>The characters' unhappiness is not shown to be a consequence of the strict 1960s gender roles or society or sexism; they are people afraid to face their real selves, who would be miserable whenever they lived.

I agree with Marble when she (?) points out that we guys have to be responsible for our own happiness. Surely the point of the show is to see that the characters' unhappiness is a result of their choices and actions, not the social mores of the time. If a show about a guy who stole someone else's identity and got married to a woman he didn't really love and who didn't really love him right back were set in the present day, we would never be talking about how the social conditions of the time (growing up with divorced parents, careerism and the economic pressure on the middle class, terrorism, take your pick) affected them. We would rightly be talking about how their fundamental dishonesty with themselves and those closest to them is screwing them up.<

--Preening

I don't think sex and gender roles are completely a red herring here, but one need only compare and contrast Peggy and Betty to at least introduce the idea of individual choices and responsibility. Betty is stuck whereas Peggy is mobile. Betty is conservative and judgmental, and Peggy is liberal, progressive, and open minded. Peggy believes she must have her own interests and work for them, and Betty seems only to engage in escapism through drinking and horseback riding.

The sad thing about Don is how he undercut Betty's career and chaffed when she went out looking sexy when not under his own arm. The usually adroit DD played this marital card like a dolt, hurting himself and his marriage

Still, it bothers me that Betty is so passive aggressive and unresourceful. Is all she's holding out for going to be the "true love" and the fidelity of her husband? Such expectations without much else are poor for 1960 and 2008. Its ironic, too, because the clinging, helpless, neediness of marital "wants" is generally very unattractive to men. Witness DD himself, who bonded best with Betty's opposite, Rachel Menken. Witness DD's full self with Anna, who doesn't burden him with rigid role expectations.

Clearly, though, Betty doesn't see a way out of her situation -- and I think part of that is the 1960s. Yes, she herself is part of the problem, but the problem is also the way she's been raised and the society she inherits around her.

Keep up the great work, Heather.

The themes are universal in spite of the period, as demonstrated by the true self/false self dichotomy that Heather writes about. That internal struggle plays out in spectacular colors with Betty. False self, repressed and angry. Betty wants that daliance but she loathes herself for her desire and transfers that loathing onto her friend, and her children. True self, liberated for a moment at the bar, but fleeting. Ultimately, she resigns herself to be false again, to dutifully carry out her role as expecting mother. Depression and perhaps madness will no doubt ensue.

I don't think all the dishonesty in the show is bad. The smoke of lies and the cover of deceit allows for the privacy of important personal experiences that otherwise would be denied; connections to others through affairs, regaining youth as you get older, and climbing the corporate latter and developing a career instead of being saddled with an unwanted child.

Life doesn't deal us a tidy hand, and what I like about the show is how people have to trade and maneuver for what they want and need. Its unrealistic to think others will necessarily understand this or forgive us for our actions -- so we protect them and us from knowing anything at all. Sometimes, like anything, it can go too far.

In general, I think the show has a kind overtone. Traders like Peggy and Don are not out to hurt anyone, and they never deliberately try to pull anyone down or demean them. On the other hand the show tends to punish the likes of Duck who tries to parlay his own poor job performance into an underhanded promotion.

The truly graceful moment of the show was when Peggy rebuked a confession request from her Priest because she chooses not to believe in a God who would send people to hell (which might include the whole cast of this show.) Instead, she follows her own path, and she clears the decks with Peter Campbell -- confessing to the human being that matters in her situation -- instead of to a Catholic God.

Not since West Wing have I found a reason to watch a show, week after week. Well,okay, I like The Brotherhood and Dexter too. lol

If you were half aware during this time in our country, you can see yourself and others all over the place. I love this show.

You are so wrong, pregnant women bleed. Sometimes a lot, it's called implantation bleeding. Bleeding does not always equal period or miscarriage.

She was confirmed pregnant by the doctor before she had sex with Capt. Awesome(from Chuck). This show does not do backroom ah ha moments and pull things out that never happened on screen like some daytime soap. She may have been pregnant when she found out about Don's affair, she may have gotten pregnant that night at her fathers, we the audience weren't given a due date or a you are X weeks along. So we can speculate how long she's been pregnant, but thinking the child is someone other than Don's is just overreaching. There is no evidence of that when everything on this show is shown on screen.

Yes, I do know that spotting can be normal during pregnancy, but if it's just spotting it shouldn't be enough to go through her clothes, KWIM? If it's soaking through her clothes that seems to indicate heavier bleeding.

Anyhoo...

where are all the color TVs

it's 1962

the execs are rich, but b&W at home

the office is where the ads for TV are created, what no color

where are the color TVs

A