We’ve talked about it in here, and they talk about it more in the ‘best of’… how Pete really does have a nose for the future. He consistently either has or recognizes a great idea. Only no one knows it but him. And, well, us, because of how we know how it turns out.

In the pilot, he suggests the ‘death wish’ idea that Don had vehemently dismissed, and everyone is horrified. But really, what do we think the symbolism behind Marlboro Country is?

He pitches the very excellent Bethlehem Steel tagline, the Backbone of America.

During a discussion about how to angle Israel tourism, Pete says, “Maybe we should try and exploit the danger, instead of fighting it. Travel as adventure.” This idea, while not being actively shot down by Don, was skimmed over.

He was the only one who liked the Volkswagen ad, which pissed everyone off. He recognizes the hip factor of Kennedy, calling him Elvis. The way I saw that, he wasn’t comparing the people, but the potential (and eventual) phenomenon of Kennedy to that of Elvis.

SEASON 2 SPOILER ALERT FROM THE PROMOS below the fold

There is a shot of Peggy saying to Don, “Sex sells”, and Don saying, “Says who?” which is of course, unfathomable.

But it’s been said before that Peggy and Pete are paralleled in that they are the voice of youth, of the future.

And Don, he just has no interest in that listening to that voice.

Mo Ryan, the Chicago Tribune’s Watcher, has promo pictures up from season 2 (promo as in, they’re all standing there posing for the camera, not a shot of an episode). She also reviews the DVDs and reminisces about season 1:

The word that kept coming to mind as I watched the show again was “ambiguity.” Where the show truly shines is in putting its characters in situations that provoke a multitude of responses, some of them contradictory. Even though Weiner and the outstanding cast gave us good ideas of who these people were, sometimes what they said or did was shocking – but believable too.

Amazing picture #1
Look who got stylish!

We didn’t see this in the first season 2 photos, and of course Peggy just didn’t jettison her old wardrobe; bad enough she had to buy a wardrobe of “fat suits.” But I love how much she looks like Basketeer Eme’s description of a “career girl” of the era: Pearls, hair back.

Amazing picture #2

Okay, no pearls, and that may be a ponytail, but dig them crazy shoes! And a color! A bright color! I am so in love with Peggy right now.

Pretty good picture #3

Roger and Don still work there. Whatever.

Added: Scroll all the way to the bottom, and there’s another picture of Peggy in the checked dress, and a picture of Betty in a fab new sweater that I want.

(Or, A Blog is Born.)

Hi.

So, I’m a little uncomfortable with this, because it may be crossing over into narcissistic. But I was over in TV Squad. TV Squad’s Bob Sassone has been a fan of and written about Mad Men since the beginning, and I used to follow his write-ups and comment. The show finally has its own category on the site, and Bob is now a reader of ours as well. (And watch for an interview over there with Rich Sommer in a few weeks. We’ll let you know.)

The thing about Basket of Kisses, as you basketcases know, is that we started it after Season One had aired. Pretty much, right after. The first post was basically Peggy? WTF??? only with a better title.

(Actually, pretty funny. I just glanced over at that first post so I could put in the hyperlink, and I absolutely ask the spelled out version of WTF. I am very freaking consistent.)

Okay so my point, and I will make one, and it in fact ties in with my being consistent… it turns out that looking at my profile page in TV Squad, I can (and now, so can you) view all my comments in one place. So, kind of mini-write-ups/reactions to S1 in progress.

Some of what I’d written are thoughts that I eventually turned into posts here, or talked about in our discussions, at least one is something I’ve still been meaning to write about, some are insights that got lost as more stimuli came into play, and some are predictions, right and wrong. It was interesting, for me at least, to have a look back at my discovery process of this splendid series. Oh and uh… at some point I refer to Don and Betsy. He does call her Bets from time to time, but still. I was so young then (sigh).

