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[Jigorath]

Mad Men, Daredevil, Game of Thrones, and Veep all starting in April. Gonna be a great month for television.

 

[lamaroo]

I'm not certain, but I think the latter two only appeared nude after having been on Mad Men for several years? Many actresses don't like to do nude scenes before they're established for fear of not being taken seriously/typecasted. Anyway, the likeliest target of HBO's boob mandate probably would have been Christina Hendricks, whom I don't believe has appeared nude in anything yet, even films that are more sexually frank than Mad Men.

It's not like every female on every HBO show has had to appear nude or topless.

 

[Maengun1]

Oh the show definitely revels in that shit for sure, but I dunno. Don't remember the books being that different (and it's never bothered me either way). But it's been a while since I've read them.

There's a fair amount of sex scenes in the books, but far more talking about sex than actual sex. Like there's one line in the third book where Tyrion or someone mentions that Oberyn Martell's sex life is one of the most legendary in Westeros. And that's as far as that goes. But of course in the show, he has crazy over-the- top sex scenes actually depicted in almost every episode. So it ends up being both mostly true to the books, but also mostly really uneccessary/gratuitous, IMO.

Haha I didn't even realize this was the Mad Men thread. I have way too many tabs open.

 

[Mr. Saturn]

Hamm: Hopefully by series end, he (Don) will have gotten to a better place.

*Entire cast laughs*

Not sure what to gather from that.

Yeah I'm not sure either, is it possible that whole roundtable segment was recorded before the final episodes were finished, and amc just now has put it up online?

Obviously Don remaining in flux or falling apart again wouldn't be a surprise to anyone, but everyone laughing when Jon mentions Don being in a better place by the series end seems like its saying it definitely won't happen. That is if this were recorded after the final episodes had been finished.

Of course there is the possibility I'm reading too much into Hamm's comment and the response it got.

 

[Maengun1]

What the fuck, AMC?

I will always be greatful to AMC just for putting both Mad Men and Breaking Bad on the air in the first place, but they're a pretty awful network despite that. The way they manage their shows is awful.

It still blows my mind that they went up to Weiner after season 4 and just told him to "get rid of" almost half the actors to save money. WTF?? This coming off universal acclaim and 4 Emmy wins for the network's first tv show ever. Like...w. t. f.

Then there's the split season nonsense...etc. They're pretty bad honestly.

 

[Fjordson]

There's a fair amount of sex scenes in the books, but far more talking about sex than actual sex. Like there's one line in the third book where Tyrion or someone mentions that Oberyn Martell's sex life is one of the most legendary in Westeros. And that's as far as that goes. But of course in the show, he has crazy over-the- top sex scenes actually depicted in almost every episode. So it ends up being both mostly true to the books, but also mostly really uneccessary/gratuitous, IMO.

Haha I didn't even realize this was the Mad Men thread. I have way too many tabs open.

Hmm, guess it's been long enough to where the show is clouding my memory of the books.

The sex/nudity has never bothered for whatever reason. Being over the top and a little crazy is part of why the show works imo.

 

[Fjordson]

Edit: double post, oops

 

[EloquentM]

In regards to nudity. Have many of you not seen Spartacus? Talk about nudity for no reason. It became a parody of itself ato certain points in the series. Still an awesome show though.

 

[Cipherr]

Add me to the list that feels like HBO shows have a sex/nudity quota. They even squeezed it into The Wire pretty damn regularly. Mcnulty just randomly banging some waitresses out of nowhere

.

Sopranos had it, of course Deadwood and more. HBO has that reputation for good reason. The really over do it IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsXInOPxgjY


Edit: And yeah fuck AMC though, they tried to ruin Mad Men. They don't deserve to have this show man.

 

[brianmcdoogle]

They even squeezed it into The Wire pretty damn regularly. Mcnulty just randomly banging some waitresses out of nowhere

.

Hey, all McNutty wanted from that waitress was some scrapple.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

It's not like every female on every HBO show has had to appear nude or topless.

