"Mad Men" Buzz

As the July 25th season four premiere of Mad Men approached I had to avert my eyes from the constant stream of buzz surrounding the show---in the New York Times, in entertainment magazines, on many blogs that I follow. Clearly there is something about this show that makes us all want to respond, to talk about it.

Luckily I had a lot of time this summer to catch up, having just started on Season One earlier this year. As with most great shows that I am behind the ball on, Netflixing to catch up with, I do what I can to pace myself, to make the show last just a little bit longer, to let each show linger on the tongue.

But I knew I had to go a little faster if I wanted to be a part of the conversation.

I am finally caught up (well, only two episodes behind, but at least in the current season) and I am eagerly going through  my queue of commentary on the show. I'm not quite ready to offer up any unique take on this show, except to say that I believe that it is "literary TV", much like The Sopranos or The Wire. I find myself thinking about the characters and themes, directing and acting at various times throughout my day.

As I said, it lingers. And I want more and more tastes.

btw...
*My favorite so far may be Katie Roiphe's "cultural study" in the New York Times, "On 'Mad Men,' The Allure of Messy Lives". Katie argues that part of the show is appealing in part because our current culture is so steeped in organic food, yoga, and moderation that we might be missing the fun of stylish misbehaving. I actually felt inspired to be a little reckless after reading this; a catharsis for my own frustration at the pressure for perfect health and moderated lives that seems to surround these conservative times.