What I Like About Mad Men And The 60s

I enjoy watching Mad Men and wish its season ran longer.  It's interesting how few of the other characters know anything about Don Draper, the show's lead ... and how the themes of identity and trust run through the series.

Another aspect of the show I like is, it takes place in the 1960s, a time when Camelot and excellence were admired.  Celebrities and successful people rarely left home without looking glamorous.  Everybody dressed up for an outing, and most tried to be on their best behavior.  Airing your dirty laundry in public was scandalous, not rewarded.

At the time, there were no reality stars.  Entertainers were famous for their talents, not their antics; and one was distinct from another.  Not only were Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante and Elizabeth Taylor at the top of their game, but they were all one-of-a-kind.  When you think about other actors, singers and comedians of the era, no two were alike.

 As much as appearances mattered back in the 60s, there was an authenticity about it, that also runs through the fictional television show.  And ignorance was bliss.  Wouldn't we all like to drink and smoke like the characters do on the show and not think anything of it? Oh, go ahead, admit it ... flicking ashes off of a cigarette, with experienced fingers, looks debonair and grown-up.  Mad Men's fifth season is set to premiere on AMC in March, 2012, but that's a longtime to wait.

 Meanwhile, let's salute the show with a Mad Men-like drink, a whisky sour … in moderation of course ... since we don't live in the 60s anymore:

Whiskey Sour

2 ounces bourbon (whiskey)

½ oz fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon sugar

1 cherry

½ lemon slice

Directions:  Put all ingredients in mixing glass and add ice cubes. Strain into highball glass. Add lemon slice and cherry to garnish.


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