Going Mad Waiting for Season Four Mad Men Premiere

One word to describe today’s television viewer: fickle. Many shows are canceled after one or two episodes. Perhaps this is the reason why the quality of new shows is so poor big name stars are not the draw they used to be and the top-three networks are experiencing declining numbers every year. Lucky for us, cable networks are producing excellent, entertaining, and endearing shows. My latest addiction … AMC’s Mad Men.

The setting is a highly successful ad agency, Sterling Coopers, located on New York’s Madison Avenue. The twist? It’s 1960s and boy is it a different world. Drinking on the job, flirting with coworkers, harassment, sexism is not only allowed, it’s par for the course. The show focuses on the mysterious Don Draper (John Hamm) a picture-perfect debonair Creative Director who seems to have everything. But appearances can be deceiving.

Hamm’s blessed with an amazing cast of supporting actors, who transform the show into a realistic office politics drama. You will feel for each character and become engrossed in their struggles and successes. The first season introduced the characters, set the scene and familiarized audiences with everyday life at Sterling Coopers. Season two showed us that although men may dominate the workplace in the 60s, but behind every great man there’s an even greater woman. Season three showed us that there is no true security and everything you know can change in an instant.

In the first episode of Mad Men, we knew who the power players were. The stage was set early on. Each episode was a battlefield: the bit players fought for success and recognition. The stage was set early. The question was who would succeed and who would be left behind. By the final episode we learned who would join the ranks of the elite and who would fall short. Season four promises to be an entirely new playing field.
I’m going to relish season four’s fight to maintain the spoils of war. The campaigns are going to be bigger than ever and I for one support Team Draper.

WMDs Closer Than You Think

We all hear the term WMD and panic. We think of the “enemies” abroad – those that can “get us” at any moment. What would you do if I told you that your anxiety over the WMDs abroad is not what should worry you. The WMDs that should concern you are those in your own backyard. The WMD may even be sitting across the table from you.

Okay, take a deep yogic breath and count to 10. I am not talking about the weapons of mass destruction. I am talking about another, possible relationship-ending WMD. I am talking about the woman/man disconnect that could cause a series of small wars in your home. Women, at this point you may chuckle; men you are probably scratching your heads … this is my case and point!

Women and men are intrinsically different and communicate in ways that fit their gender. Oftentimes, they are saying the same things, – but what is “said” and what is “heard” can vary dramatically. Men have a need to fix the situation and offer solutions, while women just want to vent or share.

Many times I have tried to explain to my husband my desired response from him … I have actually been told when I share a story that I give my husband tired head. (This is ironic because my girlfriends have no problem understanding the identical story, and often validate my actions in the story.)

I have learned to recognize the glazed-over expression he gives me (which actually is his brain trying to calculate, what he wants to say versus what he thinks I want to hear plus what the outcome of my reaction will bring plus will his response minus my reaction plus the end result equal stability in the house). Confused yet? See, we all have tired head just thinking about it.

I will be fair and say that this article is written from the woman’s perspective. I can try to explain what my husband perceives as my communication issues, but only 50% of the readers would understand. It’s not your fault, or mine, that communication is so difficult. The difficulty in communication actually is not in the words, but the translation of those words. Fortunately, men and women are often “saying” identical things … the disconnect is in the interpretation!

Do not panic. This does not mean we will have WWIII in our relationships. Men and women both have the recognition ability! One person is bound to recognize that each party is saying the same thing.

Learn to love the expression WMD and don’t be afraid to say it aloud. Use it as a concise explanation when there is a man/woman disconnect. When you are having a conversation with someone of the opposite sex, and the person listens to you and says they disagree. Listen to their reasoning and explanation. You may often find they are saying the exact same thing, but using different words. Do not throw up your hands in frustration. Simply say WMD. Teach your male friends and intimates this term as well. It will save you many an argument and allow you both to feel satisfaction. There is no concession needed when both parties are right and on the same page.