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Post by donalgdon on Apr 13, 2014 10:36:00 GMT -5
I've been on a bit of a Mad Men binge since I discovered the series very late. First I'd heard of it actually was someone here (Tod, I think) mentioned watching it. Hadn't started watching it until I came across it in Netflix, but I've gotten all the way to season six so far. I like it quite a lot. I wonder how realistic of a depiction of the era it actually is. I can see that they spent a huge amount of effort in getting the sets, costumes, even the speech patterns just right for the era, but do you really think that drinking, smoking, and adultery were as common as they are depicted? I tend to think not.
I was born in '69, so I guess it was more my mother's generation. Maybe I ought to get her thoughts.
I really enjoy the love/hate relationship the viewer develops with the characters, Pete, Roger, Don for their tortured soul depictions of the men who have everything, but are empty inside.
Have people really changed all that much?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 13, 2014 21:59:28 GMT -5
but do you really think that drinking, smoking, and adultery were as common as they are depicted? I tend to think not. I definitely think smoking was very popular and drinking a product of post WW2 self medication. I would think adultery is a perennial favorite past time. |
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Post by donalgdon on Apr 14, 2014 7:05:12 GMT -5
Yeah, I suppose. It's a fascinating portrait of the era, in any event.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2014 7:42:41 GMT -5
Yeah, I suppose. It's a fascinating portrait of the era, in any event. So, it's not that you are attracted to that gal with the big boobs?  |
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Post by thedude on Apr 16, 2014 19:57:34 GMT -5
yeah, I like the show quite a bit. Haven't watched the first episode of the new series yet. From what I have heard over the years, it's a fairly accurate portrayal of THAT cross section of Manhattan ad agency types. But America was much, much more culturally segregated back then than now, so what went on in Manhattan probably was extreme in many ways.
Smoking for sure was very popular. Just about any old TV clips have people smoking all the time, including on Johnny Carson. My father was a two pack a day smoker and most grownups, or at least men, smoked. That's the way I remember it (born in '65) btw. Now, it would seem totally unusual to go to someone's house and find an ashtray in their house let along seeing anyone light up indoors. People still smoke, of course... As for the drinking, I can't speak to that from too much but I don't think it would be too unusual to have SOME people drink at work, and especially if they were executives and made the rules. Even now, some companies allow alcohol drinking at work. That's especially true in the startup world where free beer is a perk in many jobs. I doubt it's okay to drink during the day, but probable okay late in the afternoon and evenings (lots of startups work very late hours).
I think the show does a good job of describing how difficult it was for women in the workplace - limited opportunities and often an expectation to meet a man at work to get married. Pretty different world today for sure.
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