Mad Men - Layers of Meaning

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Mad Men, a show about mid-twentieth century American advertising, skillfully employs text, subtext, and symbolic imagery to emotionally sway the audience. In this video, we break down the acclaimed season 1 finale, "The Wheel", to uncover how the show's protagonist, Don Draper, utilizes all the meaning-making tools at his disposal to make a sale, even as the show's creators use those same tools to evoke a response in us.
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- Michael Tucker
Edited by: Alex Calleros
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#MadMen

Пікірлер: 1 100

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay
    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay4 жыл бұрын

    *What other TV shows would you like us to cover in a future episode?* Start your 2 month free trial of Skillshare by going to skl.sh/lfts16

  • @762x69

    @762x69

    4 жыл бұрын

    Season 4 of the Wire

  • @TheLazyReviewer

    @TheLazyReviewer

    4 жыл бұрын

    The sopranos a character analysis on Tony Soprano

  • @puzzleofmizuki

    @puzzleofmizuki

    4 жыл бұрын

    Mr. Robot! Specifically S4 E7!

  • @padraigdon1657

    @padraigdon1657

    4 жыл бұрын

    Like to see The Sopranos Video :)

  • @DaddysFlipside

    @DaddysFlipside

    4 жыл бұрын

    Six Feet Under

  • @maxmooreish
    @maxmooreish4 жыл бұрын

    Don Draper is the best at selling happiness but the worst at grasping it.

  • @goofygoosed

    @goofygoosed

    4 жыл бұрын

    damn that was good

  • @fatninjacatmatt

    @fatninjacatmatt

    4 жыл бұрын

    Can’t dip into your own supply

  • @kalstonii

    @kalstonii

    4 жыл бұрын

    Sales is embellishing the reality. Happiness is naivete of reality

  • @freddogrosso9835

    @freddogrosso9835

    4 жыл бұрын

    Who was really happy in that show? Cosgrove? Sterling?

  • @imperfect_dan7519

    @imperfect_dan7519

    4 жыл бұрын

    That is until the end. It may not be lasting happiness but he did find it

  • @russellgarifulla1114
    @russellgarifulla11144 жыл бұрын

    KZread doesn't have enough Mad Men essays.

  • @anastasiageorge1279

    @anastasiageorge1279

    4 жыл бұрын

    !!!

  • @davidtheberge1231

    @davidtheberge1231

    4 жыл бұрын

    It needs 96 of them. The best show

  • @Adrianlovesmusic

    @Adrianlovesmusic

    4 жыл бұрын

    but there is a lot of Marvel

  • @JustFloatinAlong

    @JustFloatinAlong

    4 жыл бұрын

    The Take has a handful of good ones on Mad Men!

  • @haute03

    @haute03

    4 жыл бұрын

    Agreed. It's wild because there's so much material to do a video essay on and yet.

  • @sebastianconrad6823
    @sebastianconrad68234 жыл бұрын

    This show is highly rated yet still underrated

  • @kaitlyn__L

    @kaitlyn__L

    4 жыл бұрын

    Big agree.

  • @alejandradelcid3143

    @alejandradelcid3143

    4 жыл бұрын

    Its the weirdest show i ever watched but my favorite

  • @rgng

    @rgng

    4 жыл бұрын

    Under-appreciated*

  • @jashshah1033

    @jashshah1033

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@alejandradelcid3143 how is it weird?

  • @fabc1966

    @fabc1966

    4 жыл бұрын

    Cool call-back to Joan's line to Duck 👍

  • @maxhydekyle2425
    @maxhydekyle24254 жыл бұрын

    You could analyse basically every episode of Mad Men this deeply. Everything is so well written and so perfectly acted. Every line has multiple meanings and every story is actually multiple stories.

  • @TheAARBAND

    @TheAARBAND

    4 жыл бұрын

    Highly recommended Matt Zoller Seitz's book if you haven't read it already. Perfect companion piece to the show

  • @kckazcoll1

    @kckazcoll1

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@TheAARBAND thanks for this recommendation!

  • @TheAARBAND

    @TheAARBAND

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Henrique amazon probably sell it - please pay for it if you're going to download it, support creators!

  • @poodleman3356

    @poodleman3356

    4 жыл бұрын

    you are exagerating man

  • @kanakangi

    @kanakangi

    4 жыл бұрын

    So true. Every scene every eye movement tells a story

  • @maxhydekyle2425
    @maxhydekyle24253 жыл бұрын

    Don's pitch was so good he even sold himself on it.

  • @rottensquid

    @rottensquid

    Жыл бұрын

    That's always his secret. As the show goes on, he loses his mojo because he finds himself unable to fool himself anymore. He sold himself this "good life" the way he sells that carousel, Lucky Strike, etc. But the problem with advertising is that sooner or later, you realize that the product sold to you on all these grandiose fantasies doesn't deliver. Cigarettes DO cause cancer, the happy memories promised by the carousel weren't really happy at all... products aren't the answer to the big hole in your heart. Nor is a picture-perfect marriage to a beautiful blond, a big house in Ossining, two kids, or a baby blue Cadillac. The whole show is a slow reveal of the profound falseness of advertising, as a metaphor for the cost of self-delusion.

  • @dinothegonzo
    @dinothegonzo4 жыл бұрын

    Just thinking about Don Draper's "The Wheel" pitch makes me teary eyed. It's how universal the lonely prison Don has built for himself.

  • @scottslotterbeck3796

    @scottslotterbeck3796

    4 жыл бұрын

    Well put. We make decisions without knowing all of the ramifications of those decisons. As Joni Mitchell put it, you don't know what you've lost 'till it's gone.

