Comments on: The Apartment and How to Succeed in Business… http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/the-apartment-and-how-to-succeed-in-business/ The unofficial blog of AMC's Mad Men Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:36:09 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: contemporary bookshelves http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/the-apartment-and-how-to-succeed-in-business/#comment-3868 contemporary bookshelves Fri, 09 Jan 2009 22:16:42 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=217#comment-3868 Cool site. Thank you:-) Cool site. Thank you:-)

]]> By: Glass Darkly http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/the-apartment-and-how-to-succeed-in-business/#comment-3453 Glass Darkly Mon, 30 Jun 2008 16:46:07 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=217#comment-3453 I'd been wanting to mention that I bought How To and viewed it recently, but I was having trouble working it into conversation. :) It's definitely a product of its time. The song about A Secretary is Not a Toy kinda left me with the impression that she really sorta was one -- yes, I get that this is satire and filled with stereotypes, but I also think that there was some truth there that it was a man's world, baby. (Boys Will Be Boys! And Boys Like Toys!) Mad Men, while being about then, is a product of now. When secretaries are treated like objects, we know the writers don't believe that, or wouldn't dare let on that they believed that. With a female lead, what would Suceed have been like? A rise to the top of the steno pool? What was her name -- Jonesy -- had risen as far as she could by being secretary to the president. Nothing wrong with that, but indicitive of the mindset, and telling that not once was a woman competition for Ponty -- they were all love interests, maternal figures, or tools to get ahead. Rosemary, the love interest, was intelligent, but no competition on the workfront. She seemed to read business magazines, but it was unclear if that was really her thing or "a feminine trap." I think it was the former, and if so then why did there seem to be no ambition to rise in the company? She made a heck of a cheerleader though. Let's not even discuss Heddy (Oooog) Larue, our Worldwide Wicket Treasure Girl. And I enjoyed it -- just commenting and thinking out loud. Robert Morse did a terrific job, I must say, and I had the songs stuck in my head all weekend. Robert Morse as Bertram Cooper -- inspired! I’d been wanting to mention that I bought How To and viewed it recently, but I was having trouble working it into conversation. :)

It’s definitely a product of its time. The song about A Secretary is Not a Toy kinda left me with the impression that she really sorta was one — yes, I get that this is satire and filled with stereotypes, but I also think that there was some truth there that it was a man’s world, baby. (Boys Will Be Boys! And Boys Like Toys!)

Mad Men, while being about then, is a product of now. When secretaries are treated like objects, we know the writers don’t believe that, or wouldn’t dare let on that they believed that.

With a female lead, what would Suceed have been like? A rise to the top of the steno pool? What was her name — Jonesy — had risen as far as she could by being secretary to the president. Nothing wrong with that, but indicitive of the mindset, and telling that not once was a woman competition for Ponty — they were all love interests, maternal figures, or tools to get ahead.

Rosemary, the love interest, was intelligent, but no competition on the workfront. She seemed to read business magazines, but it was unclear if that was really her thing or “a feminine trap.” I think it was the former, and if so then why did there seem to be no ambition to rise in the company? She made a heck of a cheerleader though.

Let’s not even discuss Heddy (Oooog) Larue, our Worldwide Wicket Treasure Girl.

And I enjoyed it — just commenting and thinking out loud.

Robert Morse did a terrific job, I must say, and I had the songs stuck in my head all weekend. Robert Morse as Bertram Cooper — inspired!

]]> By: Deborah Lipp http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/the-apartment-and-how-to-succeed-in-business/#comment-3449 Deborah Lipp Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:01:14 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=217#comment-3449 I'm a huge musical fan, latenac, but in general, I don't think How to Succeed fits the musical mode. I mean, it does in that it's a movie where people burst into song, but it's so satiric and brightly painted that it somehow strikes a different chord. I’m a huge musical fan, latenac, but in general, I don’t think How to Succeed fits the musical mode. I mean, it does in that it’s a movie where people burst into song, but it’s so satiric and brightly painted that it somehow strikes a different chord.

]]> By: latenac http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/2008/06/30/the-apartment-and-how-to-succeed-in-business/#comment-3448 latenac Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:52:38 +0000 http://madmenmad.wordpress.com/?p=217#comment-3448 I have a friend who's a big cinephile and huge Billy Wilder fan and claims The Apartment is the perfect movie. No scene is wasted no dialogue is extraneous. It's perfectly crafted. Watching Mad Men I often feel Weiner is going for that as well. Nothing wasted. I have to overcome my meh feelings about musicals so I can watch How to Succeed in Business. I have a friend who’s a big cinephile and huge Billy Wilder fan and claims The Apartment is the perfect movie. No scene is wasted no dialogue is extraneous. It’s perfectly crafted. Watching Mad Men I often feel Weiner is going for that as well. Nothing wasted.

I have to overcome my meh feelings about musicals so I can watch How to Succeed in Business.

]]>