Mac & Cheese / Hot Pants

Have you seen this commercial where the husband unexpectedly brings his client home for dinner (oh, no!) and his unprepared wife is able to come through in a pinch thanks to macaroni and cheese?

Literally, the only dish on the table is a large casserole of macaroni and cheese. No side dishes, no salad, just smiles all around.

Are we to believe that this by itself is a suitable dinner for adults? I don't buy it. If anything, it worked out ok because maybe the client will give this guy some business when he realizes that the poor guy can barely afford to feed his family.

It's just strange.

It kind of reminds me of the Mad Men episode where Don brought Roger home for dinner unexpectedly and the two of them ate steaks while Betty pretended to be happy with just salad, explaining that she's a vegetarian sometimes. Then later while Don was in the garage looking for more booze, Roger cornered Betty in the kitchen and said "You can't tell me I'm not giving you hot pants."

Hot pants, that's always makes me laugh.

Tomorrowland, Mad Men Season 4 Episode 13

Joan's going to need the money that will eventually come with that Director of Agency Operations title when she has to raise her (and Roger's) kid by herself after her husband dies in Vietnam. I knew she didn't have that abortion! You can't fool me, Red!

Joyce's nickname for Peggy is Pumpernickel! How cute is that?!

Speaking of nicknames:
Sally: Who's Dick?
Don: Well, that's me. That's my nickname sometimes.

It was funny that Megan brought up her teeth because I had just then noticed how toothy that girl is. Toothy or not, I wanted her and Don to end up together, so I'm happy about their engagement. I'm not sure how I feel about Don proposing with Anna's engagement ring from Original Don. That part seemed kind of impulsive considering he had only had the ring in his possession for a couple days, but really, the whole proposal was impulsive. Just like when Don cannonballed into the pool! What a funster!

I loved the scene where we realized that Don doesn't care about spilled milk(shakes), it was high-strung Betty who got all bent out of shape about stuff like that. The new and improved Draper household will be relaxed rather than rigid, calm rather than tense. I had to smile when Megan told Don "I know who you are now." Well, no, no you don't, but it's sweet that you think that.

I was never that big of a fan of Dr. Faye, but I did like what she said to Don when he broke the news of his engagement, "I hope she knows you only like the beginning of things." I think that statement is part right on and part sour grapes. Let's face it, most of us only like the beginning of things.

Oh my gosh, Pete "Emily Post" Campbell just had to correct Ken and explain that when congratulating a newly-engaged couple, one says "Congratulations" to the man and "Best Wishes" to the woman. What a smary square he is! He makes me sick. Betty makes me sick too. I can't believe she fired Carla. What a thing to do! She'd be better off relinquishing parental rights to her, not firing her. Is she scared someone is going to find out about the time she let Glen have a little lock of her hair? We all know you're imperfect Betty, giving that kid your hair is the least of your offenses.

Terrific finale of an outstanding season of a fantastic show.

Blowing Smoke, Mad Men Season 4 Episode 12

The Return of Midge!! I was watching this episode with my little brother Jonny, and almost as soon as Don walked into Midge and her "just for the bread" husband's apartment, he said "This is some kind of set-up." Correctamundo! I didn't see it coming, but Jonny did and Don quickly figured it out too, thanks to clues from the Heroin Husband. Heroin!! Wow.

For a minute I thought we had seen the last of Pete's blue suits. He wore a black suit last week for a funeral, and in one of the first scenes of this episode, he and Don were sitting next to each other both wearing grey suits. Samesies!! Sadly, he was back to a blue suit the next time we saw him. Rats.

My favorite lines from this episode came from Sally Draper and Bert Cooper.

Sally: "She doesn't care what the truth is as long as I do what she says." Therapy with Dr. Edna has really helped Sally, and I'm happy that she's figuring out how to get along in this world. Too bad her mother, a grown woman, still hasn't figured that out.

I so wish Betty hadn't caught Glen and Sally in their secret but completely innocent meeting place. Sally truly was being a good girl and nothing bad was going on, but there's no doubt Betty will twist the situation around to turn something innocuous into something dirty. Just as Dr. Edna is able to talk Sally through what could have been a lifelong neurosis, Betty has to come along and heap another complex onto Sally's poor little mind.