  • @frankcolumbo9615

    @frankcolumbo9615

    3 жыл бұрын

    “Don’s” aka:Dick’s, theft of another’s identification and living a lie can only exist in solitary confinement or risk Public Exposure, humiliation, ruin and the legal ramifications (federal charges: Army Desertion)

  • @TiffanyTurquoise

    @TiffanyTurquoise

    3 жыл бұрын

    Kodak and Hallmark commercials were always great at summoning waterworks for me.

  • @catherinedankens9823

    @catherinedankens9823

    Жыл бұрын

    One of my fave scenes in the whole show

  • @fieldofsenses
    @fieldofsenses4 жыл бұрын

    one of the deepest, most nuanced, detailed and well written series i've ever watched. calling it a masterpiece ain't enough.

  • @vc6218

    @vc6218

    3 жыл бұрын

    The writers fucking did that! MASTERPIECE!

  • @sleepingsleepsleep
    @sleepingsleepsleep4 жыл бұрын

    Well. I just realized I haven't absorbed even half of the meaning in this show.

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    4 жыл бұрын

    There is a _lot_ of meaning going on, it's hard to get it all on the first pass.

  • @skipcubic4567

    @skipcubic4567

    4 жыл бұрын

    Even after 3 or 4 viewings, you'll still miss things.

  • @dayofthelords8371

    @dayofthelords8371

    4 жыл бұрын

    How many tiiiimes 😭😭

  • @andreylucass

    @andreylucass

    4 жыл бұрын

    You should write something every season to fully understand

  • @Schmidtelpunkt

    @Schmidtelpunkt

    4 жыл бұрын

    The funny thing is: I think I got everything of it. I just would not have been able to express it in words. Which I think is the perfect indicator of something being art. But also shows a quality of this channel.

  • @evandrobatista7086
    @evandrobatista70864 жыл бұрын

    There is a saying in Brazil that says: "In a blacksmith's house, his tools are made of wood". Which means, in general, that a great business manager is a bad manager of his own life.

  • @yoyoyodaboy

    @yoyoyodaboy

    4 жыл бұрын

    I like that a lot

  • @yonisali3879

    @yonisali3879

    4 жыл бұрын

    That is why opposites attract. Both sides covered.

  • @PastaBasepot

    @PastaBasepot

    4 жыл бұрын

    en casa de herrero, cuchillo de palo

  • @nicolasdemedeirosboppre8046

    @nicolasdemedeirosboppre8046

    3 жыл бұрын

    There is a quote*

  • @user-yk5xu8gr1e

    @user-yk5xu8gr1e

    3 жыл бұрын

    Like in my country its... theres always darkness beneath the lamp....

  • @matuk3200
    @matuk32004 жыл бұрын

    I think Don is more cynical than he seems. He did not "discover" his family. He thought he had discovered the formula for it. He was melancholic about a concept he can't understand.

  • @scottslotterbeck3796

    @scottslotterbeck3796

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yup. He wanted his family as well as his various lovers. He felt ordinary rules didn't apply to him.

  • @bradmarchant7822

    @bradmarchant7822

    4 жыл бұрын

    very interesting! Don has always been a sorta fake it till you make it kind of character, but always hallow in the middle. so what you say makes perfect sense.

  • @Ikaros23

    @Ikaros23

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@scottslotterbeck3796 he is a intelligent/shallow and a machiavellian. And he know how insecure and shallow and selfabsorbed most humans are. Betty was no better than him, she just wanted the image of the perfect alpha man. Not a real man with scares.

  • @partycitydumpster

    @partycitydumpster

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@BlazeOrangeDeer you nailed it. The pitch scene where he shows the photos feels empty and tragic for Don, while being hopeful and full of yearning for us. The photos communicate nostalgia for others (nostalgia for someone else's life is a wild phenomenon), but they are props to him. He wants to feel nostalgic about them, but he continually prioritizes other things over his family. They're missed opportunities, they represent yet another period of time when Don wasn't fully present in his life or committed to his family.

  • @lukesmith1818

    @lukesmith1818

    3 жыл бұрын

    I forget the episode but there's one where Don vanishes and calls Betty to say "I had to do some thinking." She snaps back that that must be nice for him. That's his problem. His instinct is to get away instead of stick around and work things out with a family to support him. The expectation from his end is that if he just has time he will figure it out when in fact its driving people further away.

  • @4KToday
    @4KToday4 жыл бұрын

    When there’s that one KZreadr who has NEVER released a bad video!

  • @rufaiajala

    @rufaiajala

    4 жыл бұрын

    @Rahul Manne what does this mean? 😅

  • @barrymoton1
    @barrymoton14 жыл бұрын

    Can I just talk about your absolute brilliance?! You are able to break down these concepts for people thriving to attain that level of artistic/intellectual prowess. I hope all the likes, subscribe notifications, and private messages serve as a source of affirmation for you and your team. I'm sure you've been told this before, but I TRULY want you to know that.

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    4 жыл бұрын

  • @themothermarkos

    @themothermarkos

    4 жыл бұрын

    This guy has it dead on. There's a whole community of people who have been saved by these endeavours that want to achieve this level. I went to university for four years but none of that captured the cathartic soul of creating the way you guys do.

  • @barrymoton1

    @barrymoton1

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@LessonsfromtheScreenplay do you/y'all do any consultation work?

  • @wong03333

    @wong03333

    3 жыл бұрын

    Wow i don’t think I can give a better compliment

  • @762x69
    @762x694 жыл бұрын

    Literally said oooh. Been waiting for this and I didn't even know it. Might even have an old-fashioned later 💁🏽‍♂️

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    4 жыл бұрын

    🥃🥂

  • @josemsalvadorg.5623

    @josemsalvadorg.5623

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@LessonsfromtheScreenplay You see the episode and particularly the carousel scene once and love it, but don't know why entirely.

