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RSS'Mad Men': Peggy smokes pot, but that's not the most important part
When a few spoilers about this week's "Mad Men" leaked earlier this month, they tended to focus on Peggy's foray into pot smoking. And it's hard not to share a line like "I'm Peggy Olson, and I want to smoke some marijuana."
I'm glad, though, that those who grabbed the episode during its brief and mistaken availability on iTunes didn't spoil the other jaw-dropper in the episode. I'm not sure I would have believed it if someone told me, but going into the episode clean made the moment all the more shocking.
Now that we're a few lines in, let's get to the discussion of Roger Sterling singing "My Old Kentucky Home" (also the episode's title) while in blackface. Holy. Cow. I watched the episode several days ago courtesy of a DVD screener from AMC, and I'm still chewing on why Matthew Weiner, who co-wrote the episode with Dahvi Waller, chose to go that far in portraying Roger's piggishness.
If they wanted us watching in 2009 to be appalled at his behavior, then mission accomplished. But I would think that even in May 1963, a little more than three months before the March on Washington, and even in the very whitebread and insulated crowd celebrating Derby Day at a country club in Westchester, such a spectacle would make at least a few people uncomfortable (Don, at least, looks a little disgusted at Roger's display).
The show has taken pains so far this season to show how completely self-absorbed and out of touch Roger -- and by extension the agency that bears his name -- is, and this little incident sure did hammer it home. Contrast Roger's boorishness with the honest chat among equals Don had at the bar with Connie -- who like Don was fleeing a party he didn't want to be at -- and it's no wonder that by the end of the night, after witnessing Jane fall-down drunk, Don has no compunction about spitting in Roger's face: "No one thinks you're happy. They think you're foolish."
In an episode with such obscene behavior on Roger's part, it was also very cool to watch the Drapers' housekeeper Carla be so in charge of things back at home. The way she put Betty's dad in her place -- more than once -- was a subtle but effective rejoinder to Roger's antics at the Derby Day party.
On to the other major stories in "My Old Kentucky Home":
Peggy. Yes, she got high with Kinsey and Smitty and Kinsey's drug-pusher Princeton buddy, but the bigger takeaway was the snapshot of her growing confidence as a both a copywriter and a woman. Smoking with the guys, who were relegated to coming up with copy for Bacardi ads while Pete and Ken partied on Derby Day, was just one more way for Peggy to assert herself as an equal (and, it's worth noting, after Kinsey blathered on about how he needs weed as a creative spark, she's the only one who came up with anything resembling a good idea).
And if the symbolism of her giving a speech ("I have my own office, with my name on the door") to her middle-aged secretary is a little obvious, it also works. "I'm going to get to do everything you want for me," she says, and it's easier than ever to believe that about her.
Joan. On the other end of the spectrum, Joan is staring hard at the possible end of her time at Sterling Cooper -- if Greg gets the chief resident job at his hospital, he wants her as a full-time wife. Sure, she gets the night's best line -- "I don't want to have a fight right now," Greg says. "Then stop talking," she replies -- but she's kind of stuck now between the life she thought she always wanted and the life that's now slipping away from her. At Sterling Cooper, Joan is the tough broad, the fearless one. But she hasn't yet been able to bring that over into the rest of her life the way Peggy is now doing.
We sort of already knew all that -- her husband-to-be did, after all, rape her in the agency offices last season -- but now hearing that he's not a shoo-in for the chief resident job and having his boss' wife tell her not to have kids makes it even harder for her. If I were a betting man I'd say Greg doesn't get the job, which will at least give her the salvation of continuing to work at SC.
Other thoughts from "My Old Kentucky Home":
- As much as Pete might want Don's approval and claim to want to be like him, tonight's episode left little doubt that he's basically Roger Jr. His dance with Trudy at the party wasn't nearly as offensive as Roger's serenade, but it was just as out of date.
- I read Roger walking into the scene as Don was helping the drunken Jane to her seat as a bit of a callback to the scene in season one where a drunken Roger makes a pass at Betty at the Draper home. Obviously Don's action here is an innocent one -- and he has no interest in Jane anyway -- but Roger gets his back up in pretty much the same way.
- Also loved the kiss between Don and Betty at the end of the episode. Don is leaving the country club as grateful as he's ever been for what he's got, and after the creepy little incident by the bathrooms with the guy from the governor's office, Betty's got to be feeling OK about Don too.
- The book Sally is reading to her grandfather is "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire." No, I don't think that's a coincidence.
- Lastly, I never really thought of the accordion as sexy -- until this episode. It's a bit of a heartbreaking song choice, though, as Joan almost seems like she's willing herself to have a "magnifique" life.
How far did your jaw drop when you saw Roger in blackface? What do you think of Peggy's and Joan's respective situations? How are you liking "Mad Men" this season?
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
you read two things wrong. Pete is no Roger. Weiner has said over and over Pete's the future, not the past. He's always right about advertising. His dance was his moment to be cute and young, which he is. Dancing an old dance is not necessarily a symbol of anything: you can pay respect to the past without being it.
second, Betty wasn't creeped out. She was a little turned on. She was giving him similar looks as to the guy she had her affair with. She's a sexual creature, and we know Don doesn't always give her the attention in that department.
