Materialism. I luvz it.

[baleanoptera]

Excuse me while I go a bit overboard about interior design, but for some reason I fell in love with these cushions. Yes, they are cushions. Made of felted wool apparently They just look so odd, and comfy! Though in my living room they would last about twenty minutes before being turned into cat toys.

Also yesterday I finished watching Mad Men, and I really liked it. Though I must admit that I found the whole Don Draper is really Dick Withman plot a bit boring. Probably because I was much more fascinated by Betty and the Betty/Don plot. I liked Betty almost from the beginning, and by the end of the series I loved her. The scene with her shooting at the pigeons is one of my favourite in the whole damn series. I also liked the ending epiphanies of Don and Betty. He is watching the slides and is damn near in tears, while Betty is starting to grasp the harsh reality of what Don has done (um..that alliteration was a bit weird to write) and manipulates her psychologist.

To me the strength of "Mad Men" are the little sub-plots and the characterisations, like how Francine started out as rather obnoxious yet became somehow sympathetic in the end. Or how every fight started in the office has Ken Cosgrove as an instigator.
It's also curious that for a series so focused on men (it's even in the title) what kept me watching was the women. I still want Rachel Menken to get her own series though, and her sister can join her. They were some of the few people in the series who seemed honest and caring with each other. They last episodes also made me like Joan a whole lot. I also want her clothes - especially that blue dress.

There is also a certain current of irony in the series, about how these advertising people think they are at the forefront of what is cool and happening and yet they continuously fail to see the world changing around them. The most bitter part is that it is Pete Campbell who displays the best understanding of the new (for instance his remark about how neither Kennedy or Elvis wears a hat, or his idea of marketing travel as an adventure), but since it is Pete the others just roll their eyes and continue.

But the whole Peggy is pregnant plot? That could have been better handled. I know they set it up from episode one, but it was still to badly executed for my taste.

Comments

[lage-nom-ai.livejournal.com]

Heeee. My thoughts on those cushions: "wow, they look like stones. Cool! Man, I bet they'd be a pain if you had cats." Heeee.

As for Mad Men, I really like your observations. Of course what's interesting about Pete is that if he weren't so insecure and kind of snivelling, he'd have a better shot at things...

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

They would be turned into the cat-version of Barad-Dur in no time. Complete with Nazgul!kittens.

Of course what's interesting about Pete is that if he weren't so insecure and kind of snivelling, he'd have a better shot at things

True, and that's his tragedy I guess. I must admit I still don't like him, so the bad part of me grins gloriously every time somebody, especially Sterling, makes a snide remark. But I guess that is one of the ways in which "Mad Men" is truly clever, in that Pete is such a creep that I'm willing to overlook even the positive contributions he makes.

Speaking of Pete - the depiction of his dad has to be one of the series more subtle highlights. The costume and posture alone ensured that the characterisation was set from the get go.

[lage-nom-ai.livejournal.com]

Oooh, now you have to see the premiere of S2. There's a great Pete scene--perhaps the one time I actually felt sorry for him! And then he gets smacked down again, and it was kind of satisfying after a minute, when I recalled how he tried to blackmail Don...

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

You realise you're nudging me towards evil, unlawful downloading with this comment? ;P Not that I don't do it anyway. *cough, cough*

And Pete blackmailing Don was one of the good things to come out of the whole Dick Withman story. (and I rather liked Adam too, and didn't see the need for drama in having him kill himself. It was dramatic sure, but it also felt like a easy way for the writers to exit him from the story) I also liked Burt Cooper's reaction to it. Especially since it was very much in the spirit of Ayn Rand.

[nymeria-snow.livejournal.com]

I was randomly browsing lj when I came to your profile page and those lines regarding GRRM made me smile all over my face. Also, your posts about Norse myths are wonderful. May I add you? =)

[baleanoptera.livejournal.com]

Hello! Always fun to meet other people who like Martin and Norse myths, so please add away. I'll add you back.