Mid-Century Modern
Benjamin Schwarz deconstructs scenes from Mad Men that reveal Don Draper’s vulnerable side
Mad About Mad Men by Benjamin Schwarz
The Atlantic, November 2009
"Don Draper is consistently true to the past the writers have established for him. Some critics find his appealing unflappability implausible, and they fault the show for sacrificing its commitment to verisimilitude in the interest of maintaining the lead actor’s appeal. They fail to grasp that Don--whose entire identity is a fabrication--would have to possess preternatural cool. He’s always on."
About the Author
Jennie Rothenberg Gritz, a former senior editor at The Atlantic, is now a senior editor at Smithsonian magazine.