The Meaning of Nostalgia

We got this email from Basketcase Jorie:

I just picked up a copy of “Panati’s Parade of Fads, Follies, and Manias” by Charles Panati. It’s a book examining the last 100 years of pop culture, everything from fads to tv shows to books. There will undoubtedly be things mentioned in the book that will be mentioned in Mad Men in the coming seasons, so you might want to pick up your own copy at the library or used bookstore.

While Don Draper says that “nostalgia” means “pain from an old wound,” Panati claims that it comes from the Greek “nostos–to return home” and “algia–a painful condition.” Literally, it is “a painful yearning to return home.” That is exactly what Don tried to do at the end of “The Wheel.” Panati also goes on to say that the term was coined by Swiss physician Johannes Hofer in the late 17th century to describe a condition he was seeing among Swiss mercenaries who were working far from their homelands. Until the 1880’s, it was classified as a disease and its “symptoms” included despondency, melancholia, bouts of weeping, anorexia, and suicide attempts.

I thought you would find this interesting, since you like to go into depth about concepts on the show. Keep up the good work!

Thanks, Jorie, we definitely find it interesting. And by the way, here’s a link to Panati’s book. I bought it for myself.

 

Don hadn’t thought this through

Where have we heard that before?

Nixon vs Kennedy. Rachel to Don, when he wants them to run away together. Don to Pete, when he attempts blackmail. You haven’t thought this through. You haven’t thought this through.

In the Wheel, Don learns that Adam has hung himself.

 

Watching Peggy change

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.

 

Actual Emmy Scoopage!

We just received an email from a self-proclaimed long-time BoK lurker. (We love that more of you are de-lurking!)

She is an Emmy voter, and just received… ahh, screw it, I’ll just pull it from the email.

As a long-time “lurker” on your blog, I wanted to give you the heads up (if you’re interested) that as an Emmy voter I just received AMC’s Emmy “For Your Consideration” DVD package today containing six episodes each of “Breaking Bad” and “Mad Men.” I was so excited that they sent half the season that of course it’s in my DVD player right now. The episodes AMC is sending out for consideration are as follows:

“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”
“5G”
“The Hobo Code”
“Long Weekend”
“Nixon vs. Kennedy”
“The Wheel”

I wouldn’t want the job of narrowing the selection down! Can’t wait to vote for my favorite newcomer!

That is a lot of great stuff to pull from. A-freaking-mazing!

She gave me permission to print this, but I posted so fast I didn’t ask if I could print her name, so I didn’t. So R, feel free to out yourself if you like. And thanks for the scoop!

Kisses,

R & D

 

AMC burns my toast

I sat down to watch The Wheel again last night. Figured it would be extra fun after reading the script and all. The ones I have saved on my DVR are from the second straight-through run of the season.

Let’s remember this: They showed season one at 10 and “encore presentations” at 11. Then they showed a few episodes (I think it was 1, 2, 5, 6, 10–13). Then they showed the full season straight through again.

Roberta and I discovered they were cutting the encore presentations. Cutting! The very first day the episode was run. CUTTING.

Last night I discovered that the second run of season 1 was cut further. Further! I want to smoosh their little AMC faces with pie, I really do. The episode felt noticeably truncated. Over too quick. Brief. Fleeting. Choppy. Smoosh their faces, I tell you!

Here’s what I mean, using one scene as an example. Seriously, don’t read this if you have a weak stomach.

Original run: Pete gets roped into a reproduction discussion with his father-in-law. Father-in-law indicates that a bun in the oven would get Pete the Clearasil account. That night in bed, Pete pressures Trudy into unprotected sex (the infamous “deleted scene“).

Encore presentation: Pete gets roped into a reproduction discussion with his father-in-law. Father-in-law indicates that a bun in the oven would get Pete the Clearasil account.

Second run of the season: Pete gets roped into a reproduction discussion with his father-in-law.

Period. That’s it.

Fuck.

 

Best Emmy episode

Here’s an interesting bit in the LA Times. After first explaining that an episode is submitted to the Emmy judges for viewing, columnist Tom O’Neil explains that AMC is considering submitting The Wheel instead of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (a strong episode, and pilots are the typical submission for a new series).

He gives you an opportunity to vote on which of the two is the best choice for the show, and which is best for Jon Hamm’s Best Actor in a Drama bid. So far, Smoke… has a big lead for the series, but Wheel wins handily for Hamm.

Go vote.

 

The Wheel just keeps on turning!

So, Eme (sometimes Eme Kay), Basket of Kisses reader and frequent discussion chime-in-er, purchased herself the production script of the Wheel (how did we survive before eBay?), and was terrifically kind enough to share it with us truly. I was expecting to enjoy it for the cool factor, but what I didn’t expect was to come across lines that were cut. And I’m not talking about lines that were chopped out by AMC after the original broadcast; the version of the Wheel that I have recorded is in fact the uncut one (with the ‘deleted scene‘). No, I’m talking about lines that never made it to air. Possibly never made it to shoot.

There’s plenty in this treasure chest, but let me start with this:

(I omitted stage direction– Cooper flips through book– but left in character direction; emphasis mine for lines that were not included in the episode as it aired.)

DON
Are those the legendary secret files of Bert Cooper?

COOPER
No. I have to write a report to the board. My sister Alice is quite a business woman. It’s hard to be scrutinized by your sister.

DON
Those reports are always the same. This year, big, next year, bigger.

