Don is that he is so self-hating, that no amount of love from anyone will stop his behavior. He could never accept someone truly loving him because he feels so unworthy. I pity him for that, but I pity the victims of his behavior even more (Betty, kids). If I was Betty, I'd invest in alot of condoms, KY jelly, diaphragms, and penicillin to protect myself against the STDs.

And count on venereal disease like the clap or something to happen with someone that sexually active.

When I was 18 (1972), I went to Planned Parenthood. While I was there, in some other exam room, a woman just starting screaming, and screaming, and screaming. It went on for a couple of minutes. The nurse told me it was a young newly married couple, and it turned out the woman was sterile from a venereal disease. I never ever forgot that.

Don's looks are actually suffering in my eyes due to his despicable behavior. Why would he be so cruel to Betty? She wore the bikini to be attractive to him. If she had a different motive, she would have put it on after he left. That kind of psychological subterfuge is so damaging to the ego. She probably thinks that she somehow looked bad (fat) in the suit. How I hope she finds a way to make him suffer. You have to walk out on a man like that.

Not quite yet, give Betty another 5 years. The kids are just a little too young, but in 5 years they'd be teenagers.

What makes Betty's position so difficult is that she is not a working mother, and hasn't really had an opportunity to practice any kind of self-sufficiency. In reality she does - by all the alone time she has in that house, and with those kids. She just doesn't have the paycheck or day-to-day managing of her own finances experience.

Jamm...I've just had it with some of the comments that wonder about Don cheating on his "beautiful" wife. It's seems as though posters are saying if SAB was less attractive, then it's OK if he cheated. It's the internets and much of the time, comments come across incorrectly. But that's what I've gotten from comments. It all boils down to that "looks-ism" I talked about!

Also, I get why people, who figured Don had just cheated a few times (Rachel, Midge, Bobbie), but now it appears he's a complete whore, are no longer his fans. I was even stunned that he screwed around with some lady at Random House. We've only scratched the surface of his many paramours!

Rachel was even smarter than I gave her credit for! She played with fire, got burned and ran! Don't blame the woman for marrying safe Tilden Katz!!

Don is finally realizing that his sex partners are playing him and he is not the one in control.

I think Don had the look of the high school girl sleeparound. It never occurred to him that his sexual conquests just saw him as another piece of meat to brag about and compare with the other women.

Geez and what's up with the dumb blond with Pete? I guess she thought she was sleeping her way to the top.

And Petey boy doesn't like his Peggy being available for others.

Looks are important, probably more so to men that women. Betty is a beauty and Don is not very picky. A lazy man would just stay home and f*** his "beautiful" wife. Cheating isn't more acceptable if the wife is unattractive, its just more understandable. Men are visual creatures.

Rachel did the right thing. We know nothing about Tilden Katz other than that he is not as handsome as Don. He may be considerate, warm, involved, kind, supportive, sexy, loving, etc. and all the other things that a husband can be.

Visan, I can understand how you feel. It is hard to separate Betty's looks from Don's reason or not for being there. I was trying to get across that, at least in Season 1, she did love and worship Don, so what wasn't to like (plus the added benefit of her beauty).

But, as the episodes have unrolled, Betty's beauty really holds no sway for Don emotionally. As an object/possession that fits in with his perfect pictures of the ideal family/home, yes, Betty works great for Don. Emotionally/sexually, no I don't think her looks have any real impact on his "soul" at all.

And to be EOE about, neither have his other lovers' looks been the deciding factor - where they fit into his self-image/what they reflect back to him about himself does and whether they "touch" his emotions.

Remember, most of it is implied and not shown. We're really not "seeing" anything. Go back and watch "The Graduate" or even "Little Big Man" if you want to see alot of sex. It seems like it's prevalent because Don seems to be lolling around in bed with some woman or another, but his personality disintegration is kind of pivotal to each encounter.

I agree with kac, every encounter Don is looking a little more worse for wear. His face looks haggard and tired, his body looks out of shape, so........

What is so darn shocking about him tying her up? Sheesh, some women like a little adventure in the boidoir. Not every woman "puts up with "sex. Some like it and want to make it exciting. I loved this scene.... in fact, I'm going to watch it again right now.

You know when he started to do that (tie Bobbie up), the whole scene took on an aura of "servicing a client", and that it wasn't about Don satisfying himself. It felt almost businesslike, and not playful/sexual or self-fulfillment at all. It seemed "cold".

I've always heard: "There's a gorgeous woman and a man bored with f*cking her!"

OK, here I go again...
Did anyone think the whole Pete/maidenform model thing was extremely weird?

