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.

Joan with glasses

Just saying: yum.

I have one trivial comment, I loved Joan in her flowered dress. She looked so much prettier than she does in the usual bold monotones.

I think the exclusively white POV, while interesting artistically, and allowing us to have a glimpse of the world is troubling (to me) more for meta reasons. So for the last however long, art, and television, and moies, and the world already have an almost exclusively white (heterosexual male) POV. Like, almost every TV show and movie ever made. ANd there is this groundbreaking show, showing us.... the POV we already have.

And I think for deep-thinking tv wathing people, the POV actually can make us see the marginalization of the other characters, and I think that is the point, but for many people, it could easily be read as "Go white privelidged male, with your manpain!"

Here is a link to a blog post about race and "Mad Men." Those who are interested in discussing such things here, I am interested in your comments:

[link]

Here is a statement from the opening paragraph:

Ultimately, Mad Men is a meditation on the lie of whiteness, suburbia, American prosperity and consumerism. In exposing this true lie as such, Mad Men deftly engages questions of power and identity in ways that often go unnoticed by the casual viewer (and frankly by many professional reviewers who to my astonishment have not commented on the centrality of race to the show's melodrama).

Man, I don't watch Mad Men, but that may have to change. And that blog post you linked is awesome, le nubian.

Mad Men seems to invite excellent discussion and essays.

Interview with the actress who played Miss Blankenship.

it could easily be read as "Go white privelidged male, with your manpain!"

I don't know how you can watch it without getting a constant reminder of This Is White Male Privilege At Work. They constantly expose the white men as slopping around in their privilege like pigs in shit, and they show how shitty it is.

That's exactly why characters we like indulge in all the casual racism and sexism, homophobia and antisemitism. They like the way the game plays because it's rigged in their favor and they never once stop to think about how it's rigged.