Mad Men

[FMJeff]

Anyone catch Mad Men on AMC? It's an endlessly fascinating study on office and societal politics set in the 1960's. What I really enjoy is the interaction between classes and genders. In an age without sexual harassment laws and racial equality, people treated each other with honesty, whether they liked them or not. Men slapped women's asses. Whites treated blacks like second class citizens. The difference between the eras is its not so under the table as it is now.

[Yuppie_Scum]

the good old days ... just ask blowhard

[TheMojoPin]

What I really enjoy is the interaction between classes and genders. In an age without sexual harassment laws and racial equality, people treated each other with honesty, whether they liked them or not. Men slapped women's asses. Whites treated blacks like second class citizens. The difference between the eras is its not so under the table as it is now.

Jeffi is a weird, weird guy. From all your comments on the show (which is pretty awesome), you seem to like it because dudes can grab the wimmenz, black people are kept down by the man, MAN, and people were free to manhandle other people's children.

I wanna party with YOU, cowboy.

[Furtherman]

I work in advertising. It hasn't changed at all.

[grlNIN]

I like the show.

It's been a long awaited comeback for MASTERMINDS breakout star Vincent Kartheiser a.k.a. Campbell.

[Yerdaddy]

Jeffi is a weird, weird guy. From all your comments on the show (which is pretty awesome), you seem to like it because dudes can grab the wimmenz, black people are kept down by the man, MAN, and people were free to manhandle other people's children.

I wanna party with YOU, cowboy.

http://gallery.allinthefamilysit.com/albums/userpics/10001/Archie%20Gives%20Blood-02.jpeg

You shut up meathead!

[TheMojoPin]

I like the show.

It's been a long awaited comeback for MASTERMINDS breakout star Vincent Kartheiser a.k.a. Campbell.

That's him?!?

[grlNIN]

Yes!!!!!

[patsopinion]

i was watching
i really thought the show could be great

i was hoping for more of a sports nite vibe though
too slow to be competitive in the drama genre

i like how they all drink at work though, very cool

[FMJeff]

Jeffi is a weird, weird guy. From all your comments on the show (which is pretty awesome), you seem to like it because dudes can grab the wimmenz, black people are kept down by the man, MAN, and people were free to manhandle other people's children.

I wanna party with YOU, cowboy.

Your sarcasm cuts through me like a knife through Nicole Simpson, wocka wocka. I enjoy the show for its depiction of a culture that is almost alien to present day social norms even though it was only forty or so years ago. I find the behavior fascinating. It's like watching living history, a generation of people so similiar to us yet unfettered by the PC social reforms of the present like affirmative action, feminisim, sexual harassment, homosexual tolerance, etc. It's a more socially primal atmosphere...lust was rampant, competition was fierce, people were more free to be ugly and brutal and, well, human.

Granted they had thier own socially imposed rules of conduct that conflicted with the humanity inside them, but with all the shit we have to deal with today (see my most recent thread in politics about the clown who needed insurance and permits to make balloon animals), I envy thier freedom to move around with less restrictions on thier thoughts and actions.

There is a gay character on the show. I'm dying to see how they handle his inevitable unmasking. It's almost sad to see him put a "straight show" on for his peers. Being the sixties and without the assistance of the Bravo channel to help in picking up gay cues, none of them seem to have any idea he's a little light in the loafers.

[TheMojoPin]

a generation of people so similiar to us yet unfettered by the PC social reforms of the present like affirmative action, feminisim, sexual harassment, homosexual tolerance, etc. It's a more socially primal atmosphere...lust was rampant, competition was fierce, people were more free to be ugly and brutal and, well, human.

What?

Seriously, with your recent rant about the "horrors of PC," what I quoted is more than a bit distressing. THAT'S being "human?" Please.

[Reephdweller]

I thought I was the only one. I totally dig this show. I think they're well written and that damn theme music is haunting!

[FMJeff]

What?

Seriously, with your recent rant about the "horrors of PC," what I quoted is more than a bit distressing. THAT'S being "human?" Please.

Well I guess that depends on your definition of human. I happen to think we're all degrees of horrible restrained by laws and social norms from achieving our supreme awfulness.

I would imagine you're going the other way. That's fine, but we all know it's not true. If our true nature was benevolance, tolerance and brotherhood, well, this world would be a much different place, now would it.

[TheMojoPin]

Well I guess that depends on your definition of human. I happen to think we're all degrees of horrible restrained by laws and social norms from achieving our supreme awfulness.

