Judging from the active fora I've seen eagerly awaiting in-depth analysis for Mad Men (AV Club, Sepinwall, Goodman, Coates, Tom & Lorenzo...) I think most people watching the show are in it for the complexity.

Anyone in a forum to discuss a TV show is quite probably in the minority. That's just not how most people consume the medium.

Anyone in a forum to discuss a TV show is quite probably in the minority

Exactly.

But hardly anyone watches Mad Men, right? I'm sure the analyze-y portion of the audience is relatively large, since the numbers are relatively small.

In some ways, the surface reaction to Don Draper kind of reminds me of the way a lot of fans are about Ari Gold(keeping in mind that I haven't really watched MM, in what? A season and a half?) but it seems like the casual fans of both characters just want a character who struts around in a suit "pwning" in whatever way. Ari needs to bring the vulgar tonguelashings and Don needs to bring all the girlies to the yard. Personally, I think both Piven and Hamm do better work when they have to be vulnerable, but it seems to disappoint the dudebros.

but it seems to disappoint the dudebros.

I expect the dudebros have been sorely disappointed with Don Draper this season.

Probably...I get kind of spoiled on Jez sometimes. I also think they are saddened by the focus in the last few episodes on Entourage on the struggles in Ari's marriage...it's no fun when your Ken doll has to sweat. Can't he just make money and say "hug it out, bitch," to people?(Don't get me wrong...I laughed at that. But the people who want an Ari spin-off want it for the wrong reasons.) And the dudes who want to be Don have found(and snorted) the WMD.

I know I live in east bum-fuck, but I definately know people who watch, and while they may feel Joan or Peggy's pain don't even really see the black people, or lack thereof, a lot of it is nostalgia for the good old days. Also, I do think it is either influancing fashion, or the same trends that are influancing fashion influanced the reason the show is produced now.

In a nutshell, for me, though I love it it makes me uncomfortable I to sympathize with a rapist, for example, when I find that actually oversympathizing with rapists is an actual problem in our society.

I don't see people talking about it now the way they did in the first season when there was much more interest in the look,

Bob would disagree. He has to hear me say "I NEED that dress" every time Joan walks onscreen.

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.

They don't even know it's rigged.

they think they are superior.