5 Reasons to Watch Mad Men

If there’s one thing on TV that I can’t stop watching, it’s Mad Men. I have watched every single episode, and despite my constant disappointment I feel when Don messes around with another woman, I cannot get enough. Which got me thinking, what is it that makes this show a success? I’ve devised the perfect explanation.

1. Good Looking Cast – Jon Hamm plays an excellent Don Draper type. He’s a true womanizer with an irresistible aura of mystery. Although, in recent episodes he’s finally come clean about his past, he still hesitates to talk about himself. But we love that about him. He’s not engrossed in his personality, more specifically interested in the womanly curves of Sally’s grade school teacher, or the wife of a client.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have the women. Christina Hendricks, January Jones, Elisabeth Moss, all fatally attractive women, all completely different looking women. Christina is a fiery red with curves, January is a fresh faced blonde bombshell, and Elisabeth is the girl next door.

2. Fantastic Wardrobe & Set – Mad Men takes place in the 60’s, which, ironically, is the decade I wish I lived through due to its fabulous design in houseware and fashion. Every character on the show has a slightly different style to their homes, their wardrobe as well as hair. I find myself getting pointers for furnishing my own apartment and also finding different vintage items that I have myself. (ex. Duck Phillips’ office cocktail set. Yes, I own the exact set, and discovering this was hilarious)

3. Dirty, Dirty Adultery – Speaking for myself, it’s completely fascinating to actually watch someone else act upon their unfaithful desires countless times and slipping by so easily without breaking a sweat. I reason this idea by saying that since I’m not a cheater; it’s intriguing to see someone else cheat. The same thing goes with soap operas, we love them so much because they are full of drama that we don’t have in our own lives, which personally, I’m completely fine with. I’d rather be faithful and boring J.

4. Constant Character Growth – Mad Men characters cannot be pinned, period. When I feel like I have a good idea on someone’s personality and how they react, they surprise me with a sneak attack in the opposite direction! The best example of this behavior is Peter Campbell. His character is so hard to read it’s unbelievable and makes us WANT to keep watching to see what he’ll do next or how he’ll respond to the situations he’s placed in. For example, his love affair with Peggy. He’s never constant, always on and off with how he treats her, defends her from the other guy’s criticism of her looks and even going to the length of telling her he only wants to be with her, just to be let down, a little hurt, but later on be completely fine with it, going back to his wife that night. This may just be the top reason to watch this show.

5. Advertising – What other show plays vintage styled advertisements for modern brands that were around in the 60’s? It truly mixes with everything so well. The time-set theme never stops despite the few minutes of commercials. Sometimes I find myself fooled because I think the show is still playing, but alas it’s just the perfectly paired commercial breaks keeping me mesmerized by the vintage feel while I wait for the dirty, dirty adultery to come back on.

There you have it. I’ve given you five incredible reasons why you should be watching Mad Men. The show is currently on its fourth season, but even for people who are just tuning in, it’s suspenseful and beautifully designed. And if you like any of these reasons (if not all) tune in with me on Mondays at 10/9c on AMC.