Bert: "You there! Get my shoes!" This was just comical. I giggled for minutes in a row.

The most perplexing line of this episode was supplied by old #92, Glen Bishop. Reaching the end of his Coke, he asked Sally "Do you want the backwash?" Really? Who wants the backwash, especially when you don't even try to disguise it as something else?

TV Babies**

I'm going to see The Town tonight, but I'm concerned that it might be weird to see Jon Hamm as someone other than Don Draper. I loved him on 30 Rock though, so I guess it will be ok. Hopefully I can avoid thinking of him as Donny D. the whole time.

Lately I've been having a hard time separating actors from their previous characters. For instance, last week on Parenthood there were a couple scenes with Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore from Gilmore Girls), Mae Whitman (George Michael's girlfriend Ann from Arrested Development), and Zosia Mamet (Peggy's lesbian friend Joyce from Mad Men), and I couldn't stop thinking "I'm watching Lorelai, Ann, and Joyce!"

It doesn't help that Lauren Graham's character on Parenthood is pretty much the exact same character as Lorelai, plus that show has Coach from Coach, Nate from Six Feet Under, and Lyla from FNL so I'm already thinking that kind of thing the whole time.

I watch too much tv.

** you should watch Drugstore Cowboy this weekend.

Fast Forward Nine Months

Joan and Roger: I can't wait for Joan to give birth to a little white-haired baby holding a highball glass! Even though Joan is married and probably shouldn't be having dinner at a secluded geriatric diner with her former lover, I'm not judging her. I know right after I'm the victim of a mugging in a bad neighborhood, the only thing that calms me down is to walk about ten feet away, then frantically have sex standing up, pushed against a residential building that someone just walked into. It's comforting.

Megan the Receptionist: I just love her. She seems like such a sweet, nice young lady. I think I want her and Don to end up together. Did you know she is played by the same actress that had sex in the bathtub with Darryl from The Office in Hot Tub Time Machine?

Miss Blankenship: We hardly knew ye. I'm dying to get the full story about her relationship(s) with Bert Cooper (and Roger) back in the day!

Betty: She keeps getting worse. I wouldn't mind seeing her character killed off.

Sally: What a wreck this poor little girl has become. I feel bad for her but at the same time I feel like a firm backhand from Don would straighten her up a bit.

Don Draper IS the Elephant in the Room

How hilarious is it that Don walked into Baby Gene's birthday party, where his presence was not expected and certainly not welcome, with a huge stuffed elephant in his arms? Did he do that on purpose in an attempt to bring some levity to the fact that he was the elephant in the room? Probably not, but I liked the imagery anyway. FYI, I don't care how old that kid gets, I'm always going to refer to him as Baby Gene.

How about what a jerk Henry Francis was when he called Don to come get the boxes marked "Draper" out of the garage? He took that opportunity to inform Don that he should stay away from his own son's birthday party. Henry would have more of a leg to stand on with this box issue if those boxes weren't in the garage of the house that Don owns! Also jerky was Henry ramming the boxes with his car, and the fact that he had the boxes out on the sidewalk when Don got there. Don couldn't have been any cooler when he drove straight to a dumpster and pitched the boxes without so much as a look inside.

I'm once again bursting with pride over how Don is growing as a person. He's seeing all the drinking that goes on at the office with new eyes, he's swimming to clear his head, he's making mature decisions in regards to women and his family and his own drinking. I just want him to be happy. Since he's a character on a television show and I am a real person, it's hard for me to reach out to him and give advice or offer support, but I would if I could. For now I'll cheer him and his small but steady personal victories on through the tv screen from my couch.

I wish Joan wouldn't have cattily snapped at Peggy for firing that turd Joey. While I realize that Joan's got her own stuff going on with her husband headed to Vietnam (just Basic Training for right now), she could have warmed up for a change and enjoyed a rare camaraderie with another female, especially since Peggy had just stood up for her. Her ice-cold, tough persona wore on me this episode.

