Mad Men: Booze, Babes And A New Don Draper By Dave Shiflett July 00 (Bloomberg) – Don Draper, the ultra-dapper advertising whiz in “Mad Men,” comes out in the show’s fourth season premier: out of his cocoon, that is. Draper (Jon Hamm) is forced to start strutting his stuff after a one-legged reporter (maimed in Korea) brands him a “handsome cipher” in the series opener, which airs on AMC July 25 at 10 p.m. New York time. His big mistake was shying away from the question “Who is Don Draper?” by saying he’s from the Midwest, where it’s “not polite to talk about yourself.” “My job is to write ads,” he tells his colleagues at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, the somewhat long-named firm with a short client list: 71 percent of billing is to Lucky Strike. “Who gives a crap what I say?” Yet passive is poison. The piece hurts the agency’s reputation so it’s time for the star to go high-profile. To no surprise he eventually rises to the occasion. All told, Draper is pretty grumpy these days. It’s splitsville with icy wife Betty (January Jones), he’s living alone and getting most of his nourishment from cigarettes and booze. I’m reminded of the contemporary tee-shirt slogan: The Liver is Evil and Must Be Punished. And throw in the lungs for good measure. He still enjoys the ladies, especially those with a good right cross. During one session he demands a good slapping. After receiving one blow he demands “Harder!” Hey Don – is that also a Midwest value? The regulars are back, including perpetually horny boss Roger (John Slattery), who speaks of “stuffing” a woman at Thanksgiving and waxes enthusiastic about chicken Kiev emitting hot streams of butter when probed. Chief weasel Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) is as brown nosed as ever, telling the boss the competition can’t keep up “because you don’t work there.” He and colleague Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) cook up a scheme on behalf of a ham company: it involves a couple of nagging women, a scuffle, a story in the Daily News and the brainstorm slogan of Peggy’s life: “Our hams are worth fighting for!” As in seasons past, readers are reminded that despite endless self-congratulation about their creative brilliance these people are selling hams and cigarettes. Don’t tell Don that. He takes his craft very seriously, especially when clients give him the thumbs down. In one story line he tries to convince executives from a bathing suit firm that it’s time to get a little edgier with their sales pitch, though they insist they’re “not playing the gutter.” When they reject what is, by today’s standards, a fairly tame teaser, he goes ballistic and sends them packing. In no time he’s doing a sit-down with The Wall Street Journal (martinis close at hand) revealing his new, dynamic self. The show, as always, is fast-paced so the few slow spots don’t last long. There’s good dialogue and 1960s period touches including coats and ties at Thanksgiving dinner (as opposed to current-day gym sweats) plus Don’s discussion with a young date about the death of a civil rights worker. “Is that what it takes to change things,” the babe chirps before telling him she plays wenches, courtesans a harem girls on the New York stage. It seems certain the humble Don Draper is forever dead. Now he’s on a very modern mission: Promote Thyself. They didn’t have Oprah back then, though who’ll be surprised if he doesn’t wrangle himself a slot on the Ed Sullivan Show.
