Some of the interesting moments in MadMen come when we get a chance to see how much things have changed since the 60s.

When Betty's daughter was running around with a dry cleaning bag over her head, she got yelled at, but not for playing inside a reputed vortex of death. She got yelled at for possibly leaving the clothes that were in the bag on the floor to get wrinkled.

When the Drapers went for a picnic at an idyllic roadside spot, they left all their litter behind without a second thought.

Those are just the two examples that come to mind. What else have you noticed?

I love how all the kids bop around inside the car while its driving.  Betty driving without a care that they will go flying out the windshield.  People use to put small kids in laundry baskets in the back seat to keep them safe and secure.

The first time the divorcee came over with Glen and Don said “come on outside there’s a  BB gun.”

And when Rodger came over to the Drapers and got drunk they put him out at the end of the evening.  As he was pulling away in his car Don had to yell out “Lights!” so the drunkard would have them on as he ping ponged down the street.

im glad you started this topic peggy...

Betty locking sally in the closet as a form of discipline? wow!

It is shocking to see how the men treat the women in the office, smack their fannies, and call them "honey" and "sweetheart."  "Sex discrimination" was not coined yet...

There are a lot of little things (beside three martini lunches) that put Mad Men squarely in the early 60's. I was born in 1961, and can remember a lot of these things holding over a few years.

For instance, the churchkey can opener hanging on a string in Don's garage, next to his beer fridge. No pull tabs!

The same scene with the dry cleaning bag, and the obviously pregnant women drinking and smoking like chimneys.

In the "BB gun" episode, a kid goes running through the house and knocks something over. An adult thinks nothing of smacking a kid not his own. And his father makes the kid apologize to the adult, who says something like, "Go tell your mother to clean this up."

No seat belts, ever. Would've been handy when Don rolled his car.

A bar in every office. Nice!

Chasing the secretaries around the desks? Many of those women went to work looking for husbands, so they wouldn't have to work.

Poor Salvatore stuck in the closet, and afraid to admit the truth even to himself.

In the last episode, Sally wants to call her dad. Betty says no, it's long distance. She was lying, but man, my folks would have rather cut off an arm than pay for a long distance call!

We haven't talked here yet about fashion and the early-60s dress code.
For women: skirts and dresses at the office. The idea of a woman wearing trousers/slacks/pants to work or to school at that time would have been scandalous (my high school in NJ changed its dress code in 1969 to allow females to wear pants). Hats and gloves were worn in church. Also hats and gloves out on the street for older women like Alice Cooper and Mona Sterling and more traditional younger women like Trudy Campbell and Peggy. It's only the fashion forward like Joan who don't wear hat & gloves to work.
For men: suits, ties and hats. The custom of men wearing hats faded with JFK who didn't wear one. The two men we see at SC who don't conform to the male dress code are Smitty and Kurt, who express youth and new ideas.

In response to adgal:

I totally agree. Also notice how the work environment has drastically changed.

It was a regular saloon at Sterling Cooper. Everyone drank during work. Also I now see why we have H.R Departments. Joan getting passed over, etc.

Being a catholic, I cracked up when I saw all of the women with head coverings on during the church scenes.  I remember my mother would put a doilie on my my head to attend church.  What I did not notice during the church scenes is if the priest spoke Latin which was the language of choice in the catholic church during the 1960's.

There's one thing I notice each time there's a TV in the scene: why is the TV picture never focused? It's always kinda blurred and jumping up and down!
Is it possible that virtually no one was getting a clear TV signal or what?

As far as fashion is concerned, I enjoy the outfits and I got so hooked up on those fabulous dresses, I'm going to get myself one this season!
And I really love Roger Sterling's new office, with that one wall all in black and white bubbles....really classy!

Max, I have read the reason for jumpy TV pictures with a moving line was because film was not synchronized with a recreated TV broadcast or picture. Something to do with the amount of still pictures in the film being a lot less than the TV picture being broadcast. Is that true?  In newer movies and shows, the TV appears to be synchronized now which is probably due to new technology, digital recreation, etc. I would guess.

And I am only talking about "live" TV images being portrayed on film. I lived through bad reception era and remember all the things we had to put up with on live TV with an antenna.

"And I am only talking about "live" TV images being portrayed on film."

Before my time.

I have however seen some of the rare very early Jackie Gleason HoneyMooners,  and a couple of select Twilight Zones,  on video or TV re-runs.  These few unique episodes used a process called 'hotKine."

In a bazarre reversal of process, for the time,
but one that fortold in a sense the way we work
today for the most part.

The shows were conducted almost as a live TV show
or play,  shot with TV cameras'  broadcast live, while a simultainious film copy was made.

A film camera was put in front of a TV screen for that purpose,  to 'record' the show,   before
the advent of magnetic videotape recording.

The results left a considerable amount to be desired
by todays standards.

Today,  MOST of what you see on TV,  IS shot HD video, as is a lot of what you see also in the theatres,  but converted through film projection,
in a process that is contrary.

But,   not that many years ago, in Broadcast & comercial TV, it was the exact opposite. Shoot on film,  convert to video.

M

Wow, Max!

As a former art/photography student in the late 80's/early 90's, I remember being frustrated at times when taking a still photo of a tv screen. I always knew that it had to do with "speeds", but it was good to read your explanation (even if I didn't quite understand every technical word of it! I'm way behind on some of the new technologies...) So, thank you Max!!

Actually, come to think of it, I haven't taken a still photo of a tv screen in quite some time--does that "line" effect still happen, and if not, when did the technology/"speeds" align?

Thank you Max, and I hope you don't think we are all taking advantage of your knowledge! It's actually very interesting (to me, anyway!)

AND, it was really cool to learn that Mad Men is shot on film! No wonder I love the look of this show so much...And actually, just to babble on a little longer about that, the point you made about lighting being a bit different with film reminds me how much I absolutely LOVE the lighting on MM. In particular, many of the scenes shot in the Draper/Francis house in Ossining. To me, the often high contrast lighting of those scenes (and well, the lighting of every scene, to be honest)  speaks volumes, and is a testament to the artistry of the series.

Thanks again for sharing, Max.

Actually, come to think of it, I haven't taken a still photo of a tv screen in quite some time--does that "line" effect still happen, and if not, when did the technology/"speeds" align?

Try it with your flat screen,  LCD,  Plasma,
or Oled,  including your computer screen.

Use your digital camera,  on automatic.
Or 35mm,  starting at about 1/10th,
and experiment from there.

It's an entirely different process,
and the results will surprise,  and impress
you,  compared to what you remember.

;o)
M

Thanks Max, I will try this soon, and will post my observations here!

I am wondering, however, if you already know what my results will be...you sneaky dog... 

Haha, no worries! I am ecstatic to have an "assignment"!



I will be trying this out on 1) a fairly new flat screen Sony TV, 2) an old TV circa 1980-something-ish, and 3) my pretty new-ish late 2009 Mac laptop screen. 
...I have no idea what Oled means, however...

Yay, inspiration!!