When Bad Boys Grow into Mad Men

[Note: I don’t think I am giving anything away about the Mad Men series with this post, but if you want to watch the series with fresh eyes, maybe it’s best that you read this only after you watch the first episode.]

I have a crush on someone and Jon knows about it. And he’s pretty cool about it. We share our bed with him on most nights. And I think that, deep down, Jon is kind of fond of him, too—in a brotherly way, of course.

I have a thing for Don Draper.

Jon and I recently signed up with Netflix. We dove into the Mad Men series about a swank ad agency in the 1960s, devouring Seasons 1 through 3 in about a month and a half. We hopped in bed to watch the Season 3 finale last night on my laptop. I brought a cup of hot tea. Jon brought a (fitting) glass of scotch. I sighed longingly as the closing credits filled the screen. I had the slightest hankering for a cigarette (and I don’t smoke). Oh, Don Draper.

Not since Jordan Catalano have I had such a girlish crush on a television character. It got me thinking about the similarities between the teenage wavy-haired bad boy from My So-Called Life and my pomade-coiffed Mad Man. Besides their good hair and good looks, both have notorious reputations. Both are men of few words. Both smoke. Both value their cars. Both are unfaithful. Both struggle with the concept of love. Both are troubled.

Admittedly, the “Cons” list is much longer than the “Pros” column. So, what is it about bad boys that make girls of all ages weak in the knees? Is it due to our fascination with wanting to save lost souls? Is it our little escape into an emotionally dangerous world we would normally avoid? Is it just a good TV script?

I am relieved that my taste in bad boys has improved over the last 16 years. For instance, Don Draper is a successful businessman, while Jordan Catalano’s chances of graduating high school are pretty slim. Don Draper takes his wife to expensive restaurants, while Jordan Catalano takes Angela to the boiler room to make out. Don Draper strives to make a name for himself in the advertising world, while Jordan Catalano hopes to find success with his generic garage band. Don Draper wears tailored suits and classy fedoras, while Jordan Catalano wears smelly sheepskin coats and seashell necklaces. Granted, Don Draper drinks scotch before noon, while Jordan Catalano smokes weed at recess… so there’s no clear winner in that category.

There is something sexy about 1960s office life that we can never recreate today. Back then, a desk drawer was reserved for hard liquor and four drinking glasses. In our office, we keep resealable packs of booze-free flavoured tea. Back then, there were offices with closed doors. Today, we constantly look over our shoulders while we type away in our cubby-like cubicles. OK, don’t get me started about the sexual harassment accusations that would be logged today if we interacted with our co-workers like they did in the 1960s. However, I can’t help but envy the sassy, jewel-toned outfits that female employees sashayed in.

Let’s go back to that bad-boy “Pros” list for a moment. Are Don Draper and my guy similar in any way? Both are handsome, especially in a suit. Both are men of few words. Both are making their mark in their respective fields. Both love their whiskey. Both have special relationships with their cars. Sure, both have their imperfections, but who doesn’t? Mine, however, knows the value of a woman’s love. And that’s what gives Jon Dukeshire a winning advantage over Don Draper any day.

Oh, that and the fact that Don Draper is trapped in a television show. Cheers.