From
the beginning any viewer can see the appeal of the main character of Mad Men,
Don Draper (Jon Hamm). He seems to be in ultimate control of his entire
life and everyone around him with extreme success and a perfect family.
Basically, he's got it all. Every woman wants him, every man wants to be
him. According to Urban Dictionary a don is the "top man" or in
another definition, "A man who is very sexy and powerful. This man
can control the hearts of all women. A proper don is a guy that everyone
wants to be like". On the surface Don Draper is the ultimate don. A
man that everyone envies and strives to emulate. He has women hanging all
over him all the time, with multiple mistresses and the ultimate housewife, Betty,
while the other men at work like Pete envy his ability and want his job.
They all compete for his attention and approval, wanting the same
success. But is Don Draper a true don?
Image credit: http://adrianmasters.wordpress.com/the-made-up-men/
Image credit: http://fictionbyosterman.blogspot.com/2012/09/hey-don-draper-stop-lying-to-my-kid.html
As
the show progresses we see that Don doesn't have it as together as it
seems.. Marc Tienne's article asks the ultimate question in "Why
Everyone Wants to be Don Draper… Except Don Draper". The article
addresses "Draper's outward perfection and inner ambivalence" and asks
why everyone wants to be Don Draper if he doesn't? In theory he is the
ideal man. Charming, confident, encompassing all the qualities women are
looking for and men want to be. Of course all of these men and women are
disregarding his chain smoking, over drinking, cheating, lying, and overall
unhappiness. Tienne compares him to other leading men from The
Sopranos and Rescue Me, all admired by viewers but all seriously
unhappy. They are all characters with prominent vices. The
seemingly perfect life lead by the seemingly flawless man turns out to be
"not much of a life at all."
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