I didn't anticipate Ted Kennedy's death last night, which I learned about after I re-watched Sunday's episode of Mad Men in order to write this post. His involvement in the government since the era of the show, however, and the tragic themes of his life are contemplated on the show, as are constant reminders of his family's tragic history. Kennedy's life after the Chappaquiddick incident has been about redemption. The incident prevented him from ever being president, and led him to gain a self-awareness that has escaped some since. But he might have done a good job as commander-in-cheif, and probably wouldn't have made some of the same mistakes Jimmy Carter made, and might not have provoked the neo-Con movement that started with Reagan. The last thirty years might have been very different had Kennedy been elected to the presidency in 1980. Instead, Kennedy, as a senator, pioneered any semblance of health care reform, instituting Cobra and other revolutionary legislation. Kennedy pretty much never had to worry about losing an election, so being a senator, to him, was going to work, not preparing for the next political step. He knew he had to redeem himself, and he really tried.
Redemtion is a reoccurring theme on Mad Men, the and those who need it the most are Don Draper (who seems to struggle with his sometimes amoral character) and Roger Sterling (who is largely unrepentant). Roger's marriage to Jane, a young secretary who started at Sterling Cooper last season, was revisited as his daughter prepared for her own wedding. Needless to say, she didn't want her mother-in-law to attend. But it looks like her wedding's destined to be ruined one way or another, as the date on her invitations suggests:
Last week we saw Don about to nail a flight attendant while on a business trip. This week he focusesd on work, his very pregnant wife, and his family. But I found that story line a little tedious, except that it did show Betty for who she is, a manipulative whiner. I had such high hopes for her during the first season. Now I think she and Don deserve each other. Of all the female characters on the show, she's the one who most takes advantage of traditional gender roles and also does the least to overcome them.
Besides reminding us about the sins of sexually powerful men, this episode was largely about what the employees of Sterling Cooper do everyday, both in practice and philisophically. They got back to work, and they got on board. So many this episode were convinced to do something, drank the Kool-aid, or saw the merits of doing so. Roger tells the man who would tear down Penn Station to build Madison Square Garden to "Eat our sweet meats, drink our wine," inviting him to partake in one of his and Don's famous 5,000 calorie luches and some ego-boosting propaganda.
But the real star of this week's episode was Peggy Olson, the only female copywriter at Sterling Cooper. Her storyline kicked off the episode using the opening sequence of Bye-Bye Birdie staring Ann Margaret:
Peggy sat in a conference room with a bunch of dudes and watched the sequence. Everyone seemed mesmerized with Ann Margaret, even the gay guy, except for Peggy. The purpose of viewing squeaky voiced redhead, who Peggy described as being "twenty-five but acting like she's fourteen," was because Pepsi wanted a similar treatment for their Patio (what would be diet pepsi) ads. The drink was aimed towards women who wanted to "reduce." Peggy's was the voice of reason at the meeting, reminding the guys that she was the target audience, and she felt offended by this pat on the head. Ken Cosgrove reminded her that she's "not fat anymore," in his mind trumping her argument. In the end she was out voted, and the boys moved forward.
Later, she brought the issue to Don, who shot her down again. He fell in love with Ann Margaret, too. She's "pure" he says with that trademark, distant, Don Draper smile. "I'm all for fantasies," Peggy says, "but shouldn't it be a female one?" Don retorts, "Men want her, women want to be her, " a cliche (these don't usually escape Don's lips; he chastised Peggy for saying "Sex sells," last season) which proves the ineffectiveness of the ad's concept. But Don's in charge, and he reminds Peggy that she's, "not an artist," and reccommends that she, "leave some tools in her tool box." Ouch. This is surprising considering Don's past enlightenment on what women want:
In the elevator at the end of the day, Peggy finds herself next to Roger, who tells her that she's the only woman in the office, "without that stupid look on her face." This is meant to be a compliment from the severely self-centered Roger, but it prompts Peggy to stop at a watering hole in her Brooklyn neighborhood on her way home. There, she elbows up to a couple of guys at the bar and drops the line she heard Joan so expertly use earlier in the day: "It's so crowded in here it feels like I'm on the subway." It's easy, Peggy discovers, to have that stupid look on your face.
She seduces a Brooklyn College student, a innocent enough young guy who's fairly innocuous and not at all interesting to Peggy. But she was conducting an experiment. "You're funny," he tells her when she steals a bite of his burger. She covers her mouth and bats her lashes. Again, easy.
Back at the guys apartment he's about to kick her out when she's smart enough to reject sex without a condom. But Peggy surprises him by saying, "there are other things we can do." In the end, she's the one who leaves him desperate for more.
The next day she seems serene, awash with new understanding. Do what a man does, but conduct yourself like a man's idea of a woman, she seems to say to herself. She goes back to work. She gets on board.
Next week's episode promises some real Joan action. On the "coming up on Mad Men" trailer that ran after the show, Joan argues with her rapist fiance. "I don't want to fight," he says. "Then stop talking," Joan replies. My breath is bated.
