You might love Mad Men, it is is quite wickedly entertaining, however the two lead characters are not that much alike, nor are the shows - we're in "Lincoln's secretary had a secretary named Kennedy, Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln " territory here.
We're about to finish season 3 of Mad Men (spent New Year's Day watching almost the entire season 2). It might be unnecessary to add that it's quite addictive.
For me, the visual impression of the painstakingly reconstructed 1960s was a major reason for beginning to watch it, but then I was drawn into the lives of the characters. I generally don't feel very interested in female fictional characters (speaking very broadly, of course!), but the women in Mad Men are different. I'd recommend anyone to see it just for Peggy Olsen.
Hurried writing in the office made me forget half of what I was going to say: the comparison with Firefly is amusing, but the similarities really aren't striking. It took a while to get used to Christina Hendricks in this role, though - C and I both kept thinking "Seriously, Mal, you've got to give me a ride" into season 2.
Before I started watching MM, I'd primarily heard and read that the relentless historically accurate treatment of women makes it painful to watch. MM is definitely a feminist show, but in the opposite way from Firefly, so expect the horrors of the past! In my opinion, though, Star Trek TOS is much, much more painful in its worst moments.
Star Trek TOS does have many cringe moments re: women, but the overall good nature of the show and positive outlook on our future helps mitigate them. You just think to yourself (even watching as a kid in the 1960's) that the role of women (in the future) is not one of the things they got right.
MM is stylish but feels all too dysfunctionally real. Which means it brings back memories of oppression/repression... and without much humor or optimism. I'm not the only woman I know who's watched it and said, "why would I want to put myself through reliving that crap" by watching MM. Maybe it's just that I found the 1960's (even as a child) horribly restrictive because of my gender... people who are younger or who didn't have such crappy experiences are probably the ones who can enjoy MM.
Funny how this stuff works. Like Avatar being Dances with Wolves. I've also noticed that Firefly is a lot like Star Wars: plucky, massively outgunned rebels flee totalitarian menace while acquiring and bearing a secret which, when fully exploited, means the end of evil empire as we know it.
ARTS: It's like, if you play Pink Flloy's "The Wall" over a silent "Wizard of Oz" it makes perfect sense. Or something.
Things look like other things.
FISMO: Watch "Firefly" and let me know it you like it!
ANNIKA: Having just finished "The Wire" I'm reluctant to launch into another addictive series!
BINK / ANNIKA: I haven't seen MM, but I do take Star Trek's sexism somewhat lightly, as the well-intentioned but short-sighted efforts of the era. Sound like the sexism of MM is not the same sort... I mean, not even well-intentioned?
CLOWN: Ah, you haven't seen Firefly either? Or you just don't remember that character?
LEE: I admit it's been a long time since I saw Star Wars. What is their secret they bear? I only remember the secret Darth Vader bears (that he's Luke's father). Anyway, yeah, heroic tales look quite similar.
Just checking back here...I think Mad Men is exploring (among other things) sexism and its rejection by interested parties - I am thinking of the last episode of Season three, when Peggy is asked "will you get me some coffee?" by her male boss and says simply"No". In the context of the show, it's thrilling.
@fresk - I've seen Firefly (twice now!), just didn't know Ms. Hendricks was in it. Ever see Dollhouse? The bad guys are Rossum Inc, which is a shout out to RUR, which I remember you mentioning months ago.
@art - remember the MM moment when they are all behind a 2-way mirror trying on makeup, with the men watching? and peggy suddenly looks at the mirror, and refusing to play, gets up and leaves. stunning.
You might love Mad Men, it is is quite wickedly entertaining, however the two lead characters are not that much alike, nor are the shows - we're in "Lincoln's secretary had a secretary named Kennedy, Kennedy had a secretary named Lincoln " territory here.
ReplyDeleteFirefly? Haven't seen it, but I do love Mad Men. Can't wait for it to begin again.
ReplyDeleteWe're about to finish season 3 of Mad Men (spent New Year's Day watching almost the entire season 2). It might be unnecessary to add that it's quite addictive.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the visual impression of the painstakingly reconstructed 1960s was a major reason for beginning to watch it, but then I was drawn into the lives of the characters. I generally don't feel very interested in female fictional characters (speaking very broadly, of course!), but the women in Mad Men are different. I'd recommend anyone to see it just for Peggy Olsen.
Hurried writing in the office made me forget half of what I was going to say: the comparison with Firefly is amusing, but the similarities really aren't striking. It took a while to get used to Christina Hendricks in this role, though - C and I both kept thinking "Seriously, Mal, you've got to give me a ride" into season 2.
ReplyDeleteBefore I started watching MM, I'd primarily heard and read that the relentless historically accurate treatment of women makes it painful to watch. MM is definitely a feminist show, but in the opposite way from Firefly, so expect the horrors of the past!
In my opinion, though, Star Trek TOS is much, much more painful in its worst moments.
Star Trek TOS does have many cringe moments re: women, but the overall good nature of the show and positive outlook on our future helps mitigate them. You just think to yourself (even watching as a kid in the 1960's) that the role of women (in the future) is not one of the things they got right.
ReplyDeleteMM is stylish but feels all too dysfunctionally real. Which means it brings back memories of oppression/repression... and without much humor or optimism. I'm not the only woman I know who's watched it and said, "why would I want to put myself through reliving that crap" by watching MM. Maybe it's just that I found the 1960's (even as a child) horribly restrictive because of my gender... people who are younger or who didn't have such crappy experiences are probably the ones who can enjoy MM.
MM is about the women. How they react - often silently - to the men doing their thing. Ms. Hendricks is the best thing in it.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know she was in Firefly til just now, post-Google search. Cool.
They are both wonderful shows.
Funny how this stuff works. Like Avatar being Dances with Wolves. I've also noticed that Firefly is a lot like Star Wars: plucky, massively outgunned rebels flee totalitarian menace while acquiring and bearing a secret which, when fully exploited, means the end of evil empire as we know it.
ReplyDeleteARTS: It's like, if you play Pink Flloy's "The Wall" over a silent "Wizard of Oz" it makes perfect sense.
ReplyDeleteOr something.
Things look like other things.
FISMO: Watch "Firefly" and let me know it you like it!
ANNIKA: Having just finished "The Wire" I'm reluctant to launch into another addictive series!
BINK / ANNIKA: I haven't seen MM, but I do take Star Trek's sexism somewhat lightly, as the well-intentioned but short-sighted efforts of the era.
Sound like the sexism of MM is not the same sort... I mean, not even well-intentioned?
CLOWN: Ah, you haven't seen Firefly either? Or you just don't remember that character?
LEE: I admit it's been a long time since I saw Star Wars. What is their secret they bear?
I only remember the secret Darth Vader bears (that he's Luke's father).
Anyway, yeah, heroic tales look quite similar.
Just checking back here...I think Mad Men is exploring (among other things) sexism and its rejection by interested parties - I am thinking of the last episode of Season three, when Peggy is asked "will you get me some coffee?" by her male boss and says simply"No". In the context of the show, it's thrilling.
ReplyDelete@fresk - I've seen Firefly (twice now!), just didn't know Ms. Hendricks was in it. Ever see Dollhouse? The bad guys are Rossum Inc, which is a shout out to RUR, which I remember you mentioning months ago.
ReplyDelete@art - remember the MM moment when they are all behind a 2-way mirror trying on makeup, with the men watching? and peggy suddenly looks at the mirror, and refusing to play, gets up and leaves. stunning.