Okay so can I just say, Alice? Let’s hope we get to meet her in Season Two! Fascinating premise, and this goes back to the discussions we’ve had regarding acceptable (by BoK standards) celebrity cameos.

COOPER
(laughs)
I got a call from Abraham Menken. I’m sure you know that his daughter will be unavailable for the next three months– taking some sort of ocean voyage to Paris and whatnot.

Don tries to hide his surprise.

DON
I hadn’t heard that.
(then)
But otherwise?

COOPER

(irritated)
There is no otherwise. Why is this man calling me?

And I take a moment right here to appreciate the acting. And acting in general. You read the words on the page, and then you hear how much the actor breathes into it. A primitive insight, perhaps, but there you go.

DON
(firmly)
I don’t know. Was he unhappy?

COOPER
Roger told me you had difficulty working with this woman. As a partner, I do not expect your personal preferences to interfere with our business.

DON
Who says they have?

COOPER
It was the tone of his voice. He’s her father.

That’s it, cowboy. If I don’t see you, have a nice holiday.

Holy! So it seems that, as it was originally scripted, Cooper did not see all when it came to Rachel and Don’s affair. Which, for the record, I had never been convinced about; the words ‘personal preferences’ hearkened directly back to everyone’s take on Don’s relationship with Rachel based on their first horrible meeting in the pilot. It was Cooper’s “cowboy” that cast doubt, for me.

But I’m wondering… am I better informed now, or was the line cut for the purpose of giving the impression that Cooper knows?

This is one of those times I wish I could speak to Matthew Weiner. I am generally quite content with the nebulous nature of this show; all the gray areas and answers that Mr. Weiner may not specifically have. But this one is specific and I think there’s an answer.

(Wait. ALICE COOPER??? HA HA HA HA HAAAHH!!!!)

 

Greek is okay; Latin is RIGHT OUT.

Don, easing into the Kodak pitch:

…in Greek, nostalgia literally means the pain from an old wound.

Peggy, stiffly entering the Rejuvenator team presentation:

Women lose weight so they’ll feel good about themselves. Healthier, more attractive.

Rejuvenate has a Latin root which literally means the return of youth.

The Rejuvenator give you the flush and glow, not only that you might have after hours of exercise, but certainly as a young girl.

Isn’t it nice to feel that way whenever you want.

Combined with a sensible diet…

the Rejuvenator.

Youll love the way it makes you feel.

Don’s response:

First of all, no Latin. You sound like a valedictorian.

The scene of Peggy’s presentation is endlessly fascinating, line by line, moment by moment (as is well, every scene in this series). Don and the guys force Peggy to be tough and manly, but there is a gentle quality as well; this is by no means a hazing. Peggy herself is dressing more and more like the German marketing researcher, and holds it together well, but there is such a feminine, even girlish quality to her.

As for the Greek versus Latin… is it just another writer’s trick (not Don and Peggy, but Weiner and co.) that is simply music with words, that we are not meant to notice? Is it one more way to compare Peggy and Don?

Are the two moments (and references to ancient languages at the opening of a presentation) unrelated? Please note they both say ‘literally’, so I’m gonna go with No. Are we saying that the same rules don’t apply to Don that apply to Peggy (which is fair; after all, you teach your students to color within the lines, while you yourself can Pollock all over the place). Peggy did present it like a valedictorian… more uppity than Peggy has a right to be. This echoes her date, just a few scenes earlier. Don presents anecdotally. An everyman. And maybe there’s your theme.

 

Don on the stairs

The Wheel: Don runs home and says, ‘Get in the car, we can be to your father’s by midnight,’ and it’s all happy and familial but it’s all a fantasy. In real life, Don gets home too late, they’ve already taken a cab to the train, and Don knows he has left himself empty and isolated from everything and anything he loves.

But don’t forget this: Don can still get to his father-in-law’s. The Drapers live in Ossining (about 20 minutes from where I’m sitting now). We don’t know where on the Jersey Shore Betty’s dad lives, but the furthest point is a mere three hours away. He could meet them there, have his happy scene, and they’d all drive home together after the holiday.

What stops Don, ultimately, is Don.

 

AMC, you’re killing my buzz.

I wrote the following yesterday. And then after I wrote it, I dug around AMC’s website.

I am so outraged. Like, speechless. (Well, my version of speechless is kind of word-heavy, but you get it.)

Those stupidheads at AMC are NOT GOING TO BE SHOWING MAD MEN AT ALL IN MAY. NOT AT ALL. NOT SUNDAYS AT MIDNIGHT, NOT WEDNESDAYS AT 3AM, NOT SATURDAYS AT 6AM TO COMPETE WITH ANGEL ON TNT, NOT ANYWHERE AT ALL.

Heard about this great new show but still haven’t gotten around to seeing it? Been waiting for the latest run to wind up, (which it just now has) and maybe you’ve even read that the first two episodes will be airing over the next two weeks?

WELL TOO BAD FOR YOU!!! Guess you’ll have to wait until July.

Way to build momentum, Jack. Or, what’s that other thing… LOSE ANY STEAM YOU HAVE WITH POTENTIAL NEW VIEWERS WHO WILL FORGET ABOUT YOU ONCE THEY START WATCHING NEW EPISODES OF HOUSE AND ER.

Anyway, I think this little intro perfectly sets up the rest of what I had prepared. Enjoy:

I’ve been thinking it’s time to recap AMC’s sins. Some of you are new, but also, like when your shitty boyfriend starts acting all sweet lately, you might be losing perspective.

Let’s take a moment, shall we, to think back to a simpler, happier time.