Mad Men S01E02: What Women Want

The theme of the second episode is "What Women Want". Men who read this article, admit it, this question is almost synonymous with an eternal mystery to you. Maybe this episode will give you some inspiration.

Women's issues have always been the focus of the plot of "Mad Men". In this episode, Don's wife Betty's hands often tremble uncontrollably. The doctor recommended that she receive psychological counseling. This frustrated Don because he thought that he had given Betty everything she needed and that Betty should be happy and satisfied. right.

And what happened to Betty? To the audience, the reason is obvious: insecurity. Looking back before Betty drove into the roadside lawn because her hands were shaking, she saw the new neighbor that her best friend had mentioned to her - a divorced woman of similar age to them, Helen Bishop. At that time, Helen was struggling to put a The big box was dragged to the door of her house because there was no man in her family who could help. We already know that in that era, women were basically full-time housewives after they got married. Not only did they rely on their husbands for all their food, clothing, housing and transportation expenses, but they also basically cooked, washed, and took care of the children at home. They were isolated from society and increasingly disconnected from their husbands. Same topic. We can also infer that since Don works in the city and his home is in the suburbs, he often stays up at night, and when he comes home, he may still have the smell of Betty's unfamiliar perfume (in fact, Don often cheats); Betty kept silent about her past, causing Betty to know almost nothing about Don except what she saw in front of her. Betty's mother passed away recently, and Don didn't even notice how big a blow this was to Betty. This kind of marriage relationship actually lacks respect for Betty, but Betty is unable to resist because she cannot bear the consequences of divorce-she has almost lost the courage and ability to make a living independently, and if she becomes a single mother with a child , you will end up in the same miserable situation as Helen. Not only will you be struggling with the work at home, but you will also become the laughing stock of your neighbors. In this way, she was worried that her husband would be unfaithful to her and worried that she would be abandoned, but she also had to hide her doubts and act happy to please her husband. To be honest, after such a long period of separation, Betty's hands are still shaking, but I think she is already very powerful.

What is frustrating is that for Don, understanding such a simple reason is as difficult as writing an advertisement for a bottle of air, because he feels that everything he created for Betty is perfect, and he wants to I want to make Betty happy, but I can’t find the angle to work hard:

This conversation made me feel very powerless. Don’s words were so reasonable that I couldn’t refute them! But in the final analysis, Betty is an independent person, and she has her own unique needs in terms of emotions. Once this hole is enlarged, it cannot be filled by everything that the world appreciates. What Betty needs most is to be sure that she is the closest and most beloved person to Don. Don's love and loyalty to her are the same as the love and loyalty she has given. However, this was a request that she could not say out loud. She could only end this embarrassing conversation with a smile and a tone of approval. Then, when she turned her back to Don, she showed an uncontrollable loneliness. When Don was sleeping, she evenly With the sound of breathing, I silently endured a sleepless night.

While I understand Betty, I also understand Don very well. As mentioned in the comments of the previous episode, Don is a person who lacks love. He never knows what happiness feels like or what it feels like to have a normal intimate relationship, so he can only follow the perfection he imagined. He builds his own home with his family: a successful father, a beautiful and virtuous mother, happy children, a prosperous life, and laughter, all of which are shortcomings in his childhood. What he doesn't know is that without the core of mutual respect and heart-to-heart, such a happy appearance cannot last.

Of course Don would not suddenly understand this truth, so he could not stop exploring "what women want" all day long.

Discuss with your brothers when discussing advertising ideas. The boys looked confused:

Discuss with boss Roger when we are about to get off work.

The boss said that I didn’t do it either:

However, Roger did give some constructive suggestions:

I have to admit that what Roger said is right to a certain extent, happiness It's especially important for women, especially when they're insecure, to know that they have what other girls have, which can go a long way in relieving their anxiety. The question is, what does “everything” include? What exactly can bring them "happiness"? After careful consideration, Don felt that the boss was right! So he bought Betty a diamond watch from his kindness.

This sudden little gift, or the sudden attention, made Betty happy for dozens of seconds. Then Betty fell into a more serious worry: she couldn't help but fear that if she really caused a terrible car accident that day, her disfigured little daughter would spend a long and unfortunate life in loneliness, and this kind of worry The source is just that my daughter Sally touched her face in a small accident that day. This worry also reflects Betty's inner fear: she is afraid of being alone, afraid of being spurned, and even more afraid of losing her happy family because she is not beautiful and virtuous enough. At this point, Betty's mood has been clearly expressed. Unfortunately, Don still doesn't know what happened...

