Thoughts on Mad Men, a television show I have never watched

            Have been on a quest to understand the show Mad Men as well as other shows of its kind.  What is its kind?  Long running, serial television shows that can run for 10, 20, 30 hours or more.  But more specifically I think of these shows in terms of the critical acclaim that they garner.  This acclaim makes it seem okay to sit and watch and love all those hours of television viewing – okay for smart people, that is.  There you go, a little flattery to soften the blows of my critique.

            In a few of my more and more infrequent dalliances with NPR I have heard these particular shows praised.  The Sopranos and The Wire.  Breaking Bad and Mad Men.  Critics come on say what it is they like about the shows – invariably good/great writing and cleverness are invokes.  Terry Gross has talked to the creators and actors of these shows to gain more insight – talented actors are needed to flesh out the terrific scripts.  NPR stamps its imprimatur on these shows and latte-loving liberals like me have no worries talking about a TV show.

            I found an article in the Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy section called “Why serious people watch ‘Mad Men’” which provides some reasons, had some good references re: the cultural phenomenon of such shows.  More “subtlety and nuance” are allowed for but long form serials compared to other art forms – a good point that for me goes a long way in explaining such shows.  The characters may perhaps be more fully developed, etc. 

            In the comments of this article I found a number of critiques.  One Jack Bennett considers the show to be like an animatronic Pirates of the Caribbean for the sixties – this is the kernel for my critique of historical novels and movies in general: however amazing the recreation of the past in whatever medium it is still ersatz, still, as responder to the article called Anonymous wrote, “a glimpse back into a refracted glass”.  This commenter also said a show should be appreciated for its style, which he/she cede Mad Men has, even while understanding the representations to be flawed.

            So, am I missing out?  In all honesty I have not watched a movie in a theater since (am I revealing too much about myself?) the wonderful Prometheus, almost a year ago.  I have lost my desire to see fictional portrayals on screen.  I think my dislike stems from watching History Channel shows on whatever historical period – ancient Egypt, ancient Rome – where little vignettes are presented to (unnecessarily) accompany what the narrator is saying.  These little vignettes are so fake, so phony (e.g. – an actor portraying Caesar leering at an actress portraying Cleopatra) that I think they started a crack in my suspension of disbelief re: acting and now that crack has allowed the wall to crumble.  I have not been reading much fiction either. Scary.

            It is perhaps unfair to lump shows like Mad Men in with cheaply produced and lousy historical vignettes but still . . .