'Mad' Love

Don's advice to the guy crying at the end of "Mad Men":

Have you tried being more attractive? Always worked for me.

Song of the Day: 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)' by the New Seekers

SPOILERS:

Final episodes of long-running series are rarely memorable, and the ones that are usually are recalled for angering the masses. (See: "Seinfeld," "The Sopranos.") But I can't say I was too displeased with last night's "Mad Men." Not everything was to my liking -- Betty's illness and Trudy's weakness, to name a couple -- but I welcomed Roger and Peggy's romantic good fortunes. And there hasn't been a final scene as memorable as Don's advertising (if not spiritual) rebirth since WJM realized it was a long road to Tipperary and Dick Loudon woke up in bed with Emily Hartley. Nicely done, Mr. Weiner.

Here's the "cover" that came out when I was in kindergarten. 

Don Juan

  Well done, NYDN. (How'd I get behind two episodes again!?!!!)

'Mad' About Town

Jon Hamm, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss and Christina Hendricks hit the red carpet at the Museum of Modern Art for their final "Mad Men" promo tour ...

Meanwhile ...

... a few blocks away, tourists are flocking to have their photos taken with Don Draper outside the Time & Life Building.

'Mad Men' Returns April 5

OK, after this FALSE ALARM, I see the second half of the final season of "Mad Men" will in fact begin airing Sunday, April 5. The previous batch aired in the spring of 2014 and I'll be damned if I can remember anything I saw ... wish me luck!

'Mad Men' Gets Into the '70s Groove

They've waited so long to bring back the "second half" of the final season that I'm not sure I even care anymore -- by the time I figure out who everyone is again it's gonna be over -- but god knows I'm a sucker for the '70s, where "Mad Men" reportedly will pick up. 

'Mad' About the Cover

I think AMC really missed the boat splitting the final season of "Mad Men" up -- it takes me awhile to warm up to the show each year, so now I have even less time having lost my affection from the previously fractured "season" -- but I do LOVE this new cover of TV Guide trumpeting its return. When I got my first apartment on my own in the Dupont Circle section of Washington, D.C. -- after having lived in various roommate situations in Los Angeles -- the first thing I did was subscribe to TV Guide and Entertainment Weekly. Something about having those two magazines in my own name made me feel like I was a grown-up, even if all it really did was secure my reputation as a pop-culture junkie. Both are fairly pointless now thanks to on-screen television listings and endless entertainment websites, but I still smile when I come across them both on the newsstand, even if I rarely bother to pick them up. (Yes, print media: I am a member and a part of the problem.)

UPDATE: Further proof that I don't pay attention to TV Guide anymore, I now realize this is from 2012, although I am right that the show is slated to return this spring.

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Show

Details about the Museum of the City of New York show HERE.

Join me on Instagram HERE.

Boys to 'Mad Men'

What was Sally thinking last night on the season finale of "Mad Men" when she put the moves on the other brother?

Spirit of '69

   The season premiere of "Mad Men" was a 60-minute exercise in mass confusion -- who were those people???? -- but the fashions of the day were certainly a treat. The only thing I like about the show more is getting to "live through" historic moments in history. We've all read about the assassinations of JFK, Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, but there is something so much more visceral about experiencing them along with people we know, even in the form of television characters we despise. Will be curious to see if Stonewall is mentioned -- I don't believe it was considered that big a deal at the time -- but you just know the Tate-LaBianca murders will happen next door to Megan. And can a visit to the Altamont Speedway Free Festival be far off?

Mad About Harry

Please don't take this the wrong way, but I nearly fell over when I finished watching Season 6 of "Mad Men" and looked up who played Jim Cutler. I honestly didn't see it.

Version 1981

Song of the Day: 'Always Something There To Remind Me' by Lou Johnson

Have been cramming to prepare for the return of "Mad Men" next week -- and what an unexpected pleasure it's been. I've always been a fan of the show, but Season 6 has really affected me like no other. When I fell behind last year, I was good about not reading about what was going. Now I can't help but wonder if others were feeling the same way as I am now -- gasping at each plot turn, mesmerized by "living" the assassinations of Dr. Martin Lurther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, and unsettled by the unraveling of Don Draper. And as if the show weren't good enough, the music from Season 6 has been giving me goosebumps -- with well-timed use of songs like "Dream A Little Dream Of Me" by Ozzie Nelson, "Friends I Haven't Met Yet" by Blue Sandlewood Soap, "Bonnie & Clyde" by Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot, "Baby Jane (Mo Mo Jane)" by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, "Reach Out Of The Darkness" by Friend and Lover, "Harper Valley PTA" Jeannie C. Riley and "Piece Of My Heart" by Janis Joplin. 

