to him). And the only criticism he’s heard of it is that its corn, a charge he finds despicable. After all, he tells us, “snark” is what’s wrong with the world today.
When I saw that ad at the end of this series I was chilled to the bone. I thought it was absolutely brilliant. I thought this really brings home the enduring evil power of advertising. This man (Draper) hits absolute bottom, finds the deepest truth in the utter emptiness of the lie he has been living and, finally finds, through the flakey “human potential movement,” of all things, emotional connection and empathy. And this astounding breakthrough enables him to… what? Change his life, we wonder? Turn away, finally, from the life and the lie he has been living? In that moment I hoped, “No! That would be false, saccharine.”
But just when I thought the show would lose it’s ruthlessly clearheaded honesty, it comes up with a masterstroke of genius: He employs the ‘insight of self-actualization’ (what was, after all, the most privileged, self regarding and self-serving tendency in the 60s counterculture), to create one of the most monstrous lies ever concocted by the poisonous corporate culture that exerts such a powerfully negative influence over the collective mind of humanity. “What a glorious, powerful insight and indictment!” I thought. One of the darkest, bravest conclusions ever.
Pure projection, it turns out. It’s uplifting, it turns out. The lie is the truth, it turns out. It doesn’t matter what crimes we commit, if we feel like we are motivated by love and connection, that’s …the Real Thing, it turns out.
One must conclude the entire series has always been a glorification and appreciation of all the lies, the sexism, the venality, the avarice and greed. We lay these ‘imperfections’ bare with such stunning insight and artistry only to better perversely savor their fetid pleasures.
I supposes I could take the post-modern academic approach and say it’s meaning is only in the text and what I took it to mean is just as valid as the creator’s intention, but… frankly, my dear, I feel like an idiot.
Excerpted from: ‘ Mad Men: not the real thing’.
Courtesy: Counterpunch.org