The Geeks and Tech of Mad Men

This device isn't a spaceship, its a time machine. It goes backwards and forwards... It takes us to a place where we ache to go again. Its not called "the wheel", its called "The Carousel". It lets us travel the way a child travels - around and around, and then back home again to a place where we know we are loved."

~ Don Draper doing the presentation for the Kodak Carousel slide projector

I love this scene from AMC's show Mad Men Season 2 not only because it shows Don's genius with advertising and presentation, but it really shows the impact that technology can have on our lives and families. In the scene, Don sells the concept of the name and logo of "The Carousel" to the Kodak execs. Old family slides scroll past of his kids and Don's early family life in chronological order as he gives his presentation. As the slides go by, the power of the small piece of equipment had the power to give every man in the room watery eyes by the end. Needless to say the presentation was a success.

The show introduces many aspects of the conception and birth of the information age in the early '60s as well as the change of many social and moral though patterns in the US. Since I'm a geek, I'm going to concentrate on more of the tech aspect of Mad Men.

Manual vs. Automated

Some of the scenes that impact me the most on the show are the large amount of manual work that they do in the office. These days we have become so used to instant email, Blackberries that push information to us and instant access to statistics, a world full of Wikipedias, self updating news sources and never ending information on the Internet, that we (especially younger people) have forgotten about the days of rotary phones, carbon copies and manual typewriters. It blows my mind to think that businesses worked with any kind of efficiency this way.

One thing to remember is that Sterling Cooper is being portraid as one of the top tier ad agencies on Madison Ave. during that time and they had cutting edge technology as soon as it came out. For example, Sterling Cooper has cutting edge electric typewriters (as shown in the pilot) whereas most businesses were still working with manual typewriters at that time. The one big geek moment in the show was when they got the brand new Xerox copier machine that they had to store out in the hallway it was so big. Apparently tech was a big deal to Sterling Cooper as they thought it gave them the advantage over all the other ad agencies as it continues to be to this day. Businesses are always looking for the latest and fastest computers, most efficient machinery and latest social media marketing strategies to get that slight edge over the next guy.

Phones and Communication

Man Men also shows me just how completely reliant we are on phones and instant communication these days. We, don't even think about what we would do without our precious cell phone and internet tethered to our bodies everywhere we went. I love how in one of the episodes, Pete thought he was so high tech talking on the wired rotary phone brought out to him by a swimming pool. What should we do? How about TURN IT OFF every once in a while and go outside and take a walk. I'm talking to myself as much as anyone else.

New laws are being implemented state by state to start fining people for talking on cell phones while driving. Even more recently, an article on Mobile Crunch talked about $150 fines in New York and even one woman serving 21 months in prison for killing someone while texting and driving.

I guess Mad Men just makes me wish I could live back in those days again sometimes where things were simpler. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my technology, but I like to keep things in perspective too. I think we all need to take a look back at history and maybe start taking a few simple steps to uncomplicate your life and be ready for the day that may come in the future where our precious tech gadgets will be useless. Anyhoo... just a thought.

Advertising and media in our lives

Books could be written about the psychology, research and effectiveness of advertising and media and how it has, or should be used in marketing. Mad Men touches the tip of the iceburg, teaching us how graphic design, layout and media has been used over the years in advertising. One of the main concepts that the business of advertising and marketing has learned over the years (and that seems to be the philosophy of Don Draper as well) is that it all boils down to making the viewer/reader feel something. If an advertisement, piece of technology or software makes your feel: loved, nostalgic, hate, horny, or jealous then you will want/desire/ache for that product.

Peggy Olson: Sex sells.

Don Draper: Says who? Just so you know, the people who talk that way think that monkeys can do this. They take all this monkey crap and stick it in a briefcase, completely unaware that their success depends on something more than shoeshine.

Don Draper: You are the product. (Its) you, feeling something. That’s what sells. Not them. Not sex. They can’t do what we do and they hate us for it.

Photo copyright AMC (American Movie Classics) 2007

Does Helen Thomas Need To Retire?

After a surprisingly insightful press conference from President Obama tonight, I noticed that Helen Thomas of the Hearst media conglomerate was back in her front row seat asking the first question of the night. As usual, it was a planned question with a liberal agenda. The interesting thing was that even Obama chose to duck her question!

