7.29.09 Mad Men
I’ve just finished devouring the second season of the AMC series Mad Men. For those who haven’t been graced with this beautiful show, it’s set in the early 60’s around an ad agency and the unfolding histories of civil rights, women’s rights, cold war, and morality and truth. Two observations about the show that was created by Matt Weiner who was one of the key folks involved in the Sopranos.
One, we have in this series an example of the higher octave of what television entertainment is evolving, complex characters and relationships the history of the times. These can be explored over the course of years in these series and get at nuance and subtlety and richness that wasn’t possible in the same way in two hour movies or plays and even in novels. The examples of this that I have found the richest are the series Deadwood, Six Feet Under and The Wire. Each in it’s own way explored an arena of life or time in the sort of depth and time and paradox that counterbalances the short attention span media bites that many lament. This applies in development projects. There is resource pressure to stay close to the surface and just get things done. Yet often we can lose touch with the nuances of what will make this project matter to us.
The second aspect of ‘Mad Men’ that moved me was the richness of relationships the series explores. So often dramas rely on either a strong story or strong characters, but ‘Mad Men’ does a beautiful job of depicting the complexity and humanity of relationships in work and love that is masterful. And for those of us who work with groups and cultivating richer collaborative efforts, this show is a lovely reminder of how difficult and challenging effective collaboration is. We have to pay attention to the subtle signals and psychology’s at play. One of the most effective means I have found is go to where the most energy in a group is. Not necessarily the loudest, but where you can feel real strength, usually in someone suggesting a surprising possibility that can easily get missed if we are not paying attention.
I consider Mad Men essential viewing and education, like looking in a mirror sometimes at things we don’t always want to see in ourselves. Highly recommended.
Reflection: Where in your life may you not be fully appreciating the subtlety and complexity and richness that is playing out? How could you do a better job of savoring the complexities and paradoxes in your life right now that can contribute to a more savory experience?