  • @PeterZeeke

    @PeterZeeke

    3 жыл бұрын

    nothing beats an old fashioned www.podbean.com/eu/pb-2zusw-dfba77

  • @CocktailsConsoles
    @CocktailsConsoles4 жыл бұрын

    OMG “The Wheel” was one of the BEST episodes! So emotional and evocative!

  • @mastermindmartialarts

    @mastermindmartialarts

    4 жыл бұрын

    so, so good. Truly an amazing and unforgettable episode

  • @smarkslowplay3512

    @smarkslowplay3512

    3 жыл бұрын

    I felt so bad for Don in the empty house. So heartwrenching. He makes mistakes, but we want him to improve and do the right thing

  • @randywhite3947

    @randywhite3947

    Жыл бұрын

    It’s my favorite episode

  • @dyg_bonvi
    @dyg_bonvi4 жыл бұрын

    This is mad. I literally just finished watching Mad Men two days ago. This channel is a true blessing.

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    4 жыл бұрын

    I love it when we nail the timing ;)

  • @seaque.

    @seaque.

    4 жыл бұрын

    i watched the finale on the same day the video got released :)

  • @emilymartinez6061

    @emilymartinez6061

    4 жыл бұрын

    i finished it last month! This was the fix I needed lol. I need to find another show like it

  • @BaffledApe

    @BaffledApe

    3 жыл бұрын

    Same here, just 2 days ago. Now I'm looking for the analysis and explanation as to why I became so engrossed. I think I've found out why in this video. Thank you 'Lessons From The Screenplay' :)

  • @daviswendye

    @daviswendye

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@emilymartinez6061 good luck with that!

  • @michaelluciano1980
    @michaelluciano19804 жыл бұрын

    This may be the only episode where Harry Crane has a redeemable personality 😂😛

  • @BlueisNotaWarmColour

    @BlueisNotaWarmColour

    4 жыл бұрын

    He was the nicest guy at the office in the beginning. By the end, he was the worst.

  • @wintaffy23

    @wintaffy23

    4 жыл бұрын

    He really does put the junior in junior executive

  • @willd6215

    @willd6215

    4 жыл бұрын

    Ha I love Harry

  • @bulaluigi

    @bulaluigi

    4 жыл бұрын

    A lot of characters start out awful and improve, but he went the other way

  • @kaitlyn__L

    @kaitlyn__L

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@BlueisNotaWarmColour I find that so captivating. He starts out as a slightly naive emotionally vulnerable guy who isn't as sleazy as the other guys in the office. He ends up turning into Homer Simpson.

  • @ebbyc1817
    @ebbyc18174 жыл бұрын

    "And it takes us to a place, where we ache to go again" God. This took me right back. Mad Men hit me in a place that few other shows have. From the first episode to the last.

  • @LeonardoDiCapri-Sun
    @LeonardoDiCapri-Sun4 жыл бұрын

    Wow what weird timing... I'm in the middle of writing an essay about photography in the film One Hour Photo (2002) and what Harry and Don say in this episode reminds me of what Robin Williams' character says about what a photo can communicate to another person: 'I was here. I existed. I was young, I was happy, and someone cared enough about me in this world to take my picture.'

  • @scottslotterbeck3796

    @scottslotterbeck3796

    4 жыл бұрын

    Powerful thoughts.

  • @Graenelolz
    @Graenelolz4 жыл бұрын

    I rewatch Mad Men in its entirety at least once every year since 2012/13. I never stop being amazed at the episodes and always pick up another layer and little cues. Best show ever.

  • @JiveTAB
    @JiveTAB4 жыл бұрын

    Soooooo stoked for this one. I watched all of Mad Men because, in my favorite course during college, we spent two entires classes analyzing a single episode. Few TV series have so much that can be analyzed as Mad Men.

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    4 жыл бұрын

    Ooh that's cool-which episode?

  • @JiveTAB

    @JiveTAB

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@LessonsfromtheScreenplay 01.06 "Babylon" -- it was a textual criticism course, and my professor laid down a very strong argument that the entire episode is framing Don as a woman, doing so subtly in the first half of the episode, to the point of literally framing him in a shot through the bodies of women in the second half. It was incredible, and I'm so glad it convinced me to watch the whole series after graduating college.

  • @JiveTAB

    @JiveTAB

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@LessonsfromtheScreenplay By the way, I wrote my original comment before even watching your video, but great work, as always!

  • @ProjectileBurn

    @ProjectileBurn

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@JiveTAB This is wild, need to watch the episode again!

  • @scottslotterbeck3796

    @scottslotterbeck3796

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@ProjectileBurn So well written. If I could write as well, well, I'd be in a writer's room!

  • @joshgoodman9882
    @joshgoodman98824 жыл бұрын

    This show is the show that truly cuts the deepest to the difficulty of becoming happy.

  • @hunter9mm

    @hunter9mm

    4 жыл бұрын

    Is it on Netflix?

  • @joshgoodman9882

    @joshgoodman9882

    4 жыл бұрын

    HunterFTW they JUST removed it! Should be picked up by another streaming service soon!

  • @efroster123

    @efroster123

    4 жыл бұрын

    Josh Goodman they did WHAT??!!

  • @joshgoodman9882

    @joshgoodman9882

    4 жыл бұрын

    IAME-MAN I know! But there will be a huge bidding war over this one. My bet is it goes to HBO Max.