He picks her up after Duck says Pete can't have an "office dog", takes her to her place, her mother is there, mother pulls back a room curtain and makes her presence known, Petey and the model head to the couch, and we assume "do it", with the mother still behind the curtain.
That freaked me out more than Don's S&M scene!

Bobbie is not one to resist or complain about being tied to the headboard. Clearly, she was not turned off by the incident at Lutece, nor did she cry foul. And her prevailing memory of the car accident is Don's body crushing hers. Her single regret: that they didn't get to make love to the sound of crashing waves. Bobbie likes it rough. But she can give as good as she gets, in and out of the bedroom.

.....there is too much sex in this damned thing!

@Visan, I've never heard that one! Very possible Betty's not a very exciting sex partner - she tried on Valentine's Day! Have to give her credit for that - and Don goes limp at the sight of her? What's she supposed to do to remedy that? Straight or naughty, Don's not really into her.

@60's child: Pete's encounter was kind of hysterical. Like your parallel to the no dog/get model! Hey either one works. Better to violate the model than the dog (but it was a good looking dog)! Think Pete's infidelity was in response to his failure to lure Peggy into another encounter. Pete was quite the chatty Cathy, finding out if Peggy had a roommate, where she lived now, etc. The gall!

PETE: "Hey, I've blown you off for 2 years, but I need to prove my manhood again because this time my wife's infertile. Are you up for that, Peggy?"

When I had an art studio in 1974, I usually was only there during the day. My studio partner (who shared the rent with me) was dragging women up there at night all the time to sleep with him. He was 26, married, and as far as I know, was a nonstop cheater. I don't think it ever abated the whole we had the studio.

Jamm54: I agree with you. On another thread I said something similar (to you, also). Don is even more of a Lothario than we realized. Midge, Rachel, and Bobbie are the only ones we've "met." Apparently, there have been many, many others. I still think Don is gorgeous, but too much information about his promiscuity is wearing thin.

This proves my theory that Rachel did the right thing by forgetting him and marrying Tilden Katz. I agree with the above poster who said that Tilden probably has all the qualities of a good husband.

I have known men like Don -- good looking , great in bed, etc. Thank God I never married them! And I agree with the poster who said that it's very upsetting to Don to hear that he's being used as a "piece of meat" by knowing women all over town.

This episode is very dark, but it's brilliantly charting Don's ultimate destruction.

@Gail: I have to concur with you now, about Rachel. Even though she struck a chord of sorts with Don (because of his personal revelations to her), he is way, way too screwed up to ever have much to offer any woman. A life with Don would be lonely, unfulfilling, and self-destructive. He doesn't have anything to offer emotionally.

Yes, I've known quite a few men like Don, and have dated some of them. They are too tortured to be any kind of companion/partner in a relationship that will turn out to be rewarding. Their ego problems and stunted emotional make-up aren't a winning combination for creating an intimate relationship. Great for bootie call, zero for emotional intimacy/fulfillment.

I'm sure part of Don's distress over finding out that he has a "reputation" is that it objectifies him as, to quote Visan, a man-whore. He is living out his mother's profession, and his father's tendencies (f--king women outside marriage). To know he is labelled, puts him in the category of a toy for women, and rather powerless. Can't be doing much for his self-respect or self-image.

To the Real Deal,
Relax. It was just an attempt at humor to appeal to those who remember how it was.
Valium and drinking mixed together were a common way that people in the 60's used to cope. Those of us who lived through this era recall it vividly. In fact, I was a little girl about Sally's age then. My mom and her friends took valium and also amphetimines for weight loss.
Doctors often prescribed Valium for wealthy wives like Betty, not knowing the issues they were dealing with. Lots of women regularly washed it down with a cocktail or wine. I'm somewhat surprised we haven't seen more pill-popping on this show. It is, and was, a very dangerous habit.
Seriously, if this program bothers you, maybe you should pick a different show to watch. This is the way it was, honey!

Hello, all:

Don/Jon simply steals every scene he is in, even if he never says a word. I am more impressed with his acting every episode, and the intensity in his face during the encounter in bed was absolutely riveting.

@Sandy: So true! Wasn't the look on Don's face absolutely weird when Bobbie told him that he was talked about? His expression seemed like an amnesia/coma victim who just got his memory jolted and woke up.

In that one instance, I could swear I saw his facial expression/personality turn from Don Draper into Dick Whitman in one fell swoop. I almost expected him to say "Where am I? Who are you?" to Bobbie.

