topic Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife. in TV and Movies

Mad Men and The Good Wife.

qualitygal — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 19:02:50 GMT

I'm so into shows about people who work in offices, it seems. I did most of my jobs in offices. Wonder if there's a connection? But then the out on the street killers, drug dealers and all that, blood &/or guns, just don't care for that stuff. Maybe offices are quieter. I don't know.

Do you lean to shows that reflect places you've worked?

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

deepwaterdotter — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 19:09:39 GMT

I hope not, my favorite shows were "The Wire", "Breaking Bad", and "Sons of Anarchy".

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

qualitygal — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 19:21:45 GMT

@deepwaterdotter, Oh, I loved Breaking Bad. Well, there goes my theory. ROFLOL. Thanks.

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

chessylady — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 22:24:58 GMT

I thought you were going to say that both shows depict behavior that is in the news and could get people fired. Very imbedded in our culture.

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

software — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 19:41:20 GMT

I loved Mad Men.

I started working in an office in the early 1970s, which wasn't far removed from what was depicted in Mad Men in the 1960s. Wow, it was a lot of fun!! No fun in the office now, someone gets offended or no more too drunk to work, LOL.

I love Breaking Bad & The Walking Dead. Go figure.

I am more likely to gravitate to shows about or filmed in NYC.

I'm a Law & Order junkie.

@qualitygal

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

lovesallanimals — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 20:11:05 GMT

@software wrote:
I loved Mad Men.
I started working in an office in the early 1970s, which wasn't far removed from what was depicted in Mad Men in the 1960s. Wow, it was a lot of fun!! No fun in the office now, someone gets offended or no more too drunk to work, LOL.

I love Breaking Bad & The Walking Dead. Go figure.

I am more likely to gravitate to shows about or filmed in NYC.
I'm a Law & Order junkie.

software: I also started working in an office in NYC in the early 70's and like you said - it was so much fun! Very much like Mad Men. What amazes me is that even though some of the guys would flirt or tell risque jokes (nothing like what is going on now) us girls (we were called girls then) took it in jest and we had such a good time. We worked very hard and partied hard. Also, we knew how to handle ourselves and put anyone who got out of line in his place. We handled it! If I worked in a place that made me feel uncomfortable, I would just leave a go somewhere else. I remember that all along Broadway, off Wall Street, there were zillions of employment agencies. You could go out on your lunch hour and have an interview lined up at another firm if you wanted it. Jobs were so easy to find. I do miss all the fun, the flirtations that were so innocent, and the freedom that we had to just be.

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

Catty2 — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 23:29:54 GMT

I loved The Good Wife but never got into Mad Men - which surprises me since I like Jon Hamm.

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

jaxs mom — Tue, 21 Nov 2017 23:35:03 GMT

I've never seen a tv show set in the office setting I've worked in. I'm not really interested in office type tv shows. I enjoyed Mad Men and The Good Wife for the personal relationships more so than any of the office drama.

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

drizzellla — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 02:47:49 GMT

I liked Mad Men but never watched The Good Wife.

I started working in an office in the early 70s. Can't say it was anything like Mad Men. But it was so much fun and I really liked everyone I worked with. I was shocked when they interviewed me for the job, they really interested in what type of person I was. Really didn't know why they didn't concentrate on experience. But over 80 people applied for the job and somehow I was chosen.

I think they wanted to know if I was a good fit for this group. There were people in their 20s and people well into their 60s. We would go out on Friday nights drinking and close the bars. The Department was mostly men and 6 women. There was no harassment. Everyone treated each other well and that is why I think we enjoyed each others company. That is why I stayed there 14 years. I would still be there today - if they didn't run into financial trouble.

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

software — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 15:50:14 GMT

@loveour4leggedfriends wrote:
@software wrote:
I loved Mad Men.
I started working in an office in the early 1970s, which wasn't far removed from what was depicted in Mad Men in the 1960s. Wow, it was a lot of fun!! No fun in the office now, someone gets offended or no more too drunk to work, LOL.