  • @kckazcoll1

    @kckazcoll1

    4 жыл бұрын

    on Stan in Australia

  • @KainedbutAble123
    @KainedbutAble1234 жыл бұрын

    The Wheel may be one of the greatest hours of Television ever produced.

  • @scenealizer
    @scenealizer4 жыл бұрын

    Me: (Has not seen Mad Men) LFTS: (Uploads an analysis of Mad Men) Me: Right I know what I’m watching tonight

  • @delaneystorm

    @delaneystorm

    4 жыл бұрын

    It is far better than I expected. Dashes any romanticism of the era and highlights timeless issues.

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    4 жыл бұрын

    haha, Godspeed!

  • @maxhydekyle2425

    @maxhydekyle2425

    4 жыл бұрын

    You're in for a treat

  • @jenniaaponte1429

    @jenniaaponte1429

    4 жыл бұрын

    Fasten you’re seatbelt. #bestshowontheplanet

  • @LeoBan99

    @LeoBan99

    4 жыл бұрын

    Life changing show.

  • @Juan_Teppa
    @Juan_Teppa4 жыл бұрын

    "The Suitcase" might be one of the best episodes in the whole series. Personally, is still one of my favorites. This was a brilliant essay.

  • @viniciusbicudo6266

    @viniciusbicudo6266

    2 жыл бұрын

    the moment when don hang up the phone with stephanie and peggy is already staring at him...Gets me every time

  • @CriticalCulture
    @CriticalCulture4 жыл бұрын

    The greatest television show ever made.

  • @jenniaaponte1429

    @jenniaaponte1429

    4 жыл бұрын

    FlareNetworkC THE BEST!

  • @kckazcoll1

    @kckazcoll1

    4 жыл бұрын

    I agree!

  • @michelmurphy7152

    @michelmurphy7152

    3 жыл бұрын

    Yes!

  • @jonasseorum5471

    @jonasseorum5471

    3 жыл бұрын

    Shared number 1 spot with the Sopranos

  • @smarkslowplay3512

    @smarkslowplay3512

    3 жыл бұрын

    Check out Succession, predecessor

  • @responsiblejerk2328
    @responsiblejerk23283 жыл бұрын

    The most brilliantly written show in TV history. They should have entire semesters of film school studying these scripts.

  • @adamkandalaft3307
    @adamkandalaft33074 жыл бұрын

    Please break down more episodes. There are so many good ones like this one throughout the show that has different themes and meanings. Your breakdowns are very thorough and enlightening, so as an avid mad men fan i really appreciate them.

  • @sandranorman5469

    @sandranorman5469

    3 жыл бұрын

    If you can buy or rent the seasons from your library -go to the analysis by Wiener. It will make you think about every “ Mad Men” episode you ever watched and go back and watch it again.

  • @thef1dude501
    @thef1dude5014 жыл бұрын

    Mad Men is the only show that I went out of my way to buy the DVD's for all seasons, I don't think we'll ever get another Mad men

  • @scottslotterbeck3796

    @scottslotterbeck3796

    4 жыл бұрын

    Maybe not. Such a great combination of retro and yet timeless themes.

  • @battle_born

    @battle_born

    3 жыл бұрын

    We won't.

  • @munnak3695

    @munnak3695

    3 жыл бұрын

    So this series is just about men crafting advertisements but also struggling tk be happy ? Is that it ?

  • @yumihan6132
    @yumihan61324 жыл бұрын

    I was so caught up on Don's storyline that I completely missed Betty's. Your videos are truly amazing. Please do one on the Don-Peggy dynamic, too!

  • @rottensquid

    @rottensquid

    Жыл бұрын

    Right! This is such a great analysis of Betty's story. It's all buried in subtext, because Don doesn't talk, and Betty isn't allowed to speak up. Until she finally does.

  • @hellopaolo
    @hellopaolo3 жыл бұрын

    Mad Men is full of subtexts and symbolism. Everything pretty much has a meaning without being flashy - just regular mundane workplace and home life. Every rewatch is peeling layers meaning and of course your more mature worldview and empathy also helps each time. Soooo poetic. Brilliantly written. Sublimely acted. And of course the most impeccable props, make up and costume.

  • @satviktejasvi9228
    @satviktejasvi92284 жыл бұрын

    Even though I've watched this show twice, it feels like I haven't watched it at all. This is a show that never stops giving. Thanks for the video!

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    4 жыл бұрын

    I feel the same way!

  • @just_doug
    @just_doug4 жыл бұрын

    This is one of my favourite scenes in any series or film, being analysed by one of my favourite youtube channels. Today is a great day.

  • @ShadowedAgony
    @ShadowedAgony4 жыл бұрын

    I love when people talk about this show.

  • @bradmarchant7822
    @bradmarchant78224 жыл бұрын

    Although this was the episode that truly hooked me for life on this series (every episode to this point was also good, but this felt flawless), I want to give an honorably mention to my favorite symbolism is season five episode five. Pete and his Leaky faucet. That one is my personal favorite!

  • @brianbitner

    @brianbitner

    4 жыл бұрын

    Yes! I brought that up when we were brainstorming this. That one always stuck with me.

  • @emilewagenaar8397

    @emilewagenaar8397

    4 жыл бұрын

    kzread.info/dash/bejne/qoCJrralY9Gzlbw.html an essay i liked about that episode

  • @Flutterbyby

    @Flutterbyby

    4 жыл бұрын

    🥰

  • @isakenstrom3375

    @isakenstrom3375

    3 жыл бұрын

    Haven't seen that episode yet but there is an Elementary episode in which a leaky faucet is present and Sherlock uses it as a metaphor too.

