According to Sandy

I love the AMC series, “Mad Men”. Its 3^rd season has just been released on a 4 disk DVD set and we hardcore fans are hoping for an early 4^th season, but will probably have to wait until August to get the next intravenous direct line.

With a great cast led by Jon Hamm and January Jones, the show includes super work by John Slattery, Christina Hendricks, Robert Morse, and Elizabeth Moss.  Everyone is just so present and “there”.   Good actors, but also a good writer, the show’s creator, Matthew Weiner.

“Mad Men” has developed such a cult following that there are watching parties around the country and water cooler catch up is the thing to do on Monday mornings.  The mid 20^th century attitudes, clothing and behavior (3 martini lunches, smoking everywhere, personal secretaries that give benefits and “politically incorrect” remarks) are highlighted in the intrigues and escapades of the men and women of Madison Avenue advertising agency “Sterling Cooper”.

The “good old days” weren’t that good for everyone, but, watching “Mad Men” work its way thru the 60’s reminds me of all the options – good and bad- that are available to us now and I realize that “multiple choice” can make the present so much more challenging than the past with its stereotypes.  The old days weren’t that terrific, (although I really liked wearing “summer” gloves to work) but, those times were simpler and perhaps that simplicity, with its mask of family values, is really what nostalgia is all about.

I love this show, the characters have dimensions and layers, the main man, Korean War vet Don Draper, is a philanderer with skills, has tons of secrets and can change personalities at the drop of his fedora. Who will he be next? Will he be radicalized by the 60’s revolution and grow his hair long or will he try to hold on to the traditional, rarified atmosphere of Sterling Cooper?  Can’t wait for the next season of “Mad Men”.

FYI: Seasons 1, 2 and 3 are now all on DVD if you want to catch up = Netflix works too.