I love Breaking Bad & The Walking Dead. Go figure.

I am more likely to gravitate to shows about or filmed in NYC.
I'm a Law & Order junkie.

software: I also started working in an office in NYC in the early 70's and like you said - it was so much fun! Very much like Mad Men. What amazes me is that even though some of the guys would flirt or tell risque jokes (nothing like what is going on now) us girls (we were called girls then) took it in jest and we had such a good time. We worked very hard and partied hard. Also, we knew how to handle ourselves and put anyone who got out of line in his place. We handled it! If I worked in a place that made me feel uncomfortable, I would just leave a go somewhere else. I remember that all along Broadway, off Wall Street, there were zillions of employment agencies. You could go out on your lunch hour and have an interview lined up at another firm if you wanted it. Jobs were so easy to find. I do miss all the fun, the flirtations that were so innocent, and the freedom that we had to just be.

Exactly, my experience as well.

It was like an extension of high school

The ones who "played" in high school, played in the office.

I used to play dumb if confronted with something unwanted.

I'd act like I didn't understand, too naive, or whatever.

Got that reputation, so it was fun. No hassles from the "hounds"

I remember one time a girl got so plastered at lunch, we took her home but covered for her in the office the rest of the day. If someone was asking about her we'd say "we just saw her at the copier" or "she's in the lady's room"

And jobs were easy to get, if you had a good job you would hook up a friend when an opening came up and vice versa. Happy Hour almost every evening.

I didn't get married & start a family until my late 20s, almost 30.

Sowed my wild oats then boring!!

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

icezeus — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 18:19:25 GMT

I never got in to the Good Wife, but I was a huge fan of Mad Men. The best part is that I did not watch the show while it was on TV, until the last year. I just never made time for the show. During it's last season there was a marathon and I DVR'd all of the shows and binged watch over a few weeks. I was addicted. One of the reasons that I loved it so much besides the Drama/storyline was that people dressed for work. They just always looked sharp.They cared about their appearance. I love a well dressed man.

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

chrystaltree — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 21:47:20 GMT

It's the opposite for me. I have spent much of my life working in healthcare and I stay far, very very far away from medical dramas because they are so ridiculously fake. I can't get into the actual stories because I get hung up on the fake medical stuff.

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

lovesallanimals — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 06:34:35 GMT

@icezeus wrote:
I never got in to the Good Wife, but I was a huge fan of Mad Men. The best part is that I did not watch the show while it was on TV, until the last year. I just never made time for the show. During it's last season there was a marathon and I DVR'd all of the shows and binged watch over a few weeks. I was addicted. One of the reasons that I loved it so much besides the Drama/storyline was that people dressed for work. They just always looked sharp.They cared about their appearance. I love a well dressed man.

icezeus: One of the reasons that I loved it so much besides the Drama/storyline was that people dressed for work. They just always looked sharp.They cared about their appearance. I love a well dressed man.

Yes, you are so right! Not only the men but the women also. Everyone dressed beautifully. I always wore a skirt suit, or a dress, high heels, make-up, some jewelry. The time they created dress down fridays, which became dress down all week, was just about the time I retired. Everyone started looking like slobs, women were coming to work in sweat suits -OMG- I hated it. The other day, I was buying the papers in the morning and I almost fainted when a man came in with a suit and tie. I did a double take and he noticed me looking at him so I said "Wow, it is so nice to see a man in a suit and tie, you look great!" He smiled and thanked me and said "I know what you mean, most of the people I work with dress down, but I won't do it." He was a young guy maybe in his early thirties.

And don't even get me started on how people dress at airports, the theatre, high end restaurants, etc.

I don't know what got me going, I got up at 1:00 am, my turkey is still half frozen, so I am soaking it in the sink (wrapped up and sealed of course) in some ice water to defrost. Cannot go back to sleep so I am eating a pint of Hagan Daz raisin/rum ice cream.

