My name is Meg(ret).
And I have addiction.
I am hooked on the AMC original series Mad Men.
I said I wouldn’t get swept up by another multi-season television drama. Now that LOST is in its last season, I began to feel somewhat relieved that the end of it would mean the end of my frantic running-to-the-television and frantic DVR’ing. (After all, I have been watching it since the pilot, airing on 9/22/04.)
But one after another, people began asking me if I had seen Mad Men yet. “OH, Meg. Meg. It’s right up your alley, girl. You have to give it a try.”
(For those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s an hour-long show about advertising executives in Manhattan (Madison Avenue) in the early 1960s.)
So I did.
Oh, there’s plenty of things I dislike about the show. Like:
- Incessant cigarette smoking….at home, in the office, in the doctor’s office, in cars with the windows rolled up, while pregnant.
- Wacked-out parenting. Like asking your child to prepare and serve mixed drinks to you and your dinner company. And letting the answer to all parent-child strife be, “Not now. Go watch television.” And the general ignoring of kids overall.
- The myriad of extramarital affairs. Those are abounding on this show. It’s to the point of making me mad, really.
But then there is the raw and gutted portrayal of the interior workings of a profession that I’ve always found fascinating. And there’s the music. And the fashions. (Oh, the fashions.)
And the hairstyles. And the cars. And the retro jingles. And the artwork/architecture.
And the marvel that offices everywhere once ran effectively without the use of (gasp!) computers and email and fax machines.
The uncomfortable, taboo subjects that are hit head-on, unabashedly. The brilliant script writing and the clever and abundant use of flashbacks (and irony).
And the seemingly perfect home life that, for many, was really not as rosy as the 60s ads painted them to be.
And the fashions. (Did I mention the fashions?)
I am SO not alone in my affection for this show. There is blog after blog all about the episodes, cast, and fans. HarperCollins is working on a coffee table book all about it. Folks take notice of what Betty Draper cooks and publish recipes in similar style.
And apparently fashion-minded folks see the show as inspiration in many ways, as well: Banana Republic launched a Mad Men-inspired clothing line.
So I don’t feel guilty about liking such a show. It’s just pure entertainment. And it falls right in line with my ever-present love of all-things-kitchy. I’m going to look forward to the Season 4 start along with all the other fans.
And perhaps dress up in belted tubular dress with heels (& a clutch purse for my red lipstick) to celebrate.
Tell me — what’s your favorite television show right now? The one that you can’t stand to miss?