Peggy Olson, I wish I were you

Reason #263 why vacation is simply the best thing in the whole entire world? I can post about Mad Men right after it's over instead of hurrying off to sleep because it's past my bedtime.
So let's get straight into tonight's episode. Don Draper, how you are changing! You drank so much you threw up? Unheard of. You used to be able to take so many pills and drink so much alcohol that grifters had to hit you over the head just to make you finally pass out. Now a long night of drinking with a girl ends with vomit on your shirt. Wow.
And you CRIED! In front of someone! In front of Pegs! Your vulnerability almost makes me cry just contemplating it.
Are Don and Peggy going to sleep together, maybe even end up together at some point? I'm dying to know.
I love Peggy's character. Recently I was discussing this with a friend of mine who also loves this show (as part of our unofficial Mad Men Fan Club), and we both admitted that we expect a lot of Peggy. We want good things to happen to her, but we expect her to go above and beyond to get them. I see something of myself in Peggy, I think. I want her to achieve in a way, on a level that I maybe haven't ever. I believe she can have whatever she wants if she just plugs away and works for it. I quit working like that a long time ago, but if I were to channel my inner Peggy, maybe I could get there.
I don't know.
Anyway, wouldn't it be crazy if Peggy and Don ended up together?
Other obviously mentionable moments in tonight's episode: Drunk Duck attempting to take a dump in what he thought was Don's (actually Roger's) office, poor sweet Anna dying and Don's reaction (what will happen when he goes to California?!), Peggy asking Don "how long are you going to go on like this?" when he asked for another drink not long after throwing up from drinking too much, not to mention how incredibly realistic Don's throwing up sounded. I'm not entirely unconvinced that Jon Hamm wasn't actually vomiting into that toilet.

Did you know . . . ?

Last night People magazine enlightened me on something very interesting -- Don Draper's new secretary Miss Blankenship

is played by the the same actress (Randee Heller) that played Daniel-San's mom in Karate Kid.

Who knew?

Last Night's Mad Men

Oh my gosh. Sally is going to have the most warped sense of sexuality thanks to Mother of the Year Betty. Mommie Dearest was so horrified to hear the news that her daughter got busted for masturbating ("in public") that she immediately slapped her, then later threatened to cut off her fingers if she dared lie about it.

Poor Sally. She's a sad casualty in the mess that is the fractured Draper family. From this awful experience, she'll quickly learn to keep things of a sexual nature secret, just like Dear Old Dad. Sally's first boyfriend is going to be Glen, the creep who used to be (maybe still is?) obsessed with Betty. That's weird right there.



Can't you just see Sally and Glen killing Henry and Betty then running away on a killing spree like Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate? Sally and Glen would make a swell Badlands couple. Nobody beats Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek though - they are both so young and beautiful in that movie that you don't ever want to stop looking at them.

The Evolution of Don Draper

Isn't it nice to see Don more relaxed and light-hearted than we've ever seen him? While getting busted by Betty about his real identity/his actual past may have ended his marriage, it also changed the course of his life in a positive way. Maybe I'm being too optimistic for him, but I want him to have a life that allows him to live more freely than he ever could before. I'm not saying he's not still a guarded individual, because he is and probably always will be. But he's slowly but surely breaking out of his shell and learning to do what he wants without fear of repercussion. But he always did whatever he wanted and didn't seem to be worried about getting caught, you might say. But something's different now. He's slowly coming out of the shadows and figuring out how to live his life like other people live their lives -- honestly.

In any scenes between Anna AKA Mrs. Draper #1 and Don that we've ever seen (other than the original scene where they first meet and she demands to know why he's walking around pretending to be her husband), Don has always been relaxed and light-hearted like he never is on the East Coast. That's probably in great part due to the fact that, like she told him last night, she knows everything about him and she still loves him. He's never had to live a lie with her; he can just be himself. He can just be Dick Whitman.

Last night, even before he found out about Anna's cancer, he mentioned wanting to bring the kids out to meet her. He can do that kind of thing now! He can do whatever he wants and he doesn't have to be sneaky about it! He can hit on Anna's niece and when she asks what he's doing he can admit that he doesn't really know! He's like a kid learning to navigate his way through this whole new life.

