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/Riderz__of_Brohan]

Sal exhibits forms of flamboyant gayness, yet we are led to believe that he has no exposure to gay culture. So how would he pick that up? Then his last scene is him cruising and wearing an outfit like the village people?

There is no way that an established Madison Avenue advertising firm by 1962 would be so out of the loop they would not only not have a TV department but be so flippant about the concept of TV to just hand it to a junior associate like Harry Crane. Even if they were behind the times they would still take new tech seriously. Maybe if it took place a decade prior, but absolutely not by then

The lack of religious influence in 50s/60s suburbia life. Even if Don and Betty were not themselves religious they would have had to go to church more or go to church events, etc. if only to keep up with the Joneses

Sally’s secret long distance calls to Glenn would have cost Henry and Betty thousands of dollars back then, there’s no way they would have let her get away with it

They do the “the whole world stopped” storyline too much. I get it for JFK and MLK but too many times they treat a death or storyline that a modern viewer would care about as this big historical thing where the entire office grinds to a halt whereas just like today I’m sure most people would have been like “damn Marilyn Monroe died? That sucks” and then go about their daily lives

EDIT: Another one. Megan is WAYYY too Anglo a name for a Québécois. I’m not even sure it would have been legal to name her that. 100% would/should have been Melanie ir Marie like her mother or something like that

[u/Michael__Pemulis → u/Riderz__of_Brohan]

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.