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evietoo commented on The very white poetry of 'Mad Men'

Really interesting, and usual, take on Mad Men. I agree with another commenter who said that the show isn't about money and status -- it's about all the complexities people deal with day after day while they strive for an elusive "happiness." Sometimes a happy moment is captured in landing a deal or making a perfect pitch. Sometimes it's just being recognized by another human being. But usually, they just go moment after moment unsatisfied and unhappy. Betty's character was never one to emulate, thin or fat. You seem to think that her becoming fat was a way to show failure in some way, but Betty has always been a desperately unhappy and unpleasant woman. Just as an aside, I realize the piece takes off from the line from your friend that Mad Men is a white person's Roots, but I find that an absurd comment, and condescending at that. It's not even a half-complete representation of the country at the time. It is very specific to Manhattan with people who have a great job -- as even the worst job there is a pretty good gig compared to other options. I love Mad Men. It's one of my favorite all-time shows. But comparing it in any way to Roots is ridiculous in the extreme. The post is great, but I have to ignore the lines about Roots because otherwise, Mad Men comes across as shallow and silly, even to me as a huge fan.

Posted on June 10th, 2012 8:21am