He and Lane can spend a booze-fueled day being loud and obnoxious and making a scene both at the movies and at a restaurant. Normally the only thing I can ever think of when I look at Lane is "For the love of God, man, push your glasses up!" but he can do whatever he wants with those glasses as long as he is holding a huge steak to his crotch and declaring that it's a belt buckle!

Don doesn't have to hide the fact that those girls are prostitutes and that Don's gal has been in his apartment before. Don can now act as pimp for Lane! (I guessed $30 for the cost of a girl, and I was pretty much right on considering Lane gave $5 more than the quoted $25)

I hope 1965 brings Don a sense of calm and peace in just being himself, and I hope this newfound happy harmony doesn't shatter and collapse all around him the next time he faces a challenge. It would break my heart to see Don's bubble burst right off the bat like happened to poor Tim Riggins. Tim had literally just figured out how to be happy when he got busted for the chop shop. I love these two guys, and I just want them to be happy. Is that too much to ask, to have control over the lives of fictional characters?

Overheard at The Galleria / Moms

While walking into the Galleria recently, my little brother and I (we not only live and work together, we also shop and go out to eat together!) saw a seemingly happy family on their way to the baseball game. We overheard the mom say to her four kids, all dressed in freshly-purchased Cardinals t-shirts, "I don't want any of you to talk to me at the game while I'm enjoying a beverage and a hot dog." Nothing radiates the warmth of motherly love like warning your kids not to talk to you in public.

Since I'm not a parent, I try not to judge sub-par parenting in general, but I'll gladly criticize some terrible TV moms.

• Betty from Mad Men. Her biggest interaction with her kids is to sit at the table and smoke while they're eating, followed by telling them to either go watch TV or go to bed. What about the time her and Don were doing a day drunk (starting in the morning with very strong Bloody Marys mixed by their daughter, little SBD) and forgot to feed the kids? They were passed out on their bed in the early evening when Sally woke them up and reminded them that she and Bobby hadn't had dinner. Classy Bets, real classy.
• The mom from Weeds. Oh, poor me. My husband died and my kids and I live in fancy O.C. so my only option to support my family is to sell drugs. Girl, please.
• Jennifer "Everybody Calls Me Love" Hewitt is in what looks like a Weeds/Hung hybrid where she becomes a prostitute because her family is about to lose their house. Really? She can't get a job at the mall or a grocery store or something?

The best mom ever, in real life or on TV? My mom.

Mad Men

Last night's Mad Men was wonderful. Here were some highlights for me:

• Peggy's hair looks amazing! Good riddance to those terrible butt-cut bangs.
• Sally has always been cute but is now super-pretty. I think she grew out of the lisp too.
• Don pays for sex?!? More on that in a moment.
• Don likes to get slapped during sex?!? Truly surprising.
• Don and Roger are friends again, or at least they seemed to be. That's good. Why Don was so angry with him in the first place was always kind of a mystery to me.
• When Don threw the squares from Jantzen out of his office, basically for being square

Let's jump right into Don Draper paying for sex. The last three seasons he's had women coming out of his ears and now that he's divorced and can have non-sneaking around, guilt-free sex with whomever he wants, he has sex with what looks to be his regular prostitute? And he wants her to slap him "harder" and "again"! That's just nuts. I'm intrigued.

Also intriguing was that Betty's new Old Man husband seems to have the same penchant for sneaking-around, illicit sex/relationships. He's married to Betty, it's official and everything, yet he didn't want to have sex in their bed but in the car in the garage. Quite frankly I don't know how she can stand to have his gross Dad Hands on her in any setting. It's also totally unacceptable that he and Betty still live in Don's house. That's outrageous.

While I'm thrilled that Betty redecorated the bedroom now that she's sharing it with a new husband, I miss her and Don's teal tufted headboard. I liked that.

I also liked that the new kid working with Peggy is the kid from that Jack and Bobby show that was on a few years ago for like four episodes that I and four other people watched. I like him.

I feel like a snob for using "whomever". I used it because (I think) it's correct, but it feels weird to me because I never say "whom" or "whomever" in real life.