On Marriage of Figaro:

I wondered about the Dick Whitman, if it was a real secret past or metaphorical. Now that you guys have cleared that up, what is the meaning? That he feels so removed from his current life that he may as well have a secret identity? That he also feels so removed from his past that he may as well have been someone else? To me, Don’s biggest symptom of depression is an experience of disconnect; not just feeling different from other people, but I get a sense that there is a fog around him. And I think the scene on the train shows him succumbing to the fog… he doesn’t know this guy, but he can’t bring himself to address it. And if he had known the guy, he’d have reacted the same way. That was the purpose, I feel, of having the scene be deliberately confusing to the viewers.

Emphasis mine. “Now that you guys have cleared that up” sounds like commenters confirmed that there was NOT a secret identity, but I went and checked, and they actually confirmed that there WAS. So either I wrote the whole thing unclearly, or I misunderstood what I was reading back then. But the whole Don is depressed and in a fog thing… I was focused on that for weeks and weeks, and have since forgotten all about it.

Anyway, if you do check it out, keep in mind that these are comments, and as such, may be referring to other comments. And there’s one or two in there that are not from Mad Men (like my attack on Grey’s Anatomy’s crappy writing, and my disappointment with the Riches (a show I have since dropped), which is actually what got me over to TV Squad in the first place.

In Hobo Code she was still a party girl (witness The Twist, and also ‘we all work so hard’). By Nixon vs. Kennedy, not only was she a tight-ass, but she had a reputation as such.

Ken: Draper has plenty of booze.

They look towards Peggy, working at her desk despite the party around her.

Ken: (continues) We could ask her to join us. That might soften her up.

So what happened?

Okay. In Hobo Code she finally gets to have sex with Pete again. And I’m sorry folks, goodness knows I am not a fan of Mr. Campbell, but it was kind of beautiful. Evidenced by the tenderness between them afterwards… even from him.

Later that day her copy is sold and the old boys club pours her a drink. And this combination of events brings out the most confident woman in the world. She already had shown us she has balls (‘We have manners!’) but on this day, it’s all just perfect.

And then Pete cruelly rejects her.

Next episode, Shoot. She rips her skirt and borrows an outfit from Joan. The next day is the exquisite scene between the two of them in which Peggy exhibits, again, balls of steel. And does appear undaunted by the fact that she’s getting fat (and being observed as getting fat).

And also, she’s now aiming towards an actual career goal.

In Long Weekend, she tells the bitch where to go.

Pete: Peggy, dear, I think I understand what this is about, but you’re not being professional right now.
Peggy: I cannot believe I am in this conversation.
Pete: You think this is easy for me?
Peggy: I don’t know. I don’t know if you like me, or if you don’t like me. I’m just trying to get along here. And every time I walk by, I wonder if you’re going to be nice to me, or cruel.
Pete: Cruel? What am I supposed to say? I’m married.
Peggy: Yes, I know. And I heard all about how confusing that can be. Maybe you need me to lay on your couch to clear that up for you again.
Pete: That’s some imagination you’ve got. Good thing you’re a writer now. What do you need me for?

(Maybe she’s thinking he’s right. What with the Relax-a-Cizor and all.)

So, more focused on career, and those wide eyes are growing sharper and sharper.

Indian Summer

Let’s see. She is asked by the guys to test and write about the “PER: Passive Exercise Regime” weight-loss belt. This becomes both a professional and personal journey. Her marketing instincts are shrewd, asking right off the bat if she is allowed to change the name. That shows a real nose for the bigger picture. Testing this product, as we all know, led her to the discovery of self-pleasure. What is also quite significant is that Don would not let her back down. She went, in one episode, from a woman who hadn’t masturbated, to a woman who was presenting, to a roomful of men, a product that had this pleasure factor.

Later, she approaches Don for a raise. And gets it. And gets permission to break it to Joan, which is a scene I’d pay to see.