Wishing everyone a great Turkey Day!!!

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

icezeus — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 16:34:51 GMT

@lovesallanimals

I had to laugh at your reply. It summed up my feelings 100%. I am only 50 years old but I was raised by my grandmother. She always took pride in her appearance and how we looked no matter how little we had.

A few years back there was a trend out here in California where you would see teenagers in the middle of the day in the supermarket or wherever in their pajamas. (Kill me now) It was a hideous look and sometimes I would almost roll my eyes outside of my head.

I remember at my last job my Director called me into his office to talk to me. I sit down and he tells me that he needs to ask me a favor. Of course how can I help you. He wanted me to speak with one of my female peers about how she came dressed to work and speak to another manager as well. Ummmm.. No. That is not my job. I guess he was feeling uncomfortable because he was a male and these were females.

I will stop now. I can tell that I am getting warmed up to my topic. LOL!

Happy Thanksgiving.

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

lovesallanimals — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 17:40:20 GMT

icezeus: I know, once I get started I also can't stop! Have a great Turkey Day! Looking like slobs and rudeness are my two major peeves.

Re: Mad Men and The Good Wife.

qvcaddition — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 07:47:07 GMT

@lovesallanimals

@loveour4leggedfriends wrote:
@icezeus wrote:
I never got in to the Good Wife, but I was a huge fan of Mad Men. The best part is that I did not watch the show while it was on TV, until the last year. I just never made time for the show. During it's last season there was a marathon and I DVR'd all of the shows and binged watch over a few weeks. I was addicted. One of the reasons that I loved it so much besides the Drama/storyline was that people dressed for work. They just always looked sharp.They cared about their appearance. I love a well dressed man.
icezeus: One of the reasons that I loved it so much besides the Drama/storyline was that people dressed for work. They just always looked sharp.They cared about their appearance. I love a well dressed man.

Yes, you are so right! Not only the men but the women also. Everyone dressed beautifully. I always wore a skirt suit, or a dress, high heels, make-up, some jewelry. The time they created dress down fridays, which became dress down all week, was just about the time I retired. Everyone started looking like slobs, women were coming to work in sweat suits -OMG- I hated it. The other day, I was buying the papers in the morning and I almost fainted when a man came in with a suit and tie. I did a double take and he noticed me looking at him so I said "Wow, it is so nice to see a man in a suit and tie, you look great!" He smiled and thanked me and said "I know what you mean, most of the people I work with dress down, but I won't do it." He was a young guy maybe in his early thirties.

And don't even get me started on how people dress at airports, the theatre, high end restaurants, etc.

I don't know what got me going, I got up at 1:00 am, my turkey is still half frozen, so I am soaking it in the sink (wrapped up and sealed of course) in some ice water to defrost. Cannot go back to sleep so I am eating a pint of Hagan Daz raisin/rum ice cream.

Wishing everyone a great Turkey Day!!!

ITA with everything you said about dress and suits. I started working in insurance in 1954,and nothing like today.we really dressed nice. When I worked in the bank, very professional, everyone dressed sharp.

We told jokes, pass around Frediricks of Hollywood catalog,smoked at work at our desk, drank a martini at lunch, passed love notes to the guy that caught our eye. Got caught and got transferred, but by then we were engaged. One day. I had to take a driver's test on my lunch hour, three of the girls came with me. I had been driving without a license. On the way back to the office one of the girls told a funny joke and I laugh so hard I had an accident. They covered forme while I drove home, showered and went back to work. We were silly20 year old. Our goal then was marriage and family, not a career. How foolish. We were told, find a man to take care of you and raise a family. Someone was getting married every weekend. I tell my great grandchildren and told my grandchildren girls, get that Masters degree in the field you find interesting and pursue that first, so you can take care of yourself, and marriage and family are icing on the cake. I don,t regret the path I took looking back, but would not do the same today. Yet work back in the stone age was fun. Wow today, it,s a mine field.