Did you watch "Mad Men?"

11 years ago

I'm just starting to watch it on Netflix. It was so popular, and people seemed sad to see it end, like when Breaking Bad ended.

So much smoking, and so much innuendo, fooling around in the office. I wonder if it was really like that in the 60's. I am enjoying the clothing and all the set details showing 60's era "stuff."

I'm not loving it but will continue.

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joaniepoanie

11 years ago

I remember in a later episode in Don's and Megan's apartment you got a glimpse of the bathroom off the living room....I gasped and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a tissue box holder exactly like my mom had..... plastic with scalloped edges. The attention to period detail was incredible.

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Comments (14)

joaniepoanie
11 years ago
I loved it and am still in mourning that it's over. Yes, I think it was like that in the 60's in high-powered offices like that......the smoking (they use herbal cigs on the show), cocktails in the office and long, cocktail lunches, the womanizing, etc.. I think they even nailed how detached a lot of parents were back then, not like today's helicopter parents.

I would say watch at least three episodes before you give up on it. DH never watched it with me but now says he wants to watch it. I cant wait to watch it all over again with him.
margaretohio
11 years ago
Yes, I watched it, first on Netflix and then on the marathon of all the episodes a few weeks ago. I was taken in by the feeling that came rushing back during the little things - the props were magnificent, the interactions really happened, the historical events - I was caught up in it all. I am 80 now. I may watch it again some day. Oh, yes the smoking was very real. I'll miss it all.
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nanny98
11 years ago
I kinda saw the beginnings of it and decided it was TOO realistic for me. I worked in banking in San Francisco in the mid-late 50's and that was pretty much how it was and I just didn't need reminding of it. I, too, am 80 now, and my curiosity was satisfied in the parts I saw. I may....may...check it out again. Never looked back.
plllog
11 years ago
I watched it as it came on. I wonder if it's a different experience binge watching it. From what I've heard, the real Mad men were far worse than what's in the show! Peggy is very loosely based on a real advertising pioneer. Be prepared for big time jumps between seasons.
sleeperblues
11 years ago
We tried, watched about half of the first season. I was bored to tears!! I love vintage fashions, so that part was cool but it was so slow moving. No comparison to Breaking Bad, IMO
socks
Original Author
11 years ago
OK, thanks for the heads up on time jumps.

It's good to know they were using the herbal cigarettes, assuming they are less harmful. I was wondering about that.

It was just amazing to see the little girl walking around with a plastic bag over head, but mom didn't think a thing of it. The little girl's Lanz nightgown took me back a bit too. I guess those are still made but not nearly as nice, I bet. Oh, and trying to cook in the kitchen and keep the phone on a spiral cord between head and shoulder! They did a beautiful job with the 60's.
socks
Original Author
11 years ago
Memory Lane for me is the IBM Selectric typewriters. I spent years slaving over those things. Actually, they were fantastic typewriters.
Alisande
11 years ago
I worked in NYC during the sixties, including a stint at Lever Brothers, where I knew a lot of "Mad Ave" guys. I saw a couple of episodes of Mad Men when it first came out, and I thought it was very realistic--almost uncomfortably so.

Oh, and one the best Christmas gifts my husband ever gave me was a beautiful red IBM Selectric typewriter. It was 1975 and we had just moved to this old farm. The typewriter was my lifeline, and I loved that thing!
sheilajoyce_gw
11 years ago
I remember being in college in the 60s before the Surgeon General's report on smoking. It seemed like everyone smoked. There were lots of cigarette commercials on TV too. Remember the one that 9 out of 10 doctors approved?
secsteve
11 years ago
Loved the show.

It was very realistic of that time frame. One of the ladies from my High School worked for one of the high powered places and the tales she told at one of our class reunions matched what I saw on the show.

I too, loved the Selectric and the correction tape include with the ribbon was a great life saver. We kept ours until it just died.
chisue
11 years ago
It's a drama, so some characters were a little 'larger than life', but the issues were true to the time. The objectification of women was accurately portrayed from the beginning right through to the end. A female was believed to be working -- in the typing pool, as a nurse, whatever -- only to be in proximity to marriageable men, until she 'landed one'. The 'girls' in "Mad Men" even dressed the part. The character 'Megan' was the epitome of a shallow girl trading on her beauty as 'an actress', unaware that it was her only 'talent'.
clearwaters
11 years ago
Not only was the era accurately depicted, I can tell you exactly which of Peggy Olsen's outfits I owned and wore to work.
chisue
11 years ago
clearwaters -- Ah, hah! Now you have to tell! Some of her clothes were just *awful*, but I liked many of them.