She asked if Obama knew of any countries in the Middle East that already have nuclear weapons. Obviously, she meant: Israel (which reportedly has them). Obama ducked the question and stated that he didn't care to speculate but any escalation would be bad right now. Then, like the crazy old person that she is, she interrupted the president twice and tried to make her point about Israel to the very end.

For those of you who don't know, Helen Thomas has been around since JFK covering the White House and presidents for over 45 years first with UPI and now she is affiliated with Hearst Media. She has always had the philosophy of asking hard hitting and usually inappropriate liberal agenda questions to conservative presidents. Well, it looks like she's finally lost her mind and is trying to take down her own kind. Maybe the Washington press corp will put her out of her misery soon.

And why is she so stuck on the Israel - Palestine issue you may ask? I did some digging and noticed in her bio that was born in Winchester, KY to Lebanese immigrants from Tripoli, which at the time was part of Syria. Ancestral vendetta? There's always been that hatred between Arabs and Israelis.

In blogging news...
Sam Stein at Huffington Post, got to ask a (overtly liberal spinned) question to the president. While I don't agree with their message, theres no denying that The Huffington Post has became a power player for political blogging and I applaude the president for allowing social and new media to finally be have a legitamate word in mainstream politics and mainstream media. Now, lets just be fair and let a few conservative blogs like Pajamasmedia's Hot Air or Townhall.com in with a few questions next time. (We all know THAT's never going to happen).

Josh Self is the owner of and writer for The Horse, and The Wedding PhotogBlog. He also writes for The Terminal and considers himself a "Conservative Leaning Libertarian". He is also a wedding photographer and Lead Trainer at The Cheesecake Factory in Birmingham, AL.

Revolution Pictures releases Jake Owen - "Don't Think I Can't Love You" music video.

(the link for the video above is here: Jake Owen - Don't Think I Can't Love You
YouTube has disabled embedding for this video)

Revolution Pictures has released the music video for Jake Owen "Don't Think I Can't Love You" to the internet (YouTube) and their website, revolutionpictures.com. The video was shot on 35mm film earlier this year in the parking lot behind the Alabama Theater and in the top floors of Playhouse (the best costume and props shop in Birmingham). I worked crew for the video as a PA (Production Assistant) and driver. It was a long day but we got it all done in one day. Revolution Pictures is out of Nashville, TN and usually puts up their crew in a hotel for the night. This time the crew ate at The Cheesecake Factory the night before and I happened to be working so it was a strange coincidence.

Apparently you can now catch the video on CMT and the other top Country cable stations, but I bring it to you here... right from The Horse's mouth... (...via YouTube) ;-)

I'm so sad! King Of The Hill leaving Fox

Hank Hill and the residents of Arlen, Texas are headed for retirement.  According to Variety, Fox will not order any new episodes of the animated series "King of the Hill."

"Hill" is the second-longest running animated series of all-time, behind "The Simpsons."  "Hill" has been on Fox for 13 years, though it has faced cancellation several times in the past several years.

"We've been here before," exec producer John Altschuler told Variety. "When it's time for King of the Hill to go, it will go. But I think with the ratings this good, and with the quality that doesn't seem to be diminishing, it would be very odd for King of the Hill not to keep going."

Because of the long lead time required for animated series, Fox is calling a halt to "Hill" now and the final episode is expected to air sometime next year.

Meanwhile, Fox is ordering a fifth season of "American Dad."  The animated series is currently in its fourth season on Fox.

"It was one of our goals going into the summer to make sure their services were secured," said 20th Century Fox TV chairman Dana Walden. "The show has evolved creatively under their leadership. And when you find a tentpole player like Seth, one of the critical elements in supporting their companies is locking up the services of the people they depend on, they trust."


--
This article was sent using my Viigo.
For a free download, go to http://getviigo.com


Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry


This series was probably one of my favorite animation shows of all time. Classic, sometimes edgy but not nasty, you always learned a lesson at the end. Kind of an Andy Griffith with a modern twist. I will be sad to see the Hill's, the Gribbles, and the Souphanousinphones leave my neighborhood. They were the best neighbors that I've had throughout our 13 year friendship and they kept me laughing the whole time....

:: the sun sets over the Arlen City water tank as we fade to black ::

PS. Mike Judge is my hero!