  • @luizfelipesturza6556

    @luizfelipesturza6556

    3 жыл бұрын

    kzread.info/dash/bejne/lX1q2JpuaK_LhLg.html The ending of season 5 is one of the greatest moments on TV in my opinion.

  • @thescreening5329
    @thescreening53294 жыл бұрын

    Love how they used a mock ending of Don coming home this episode, it really helps you understand a character’s expectations

  • @RomanZolanski123

    @RomanZolanski123

    2 жыл бұрын

    I love how the sentiment is repeated in Leonard’s speech in the finale. It’s bad to come home and your family has gone without you. It’s worse to come home, your family’s there and they look right through you.

  • @SYNTHSTRUMENTALS
    @SYNTHSTRUMENTALS2 жыл бұрын

    I love Mad Men, so much timeless wisdom in it. I'm still using lessons learned from the show and quoting it in life situations all these years later.

  • @skipcubic4567
    @skipcubic45674 жыл бұрын

    This scene was tied with the ending of season 5 for me in terms of how much I was moved by it, with Nancy Sinatra's You Only Live Twice playing in the background as Don slides back into the darkened corner of his old life and away from the literal spotlight his wife stands in.

  • @MyRitieli

    @MyRitieli

    4 жыл бұрын

    Same. And Megan starring in a Beauty and the Beast themed ad. Don is leaving the fairytale that he tried to live in the whole season.

  • @Ratchet2431

    @Ratchet2431

    4 жыл бұрын

    And the Hershey's pitch in the finale of season 6.

  • @kaitlyn__L

    @kaitlyn__L

    4 жыл бұрын

    Ugh, all the musical choices are so good. But yes, that scene was especially strong.

  • @spoonman73

    @spoonman73

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@MyRitieli I had a bit of a crush on Megan lol. Was so pissed at Don for cheating on her.

  • @CarlosVasquezmdq

    @CarlosVasquezmdq

    3 жыл бұрын

    In that scene I understood Don completely, i mean he want to be like a (james bond 007 Sean Connery You only live twice) even when in the serie that movie maybe does not even exists, here the director plays with all of us, we understand the meaning of the scene (don walking away the set).Then the bar scene is excelent, the best end for season 5. Then all fall apart, its just like real life tied up in a chapter.

  • @IvanLendl87
    @IvanLendl874 жыл бұрын

    Mad Men is the most well written show I’ve ever seen. It’s brilliant. Love analysis of any aspect of that show. Well done 👏

  • @jualiet2212
    @jualiet22124 жыл бұрын

    This is my favorite thing about Mad Men, and also the reason why I could every episode over and over: Every sentence that is spoken, means at least three things at the same time.

  • @TrupimOkiemTV
    @TrupimOkiemTV4 жыл бұрын

    This material made me want to binge watch Mad Men again. Sorry, Final Space, I loved first season, but get in line.

  • @Mrn0sferatu
    @Mrn0sferatu4 жыл бұрын

    You really shouldn't die before watching Mad Men I mean really. A true masterpiece.

  • @jeremiahgallagher
    @jeremiahgallagher4 жыл бұрын

    Great job. Somehow Mad Men has been talked about a lot and was one of the biggest shows in the world, but I think still wildly underrated. I feel like you may be able to do this with so many of those episodes. Incredible writing, acting and directing every week. Phenomenal show

  • @dustmighte
    @dustmighte2 жыл бұрын

    The whole thing at the Kodak pitch was so moving I actually burst in tears more or less at the same time as Harry

  • @sanathrajesh5580
    @sanathrajesh55803 жыл бұрын

    I’ve watched Mad Men about two times at this point, and I learn something new on every single rewatch.

  • @LeoBan99
    @LeoBan994 жыл бұрын

    Everytime I see the scene of "Daddys is coming" I get fooled just to be brought back to the reality of Don's life. I love this series, my fav of all time.

  • @LeviBulger
    @LeviBulger4 жыл бұрын

    Mad Men is a clinic on subtextual storytelling. Greatest show ever IMO.

  • @alexkasper5029
    @alexkasper5029 Жыл бұрын

    One of my favorite examples of subtext on Mad Men (and there are SO many) is in the season 5 episode Lady Lazerus. A big part of Don's season arc is focused on his relationship with Meghan and how when they married he felt like they had this deep connection, that they were so similar. Her youth made him feel younger and it was invigorating. But these feelings slowly fall away as he realizes that in reality they are so fundamentally different and he is shaken by it. At the beginning of the episode, they are working on a pitch (I can't remember what for) that is aimed at a younger audience. He thinks it would be great to use music that has a Beatles quality to it, early Beatles, young wholesome and optimistic. The younger team members are amused by the fact that Don thinks that the Beatles still sound like that, their music has evolved into something much more experimental that reflects both what is exciting about the changing times but it is also darker. The characters don't need to explain that, their amusement at Don's disconnection with the younger generation says everything you need to know. And for the audience who are unfamiliar with the Beatles, the payoff comes at the end of the episode. The episode in general shows the characters dealing with change in their lives, coming to terms with the reality of relationships in particular. At the end of the episode Meghan comes home and has bought the new Beatles album Revolver for Don to listen to and tells him to listen to the last track bc to her, and her generation, it is something totally new and exciting. Don puts on the record and goes straight to the last track, "Tomorrow Never Knows". I still think that song sounds exciting and like nothing else, but I can imagine for the older generation in the 60s it was terrifying. It includes snippets of music played backwards, dreamlike lyrics from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, psychedelic in the extreme. The band who wrote "I Want to Hold Your Hand" is unrecognizable in this song and it shows that the world Don is familiar is evolving into something unrecognizable as well. He can't endure listening to the entire song and yanks the needle off the record in disgust. But the song resumes seconds later as the credits roll. He wants to stop the reality this song represents, but it cannot be silenced. It is one of the best moments of subtext that shows that Don's relationship with Meghan is doomed. What she sees as exciting he finds terrifying. It also shows that Don, who has always been able to control his environment and communicate in a way that resonates with what is happening now is losing his power and that is a scary reality. He in the past embraced progress as positive bc he understood its importance to the world he understands. The realization that progress could leave him behind is hard for him to face. He can try to resist it, but time move forward regardless. Apparently AMC had to pay millions for the rights to use the song but it was totally worth it. It has such powerful subtext and communicates when pages of dialogue never could.

