In one of the pre-acetate-safe photo albums at my parents' house, there is a photo of my mom and dad that I like to remember. In it, they are sitting side by side on a green nubby coach. They are both beaming. My dad is wearing dark pants, a white shirt and a dark tie and his hair is dark brown. My mom is sitting with her legs crossed, leaning a little forward in a super-cute all-white fitted dress. Her hair is tres bouffant, her forehead is glowing and she's holding a cigarette in her hand. Just looking at that photo, you think, "How wonderful. What a crazy fun time that was in 1970! Look how happy! Must have been a good party."
But of course, there's a story that goes along with the picture. This was Ruth and Colin's 25th wedding anniversary (I was but a wee lass of five - I was long in bed). They were enjoying a party in their honor at our house. They were happy - a solid couple with two grown children and their pleasant surprise (moi). But what happened at that party was a sad thing indeed. One of their best friends insulted another one of their best friends by making a racial slur. My dad stood up for his insulted friend (a lovely man: I remember him) and his other friend basically said, "You're with me or you're against me." That pretty much ended a 25-year friendshp.
I tell this story because I was thinking about Mad Men. I adore that show. It reminds me, obviously, of my young childhood (I was born in '65). My parents were LA working-middle class not NYC upper-middle class, but something about the feel of that show is right. Not to mention the clothes, the cigarettes, the types of parties, the booz (my dad's drink: Jim Beam with ginger ale to start; Jim Beam with water to finish; my mom's? grasshoppers and pink ladies - this was before box wine became a staple). But just like the picture, there's something else - something deeper. That behind every cocktail pose, behind every superficial conversation and camera face, there's a story.
I like that I know the story of betrayal, temerity, loss and stalwartness behind that 25th anniversary picture. And I guess that's why I like Mad Men so much - because we get to see the stories behind the amazing facade.
Oh, and I want to be Joan.
Comments