Mad Men II
[2012-05-19 09:30]
I still dislike the handling of some of the characters, but most could be fixed by changing or omitting just one or two scenes. For example, Joan did not need to be so cold to her roommate; Trudy did not need to be seen lusting after Don; and Rachel Menken did not need to define herself by her relationship with Don (instead of saying "This is hard for me, but mostly because I can't imagine how hard this is for you", she could have said "This is hard for me. I can't imagine how hard this is for you" thereby retaining her own identity), etc.
I think the Anna Draper character is the most annoying of them all, but I think this is because the writers wrote themselves into a corner. Anna had to condone Don's deception and infidelity, otherwise there would be no show (she'd tell Betty about Don's real identity and Betty likely would report Don or tell someone -- like her father -- who would). As a result, Anna becomes complicit in Don's misdeeds. [Note: I misquoted her in my last post. Her actual quote was "I want you to do everything you want to do" or something like that. A cringe-inducing line for me, either way.]
Anyway, I still think the show is sexist, both overtly and subtly, and I don't agree that it's the most feminist show. But, taken in moderation, it can be entertaining.
Un?relatedly, I saw The Avengers movie last weekend and enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. Chalk another one up for Joss Whedon (and nice to see Victor from Dollhouse get a cameo). The trailer for Prometheus was also tantalizing. Stringer Bell vs Aliens? Awesome!