Mad Monday: Sally Draper Saw More Of Her Daddy Than She Ever Wanted

As if I needed more reason to find Sally to be the best character on the show.

SPOILER ALERT.

 

Mad Men this week, did not disappoint. Generally as a season comes to an end of any show, the episodes close to the end mostly set up the finale but aren't episodes you want to pause so you can have freak out moment of what occurred. I love that even though this was the third to last episode, I was still fighting the urge the cover my eyes and yell at the screen.

Here is a list of my new thoughts and opinions based on last night's episode.

1. BOB BENSON. I've gone through multiple theories on Bob. Mostly I think he is going to shoot up the office or at least kill one person. But now I have a more intense theory. He is trying to sleep with anyone, whether it be Joan or Pete simply to move up in the company. If it's Joan, he'll sleep with her and then expect everyone to think she's a slut and fire her but everyone will be like "Boo you whore" and fire him. Then he'll either kill Joan or everyone. If it's Pete, he'll sleep with him and then say that Pete hit on him, and try to take his job. Clearly I'm still working on the Pete theory. I can't wrap my mind around that one, I had no reason to see that coming. I loved it.

2. The end of Megan and Don. I've had theories about their end for a while. I was not with a lot of people who thought Megan was already dead. I think she might die. But she wasn't already dead. Now, I'm not sure if she will kill herself because Sally tells her what she saw, or she'll end up shoving Don out the window in the series finale because the truth takes that long to come out.

3. Someone is getting pushed out that window. But who? My boyfriend and I both think the show will end with someone reenacting the title sequence. We generally assumed Pete and Don would get in a fight and one or maybe both men would fall out the glass. But now, I can imagine it being Bob and Pete in a fight. Megan and Don. Someone. It'll happen.

4. Pete Campbell and Peggy Olson. I'm scared of that happening again so my brain doesn't really have a theory. But I loved the callback his mom pulled on Peggy and their drunk dinner.

Well, to anyone who reads this blog, what are your theories?

The Day I Unintentionally Became Peggy Olson

You've all dreamt of it, but it happened to me: 

I lived a day that was like an episode of Mad Men. 

But it was less fun because I played early episodes Peggy, not how she is now. 

Well this story begins with how I originally missed a job interview because I was vomiting all night due to a stomach virus. I rescheduled because thankfully, a trip to the ER is a good enough excuse.

So Tuesday (now a week ago), I woke up and got my current job's duties out of the way. I got dressed in the outfit that I had not one, but THREE people approve of. My best friend Nikki, though, told me I really needed a blazer in order to look the most professional.

I drove 45 minutes to meet up with the recruiter. His name is, wait for it, Draper. David Draper. Yeah, when I first met him I had the hardest time not making a Mad Men reference. But I kept it in, because I bet he hates the amount people mention it to him.

I arrived in the city early and stopped to pee in a Panda Express. Then I regretted it, what if I smelt like soy sauce!?

Well, Draper's secretary had me fill out an application. But there was also a blond, sitting and filling out an application. It discouraged me, but I carried on. But, then yet another woman came in and asking for Mr. Draper. Then, a few minutes later yet another girl came in and began filling out her application. Then one by one, the girls and I were called into the same room to fill out a personality test. No joke. Apparently this is normal. Then Draper came, and we had to take a math and vocabulary test. It reminded me of the high school exit exam. "If Sally had 348 marbles, but Bobby takes 129, how many does Sally have left?" Why are we even thinking about this for a consultant position? Did I not realize this was the CIA?

After the test, we were once again taken one by one to the front lobby. Then one by one for the actual interview, and of course, I was last. The interview went well from what I could tell, and he invited me back to meet the head of training. But then he Joan'd me:

"Now, I'm going to give you advice I give every college graduate. So don't take this the wrong way...but...you need to dress better."

Basically, my best friend was right. I need a damn blazer. Overall, I was there for over 2 hours and my random mix CD played SNL's Natalie Portman Rap when I got back in the car. So I'll take that as a good sign.

Mad Men Monday: What the hell are you doing, Don?!

"It's easy to give up something when you're ashamed." 

- Sylvia Rosen, Mad Men

 

 

Um. What are you doing, Don Draper? I hope all of your fans judged you tonight. I'm not sure what this means for you but I was glad when Sylvia finally realized how creepy you were being and ended it. 

