mad men

There's a Mad Men marathon going on right now on AMC. I'm not watching it because I already watched the entire season earlier in the week in one massive two-day marathon of my own. I don't think it's best show ever, as some might like to claim, but it is definitely really entertaining. I have no idea how many people watch this show. I think it must be moderately successful in cable terms since critics seem to like it and it's gotten all these award nominations, but the actual number of people who watch it regularly must be pretty small in comparison to something on broadcast tv. I suspect that its cable location must deter people and they'll think it's old-fashioned because it's on American Movie Classics, even though the channel hasn't shown a classic in ages (Two Weeks Notice, despite being a well-loved movie personally, I would not consider to be a movie classic, AMC!).

Reasons to watch:

1. It's completely politically incorrect (pregnant women smoking and drinking, lots and lots of rampant sexism and racism, more smoking, more sexism, etc. etc.), which is actually refreshing. What's even more shocking about it is that it is an accurate portrayal of society at the time!

2. The hair and the clothes.

3. It makes you very glad you didn't liveback then, because despite the pretty clothes and good-ol'-days nostalgia about the time, the truth was the 60s were pretty shitty. This goes double (quadruple?) if you were neither white nor male nor rich nor straight.

4. The season finale ended with someone not knowing out they were pregos until they were in labor. How crazy is that?

My only gripe with the show is that it is really cynical. There's some humor and good writing and moving moments, but there is zero happiness. I don't know how long you can watch something that depressing without becoming depressed yourself.