Posted on by Carol Colitti Levine

Mad Women

1967. Things tipped earlier in Manhattan than in the ‘burbs. Peggy took her shot. Go, girl! Without good looks, she needed extraordinary drive, focus and talent to succeed in the mAd men’s world. Joan made a decision to use her physical assets to control her financial future, rather than continue to have them used and abused by Roger or even her own husband for no return. Megan’s beauty got her Don, and an easy chair at the copywriter’s desk. Making her Peggy’s peer. Megan has ad talent. But, she’s determined to be an actress. So, she’ll need to re-deploy her other skill on a casting couch to launch her new career. ZooBeeZoo.

Poor Don. He’s confounded and befuddled. When Joan strokes his cheek and tells him he’s one of the good guys, it’s clear. He’s not in Kansas anymore.

Here is Matt Creamer’s review. Don’t agree that Joan and Peggy were competing against each other to be Queen Bee. They both ended triumphant this week. If Don had talked Joan out of doing the deed and they got the account anyway, she wouldn’t be a partner. If Peggy had stayed, she’d always be Don’s protégée.

7 Replies to “Mad Women”

    1. Agree sad. Sad that she had to be put in that position to become a partner. But I understood her decision. Controlling her destiny for a change. Her managerial skills were never going to be rewarded, nor would she have been given the stature she’d earned. That was clear. She is a single breadwinner in a very different time and didn’t want to have to rely on the questionable men in her life. Roger threw her under the bus and her husband raped her, then left her for his boyfriends in the Army. And the prospect of living with that mother…

      Unfortunately, she’ll probably lose her 5% now that Lane is putting the agency in financial jeopardy. He’s not a good guy, and put her in the situation by dangling the long term partnership idea in front of her when he’s made it unlikely that it will come to fruition. Just to save his own butt.

      Don is looking like a good guy. This week. Wait til he finds out what Megan will have to do to get ahead. That’ll kill him.

      I’m sure my perspective is controversial, but I still respect Joan.

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      1. Peggy also has her own history of actions, choices and sacrifices to stay in the game and advance her career. I don’t see them that differently. I’m defensive because many think I’m off the mark. Oh, well.

        Bottom Line. This week I saw both Joan and Peggy as triumphant in the end. It’s not about a ‘number’, it’s about partner, chief copywriter.

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