Lovely Readers, two things have happened in the last couple days that might mean a temporary slowing of posting. One of which is: I am now working 60 hours a week. This is because I am a dirty striver (I earned this status in college, when I announced to my good friend I wanted to double major, and she sighed and said, "You are such a fucking dirty striver, you know that? It's almost enough to make on ill. It is a good thing I love you already"). The other is, though:
I have been sucked into the 3rd season of Mad Men. I might have just watched three episodes in a 12 hour period because I could not stop myself. It's not my fault, you guys. It's like emotionally compelling, visually stunning CRACK.
There's really nothing I can add about the show that hasn't been talked about elsewhere, although I think I am going to take a feminist stab at it once I am all caught up. And of course the show is beautifully shot, the use of colors incredible, the costuming impecable. I love the fact that all those men talking about becoming "retrosexuals," or "real men," are basing this fictional "real man" on Don Draper, a man conjured up by a mostly-women writing team (these "retrosexuals" might need to watch Mad Men again, because perhaps they missed how a big part of the show is about how THE PATRIARCHY SCREWS EVERYBODY. Also). I love how incredibly feminist the show is. I love how many of the men, Draper included, are assholes, but you can't just hate them; I love Pete and Trudy Campbell's relationship, because by the beginning of the third season, you can see what a partnership it is. Even though Pete Campbell is an awful, terrible, sniveling dude, you can see how much he enjoys and appreciates his wife and their marriage, and you just can't hate him. I love how confident Peggy Olson is, how kick-ass Joan is. I covet everything Joan wears.
So! Given that I can barely pull myself away from finishing the season to go EAT, posting might be a little light for a couple days. BUT: if anyone has been watching and wants to talk about Mad Man, CAN WE PLEASE???? Leave comments! But I haven't finished the third season, I'm only 3 episodes in, so don't fuck it up for me! Thanks!
I'll be back in 9 episodes. Unless I am compelled to post because I am reading DFW's Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, and it is like a fucking PARADE of my exes here, so I might need to take up some webspace and on that one. But it's kinda funny, to see all my past boys' weaknesses and unkindnesses captured in print. So not only were those dudes assholes, they couldn't even be original about it. Kind of like these retrosexuals. "Real men" can't even be creative, I suppose.
Oh man, I really need to finish the third season because I was liking it a ton before I got caught up doing stuff. Another funny thing about the retrosexuals: they're imitating a character who made up this borderline caricature of the manliest man ever to escape his cowardly, war-deserting past. They remind me of the people who like The Sopranos because they think Tony is a badass.
ReplyDeletePS: Your blog is awesome, although I have no idea how you have the time/stamina to write this much this well and go to school and work.
Okay! Now I can officially watch Mad Men! I have been on the fence about it since some reviews/criticisms I read were pointing out not-so-feminist things about it, which made me pause, even though most of what I read was really positive regarding its take on patriarchal structures.
ReplyDeleteI think this may be a summer project for Mummy Minx and I, because she gets into a big tizzy every time she sees something YET AGAIN depicting the '60s as one big Woodstock orgy. She is always all, like, "it wasn't like that! Most people had jobs and children, and were desperately obsessed with being seen as 'normal.'"
And also - I agree with Sunny! I don't know where you find the time to always be so brilliant.
Miss Minx, who could EVER watch Mad Men and think it was not feminist? How WEIRD. It is the most aggressively feminist thing I have ever seen on TV. In fact, I am super aware of how NOT feminist everything else is when I am watching it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I have a suspicion that people who idolize Don Draper as the manliest of many men haven't really watched the show. Or seen how much those gender roles cripple him.