Gotta Blog About Mad Men Episode 6

Spoiler Alert!!! The Skirt has not been blogging about Mad Men this year, it could be a full-time job, but I have to write something today because last night's episode - "Guy Walks Into An Advertising Agency" was so good. We loved every single scene, didn't you? Ok, only one little thing, there's no way Ken could have gotten that John Deere in there. But we're glad he did. OMG! Are we all sick? I was wondering why that Brit kept kicking his right foot out each time he'd start walking. (Maybe sort of a poker tell.) And wasn't that brunette Barbie dreadful? Don's scene with his daughter was so touching. Someone on the Mad Men blog wrote that it was the most powerful ending since Betty shooting the pigeons. We so agree. How strange, I was just thinking about Betty shooting the pigeons the other day. The bits of Guy's foot spraying across SC are now implanted in my memory too. If you haven't been watching the show they are re-running third season shows this week sometime. Check out their web site.

Mad Men Is Back

Set your Tivo

Mad Men - Episode 8

Episode 8 was heartbreaking even though we knew it was coming to this between Don and Betty. We know it's just a TV show, but the actors where so convincing it felt intrusive watching these deeply personal moments in a marriage. We hardly recognized the cast this week the actors taking us to a place they had never taken these characters before. The Skirt can still see Don's face as he pleaded with Betty from the living room couch. And Betty, poor Betty, so broken and wearing that awful clown print dress. The actors did a stellar job, didn't they? On the subject of not recognizing someone it took us five seconds or so to recognize Joan at home in her casual clothes, so happy in her new work. The Skirt hopes she doesn't marry that guy. He'll just keep her down. She could educate him perhaps. That's how the world turned in the 1960s. And yes, my sisters and I often performed for my parents friends. Eek-gads, there we were three sort of chubby little girls in white leotards tapping around on the basement floor. Our mother didn't have to ask, we pleaded for a chance to show off our new moves.

Pineapple and No Pine Nuts Pie

Episode 7 of Man Men inspired The skirt to make a Pineapple Pie. Sal & Kitty supposedly made a pineapple and pine nut pie for their Sunday dinner with Ken Cosgrove. Looking through my collection of 1960 cookbooks did not yield a single recipe with pineapple and pine nuts, so I settled for this recipe from the 1967 Federation of Women's Club Cookbook. It should have baked longer. Oh well, put a cherry on top and serve it with flair.

Mad Men - Episode 7

There were two laugh out loud moments for us; Don hurling the beer can and Betty hurling her cocktail in the Coupe DeVille. As for the littering, we thought the writers went to the extreme with the picnic scene. Yes, we all occasionally littered back then, but I'm not sure we would fling the contents of our picnic cloth on the grass. Would we? Were the writers driving home their point of the "garbage" theme? Did Sal & Kitty's pineapple and pine nut pie end up in the garbage? It sounded yummy. The Skirt is going to look up a recipe and make one.

P.S. Just loved how the actor who plays Jimmy B. delivered his lines and we actually saw some redeeming qualities in Ken Cosgrove. Agree?

Mad Men - Episode 6

There's been plenty of self-delusion going on with these people and it looks like it's about to blow apart, doesn't it? Episode 6 was full of sordid and haunting images. The setting felt more like Halloween than Memorial Day, especially the scene of Pete looking at himself in the mirror. The Skirt hopes Peggy realizes before it's too late that sitting on a client's lap is a big mistake.

Mad Men - Episode 5

We laughed out loud when Don realized he was facing a salt less diet at home. Touche' Betty. How many of you had flashes of Chappaquiddick when the camera came up on Don and Bobbie in the car and headed to the beach!!! The Skirt doesn't really like Bobbie and so at that moment was thinking she could drown, but her character is very important to the story. She gives excellent advice. Episode 5, called "The New Girl" opens with a shot of Don's new secretary and you're thinking, oh here's the new girl, but how simplistic is that. Very. By the end of the show, which was even better than last week, we realize that the "new girl" is Peggy. We loved how she presented herself to Don. Just fabulous. Now she just needs to cut off that ponytail. Bloggers are wondering if Don will eventually seduce Peggy. We hope not. Oh, and Peggy's sister Anita was pregnant when Peggy was. Who's baby is Anita raising?

Mad Men - Episode 4

It's not exactly like the toy robot Don threw across the kitchen, but this is a late 50's or early 60's model. Unlike a lot of fans we only have time to watch each show once. A quick glance at the toy reminded the skirt of "Red Rocker" from Rock 'em Sock 'Em, but there's no way. Fans all agree episode 4 was probably the most potent so far packed with important domestic exchanges and behind closed doors moments. We learned A LOT about all the characters. How sad was it that selfish Betty forgot to feed her children? I know, Don could have thought of it, but that's post-9/11 thinking, not 1962. And we all know she is projecting her fears and frustrations on her son. These guys are great storytellers, but hey, what's with going off to the emergency room for a burn on the chin. My 60's mom would have smeared butter on it and given me a spanking.

Mad Men - Episode 3

All the web chatter on Episode 3, titled The Benefactor is an analysis of Don's violent act of exerting pressure on or as the bloggers write "reining-in" the character of Bobbie. I have thought about the scene a couple times myself since Sunday night's show. It WAS shocking and repulsive, wasn't it, but all very artfully done. The Skirt is a little uneasy about what's next for Don and Betty. Isn't that silly, it's just a TV show for heaven's sakes, but a really good TV show. Episode 3 was named after an episode of The Defenders also called The Benefactor which aired April 28, 1962.

Mad Men - Episode 2

We love this show for all the reasons a lot of other people do, but we especially love the verisimilitude. We got a kick out of the Xerox 914 which made an appearance in episode 2. Did a little web search on this big boy this afternoon, thought others may be interested, so here's the link.

Also, Googled the March 1, 1962 crash of American Airlines Flight 1. This was the best article.

Betty Draper's Station Wagon - Is it a Colony Park?

Did anyone notice if Betty Draper was driving a Mercury Colony Park station wagon in the season opener of Mad Men last week? A quick web search shows others have been inquiring as well. The Mad Men web site blog writes they (the makers) were not sure exactly what it was, but they knew the same car had been used in the movie "Far From Heaven." We'll have to rent the movie. Here's ours.

Isn't it a beaut?The 1962 Mercury Colony Park.

Mad Men Is Back

We will be TiVoing Mad Men Sunday night. Last year we considered Mad Men the best show on TV. We'll see about this season. By the way if you haven't watched it before you may be shocked by how much the characters smoke and drink and patronize women. Was it really like that? Hard to remember.

My oh my! Found these ciggy ads in an old magazine last fall and saved them 'cause they are such a hoot. Things sure have changed. Thank goodness.