Why I Love Peggy

Sure, Jon Hamm as Don Draper gets all the buzz on the popular TV series about Sixties advertising men called "Mad Men."  But you know who has transfixed me since the first time I saw her?  Yep!  It's Peggy as in Peggy Olsen, the New Girl In The Office.

Elisabeth Moss is the actress who portrays Peggy Olsen.  I think she is great!  In fact, I think her story line is much more interesting than the hottie Don Draper (Jon Hamm).  I think Peggy represents something that all of us (or most of us anyway) can identify with.  While she isn't not drop dead gorgeous, she is attractive enough to generate interest from some of the more sleazy men.  Oh can I ever identify with Peggy!

The series started with Peggy's first day in the office.  How many of us can remember our First Day In The Office? I know I can.  Even though I'm a man I can identify with being the innocent, naive newbie in the office like Peggy just trying to fit in and perhaps get ahead with what my modest physical attractiveness d and whatever small talents I had.  However, one thing that I had in abundance just like Peggy, was an unbridled eagerness to please and willingness to work hard to get ahead.  And just like Peggy, little did I realize that the get ahead in those times (the Sixties) sometimes required more than working hard and an expectation that my work ethic would be rewarded.  Oh how wrong I was.

My first job after I got out of the Army after serving our country for three years (January 1960 to January 1963) was as a hotel night auditor at the Pittsburgh Hilton Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  As regular readers of this blog know, I came out early as a gay man including my five male co-workers who worked my 11 PM to 7 AM shift as hotel night auditors, BIG MISTAKE.  I'm sorry to say this but my co-workers took that admission as an invitation to be "serviced" as they proved one Saturday night they invited themselves to my small, one room efficiency apartment on Roup Avenue in Shadyside Pittsburgh.  My workplace was never the same after this"encounter." Nothing happened of course because I didn't cooperate in my co-workers' expectations.  I left that job after three months and returned to my hometown of Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

Shortly after I returned home I got job as an accounts payable clerk at a local scrapyard.  Me being me, I didn't hide my sexuality when questioned about my "girlfriends."  And right on cue one of my married so called straight co-workers showed up at my new efficiency apartment one Saturday night. Yep, he was expecting to be serviced.  Some things never change.  He didn't get serviced and, of course, never spoke of the incident again.  When I returned to work that Monday it was as if nothing happened but our relationship always had that strain.  Back in those days some people could only handle having a gay men in this workplace as a lesser human being.  He was one of them.  This time I didn't quit my job.  I worked in the office as an accounts payable clerk at that metal scrapyard for another two and half years before I applied for a job at a big bank in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  I  began my new job at Girard Trust Bank March 1, 1965 and believe me, I was just like Peggy on her first day at her job at the ad agency.

Still innocent (sort of) 

For the next thirty years I worked in center city Philadelphia at two major banks as an out gay man.  Those years folks would make one interesting TV series to rival any "Mad Men" series.  Believe me.

Me at Mellon Bank 1982 - not so innocent anymore

Note:

While I am known to have thousands of photographs, I have none of my time at the Pittsburgh Hotel or Lipsett Steel Products.  None.

Mad Men

All right folks, here is my take on the very popular TV show "Mad Men."  However, before I start be warned that I will probably say some "cringe worthy" things about this show so if you are one of those who is easily offended by my remarks, no need to read further.  I make this statement because I have lost friendships (shallow to be sure) and readers of this blog because they did approve of what I had to say.  Again, a helpful reminder - this is my blog and all the views expressed herein are mine and I take full responsibility for them and I am not fazed in the least by anyone who is so easily offended that they feel the need to leave a nasty comment or end a friendship because of words that I write in this blog that hurts their sensitive feelings.  It is ironic but I am posting my review of the TV show "Mad Men" but to me the real "Mad Men" are those who think they can rule my life.  To those folks, really.....get over yourselves.  If you don't like what I write, then don't read this blog.  I have no ads on this blog and I don't ask for money so I have nothing to lose by your departure.  I don't need you.

Now, for my take on "Mad Men."  I don't watch commercial TV because I can't get past all the ads.  When I want to see a TV show I wait until that show comes out on DVD so I can rent them through my account at NetFlix.  I've heard a lot about "Mad Men" and what a wonderful show it is.  Time from Ron to rent the DVD's and check this show out myself.  That I did and this weekend I watched the first six episodes.


Here is my take:

All the hype about Jon Hamm is true.  This man is one hunk and a half.  He is exactly the type of man a gay man like me is attracted to.  He is good-looking, masculine, and self-assured.  Jon Hamm is very watchable.  My only complaint is that some of the lines he is fed by the writers are worthy of a man like Jon with his gravitas.  I just don't believe some of the stuff that comes out of his mouth.

Overall I like "Mad Men" but here are my main complaints (you knew I would have them).

There are too many of the long soap opera pauses.  You know what I mean by that.  Long looks that kill time.  Probably works for the TV show for commercials but not when one is watching this drama on DVD like a movie.

Another complaint I have is all the smoking.  Man oh man.  Wow.  Hey, I started my adult work years in the early Sixties.  Yes, there was a lot of smoking, including me.  However, looking back on that time now with the hindsight of the dangers and nastiness of smoking, it saddens me to think we all took this "lifestyle" for granted.  For the record I stopped smoking my flip top box Marlboro's July 15, 1967.  I smoked for seven years a pack a day.  That was enough.  But watching this time recreated with the constant lighting up of cigarets in every environment, including mothers, saddens me.

I have more.  Another thing that saddens me (I can't really call it a complaint because it is true) is the misogyny displayed during that era (the Sixties).  Yes, it is true.  I remember when I first started to work for Girard Bank in Philadelphia in the trust department, only men had the responsible jobs.  Women were either file clerks or secretaries.  Thank God that has changes.  Still, it saddens me greatly to relive that misogynist time of our past when this kind of behavior was taken for granted.

And even more.  Do you see how minorities are portrayed in this series?  Yes, again all true.  That doesn't make it any easier to witness though a black man with a beanie on his head operating an elevator in the big downtown office building for the all white ad men.  To think we as a society took this for granted is very depressing.

Here is my number one complaint.  Too many sex scenes.  Too much sex.  To much chewing each other's faces.  Too long, too much.  Who enjoys watching those face sucking scenes?  Maybe it's me with my age related low testosterone levels but I find it boring.  Sure, I like seeing Jon Hamm with his shirt off but I would rather watch a good story.

Talking about a story, what is the story line anyway?  Is Don Draper (Jon Hamm's character?) questioning the value of what he is doing?  Is he questioning his marriage.  And what was the deal with his long lost brother showing up and Don Draper gave him $5,000 to go away?  What was THAT all about?  Sounds to me like poor script writing.

You know what the most interesting part of this show is for me?  It is the woman who plays Jon Hamm's secretary.  She is also working her way up.  At first I couldn't figure her out but now I think I have.  Actually, I sort of identify with her.  Not the female part but the part of starting at the bottom in an office environment and witnessing the foibles of my so-call "betters" and realizing that I am just as good as they are probably better.

What I find most interesting in a book, TV show or movie is a story about human needs and how they face their obstacles and come to terms with their lot in life.  That to me is always the best story.  Of course it always helps if there is a pretty face (and body) like Jon Hamm around to satisfy my more base needs.

Jon Hamm - Oh Yes!