  • @smpdevelopments
    @smpdevelopments9 ай бұрын

    mad men has so many moments which completely blow you away in a subtle way. I just love what they did with this show

  • @AledOwen07
    @AledOwen074 жыл бұрын

    LFTS + Mad Men = Instant click, Instant like. Perfection!

  • @SALEEM95507
    @SALEEM955074 жыл бұрын

    Damn man right after they took it off Netflix.. that hurts

  • @SALEEM95507

    @SALEEM95507

    4 жыл бұрын

    BrandonScott RobinsonMusic yeah I know..

  • @kckazcoll1

    @kckazcoll1

    4 жыл бұрын

    it is now streamed on Stan in Australia, not sure about the rest of the world though

  • @tenzero5274

    @tenzero5274

    4 жыл бұрын

    BrandonScott RobinsonMusic why what’s wrong with mad men

  • @Koschiiii

    @Koschiiii

    3 жыл бұрын

    Its on Amazon Prime

  • @user-uv6iw1yg3j

    @user-uv6iw1yg3j

    3 жыл бұрын

    I just finished season 5 and they decided to take it off damn

  • @blangblang3hunna591
    @blangblang3hunna5914 жыл бұрын

    I can watch Mad Men material being broken down like this ALL DAY. Truly the greatest TV drama ever

  • @Tysonyar
    @Tysonyar4 жыл бұрын

    This has always been my favorite episode of Mad Men. I have not seen it in 10 years and I still remember the line, “it’s not a wheel; it’s a carousel.” This is one of the best written episodes of television ever.

  • @lost1croc
    @lost1croc3 жыл бұрын

    I have probably watched the entire series 9-10 times all the way through and yet I discover another hidden layer every time. The subtleties, that’s where the magic is in a show or movie.

  • @NaiveDJack
    @NaiveDJack4 жыл бұрын

    I remember Mad Men also being used for what they called 'reverse sci-fi', it creates an imaginary past to talk in depth about present issues: and you can all see them peppered in even some singular shots. Environment, race, gender, sexuality, all these characters are not real - but they connect us through time. The episode during the Moon landing stuck with me most in that sense, but I'm sure everyone has their favourite.

  • @raphaelaube7527
    @raphaelaube75274 жыл бұрын

    This video's text : analysis of an episode of Mad Men about nostalgia This video's subtext: i miss Mad Men

  • @simonakatsman974
    @simonakatsman9744 жыл бұрын

    I love the new love that Mad Men is getting lately. This show is so underrated.

  • @daraamadea4413
    @daraamadea44134 жыл бұрын

    You know a show is great when people keep talking about it even years after its finale.

  • @losalfajoresok
    @losalfajoresok4 жыл бұрын

    I watched this year for the first time Mad Men and in this episode turned an instant classic for me. Amazing show.

  • @joshuapatrick682
    @joshuapatrick6824 жыл бұрын

    Still my favorite live action drama. There’s a reason it was the highest rated show for its run... powerful stuff man. What we don’t know about Don yet is that he’s a narcissist and a sociopath so he still seems redeemable at this point.

  • @rubyangel9707
    @rubyangel97074 жыл бұрын

    Once again, you have produced an amazing lesson. Like a good advertiser, you capture the emotions and thoughts that we the audience cannot express.

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    4 жыл бұрын

    :D Thank you!

  • @x0xtran9x0x
    @x0xtran9x0x4 жыл бұрын

    I need Michael to do this full-time. Someone please just sponsor him for life.

  • @efroster123
    @efroster1234 жыл бұрын

    Michael, you’re on a roll! Keep up the amazing, inspiring work. ‘Mad Men’ is one of the my favorite tv shows of all time.

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thank you! The whole team is really doing great work, and we've got some more videos we're excited about coming your way!

  • @kobiosama
    @kobiosama4 жыл бұрын

    Madmen is best written show highly acknowledged but yet not many people have watched it. One of my favorite indeed. Character growth, writing. Its so good.

  • @esotericsean
    @esotericsean4 жыл бұрын

    Yes! Right from the start of this video I was hoping you'd mention the carousel episode. I went out and bought a working carousel and have been shooting slide film ever since I saw this episode of Mad Men. Such a good show. Thanks for making this, Michael. :)

  • @andypahwa
    @andypahwa4 жыл бұрын

    wow, this was incredibly well done - very smart minds plucked these scenes and edited this beautifully

  • @hellopaolo
    @hellopaolo3 жыл бұрын

    Mad Men is full of subtexts and symbolism. Every episode gives you new surface to scratch because you know it’s gonna be more profound. Everything has a meaning without being flashy - just regular mundane workplace and home life. Every rewatch is peeling new layers of meaning and of course your more mature worldview and empathy also helps each time. Soooo poetic. Brilliantly written. Sublimely acted. And of course the most impeccable set design, props, score, make up and costume.

