"Mad Men": ciggies, sex, and advertising all in a day's work

Any of you been watching AMC's Mad Men, a nickname coined in the 50's for "advertising executive?" Best yet, the ad guys made it up themselves, so you get an idea just how ego maniacal these dogs were.

In episode 2, "The Ladies Room", lead Mad Man Don Draper who I like to call Ad Ken because he looks like a Ken doll who has the perfect obedient and non-threatening 50's Barbie wife with a house in the burbs and 2 children. Of course Ad Ken is cheating on Barbie with the much more saucy and liberated Midge who "lives in the moment." What a great way to say, "I can screw whomever I want because today will be tomorrow in 24 hours, and tomorrow doesn't matter so ride me big Ad Ken on your lunch break."

And does everyone on that show have lunch cancer? People smoke in the office, during a GYN examination, before and after sex, and in the bathroom. You can't go 5 minutes without seeing a cancer stick in someone's mouth.

There is absolutely no political correctness in this show because it didn't exist back then, so don't be pissed off when you see all the racist and sexist talk and behavior. Women especially are treated like sex objects whose purpose is to serve men. Even the "liberated women" somehow come off as still man-needy, mad or not. Fresh from secretarial school, young assistant to Ad Ken, Peggy, is pissed off that every guy in the office gawks at her like she's some piece of ass. A copy writer gives her a tour of the office, buys her a Wonder bread sandwich from the lunch cart, and then sticks his tongue down her throat in his office as if it were on the "To Do" list. It's not even happy hour yet.

But before you start feeling for Peggy, dig this. People from whatever goody two shoes town Peggy is from have manners and don't behave like disgusting pigs at the mud crawl. So, I get your pain Peggy, but wait, in her first 2 weeks at work she's gotten herself on the pill, "How slutty!", had an affair with a co-worker 3 days before his wedding, "How could you slutty!", and made a pass at boss Ad Ken letting him know that she knows her place, "Office Ho slutty." Hmmm. Snow White is wearing some Fredrick's of Hollywood under that gown. Smell some hypocrisy, or is that just a whiff of damn if you do, damn if you don't. About to puke already? Me too. But it's like celebrity gossip. You know it's bad for you, but you just can't help yourself.