Part of me thinks Don knew it was over when he heard Sylvia and her husband arguing, and then just played out the fantasy for as long as he could. Problem is, the fantasy was a creep show. I always thought Don liked powerful women, but maybe he wants the power now? I'm not sure. 

On a lighter note, Joan and I have the same health issues! I was entertained when she said it was just a cyst on her ovary because I have had that happen to me twice. It sucks. Seeing Bob Benson as real human was also fun in this episode.

Overall, this episode of Mad Men confused me. The best thing that came out of it was this GIF: 

Mad Monday: Finally Caught up on Mad Men

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I love Sally Draper. In many ways, Sally is the most likeable character on the show. This point was proven to me by catching up on the beginning of this current season. And after doing so, I have several questions for the writers.

1. What are you doing to Joan? She is better than this.
2. Does Don only marry women that are annoying enough to give him an excuse to cheat on them?
3. Why is Ted such a creep and why doesn't Peggy get creeped out by him?
4. Is there a reason Linda Cardellini needs to look like Betty Boop?
5. How is it possible that Pete's wife is only being a badass now?
6. Why is Harry Crane being such a dick?
7. Can Sally be on the show more often?

Putting my judgements of the show in question form makes me like less of a sneetch. Judgements aside, I'm quite curious and excited about the direction the show is taking.

Writing Wednesday: Writing feminist children's books

To get news from a source other than Facebook, I often look at the website for Bitch Magazine. After reading these two articles: How do you find feminist children's books? and "Mad Men" actresses reluctant to call Peggy and Joan "feminists" I have this to say: we need to stop allowing feminism to be a bad word.

I'm sorry but from my view of feminism Peggy and Joan ARE feminist. And what the hell is wrong with that? The association that this means they hate men, and they don't shave their legs? That's not feminism exactly. I find feminism to be about equality, and Peggy and Joan prove and fight to be seen as equal in the workplace and in the home. I don't think feminists hate women who want to be mothers either. It is about the choice to do so, rather than an obligation.

As a writer, I want to combat this problem by writing for younger audiences with a feminist intent. My hope is to write YA novels, and children's book that are about being yourself and having the choice to live life the way you want. Not the way society tells you are supposed to live your life.

Interestingly enough, a short story I wrote for children has a main character named Peggy. I started writing it before I new anything about Mad Men other than it being a show about the 1960s.

Now my question to the blog world:
What do you believe 'feminist' means?
Have you read any books for children you find to be 'feminist'?

Feminist Friday: Sally Draper is my hero

"You have big ones. My mommy has big ones too. 

And I'm going to have big ones when I grow up."

-Sally Draper, Mad Men Season 2

I haven't started the new season of Mad Men so no spoilers, please!

If anyone asks, (and no one does) I would say Sally Draper is my favorite character. I feel a personal kinship with her because she reminds me of myself, and Betty reminds me of my mom. The relationship between Betty and Sally is too similar to mine with my mother. It almost creeps me out.

From my understanding, (I only started watching Mad Men recently) this show isn't seen as being completely feminist. My boyfriend thought I wouldn't like it because of the comments that are made and the way the women are treated. He pretty much said that only Peggy Olson is seen as feminist on the show. I find this to be completely wrong. For the most part, all the women stand up for themselves, they treat each other with respect, and they do what they can with what they have. I recommend this show to women who want feminism to be about respect and equality, but not to women who think of feminists as being women who hate men.

My love of Sally, and my decision that she is ultimately my hero came from the ending of Season 5. Sally tries to go on a date, but gets her period for the first time so she ends up running home. The look on her face made me want to cry and laugh at the same time. I was so worried about her. I loved that she just went home. Betty proved me wrong for a moment, she held her daughter and spoke to her about her period like Sally was an adult. She didn't shame Sally, or make Sally feel embarassed about it (and that's more than my own mother can say about my first period). In that moment of Betty consoling Sally about her fear and worry about becoming a woman I saw Betty as a good mother. But then Betty turned it around to prove that she is a good mother to Megan, with whom Betty is having a one-sided competition.

Sally became a woman, and the writers of Mad Men told us in a way that I found inspirational as a writer and as a woman.