Fair point about Pete, especially as it relates to his career. Socially, though, I still think of him as reactionary.
Three major performances in this episode! Roger's embarr***ingly awful (in retrospect) blackface serenade to his child bride. Pete's knockout Charleston! What a surprise that was. And then Joan. When that accordion came out, I thought, Oh-My-God. No way! But then came the most surprising, most enjoyable performance of the night as Joan winkingly warbled "C'est Magnifique." Wow! Joan has been hidden away in the previous two episodes; thank God she blossomed in this one.
Peggy and Olive: what a study in contrasts! Peggy keeps blazing trails through Sterling Cooper. She's got no mentors to show her the ropes. I just keep thinking "You Go, Girl!"
Finally. . . an interesting episode. And Don was only tangential (except for his Roger smackdown!)
I wasnt prepared for how surreal that epsiode was going to be. Maybe the scene with Pete dancing was so trippy because Pete was a surprisingly great dancer. The blackface incident killed any lasting regard I had for Roger. Im still watching every scene with Betty's dad as one is which he'll reveal himself to be a molester. I hope that never happens.
yes, betty wanted that guy who was rubbing her belly--i hope she gets him! peggy and joan shined tonight---and as pathetic as roger may seem, i think he's really happy with his new wife--maybe i'm wrong though.
Pete was fabulous..especially doing his dance..There is definitely room for another male hottie besides Don and Pete gets my vote. There is something very creepy about little Sally and major creepy about Gramps..so as a duo it is The Twilight Zone! The whole episode was a surreal sort of musical through a broken looking gl***. Peggy was awesome ..Moss is Bette Davis and should do her life story. My favorite line after "Then Stop Talking" was the housekeeper's retort to Gramps that "we don't all know each other"..Most stomach churning moment sans dialogue was the housekeeper eating at the counter while the others ate seated at the kitchen table..Chilling.
Last night was surreal but also I felt like I was watching The Great Gatsby. I got the feeling Weiner is in love with the Gatsby party scenes in that movie, and found this episode an oppportune time to mirror those scenes especially the charleston dance, that i cant figure out any logic or reasoning for. Do they take dance lessons in place of having babies? Just weird. why would someone in his position, or his wife for that matter, be such "performers".The "Connie" bar scene was brilliant. that actor was wonderful. except **** made too much noise with the drink mixing during part of his speech. they could have muted that in the editing. the theme of not fitting in "no matter how much your cuff links cost" something like that, was in that scene, and also i felt came up also with Joan and the doctors where she is relegated to performing with an ACCORDIAN for them, talk about surreal!! she was not happy at all about being made to do that and i felt it was yet another humiliating affront to her from her husband.also the revelation of the guy working with betty going to princeton on financial aid. and the confessions about univ,. of michigan and peggy's secretarial school. all themes of coming from "humble " backgrounds. "be it ever so humble, my old kentucky home"I am confused about why they have bettey so mean and cold to her daugher, yet so loving towards her dad. why she walks past them without a hug or a word good night. why?? the guy she meets at the party was tender and lovely and yes, it did make her feel something, a change from her icey coldness. he was more interested in the baby she was carrying than she is. why did the daughter steal money? is the lack of love and warmth from her mother creating a juvenile delinquint? and the girl is wonderful! odd, quirky, what a terrific little actress, SHE herself is surreal. how does a kid that age do that kind of performance?The grandfather is also a GREAT actor. and i feel like he is the greek chorus here, i think he even predicted how everything will soon fall down or apart. referring to the book but also to everything around them. the maid is wonderful also.i thought the pot smoking scene was unbelievable and silly. in light of the new owners of the agency letting people go ..another season, i would think they would not be stupid enough to take that kind of risk. did not get peggy's secretary except as another greek chorus on the sidelines predicting, warning, etc. weiner seems to like the greek chorus tool as commentary about what is going on. and she obviously is the "old" and betty "the new"as far as women in the workplace..some of the dialogue is so unbelievable, i keep asking "would she REALLY say that" a la peggy about the name on door etc. but the actors seem to make it work, but i dont think it is always easy for them. dont get the black face and song at all. some things seem just so random. and so unnessareyand unbelievable.i dont think EVERYTHING has some kind of sub textual meaning here.i just dont believe some of it and that these characters would really be motivated to do some of the things like him doing black face. it is implausible to me. and that makes some of the writing kind of "gimicky"
Seems Peggy is now the office slut -- and the office *****!
This season has been just too choppy and disjointed. It is nearing the point that if I skip an episode or so, it will be no big deal. Frustrating because I think there is still a lot of story to tell, but it just is not appointment television like it was the first, or even last, year....
Willem, my sister and I have the same concerns about Betty's father ... yikes!
The black-face routine was definitely an OMG moment, but I was surprisedly delighted by Pete and Trudy's dance.
I seem to like Peggy more with each episode.
BTW, I don't like the way comments are now listed in "reverse" order. Also disappointed that many of my favorite shows are no longer recapped.