It's (About to Be) a Mad, Mad, Mad World

  I swore up and down when Season 6 of "Mad Men" began that I was going to stay on top of it, but by the time episode four or five rolled around, I was already hopelessly behind and my DVR started to delete them. So it's like every other year: All of Season 6 just went live on Netflix, and I now have until April 13 -- Season 7 premiere day -- to binge on it all so I can watch the new season "live" with everyone ... or wait until 2015 to see how it all ends.

Tuesday Ad Watch

Did Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce come up with this binge-drinking campaign running on New York City subways? 'Cause that sure looks like Don, who we all know never says no to a refill.

Slowly Going 'Mad'

  Finished watcing Season 5 of "Mad Men" last night. (Wow!) At this rate, I will be prepared to discuss tonight's premiere around February 2014. Any thoughts about last season or predictions for the new one?

Former Model Is 'Mad'

Did you hear about this woman suing the producers of "Mad Men" when she found out an old ad she was is featured in the show's opening sequence? I kind of doubt she has a case -- Richard Avedon shot the photo, and don't models sign away everything when they appear in campaigns? -- but at 79, I'd be tickled if I were her. Sadly, Gita Hall is more of a "Good Wife' fan. Read HERE.

Sex on a Beach

Despite my best efforts, I ended up not watching all of last season of "Mad Men." (My DVR skipped an episode and then every spiraled out of control from there.) From the office gossip, I thought Don had gotten a divorce, but based on these new photos from the upcoming season, I'm back to not being sure what happened. Is Season 5 on Netflix yet? Pics from HERE. It's a pity Jon Hamm's suit doesn't show off his best asset.

'Mad Men' Exposed

Fans of "Mad Men" will definitely want to read Dave Itzkoff's piece in The New York Times on the show's mastermind, Matthew Weiner. It's got all the details of why one of the best shows on television almost didn't return for its fifth season. HERE.

Page 1 Consider (03/11)

Meet the Bromosexuals: Writer Richard Morgan examines the flip side of the metrosexuality craze: openly gay men being mistaken for straight. (We even brunched with two of the subjects over the weekend!) (Observer)

You're Ooouuuut!: With TMZ getting ready to tackle the world of sports, some are predicting the outing of a big-name athlete is just a matter of time. (Miami Herald)

Hey, Dollface: Mattel plans to introduce versions of Barbie and Ken styled after four “Mad Men” characters, but you'll have to provide your own cocktails and cigarettes. (NYT)

Beating a Drunk Horse: Gay rights groups in California are reaching out to anti-gay state Sen. Roy Ashburn, who admitted he was gay after getting busted for DUI after picking up a guy in a gay bar. Who needs him? (Bay Area Reporter)

Smear the Queers: A study conducted at Iowa State University finds that about half of "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) and allied youths are regular victims of cyberbullying, which causes psychological and emotional distress to victims -- producing thoughts of suicide in some who are repeatedly victimized." Sadly, this number doesn't surprise me in the slightest. (Huffington Post)

Here Come the Brides ... and Grooms!: Hundreds of gay couples in Washington have applied for marriage licenses this week, the first they were available to same-sex couples. (Boston)

Castro-tion: Forget about Obamacare, Miss Ting! If you want your sex reassignment paid for by the government, then you'd better talk to Fidel. (AP)

The End of the Affair: ABC has confirmed that they are writing off the Kish romance, with the network blaming it for a recent slide in ratings. I've been blogging about this romance between Scott Evans and Brett Claywell since I first heard about it, and certainly got the impression it was bringing nothing but acclaim and attention to the show. What a sad ending to such an outstanding effort. (Advocate)

Old Navy: Not only is disgraced former representative Eric Massa a paranoid freak, he's an unrepentant sexual predator. (WaPo)

Of Human Bondage: What the hell? You make one gay S&M film 15 years ago and suddenly you're unfit to serve on the Hollywood (Fla.) police force?! (Advocate)

Fight Back, New York: Cynthia Nixon is joining an effort by an LGBT-backed political group to pass gay marriage -- with an immediate focus on keeping girlfriend-beater and ousted Queens state Sen. Hiram Monserrate -- who voted against gay marriage last year -- from winning back his seat next week. (NYDN)

RIP, Corey Haim: It's a shame you were never able to pull yourself together. Always loved "Lucas" when I was a kid (leukoplakia!), but we all had to grow up. (NYP)