Which is why I specifically mentioned Joan - can you imagine an HBO version of Mad Men where sex bomb Joan doesn't get naked every other episode? Peggy and Betty, probably not, but Joan?

The way they managed their shows was awful.

Fixed.

2011 was a dark year for AMC (the Matthew Weiner scuffle and Vince Gilligan row) but most of that has been attributed to the network's "growing pains". AMC had no idea what the fuck they were doing early on - they aired old movies and had no idea how to manage television shows.

But they've evidently learned a lot since then since they haven't had a kerfuffle on one of their shows in years and years now.

 

[Joni]

In regards to nudity. Have many of you not seen Spartacus? Talk about nudity for no reason. It became a parody of itself ato certain points in the series. Still an awesome show though.

But more appropriate for the time period and less used for people just explaining the plot.

But they've evidently learned a lot since then since they haven't had a kerfuffle on one of their shows in years and years now.

Yeah, for the first time ever a Walking Dead showrunner will last 2 full seasons on the show. Or better said, it was only 2013 when the last guy got fired.

 

[War Peaceman]

Why would anyone want nudity in Mad Men it is so ill-fitting for the nature of the programme?! It doesn't fit the tone or themes of the programme at all, it would likely be very clumsy. As it almost always is in anything.

 

[Real Hero]

Mad Men is classier because its not on HBO.

 

[War Peaceman]

Mad Men is classier because its not on HBO.

Exactly. Mad Men is about presentation - what is and isn't shown. Less is more.

 

[berzeli]

I think you probably could make a better comparison with Magic City which aired on Starz, sure it is a bit more crimey but it still is a period piece set in almost the same era that aired on premium cable. That show is almost softcore pornography at times, hell even their title sequence is a lady swimming around naked for no apparent reason. I agree with the notion that the U.S. can be weirdly puritanical with regards to sex, but copious amounts of nipple does not make a scene sex/-y/-ier or more interesting. And it is not like that the mountain of tits in any way shape or form makes it a better show, it ends up being lesser not only in general terms but it also feels less sexy than Mad Men since there isn't an element of anticipation/suspense/je ne sais qui to Magic City's sex scenes.


On a related note, why the fuck am I watching Magic City?

 

[Juz]

Oh shit I forgot that this was starting in April too.

Gonna be a crazy month.

 

[VistraNorrez]

I trust Weiner enough that if the show was on HBO the nudity would have been handled well. We know his struggles with AMC and how he stood firm against their demands. I'm not sure how nudity would hurt this show anyway. Nudity tends to be apart of people lives, so if you are being realistic is has to be there. There has been some significant side boob on this show that the only thing not seen was a nipple. It's ridiculous that the nipple would have made it obscene.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Speaking of HBO and Mad Men...

Earlier today, when asked to pick three shows he wishes were on his network, HBO CEO Richard Plepler made a beeline for Mad Men, a drama that was “born inside our halls” when Matthew Weiner was working on The Sopranos. “Hubris and complacency are the reason that Mad Men did not land at HBO,” he said very simply, comparing the debacle to New Coke which taught the folks at Coca-Cola a thing or two. “Mad Men was actually a case study for us in the dangers of hubris; and so I watch Mad Men as a fan.”

Source

 

[Fjordson]

Glad he admits it was a mistake. They must have felt like dopes.

Also, wtf @ the HBO shade in here lol. They've made some of the greatest American shows of all time.

 

[giga]

 

[Vice]

Why would anyone want nudity in Mad Men it is so ill-fitting for the nature of the programme?! It doesn't fit the tone or themes of the programme at all, it would likely be very clumsy. As it almost always is in anything.

Nudity would make sense though. It's a show filled with sexuality and aging. A nipple here and a penis there wouldn't be about of place. There are scenes where there being no nudity that are a bit odd. Nudity can be classy and it fits the era.

 

[Cipherr]

Glad he admits it was a mistake. They must have felt like dopes.

Also, wtf @ the HBO shade in here lol. They've made some of the greatest American shows of all time.