In the end, Don took Betty to the city to see a psychiatrist. I think Betty was very reserved when she first talked to the psychiatrist. She understood that she was here to seek help, but she kept trying to chat with the psychiatrist like a perfect doll, trying to express herself in a reserved and positive tone. The heaviest thought was quite similar to the appreciative tone she used when pleasing Don. It is precisely because of her long-term catering to the outside world and her family's repressive nature that she gradually developed a tendency to depression.

While Betty was receiving psychological counseling, the physically and mentally exhausted Don "missed work" and ran to his lover, Midge Daniels, for comfort. He did not forget to continue to explore his own little problems, and finally escaped from this bohemian temptation. He got the answer from the powerful woman:

In the evening, he picked up Betty from the psychiatrist, and the two went to the restaurant to have dinner together. Perhaps inspired by his lover and decided to "get closer" to Betty, Don started chatting with Betty seriously and even told a somewhat erotic joke. Betty was very satisfied with being in the city where her husband worked and with this little date that completely put aside housework and children, and her condition immediately improved a lot. Don is also happy about his wife's change, but unfortunately he is still confused about the real crux:

I have to admit that watching this episode will always make me sad, not only for Betty, but also for Don . As a woman, I can't criticize Betty for her weakness. After all, how many people can be truly "tough" in the face of external judgment? Even today, many women who want to live according to their own wishes are desperately pursuing career success and financial independence, striving to "make you dislike me but not get rid of me", as if they can't do this. The right to resist the heavy pressure imposed by the outside world, or more accurately, the powerlessness to resist, and "powerless" is synonymous with "powerlessness". There are no rights in the world, and strength is rights. This applies to all living creatures in the world.

Don is more conflicted in my eyes. Although he keeps cheating, although he hides dark secrets, and although he can't help but run away from problems when he encounters them, I still think he is a decent man. Haha, does this logic sound like "I have tattoos, smoke, drink, and swear, but I know I am a good girl"? I have read some drama reviews before. Many people think that Don does not love Betty at all. What he loves is that Betty's gentleness and beauty embellish his own image. I am also firmly opposed to this view. I always felt that Don loved Betty very much and never stopped pursuing love and happiness, even though most of the time he would just make a mess of things.

The other protagonist in this episode is a woman completely different from Betty - Peggy. Peggy is Don's new secretary. As soon as she entered the company, she attracted the attention of all the boys, and everyone was trying to win the heart of this newcomer.

Peggy is a completely different type from Joan, the boss of the secretaries. Joan is very beautiful, has high emotional intelligence, and is divine. Unlike Betty, she does not have the dignified and elegant beauty of Betty's doll. Many friends who watch the show together don’t understand why so many men like the rustic and cold-hearted Peggy. I think they don’t like Peggy, but they just habitually prove their charm by conquering every girl, or to relieve their boredom. Or maybe it's just to try something new - yes, they are just that boring, this behavior has nothing to do with whether Peggy itself is really attractive. It is conceivable that if Peggy believed any of them and showed her sincerity easily, she would become the talk of the whole company. After a pleasant conversation with copywriter Paul Kinsey, Peggy felt that Paul would be a good friend, but Paul still proposed to pick her up. The disappointed Peggy just felt restless in her seat, feeling that all the male colleagues passing by were looking at her with teasing eyes (actually not, it was just that Peggy was too nervous) just as Peggy rushed into the bathroom and was about to cry. While there, she caught a glimpse of another girl's reflection in the mirror: the poor girl was crying helplessly, exactly the same as Peggy. Peggy realized that crying was useless, and being ugly would not change her situation at all, so she just arranged her silk scarf in the mirror, and then walked out of the bathroom with her head held high. Peggy is a naturally determined person. Unlike other girls who actively cater to the patriarchal society, Peggy will not give up her principles in order to fit in with anyone. This momentary change in front of the mirror also indicates that Peggy is destined to go Take a different path than most girls. I just want to say, Peggy, I love you!!!!

Finally, we come to the pleasing clothing section. First of all, it is a good-looking pajamas with some Japanese style, which belongs to Don’s lover No. 1: < /p>

Then there is another piece of pajamas (...I am not a pervert!) belonging to Betty, but it is not clear:

Finally, there is a piece of homely clothes of Betty, an elegant tutu skirt and The subtle accessories complement each other well and complement Betty's meticulous hair makeup. Forgive me, I just love this dignified style:

The suits of the blue kids in this drama are also very particular, but I don’t know how to appreciate the details. I can only see the word "good-looking" on the whole screen. Welcome Popular science among fashionistas.

Then here are some screenshots. The pictures and text are not relevant, I just think they look good.

Finally came the ending theme: Great Divide, singer The Cardigans (Cardigans)

S01E02 ending theme