tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post4783471198392835805..comments2023-09-05T12:51:25.656-05:00Comments on edittorrent: Foils in Mad MenEdittorrenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-76979984205432442272008-07-24T19:18:00.000-05:002008-07-24T19:18:00.000-05:00Gail, I think your impression of it being about hi...Gail, I think your impression of it being about him is true, because he's the MC. I can't recall if it's in the voice over 1st person style of Burn Notice or Dexter, but this is definitely Don's story.<BR/><BR/>I'm just sad we can't get he series here. I like the time period of 1960 and the contrasts with today.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-27716194203467678142008-07-24T19:09:00.000-05:002008-07-24T19:09:00.000-05:00Hi, Gail! I was thinking about you. I hope you sta...Hi, Gail! I was thinking about you. I hope you stayed dry this week.<BR/><BR/>TheresaEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-78904170586764124492008-07-24T14:17:00.000-05:002008-07-24T14:17:00.000-05:00The underlying message--which isn't all that Under...The underlying message--which isn't all that Underlying--is that Don is All About Don. The only thing that matters to him is Don. Nobody else is quite...real. They're not actual people. They're conveniences. Or tools. Or possessions. (Or maybe I'm projecting.)<BR/><BR/>Haven't taken the time to watch MadMen but that's what I get from your description.Gail Daytonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12799083467910831241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-38180328116593920082008-07-23T23:18:00.000-05:002008-07-23T23:18:00.000-05:00I think he can talk to Midge about work because he...I think he can talk to Midge about work because he respects her. He really doesn't think of Betty as able at all to understand, though she is in fact perfectly able. He needs her to be his refuge from the work world, not part of it.<BR/>AliciaEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-54266352610058133072008-07-23T22:33:00.000-05:002008-07-23T22:33:00.000-05:00Don's an antihero. His character unfolds as the se...Don's an antihero. His character unfolds as the season progresses. He does some despicable things -- his shaky morality with respect to his sex life is laying the groundwork for future questionable decisions. <BR/><BR/>One of the ways to set up an antihero is just like this -- you start off by giving the audience a reason to like him. With Don, it's the work thing. With Vito Corleone, it's the family thing. In other words, start with the "hero" part of "antihero," and bring the "anti" in later. (Though the character's "anti" will also be alluded to in the opening.)<BR/><BR/>TheresaEdittorrenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14295505709568570553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6824896765631412903.post-92201077885260328712008-07-23T21:41:00.000-05:002008-07-23T21:41:00.000-05:00One of my writing partners has viewed the pilot as...One of my writing partners has viewed the pilot as well and we were discussing it yesterday. She brought up the difference between the mistress and wife, too, not having read this posting, so I passed along the link to her and another writing buddy for a definite reason: our male protagonist is the same type as Don Draper, with different stakes and level in his company [CEO], and he's not married. <BR/><BR/>We have set up two females in his life, one another MC and the other his 'plaything' bimbo. As we were talking about the roles of these women yesterday and how many words to 'give' them in the book [we're cutting] we had a similar discussion to this posting about role. In our book, the bimbo shows Lachlan's general self-perception of having things his way when and how he wants it. That woman comes in a few times in the story, but only of course when he's in the US. The other foil, and MC Cassandra, is a strong woman, social justice lawyer, and a mix of attraction to Lachlan, but also his nemesis in the storyline. These encounters in most of the book take place in South Africa. <BR/><BR/>The points you've made about the small things are elements we can learn from for strenghtening our scenes and ramp up the contrast in relation to Lachlan's behaviour and reactions.<BR/><BR/>The MadMen posts here also made us think about whether our male lead is anti-hero or merely a person of his time with problems to take care of, a softened Gordon Gecko from Wall Street. I still am not convince Don is an anti-hero, but may be more like our Lachlan, a representative of his time, doing the best he can when big challenges are presented. It's too hard to tell from the pilot episode.<BR/><BR/>The question that raises is what a reader will accept in terms of lesser exageration or stereotyping of 'badness' or 'goodness'. We're not sure on that point.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com