I love HBO. Its not shade if its true. They love nudity and seem to shove it into their shows. It doesnt bother me a whole lot, but that doesn't make it false.

 

[lamaroo]

I love HBO. Its not shade if its true. They love nudity and seem to shove it into their shows. It doesnt bother me a whole lot, but that doesn't make it false.

That's entirely on the show runners. There's no real mandate to shove nudity into a show.

 

[Joni]

Also, wtf @ the HBO shade in here lol. They've made some of the greatest American shows of all time.

And they also made some lesser shows.

 

[lamaroo]

And they also made some lesser shows.

We don't want to start this, because their batting average is much higher than probably any other network.

If there's a black eye, it's cancelling some shows too early. Deadwood and Luck

 

[Fjordson]

I love HBO. Its not shade if its true. They love nudity and seem to shove it into their shows. It doesnt bother me a whole lot, but that doesn't make it false.

I mean they allow nudity so creators include it. I doubt HBO is like altering shows to make room for extra nudity.

And they also made some lesser shows.

Oh sure, and they've made some bone-headed decisions over the years (Mad Men being one of them) but their track record ain't bad.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

That's entirely on the show runners. There's no real mandate to shove nudity into a show.

There has been on GoT, but I'm pretty sure that's the only show. I remember reading a THR article about it.

Anyway, this discussion is stupid since HBO is head and shoulders above any other network in terms of quality output.

 

[brianmcdoogle]

Speaking of HBO, is this the season where Sal makes his triumphant return?!?!

 

[Jackben]

Speaking of HBO, is this the season where Sal makes his triumphant return?!?!

That's next season.

 

[Fjordson]

Speaking of HBO, is this the season where Sal makes his triumphant return?!?!

I wish.

 

[Not]

I'm not certain, but I think the latter two only appeared nude after having been on Mad Men for several years? Many actresses don't like to do nude scenes before they're established for fear of not being taken seriously/typecasted. Anyway, the likeliest target of HBO's boob mandate probably would have been Christina Hendricks, whom I don't believe has appeared nude in anything yet, even films that are more sexually frank than Mad Men.

Let's hope she never does. Fucking disgusting honestly, this culture. Reminds me of the Jaguar arc TBH

Mad Men, Daredevil, Game of Thrones, and Veep all starting in April. Gonna be a great month for television.

Don't forget Silicon Valley!

 

[War Peaceman]

Nudity would make sense though. It's a show filled with sexuality and aging. A nipple here and a penis there wouldn't be about of place. There are scenes where there being no nudity that are a bit odd. Nudity can be classy and it fits the era.

How can nudity fit an era?

Nudity would be pointless - it rarely serves a purpose beyond titillation which is antithetical to Mad Men's style. Thematically the programme is about marketing and presentation - masks and disguises and outfits and deceptions. Whilst I have faith in Weiner (haha) doing something interesting with it, there is absolutely no need for it. I cannot remember any tv show where nudity did anything but distract.

 

[Not]

Oooof. Jon Hamm might actually be one of the few people who looks worse with a beard

 

[Koodo]

Oooof. Jon Hamm might actually be one of the few people who looks worse with a beard

uh, no?

Let me not write what I would allow him to do to me with his present beard visage to avoid being banned over extreme obscenities.

I'm so sad this show is ending.

 

[jetpacks was yes]

That's entirely on the show runners. There's no real mandate to shove nudity into a show.

Well, true detective's showrunner did say this:

The staging [of the sex scenes] was more or less there in the scripts, and then Cary and I worked together on the execution. But there is a clear mandate in pay-cable for a certain level of nudity. Now, you’re not going to get our two lead movie stars to go full-frontal, but we at least got Matthew's butt in there. There’s not a great deal of nudity in the series at all, though, compared to other shows on pay-cable. I’d be happy with none. Seems to me if people want to see naked people doing it, there's this thing called "the internet."

 

[Draper]

Yeah I'm not sure either, is it possible that whole roundtable segment was recorded before the final episodes were finished, and amc just now has put it up online?

