26 March 2012

"Nobody loves Dick Whitman..."

The morning after the night before

I have a theory about Mad Men. If you don't pay attention to detail, that is innocuous details like lamps, jacket vents, '50s ties with '60s sport jackets, Megan's brilliant orange dress or Ronson versus Zippo, then you're probably not going to like it. Much.




And that's okay. Either it connects or it doesn't. It did with me despite the Chrysler 300 trunk load of crappy commercials every ten minutes. Roger sums up life nicely with the honest realization that, "The only thing worse than not getting what you want is somebody else getting it." Meanwhile, I was thinking how much I wanted a reviewer's episode sans commercials.



Harry Crane's Rule: Men with breasts shouldn't wear synthetic knit shirts unless they wanna look like a Kodachrome box

Yesterday's NY Times Metropolitan section contributed to "MM" details with details of New York's first high rise condo in 1966, the St Tropez, at 340 East 64th Street. A one bedroom started out at $29,241 and a three bedroom topped out at $79,811. That CPI's out at $219,000 and $600,000 respectively. Today, a one BR at the St Tropez lists for $939,000 while the 3 BR goes for $1.8 million.




It shouldn't come as any surprise that some of us are nostalgic. What surprises me, with two or three seasons left, is how nostalgic for Mad Men I am -- before it's even over.



Update: Megan's, 'Zou bisou bisou' popped up just in time for Olive's comment. To find out what it all means click here.

13 comments:

Charles said...

Tin, In past seasons it's been possible to buy each episode from iTunes for a few bucks about a week after it's aired. The episodes go by very quickly without the commercials though.

Anonymous said...

The clothing and cars and lamps, that's the easy stuff. I pay attention to that broad and deep florescent lit office ceiling. Whereas other shows will crop out it's ugliness and film with low key side-lighting, I'm convinced Mad Men goes out of its way to frame it so as to show it from low angles whenever it can. It was a very bright era and florescent drop-ceilings were a very modern thing. It's subtle, but genius.

I'm nostalgic for Mad Men mostly because, at the age I was then, I had only a taste. A gauzy yet promising taste. Sadly that's all I ever got.

-DB

tintin said...

LWing-
Buy?!

DB- I didn't get a taste. Except for the interview at Doyle, Dane & Bernbach in 1985... and I didn't qualify for the mailroom.

Suburban Princess said...

I just downloaded it...no commercials. You can probably watch it online without ads as well.

Alice Olive said...

All I can say is, "Zou Bisou Bisou." Well worth the wait.

tintin said...

Princess- Thank you the heads up. I'll look out for it. I'm guessing the actual show is a half hour?

Olive- I added something to the post... just for you.

Oyster Guy said...

Zubi zu...?! Miss Oli...?!...That's hot...

Donald said...

I guess I'm one of the few who just doesn't care for this show. My wife and I started with Season 1 from the library, and they lost me with Draper's "It's Toasted" genius. Lucky Strike had that slogan after WWI!. So much for the wonderful attention to detail that reviewers constantly crowed about, enough to get me to check out the show.

Alice Olive said...

Aw. And I thought that performance was for the boys...

Patsy said...

My father was a Mad Man in the late 50s. Said they didn't drink nearly that much at the office, but smoked more.

We lived on East 63rd in the early 60s, wonder what the rent was.....

tintin said...

Donald- At least you gave it a try.

Alice- I think Megan meant that performance for everyone. Don't you remember her line, "If you come to my party you'll go straight home and have sex."

Patsy- I had a cousin who lived in a 3 BR on the UES in 67 and 68 with two other women. I think each paid $100 a month.

Brummagem Joe said...

I was a very junior madman (late sixties early seventies). It's all true (more or less). The mower incident reminded me of when some guy got badly burned with liquid oxygen during a presentation to Air Products. We didn't get the business. Christmas parties with Deep Throat running on the video. Long lunches with objects of affection.

Alice Olive said...

True, I forgot about that. Excellent attitude for a party host.