I would imagine you're going the other way. That's fine, but we all know it's not true. If our true nature was benevolance, tolerance and brotherhood, well, this world would be a much different place, now would it.

I don't think there's any kind of primal groupthink towards the good or bad, so I'm not thinking things are "naturally" the opposite of your assumption. Human nature is too varied from person to person to be totally summed up like you're trying to do. And really, I keep re-reading this thread and your PC thread and I honestly have no idea whether you think what you're seeing is better or not.

[Yerdaddy]

I don't think there's any kind of primal groupthink towards the good or bad, so I'm not thinking things are "naturally" the opposite of your assumption. Human nature is too varied from person to person to be totally summed up like you're trying to do. And really, I keep re-reading this thread and your PC thread and I honestly have no idea whether you think what you're seeing is better or not.

Still single, eh Mojo?

[Bulldogcakes]

Already a thread (http://www.ronfez.net/forums/showthread.php?t=61857)


http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-cp/cb/Oct2001/merge2.gif

[TheMojoPin]

Still single, eh Mojo?

I keep waiting for a sweet ladyboy to come and sweep me off my feet...

[FMJeff]

I don't think there's any kind of primal groupthink towards the good or bad, so I'm not thinking things are "naturally" the opposite of your assumption. Human nature is too varied from person to person to be totally summed up like you're trying to do. And really, I keep re-reading this thread and your PC thread and I honestly have no idea whether you think what you're seeing is better or not.

Human nature isn't that varied. That's why statistical models exist for all sorts of human behavior prediction. Just look at the world as it is and tell me we're a predominately caring species.

[Furtherman]

Human nature is too varied from person to person to be totally summed up like you're trying to do.

Human nature isn't that varied. That's why statistical models exist for all sorts of human behavior prediction. Just look at the world as it is and tell me we're a predominately caring species.


When your survival is at stake, that where you'll experience human "nature".

Remove yourself from your lifestyle right now (realistically, it's never that far off), and you're in the desert for 4 days. There is a canteen of water. It's just you and another guy. Do you fight to the death for it or share?

Now, say you have a wife and kid standing behind you. There is not enough water to share in order for them to live.

You'll kill the other guy for the water. Anyone saying differently is fooling themselves.

There are true stories throughout history where men will kill friends, even family and do unspeakable things (like eating human flesh) in order to survive. You strip all of society's laws and rules and bullshit tradition, we're all fighting for that last glass of water. It's instinct to survive.



Edit: I just realized this thread was for Mad Men. I'm way off topic... or am I?

[TheMojoPin]

Human nature isn't that varied. That's why statistical models exist for all sorts of human behavior prediction. Just look at the world as it is and tell me we're a predominately caring species.

But that's not what I'm trying to say, so why do you want me to say it? And you say human nature isn't varied, but there are models for "all sorts" of human behavior predcition? Which is it?

When your survival is at stake, that where you'll experience human "nature".

Remove yourself from your lifestyle right now (realistically, it's never that far off), and you're in the desert for 4 days. There is a canteen of water. It's just you and another guy. Do you fight to the death for it or share?

Now, say you have a wife and kid standing behind you. There is not enough water to share in order for them to live.

You'll kill the other guy for the water. Anyone saying differently is fooling themselves.

There are true stories throughout history where men will kill friends, even family and do unspeakable things (like eating human flesh) in order to survive. You strip all of society's laws and rules and bullshit tradition, we're all fighting for that last glass of water. It's instinct to survive.

Right...in cases of actual survival. Trying to dress up people clawing for an extra buck in the corporate world as along those lines is just ignoring that some people are just pricks and just how incredibly removed so much of us are from lives where we even have to think about actual survival like you're talking about. I think it's incredibly disingenuous and ridiculous to equate much of what we face in our comfy, everyday, "western" lives to actual survival where the "animal inside" comes out. Chalking up heartless assholes to a "natural survival instinct" is, in my book, such a complete cop-out.

[TheMojoPin]

And yes, this show does rule. I love the performances and it's one of the most elegantly shot shows on TV. The "look" of the show, from the sets to the lighting to the colors to the camera angles is one of a real richness that we rarely ever see these days, even in films.

[Bulldogcakes]

Great interview with the creator of the show (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12626662)

I think my favorite part was where he spoke about "shooting the flies inside a light fixture" and then how so many people thought it was a metaphor for this or that (I'm as guilty of that as anyone). When in reality, he was just trying to be attentive to detail. He said the same thing happened constantly on the Sopranos.