I think it's definitely conscious. Having an African-American character of consequence on the show (or any other Person of Color, for that matter) would ring false for the same reason that all of the casual racism rings true: that was accurate for this world. It's like Louis C.K.'s joke about how black people would never use a time machine to go back before around 1986. They've given us subtle clues in the past to Carla's inner life, but switching focus to her would seem to me like pandering to the audience. I mean, she's been in what?, three minutes, maybe? of this season. But, that said, I completely approve of Peggy's growing political awareness. There's a great book about the women's movement in the civil right movement called Personal Politics by Sara Evans, which deals quite a bit with how neanderthalish all of these liberal dudes were in the 60s. Another example that just struck me: Robert Downey Sr's movie Putney Swope, meant as a satire of advertising and capitalism and insidious racism in society that comes across now as some of the most cluelessly racist crap that a white liberal could sling at the screen outside of the liberal John Ford directing the archconservative John Wayne to talk down to archbadass Woody Strode in his films.

ION: A poster over at TWOP says that at men's clubs like the one where Don swims - the men swam in the nude and that this continued until the '80s when they were forced to allow women to become club members.

I think that if they start to explore Sally's life a little bit more - that could be a way to bring Carla into more focus.

I was taught to swim at men's club when I was 5 or so, and yeah, we swam in the nude.

ION: A poster over at TWOP says that at men's clubs like the one where Don swims - the men swam in the nude and that this continued until the '80s when they were forced to allow women to become club members.

I DEMAND THAT AMC CORRECT THIS GRIEVOUS HISTORICAL ERROR IMMEDIATELY.

ha!

Accurate for the white part of the world. Which is what I was getting at earlier. We are only allowed these glimpses because that`s all our POV characters would have had. So it means that our POV as viewer is necessarily limited. Yes, that`s probably deliberate but yes it`s also unfortunate because as writers they could have chosen to give our POV more omniscience. We could have seen glimpses, could have seen our heroes missing things. But we don`t we only see what they see, and that`s a production choice.

In Rubicon, what did the across the way booty call girl say to close the episode?

"I like that you have a gun"

I don't know, one of the things I like about Mad Men is that it has a very narrow focus. I kind of feel like even getting into Betty's head is a little outside of their mandate - the more it's just about advertising and these specific people who work in advertising, the better it works.

I concur that Mad Men works best when it keeps a tight window onto the bigger world.

For me at least it's very clear the wrongness of the characters presumptions and biases. It's interesting to see their dawning glimmers of awareness but also how quickly people retreat to the comfort of racism, antisemitism, sexism, etc.

And until I wrote that I don't know that I would've realized that those things were comforting; but I think that's what the show reveals. People aren't racist because they're necessarily evil; they do it because it comforts them. It allows them to not deal with other shit. Their shit. Injustices in the world.

Racism, homophobia, mocking a stutter - they're the comfy inside pants. It's easier. And I think it's valuable that we see these characters as rounded and having foibles. It isn't just Bad People who have or evince racist attitudes.

More Mad Men: This episode reminded me of two other episodes: "Maidenform" and "Guys Walks Into An Advertising Agency."

"Maidenform" because it checked in on the women characters and charted how they were dealing with their world/era, almost comparing their paths.

"Guy Walks..." because Ms. Blankenship's tragic demise was played for black comedy.

I was hoping that Joan could find a friendship with Roger but they got something else. Somebody on another board pointed out that Joan's off the pill, just as Greg is heading out. So...Mad Men is not above the high melodrama and I'm wondering if she'll have Roger's baby.

Joan with glasses immediately connected her to Miss Blankenship, suggesting one possible path for her. Though I don't think that will be the case. More likely she's a single working mom in the 70s.

I'm glad Kiernan Shipka seems to be growing up so quickly because she's an excellent actress and she needs to keep pace with the show's chronological jumps.

Looks like Megan will be Don's new secretary and maybe more.