And in the same episode she goes on a blind date. This is harder to get at. Her confidence, most times disarming, crosses over into transparently pretentious (and so perhaps it was her lack of confidence?) with this guy. He gets rude, she gets up, he tries to apologize, she’s not having it.

(The confidence theme comes back in the Wheel.)

So, in different forms, we are seeing her get a sense of her own worth.

Now, we haven’t solidified timelines, but Indian Summer is, I believe, October, and of course NvK is early early November. So what we didn’t see was perhaps a month of Peggy as acting ensign copywriter. But Weiner clearly wanted to show us that this is who she has become.

One thing that knocks me out on this show is the class distinctions.

Top of the list and most obvious (set up in the very first scene of the series) is white/black. The only blacks ever seen in the series, to date, have been in service roles; the busboy, elevator operator, household help, etc.

And the Jews… that’s almost a whole different hierarchy.

The women. It’s right there within that first conversation in Smoke, between Don and the busboy… Ladies love their magazines. And they both laugh; white and black, at the silly ladies and their silly magazines.

But what fascinates me is the secretaries.

In New Amsterdam, Don and Peggy walk by, and Pete introduces Trudy to Don only. After a minute, which is clearly long enough for the opportunity to have been introduced has clearly come and gone, Peggy gives a little ‘nice to not quite meet you wave’ to Trudy as she walks away. Neither Don nor Pete (nor probably Trudy) (and really, nor probably Peggy) considered it. She probably would not have been impacted by it at all, had it not been for her affair with Pete.

In 5G, Betty meets Peggy. She greets her with, You must be Peggy and is actually quite cordial to her, (they’ve spoken on the phone) and Betty even introduces the children by name. (Children and their placement on the social totem pole is a whole other thing.) (Okay so then poor Peggy does her tap dance, praying Don will return to the office soon. Oh, the good times.) Once Don is back and the family leaves, Peggy says Nice to meet you, and Betty smiles but says nothing.

The whole thing freaks me out, to be honest.

Roberta did this research; we were wondering about Peggy’s access to the Pill (Enovid) in Smoke Gets In Your Eyes. We know that the episode takes place in March or April of 1960, but the FDA didn’t approve Enovid for contraceptive use until June 23, 1960. Could it be a goof? We didn’t think it was a goof, because it’s major, and they’re sooo careful. But there it was, approval on June 23, 1960.

Then Roberta found this:

On May 9, 1960, the FDA announced it would approve Enovid 10 mg for contraceptive use, which it did on June 23, 1960, by which time Enovid 10 mg had been in general use for three years during which time, by conservative estimate, at least half a million women had used it.

It’s maybe the worst sentence structure in the history of paragraphs, but if you parse it veeeeeery sloooowly, you can see it says that U.S. women—at least a half million—had been using Enovid for three years at the time of official approval.

Which means it’s not a goof, and strongly justifies Peggy’s ignorance of exactly how it works.

In a related vein, an author and professor is seeking personal stories about Pill use for a forthcoming book. Since we’ve discussed it here, I thought it might be of interest to our readers.

The Pill is often considered one of the most important innovations of the twentieth century. As I investigate this claim for a new book—set for release on the 50th anniversary of the Pill’s FDA approval (Basic Books, 2010)—I’m looking to include the voices and stories of real people. I hope yours will be one of them. I’m eager to hear from men as well as women, of all ages and backgrounds.
…
I hope to hear from you. Please write to me at elainetylermay@gmail.com.

(Click through for the whole explanation and description of what is being requested.)

This is all especially meaningful because the American Life League (ALL) is planning a “Protest the Pill Day,” and is promoting 100% false information about the Pill (that it causes abortion). Click through for details on this battle.

(Tip of the hat for ProgGrrl, who saw it first.) EW.com has a full five pages of Mad Men coverage, including five hot pictures (the cover, a posed backyard shot that I find kind of annoying because it’s so posey, 2 of the ones that we were all scoopy with, and one from the same series, with Betty in that plaid dress, that I hadn’t seen before).