Obviously Don remaining in flux or falling apart again wouldn't be a surprise to anyone, but everyone laughing when Jon mentions Don being in a better place by the series end seems like its saying it definitely won't happen. That is if this were recorded after the final episodes had been finished.

Of course there is the possibility I'm reading too much into Hamm's comment and the response it got.

There's indication via the other character's round table discussions that this was recorded after filming wrapped up. I suspect Don's not going to have a happy ending.

 

[ClivePwned]

rewatching Mad Men (midway through season 4 right now) reminded me of the videogame LA Noire, which seemed to be cast almost exclusively from Mad Men guest actors.

but going back and watching the series again, its pretty cool to go "holy shit, that's Captain Awesome from Chuck!" Or "Hey, it's Caitlin Snow."

What the fuck happened to Hildy?

 

[Mr. Saturn]

There's indication via the other character's round table discussions that this was recorded after filming wrapped up. I suspect Don's not going to have a happy ending.

Ah I see, I thought maybe they were being coy with their reaction to Hamm's wish for Don to be in a better place (whatever that means) or maybe they hadn't finished filming yet, but yeah if you're right, and I have no reason to doubt you, Don probably isn't going to have a happy ending, chances are the best that could happen would be some sort of bittersweet ending.

 

[VistraNorrez]

I'd like to remind everyone that we've seen John Slattery's bare ass on this show.

 

[Draper]

Ah I see, I thought maybe they were being coy with their reaction to Hamm's wish for Don to be in a better place (whatever that means) or maybe they hadn't finished filming yet, but yeah if you're right, and I have no reason to doubt you, Don probably isn't going to have a happy ending, chances are the best that could happen would be some sort of bittersweet ending.

Oh, I don't know. I'm pretty clueless- just grasping at straws.

Could be that they were merely giggling because Hamm inadvertently worded it like Don ultimately dies. Who knows.

 

[Gobias]

I'd like to remind everyone that we've seen John Slattery's bare ass on this show.

And him naked after an orgy. I don't see how nudity just being covered by pillows and such makes it much more "classier"

 

[bomma_man]

How can nudity fit an era?

Nudity would be pointless - it rarely serves a purpose beyond titillation which is antithetical to Mad Men's style. Thematically the programme is about marketing and presentation - masks and disguises and outfits and deceptions. Whilst I have faith in Weiner (haha) doing something interesting with it, there is absolutely no need for it. I cannot remember any tv show where nudity did anything but distract.

it's pretty distracting when we're expected to believe that everyone is fully clothed or covered by a sheet when they're having sex. especially when the show is about a philandering playboy from the 60's.

smh puritanism.

 

[Mr. Saturn]

Oh, I don't know. I'm pretty clueless- just grasping at straws.

Could be that they were merely giggling because Hamm inadvertently worded it like Don ultimately dies. Who knows.

Nah I get it, I mean ultimately I hope they simply end the show in the best way possible and whether that means things end badly for Don, or he's in a better place at the end, or anything in between I'll be fine as long as its good, but I thought their reaction in the roundtable discussion was a little odd too.

Its funny you mention Hamm inadvertently making it sound like Don dies because I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Cornballer]

There's a long retrospective in next week's TV Guide, as well:

I'm not sure how much of that is going to rehash the THR article.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

There's a long retrospective in next week's TV Guide, as well:

That's a great cover.

 

[Niraj]

That's a great cover.

I love it.

 

[PartlyCloudlike]

There's a long retrospective in next week's TV Guide, as well:

I'm not sure how much of that is going to rehash the THR article.

Love Peggy/Elisabeth Moss, she's beautiful. I'm going to miss her most of all.

 

[Cornballer]

Here's the article:

- TV Guide: Mad Men: The Drama Behind the Drama That Changed TV
- TV Insider: Mad Men's True Story, From Start to Finish (extended version of the TV Guide oral history)

- A look at the TV Guide Mad Men covers over the years

 

[RatskyWatsky]

The use of color here is fantastic!