  • @BestBuzzHoneyBees
    @BestBuzzHoneyBees4 жыл бұрын

    This episode is one of, if not the best of the entire series. The only show in my opinion that you actually feel like you're going on the life journey with each character. Such a well written and thought out series, I miss this show so much!

  • @NotAurichu
    @NotAurichu4 жыл бұрын

    I’m so salty this show left netflix before i could finish it :( I only had one season left 😭😭😭

  • @haeschensk8er

    @haeschensk8er

    4 жыл бұрын

    omg same! also had left only 1 season. ended up watching the rest here: www.putlockers(dot)io/tvshows/mad-men i have 0 problems with the site, but im using an adblocker as well

  • @scottslotterbeck3796

    @scottslotterbeck3796

    4 жыл бұрын

    Try your local library. I binged the whole thing without spending a dime. One of the top TV series of all time. Up there with The Wire.

  • @dinothegonzo

    @dinothegonzo

    4 жыл бұрын

    I just checked. It's no longer on Netflix. Now I have to find a way to watch everything again...and I just saw it for the third time last year.

  • @kaitlyn__L

    @kaitlyn__L

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@dinothegonzo oh no! That's true for the UK as well.

  • @kckazcoll1

    @kckazcoll1

    4 жыл бұрын

    I'm in Australia and it is now on Stan

  • @SCBLGamingFilm
    @SCBLGamingFilm4 жыл бұрын

    i've learnt more from LFTS than i ever learnt in film school

  • @scottslotterbeck3796

    @scottslotterbeck3796

    4 жыл бұрын

    That's why he has 1.2 million+ subscribers.

  • @daraamadea4413
    @daraamadea44134 жыл бұрын

    Honestly I cried so much at this episode but now your explanation makes me cry even more.

  • @clairemackey7540
    @clairemackey7540 Жыл бұрын

    Its a masterpiece. Every scene, detail, and prop has its purpose. I love rewatching this series because there is just so much depth that you dont catch the 30th time you watched lol

  • @00andreoliveira
    @00andreoliveira4 жыл бұрын

    Mad men is the greatest show ever

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    4 жыл бұрын

    It is very good, I have to agree.

  • @aghasarmad
    @aghasarmad3 жыл бұрын

    You forgot the biggest subtext of the show - Don as an advertiser sells dreams, dreams which he himself couldn't live.

  • @Ikaros23

    @Ikaros23

    2 жыл бұрын

    He do have the product’s and lifestyle. It’s just that the products don’t give you mental health, or a perfect family.

  • @Lemoncloak
    @Lemoncloak4 жыл бұрын

    Mad men is, in my opinion, one of the most skillfully written TV shows in history. Only fitting that you make something this fantastic to both complement and compliment it. What a video Michael!

  • @007ynk
    @007ynk3 жыл бұрын

    Mad Men is a perfect TV show. Born in the late 80s but this show makes me miss the 60s I never lived in!

  • @durdydurds301
    @durdydurds3013 жыл бұрын

    dons arc in this particular episode is also mirrored in harry cranes subplot as he struggles with his infidelity. the moment where he realizes the gravity of his fault during the presentation and is brought to tears of remorse is a great deviation from dons character - harry can fix things if he tries bc he wants to, whereas dons reluctance to change will always hinder his ability to love.

  • @SubhojitDey
    @SubhojitDey Жыл бұрын

    I often found myself confused to why i'm watching a show which is almost like a more subtle soap opera but i kept coming back to it somehow.

  • @ManSeekingMeaning
    @ManSeekingMeaning4 жыл бұрын

    One of my favorite episodes of television of all time.

  • @saravanakumarmuthusamy9769
    @saravanakumarmuthusamy97694 жыл бұрын

    No matter what anyone says, for me, this is the greatest show of all time. I have watched it four times so far and each time, I've learned new things. Matthew Wiener and his team of writers along with the brilliant cast, the costume designing, pretty much everything about this show is of high quality.

  • @JustinRM20

    @JustinRM20

    2 жыл бұрын

    Nothing I’ve watched recently managed to surpass Mad Men. Recency bias lasts only briefly, before I realize what my favorite show is. It’s become sort a comfort food, amazing what a compelling show does to you.

  • @Composerben555
    @Composerben5552 жыл бұрын

    This is a great video, thanks for making it. As someone who has worked professionally in movie soundtracks for most of my life, I must make a correction. Music is almost entirely emotional subtext, not text. Once in a while, a song is chosen as background for a bar scene, cafe, etc. that might be considered only “text.” But even then, we are making very deliberate decisions about how the characters are feeling in that environment, other characters or about the situation. There is as much intention, detail and depth to editing/writing the music as there is to writing a screenplay.

  • @makmart5298
    @makmart52984 жыл бұрын

    Thank u so much for this video! By breaking this episode down, I see so many details I overlooked and it still makes me emotional. Mad men works so well through subtext in silently twinging at my heart

  • @alinatarkhanian
    @alinatarkhanian7 ай бұрын

    This show is perfection. Every season, episode and scene is just right. The acting, writing, direction... IMO, nothing comes close to it. It's impeccable.

  • @alisterfolson
    @alisterfolson3 жыл бұрын

    Binged the series... Let's it 'settle' for a day.... Proceeds to watch any documentary videos on it

  • @jesusregalado9765
    @jesusregalado97654 жыл бұрын

    Tú canal es de lo mejor es todo KZread, saludos desde México.

