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Real-Life ‘Mad Man’ Blasts AMC Show

Jul 21, 2010  •  Post A Comment

A prominent real-life advertising man from the “Mad Men” era delivers a scathing critique of the AMC series in the latest issue of Playboy, reports Monsters and Critics.

Well-known ad man George Lois reminisces about the industry in the 1960s in the magazine’s August issue, where he writes: “’Mad Men’ misrepresents the advertising industry by ignoring the revolution that changed the world of communications forever. That mortal sin of omission makes ‘Mad Men’ a lie.”

Lois goes on to say the show is “nothing more than a soap opera set in a glamorous office where stylish fools hump their appreciative, coiffured secretaries, suck up martinis and smoke themselves to death as they produce dumb, lifeless advertising–oblivious to the inspiring civil rights movement, the burgeoning women’s lib movement, the evil Vietnam war and other seismic events of the turbulent, roller-coaster 1960s that altered America forever.”

11 Comments

  1. And anyone who’s read interviews with Matthew Wiener knows that all this is going to be taken into account in the overall arc of the series. Patience, Mr. Lois, patience!

  2. George Lois is maybe the greatest ad-man from that period.

  3. Both of the following have been covered in the show ..the inspiring civil rights movement, the burgeoning women’s lib movement and the show hasn’t moved fully into the Vietnam period yet.
    He obviously doesn’t watch it enough.

  4. Maybe, rasmuno…but it sounds like he hasn’t seen a single episode beyond the pilot as Mad Men has touched on ALL of those issues over three seasons…with Vietnam, the British Invasion and the Hippie movement still to come. And Mr. Lois is entitled to his opinion, but Draper’s pitches could hardly be described as “lifeless”. The Kodak Carousel pitch nearly had me weeping.

  5. Lois should stick to designing and art directing or if not,then write a series of his own.
    Mad Men is one of, if not the best, characterizations of the advertising community in that time period. Warts and all. I enjoyed my time there and it’s a pleasure to remember how far we’ve come..

  6. Anyone who think that Mad Men is an overall accurate representation of the ad biz of that era (or any other era) is simply ignorant.

  7. Hang in there, George. Remember the 60’s moved at a different pace. They haven’t caught up to you at the Four Seasons yet. They’re still supping at Toots Shor.

  8. George Lois’s biggest complaint about Mad Men is that the show isn’t about him! What an A.H. George- go write your own show.

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