Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know: Mad Men, AMC, 2007/2008

The opening sequence of Mad Men floats across the screen like a slick, successful Everyman executive’s nightmare: the silhouetted man reaches his expansive office, which slowly crumbles as he freefalls, past giant advertising billboards towards what end, we are unsure.  His doom?  Utopia?  Only the final episode will tell.

By referencing indelible images of the past (9/11, Hitchcock’s Vertigo) and soundtracked by David Carbonara’s haunting instrumental theme, the scene is set.  Madison Avenue.  New York.  The 1960s.  Nixon is in power and a young Senator by the name of John F. Kennedy is making his mark.  A time when men are men – and on Madison Avenue, they are the masters of the universe – and rarely seen without a cigarette or a drink in hand.  A time when women are housewives, mothers, daughters, secretaries, mistresses and shopgirls and occasionally, artists or divorcées – but never equals.  When children are seen but rarely heard.  When hippy beatniks and their ‘art’ are irrelevant and peripheral.  The Beatles have yet to hit America, the Summer of Love is almost a decade away and Vietnam was simply an exotic destination in East Asia.

Quirky UK – Part 2

Q

It’s true. The English really do queue for the bus.

But only in the City. And only around peak periods. Mind you, the queues for the buses around Waterloo during the morning rush hour have to be seen to be believed; snaking all the way past the bus stop around the pavement to accommodate up to 60 people or more.

But here’s a view of Fleet St around 5.30pm

Kooky UK – Part 1

1. Liberal use of the ‘eff’ word, and I don’t mean ‘fruitcake’. Where the average Englishmen once indulged, nay utilised flowery analogy and metaphors with liberally sprinklings of ‘thee’ and ‘doth’ and conjugated perfectly in day-to-day chit chat (okay, perhaps I have been reading far too much Austen, Wodehouse [insert celebrated English author/playwright of choice here] etc., one is more likely to hear ‘eff’ in all its glorious incarnations and contexts (“where’s the effin’ bus/taxi?” “please kindly effing get out of my way.” “you effin’ havin’ me on?!” etc.) resounding through the cobbled streets of London, Birmingham, Edinburgh etc. . Please note that in Manchester and various Northern towns, ‘eff’ is translated as ‘fook’ and often makes its appearance in daily communication on a more regular basis. eg. Please refer to any story/interview featuring the Gallagher brothers, Primal Scream, New Order or any northern band.
2. An unexpected gospel ‘treat’. At any time, at any location, in any situation, you could be surprised by a sudden burst of good old fashioned from-the-heart gospel from someone, anyone nearby. He or she could be following you on the street perhaps, maybe sitting on your bus, possibly even a co-worker of yours. I would have no qualms if this startling experience was preceded with a friendly tap on the shoulder and a “sorry but I’ve got the sudden urge to burst into a full-throated tonsil-tingling tune.”.  But often, Londoners are shocked by undiscovered musical talent in awkward situations. ie. during automaton-mode daily morning commute mode or while sitting at one’s workdesk . Still, i should be grateful these song-filled individuals haven’t picked up on the chorus of ‘Oklahoma’ yet. Having a fellow bus passenger launch into the ‘ooooooooooo’ at 8:15am would be a truly startling experience.
3. The Budgie Man. He makes budgies kiss to the rhythm of his ‘i’m the budgieman’ song. Nope, not the sick spectacle you’re envisioning. Rather, it’s all very cute and all the women in his audience (including this one) went ‘awww’ while the men grinned foolishly. Apparently he is to be interviewed on ITV and an Australian news channel soon. Watch this space [ ].