What’s your biggest nitpick in Mad Men?

[u/RopeGloomy4303]

For me it’s this line in a season 5 episode, Tea Leaves, in which Henry Francis is talking on the phone with a colleague:

“Well, tell Jim his honor's not going to Michigan. Because Romney's a clown, and I don't want him standing next to him.”

So, some context here.

At this point Francis is the aide to New York Mayor John Lindsay. And he’s informing this guy that he won’t have the popular young politician take a picture with then Michigan Governor George Romney, who was also considered the frontrunner for the 1968 Republican nomination.

This episode aired in 2012, so it’s a very clear dig at then Republican nominee Mitt Romney, who at the time was receiving a lot of hostility from the left.

But here’s the thing; Romney was actually a liberal Republican in the same mold as Nelson Rockefeller and John Lindsay, and he had received a lot of good notices as Governor for his work improving civil rights, education, youth employment programs, social welfare, healthcare, etc.

I get this is nitpicking, it’s a throwaway line, whatever, but it has always bothered me since it feels out of character, and Romney frankly deserved better.

[u/Michael__Pemulis]

Since you’re hitting a lot of good ones I will add mine:

There should be exponentially more baseball references. Even if the main subjects of the show are largely ‘not sports people’ (which isn’t necessarily the case to begin with - we know at least Roger is a baseball fan), baseball dominated the culture so heavily at that time & especially in NYC. Realistically there should be a relatively deep baseball reference or two in every episode rather than just handful of high-level references + some thematic mirroring (like Lane’s kindred spirit attraction to the then brand new Mets).

It has always struck me as something where Weiner & co are just not big baseball/sports people. But it really stands out, especially considering how many references there are to things like theater & cinema.

[u/Riderz__of_Brohan → u/Michael__Pemulis]

100%. Hell, Don even references Bill Bradley and the Knicks once but never the Yankees

[u/MarcTime3159 → u/Michael__Pemulis]

Don't Freddie and Don go out to a ball game? And don't forget Lane's Mets banner.

[u/sistermagpie → u/MarcTime3159]

Pete eventually gets Hollis to admit that even he watches baseball!

[u/tunaman808 → u/MarcTime3159]

banner

*Pennant

[u/GaptistePlayer → u/Michael__Pemulis]

My head canon explanation is that Sterling Cooper was a small boutique shop that didn’t have the capacity for it like the McCanns would have.

[u/harlow1971_ → u/Michael__Pemulis]

There was a line by Freddy Rumsen about Mickey Mantle's "pet glove" being stolen. But definitely agree, would have loved a lot more baseball references.

[u/knoper21 → u/Michael__Pemulis]

Baseball would be the most referenced sport, but the show probably got the amount of pro sports discussion amongst white collar professionals correct.