Yes, please relax. This is not a morality play and these characters are not hero's.
Don walks a very slim tightrope. He was balancing very well back when he had a girlfriend is Greenwich Village nobody knew about. Keeping everything a secret is Don's way. Midge and Don's professional lives never crossed paths either. Originally nobody knew anything about Draper at the office. Slowly Peggy has spilled info to Joan. When Roger and Don had the two twins together, Don did not partake, not because he is a great family man, but because Don does not expose himself at the the office.
Slowly Don is misstepping and not adhering to his own personal made up rules on infidelity. With Rachel(a client) and now Bobbie who is the manager of a client his worlds are starting to Collide. Now that Bobbie and other women are commiserating about him, he realized the Don Draper judgement is off. The image of Don Draper - the man Dick Whitman created, of a serious businessman, and devout family man is unraveling in a way he can't control. Rachel was a baby step in the wrong direction for Don Draper, and Bobbie a huge step. He will probably end up back with another outside player, or even go to prostitutes, like Sterling. Either way it will be more under the radar.

Well I think it's a foregone conclusion that we've seen the end of Bobbie -- in bed with Don anyway. She's through. Which leaves me to wonder - what next? I couldn't stand the faithful, chaste, miserable Don at the start of Season 2 And you just KNOW we're gearing up for a tryst between Betty and Art too.

@Laurie....Don was so boring acting the married monk, wasn't he? I hated that too! Fingers crossed his next mistress will be an "upgrade" from Bobbi, who did have her moments.

Hi Laurie B. I don't know...that Art doesn't seem too appealing, actually, I thought the AC man was cute, but that's me.
By the way, we probably already beat this to death, but, did you think it was strange that when the AC man came in, she didn't even try to change out of her pegnoir (sp?)set? Yet she came to her senses when he was going upstairs with her to measure the house?

@LaurieB: I don't think you've seen the end of Bobbie, or Jimmy either. They are a pretty wicked pair that obviously have worked out some kind of agreement together about what they can/can't do separately. Still some doozies on the horizon, I suspect. Don has to screw somebody - this guy can't be relying on Betty as his only outlet for sex!

Despite his very bad behavior, Don has made my M(moviestars)ILF list. He is joining Mel Gibson in Bird on a Wire and Russell Crowe in Master and Commander. Don Draper is HOT.

Don Draper is yummy! And beyond beddable!!

By the way, why doyou all call Betty SAB?

I call SAB, SAB because that's my very special nickname for her....;-)

@Viisan: oh tell it Visan, it is a good acronym!

Don's big problem is the Madonna/whore complex. He doesn't want to see "his" Betty as being overtly sexy. Which is why he couldn't keep it up for her corset/stocking outfit and didn't like the bikini. She's supposed to be wife and mother, at home, not sexy. They've probably never done anything together but missionary.

The above does not apply to any of his other "conquests." They're the other side of the coin. So when Midge jumped him, wrapping her legs around his waist, he loved it. Likewise, it probably wasn't the first time he'd used his tie to tie a woman down. Symbolically putting himself in charge of the situation. But she refused to stop talking which is why he just put on his clothes and left. Now if he'd just thought of using a gag along with his tie... :-)

That Bobbi had kids wasn't the big problem (much bigger problem for Arthur, seeing Betty's kids gathered around her), they were only names, unknown faces. It might have been the revelation that she had to be so much older than him to have kids that age. Well, that and finding out his "abilities" had been discussed with other women.

Wonder if we'll ever see the woman from Random House?

@Jamm: I'll keep 'em guessin'!! *Hee!*

@Ritt: I'm wondering the same thing about Ms. Tierney from Random House. If she does appear on the show, betcha she's a sultry brunette! ;-)

Hi Visan! Mind if I try to guess? You don't have to acknowledge if I right...
SAB = sad, angry beeeatch, sad angry Betts, sultry anglo-saxon bore, Sally and Bobby, this is fun...
Keep us guessing!!!

60's child....Any nickname I give to SAB would NEVER contain anything positive! She's the definition of "bitchassness!"

Hi Visan! I'll keep trying!!

Ritt: You just go with your bad self. Don looks at Betty as sacred, the Mother of his children--not sexy at all. The fact that she is so attractive makes the point stick out--How could he cheat on this gorgous woman? It was not a mistake that Ms. January got the role. Don doesn't go for blond, insecure. Don goes for strong, smart, confident, brunettes and they don't have to be stunners like his wife. It is similiar to women dating the "Bad Boys" and settling down with men who make better Fathers than our Don. See Rachel.

You're right about Bobbi, also. Don doesn't like his private life discussed by anybody. It is amazing that Wiener has made even New York City "a small world".

Jamm: You are right, we have not seen the end of Bobbi or her hubby. Every thing is about to blow up, blow up real good (SCTV).