Change in the 60s

From the onset, we all expected a different kind of show out of Mad Men when we heard the premise, “A show about an ad agency in the 60s.”  Our minds immediately rushed to The Beatles, Woodstock, Flower Power, social revolt, all the hallmarks of the time that we consider the 1960s…which all happened in the later half of the decade.  If you’re to take a fashion designer’s look at a decade, they believe a decade’s fasion does not begin at the onset of the decade, but roughly halfway through.  So what we consider the 60s didn’t actually start happening until about 1965.  That philosophy extends to Mad Men, as we’ve hit the mid-point of the century and change is now upon us, with last night as the cresting of that wave.

Don and Peggy

Labor Day–the most ironic of all holidays–is dedicated to not working.  But after last night’s incredible episode of Mad Men, I am moved to put in some time to discuss this pivotal moment in the show’s history.  And yes, it might be important enough to necessitate this hyperbole.

Don Draper’s Pimp Hand

[Ed. Note - you'll have to click through to see the video - a thousand apologies for not finding an embed video]

I adore AMC’s Mad Men and have such reverence for Don Draper, the mystery man, Master Of The Universe at the center of it.  He boozes around, tosses brilliant ideas around, and most certainly he slept around with some of New York’s (and most of the continental US’s) best looking women.  Lately, however, the swagger that makes Don “Don” has faded into a boozy remembrance of yore.  Now he just staggers around and wakes up next to 7.5s and we know he’s hit rock bottom.

I understand that the character has to go through this, but…what is a Don Draper without power?  Something hard to watch, frankly.  So in hoping that Don gets his swag back, I bring to you Don’s most famous conflict resolution:  treating Bobbie Barrett like she’s a bowling bowl so her husband can give an apology to that nice, rich, hefty couple.  Needless to say, it works, because he’s Don Fucking Draper.