  • @jimm3370
    @jimm3370 Жыл бұрын

    I'm 64 years old and you flang me back to HS when my English teacher explained poetry to me. I watched the entire series of Madmen w/o understanding the depth of the writing until now. Yeah, I know it won a pile of Emmys, but I couldn't understand why. Having said that, the Carosel episode nevertheless struck me deeply. I thought it was about his estranged brother's death; but now I see there's so much more. You're quite insightful and a talented teacher. Thank you so much. I hope to God you're teaching as your profession; the world truly needs people like you who are able to show clowns like me more layers and richness of life through art.

  • @beatrizfernandes1506
    @beatrizfernandes15064 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much! I loved Mad Men, it's one of the few shows that I'm willing to rewatch as many times possible because of how good it is, and how well concived the episodes are.

  • @humanvoice369
    @humanvoice3694 жыл бұрын

    I was in advertising. And this show made it easier for me to let go of it. Kind of like a laxative 😂

  • @Vince009
    @Vince0094 жыл бұрын

    Do The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel!

  • @ambientq7299
    @ambientq72994 жыл бұрын

    Beautiful analyst. I just finished watching Mad Men couple of months ago and I can't get enough of scouring for these kinds of video's. Really makes me appreciate the series more. Well done.

  • @ruthnaranjo957
    @ruthnaranjo9572 жыл бұрын

    mad men its the show that everyone recomends and says its the best and once you watch it you realize its waaay better that you thought

  • @yojetsharma7549
    @yojetsharma75494 жыл бұрын

    The Wheel is why and how I started this beautiful show.

  • @davidmckesey7119

    @davidmckesey7119

    4 жыл бұрын

    I have only watched 2 episode the pilot and the wheel. I Am afraid it's so good the other episodes can't live up. Because I bet it doesn't get bad

  • @Ratchet2431

    @Ratchet2431

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@davidmckesey7119 Wait to see The Suitcase.

  • @kaitlyn__L

    @kaitlyn__L

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@davidmckesey7119 there's definitely a lot of other episodes that live up or even surpass those two! Although I agree they're both very strong. "The Good News" is one of my favourites, but it's also very melancholy.

  • @joshgoodman9882
    @joshgoodman98824 жыл бұрын

    Would love to see an episode on The Sopranos! Maybe the Heidi & Kennedy episode.

  • @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    @LessonsfromtheScreenplay

    4 жыл бұрын

    The Sopranos! I still need to finish the final season... 😬

  • @joshgoodman9882

    @joshgoodman9882

    4 жыл бұрын

    Lessons from the Screenplay you won’t be disappointed!

  • @JamesB00n

    @JamesB00n

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@LessonsfromtheScreenplay last season has a really interesting arc for Tony at the beginning.

  • @sandranorman5469

    @sandranorman5469

    2 жыл бұрын

    Add the West Wing, the Sopranos and Mad Men -was truly the Golden Age of TV

  • @josephgavrilides8383
    @josephgavrilides83834 жыл бұрын

    My favorite show of all time! Thank LFTS team! I never thought you would’ve made a video about this.

  • @karanacharya18
    @karanacharya183 жыл бұрын

    Absolutely loved the video! That's what I like about Mad Men. It's all in the pauses. It's a rare show wherein you also comprehend the "why"s (subtext) of every character's decision alongwith the "what" (text) with the glorious imagery, camera placement, and the overall cinematography (symbolic imagery). As Don says, "Make it simple, but significant." The whole show is like that. We're the product and the creators of Mad Men are themselves Donald Draper.

  • @MrHEC381991
    @MrHEC3819914 жыл бұрын

    5:21 Every time I see a married woman sitting by themselves with a glass of wine in a show/movie, sh*ts about to get real.

  • @CocktailsConsoles
    @CocktailsConsoles4 жыл бұрын

    I would love to read the scripts for the rest of the Mad Men episodes - there’s probably a lot of subtlety that I’m missing. Where do you find these? 😊

  • @scottslotterbeck3796

    @scottslotterbeck3796

    4 жыл бұрын

    Try...the internet.

  • @kaitlyn__L

    @kaitlyn__L

    4 жыл бұрын

    A lot of scripts are available online, though not all. Googling the episode name or number and script is usually the easiest way to find them. The sites they're hosted on don't seem to have great indexing, and they're just plain text files so there's no website banner or anything once you click on them. They're pretty fascinating, as they tend to reveal deleted scenes that were never released, or sometimes never even filmed if the production team realises they have enough footage already from the dailies. Plus they show off little line changes the actors did on set - though a lot of productions are intolerant of too much changes, Weiner allowed quite a lot of leeway for the actors to chime in with their interpretations and to make changes. Eg when Don takes his kids to see the house he grew up in at the end of season 6, it was written "THIS is the house I grew up in", but Jon Hamm insisted it was "This is the house _I_ grew up in", and Weiner later agreed with him. And that's how they shot it.

  • @dpoisonedburritos
    @dpoisonedburritos3 жыл бұрын

    This essay is so brilliant. Well told, edited, everything. I'm in awe.

  • @tommycundy
    @tommycundy4 жыл бұрын

    Fantastic video essay! I've watched many on Madmen and I clicked this out of habit but this was honestly put together like a Don Draper pitch - bravo!

  • @IAmFJ1
    @IAmFJ14 жыл бұрын

    Something interesting about Mad Men that nobody seems to realise is the importance of choosing MAD MEN for title of the show because I feel like it's a reference to Medmenham Monks and the Hellfire Club. An exclusive club of powerful and rich men who together did all sorts of forbidden activities and adultery and everything that happened in that club was common secret between the members. Honestly I don't buy the "called themselves Mad Men because they were ad MEN working in MADISON ave" title explanation because there's no real source for the said use of such phrase.

  • @jk4351

    @jk4351

    3 жыл бұрын

    I thought it was word play: ad men--- > Madmen

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