There’s juicy stuff here. Sterling Cooper is working on an airline campaign when a deadly plane crash out of Idlewild (the original name of Kennedy Airport), throws them into a panic. Based on the description, the date appears to be March 1, 1962.

Apparently, we’re not done with the secret identity storyline:

”Here’s the issue: Don Draper’s doing great. Dick Whitman, not so,” Weiner explains. ”And we shouldn’t stop worrying about Don being discovered. His wife doesn’t know. Will she find out? Does it matter? There’s also this whole chunk of his life that we don’t know about.”

And honestly, they’re only hinting, but I really think I’m right about Betty. I mean, they’re saying ‘redirected energy’ and they’re saying she redecorated, but honestly? Affair.

Yes, Peggy is back on the job and succeeding. And yes, Roger Sterling is back working full-time. Duck Philips is in the first episode.

They address the ratings, and AMC’s marketing:

Despite the accolades, ratings hovered only around a modest 900,000 viewers. (To compare, The Sopranos averaged 3.5 million during its freshman season.) Now, with season 2 scheduled to debut July 27, the question is: Can Mad Men build on those first-year numbers and transition from critical darling to mainstream hit? ”It was nice to fly under the radar [in the beginning], but I want to reach a huge audience,” says Weiner. ”It’s AMC’s job to find those people. And they’re finding them.” Indeed, for season 2 the cable network is preparing its biggest marketing campaign ever, budgeted at $25 million.

If we stop posting mean things about AMC, we’ll be happy. No more stinking paws!

Okay, I’m going to just post all of them, I really am, but this one just tickled me pink. I had to do the coy thing and hide it under a Read More link. Just had to.

Look how totally cute.

And then when dansj said something about a “beard,” I thought “But we didn’t post Paul yet, did we?” And then I realized he meant, as in a gay man’s “beard,” not the fuzzy kind.

It’s adorable, right? I bet he hangs out in the Village and is, like, weeks away from trying “Mary Jane.”

Eme commented on another post about the appeal of the Mad Men as grownups:

The fact that the men are supposed to be real adult men. Yes, I know that when we discuss these things we realize the real adolescent immaturity at (the) heart of the MM men but nevertheless, doesn’t MM in a way celebrate a culture of sophisticated adulthood? Personally, I’m just dying for a grown man to show up onscreen…

This reminded me of something Matthew Weiner said (back at that thing we saw him speak at where we met him and stuff) about how one thing that drives the characters forward is each of their struggles with where they are in their life cycle. That keeping that ‘real’ (no way did Weiner say “keeping anything real”) was how he could guarantee that this series never run dry, or need to rely on over-the-top plot devices.

Pete Campbell and the Greek chorus of Paul, Ken and Harry, are all little boys trying to find the balance between boyhood (dear god, Pete’s pajamas?!!?) and being a man in a man’s world. Pete makes fun of Harry’s lollipop. Also I find it interesting to put them together physically, these men; Pete is visually prepubescent while Paul really feels like a… well, like a fully formed human. But they are all in the same age range; those four in particular.

Weiner was playing with these ideas:

What is the journey of maturity? Where is each character in their life?

He spoke about all the conjecture behind Peggy’s letting Pete into her apartment in the pilot, how everyone was convinced that she was doing it as a career move. But Weiner didn’t see it that way. (Neither did I, ftr.) He said she was 22 years old and he took two trains because he had to see her.

And I take that very seriously.

So, this is kind of fun.

Dr Emerson, the gynecologist in Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, is played by Remy Auberjonois. I looked it up awhile ago, and the name was so familiar, but I couldn’t place him.

Today I read it (in I Let My Fists Do the Talking, a blog by the woman who designed the header for Rich Sommer’s blog) and I was like WAIT. I TOTALLY KNEW THAT.

Remy is the son of Rene Auberjonois (and sorry to totally steal, but really, these are the two identifiers…) of Odo and Benson fame.

So just… cool!