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by Eric Goldman Paley Fest: The acclaimed new drama's cast and creator talk. March 28, 2008 - The Los Angeles branch of the Paley Center for Media is currently conducting their annual William S. Paley Television Festival, AKA Paley Fest. This two-week event spotlights a group of noteworthy television series and television luminaries, with each night devoted to a different show or person. Be sure to check out the rest of IGN TV's coverage of Paley Fest 2008.
Mad Men won a Golden Globe for Best Drama and Best Actor in a Drama (for Hamm) in the midst of the writers' strike, during which there was no traditional awards ceremony. Sommer recalled that instead they were "On the roof of the Chateau Marmot, gathered together watching the announcements" and that winning "was truly a shock for everyone." Weiner said that as amazing as actually being at the Globes might be, they had their "own Hollywood experience. We were really really drunk, but no one fell of the roof." Asked what speech he might have given, Hamm would only say "There's just so much to go wrong, so I was glad to have the positive part of that experience without any of the negative."
Hamm said he felt Mad Men "Isn't a guilty pleasure, it's a regular old pleasure you can take pride in experiencing" and that he liked that it wasn't "based on a certain formula or aping something from the past." Weiner said he did feel Mad Men was the kind of show that had existed before but "maybe is just not in style. The show is really kind of honest, in almost an embarrassing way."
Weiner recalled talking to an angry man who works in advertising about some of the characters on the show mocking a real life Volkswagen ad, because he felt it truly was an important and memorable advertisement. Said Weiner, "I understand the thrill of that, but I think it's fascinating that this firm is just on the wrong side of things." Slattery said he felt the show was "about what people want, not what they get. All these people on this office are aspiring for something and not getting it."
In the season finale of Mad Men, Peggy learned she was nine months pregnant=. Addressing some complaints about this plot turn, Weiner said "I think people had a hard time with the reality of it. They think she's so smart and knows everything. But she's so smart that she slept with Pete in the pilot!" Weiner said the definition of denial is something "so big that it would destroy you" and that this was a situation that certainly reflected that. "Emotionally it felt to people like such a huge development, because it is."
Moss agreed, saying "We've all had a problem so big that it would cripple you and you don't look at it. It does happen." She noted that Peggy deals with a lot of problems but "The one thing that she can't is this. This is the one thing that she can't look at. The one thing that's going to end up changing her life." Asked if Peggy's story will take a positive turn, Weiner first noted "I think Peggy is like one other character in the show, and it's Don," before adding "I don't predict good things for anybody out here, I've got to be honest with you." Weiner was incredibly tightlipped about Season 2, saying "I want people going in knowing as little as possible - Just hit the ground running with what it is." Weiner wouldn't even say how long after the first season the events of Season 2 begin, only stating "I can tell you that it's in the '60s. Us being tied to the calendar is a gift. It's a gift to be able to ignore whatever you want and pay attention to whatever you want." He remarked "It will be later in these people's lives and if you believe that people change, they will be different."
As for Don, just because we've learned some major revelations about his identity, Weiner felt there was still plenty of stories there. "I think you know some things about him, but there are huge holes in his life [unaccounted for]," and also "Just because we know [his secret], does everyone else know it? He still is two people and that's definitely something we will talk about." Don slept with department store owner Rachel at the end of Season 1, and Hamm observed "She's the only person he really tells his story to. In a certain sense, that's the person he feels the closest to. He senses a kindred spirit, maybe in the way he once felt with Midge. Rachel is a real person, living a real life and he finds that tremendously attractive."
Moss said she felt Peggy "is capable of an incredible amount of hope and belief in something, whether it's love or Don or advertising or that she's not pregnant. She has this kind of faith and hope. I think that's why people identify with her, is because she does represent that." Moss revealed that when it came to Peggy's pregnancy, Weiner "told me before we started filming the second episode. I wasn't able to say anything to anyone except the costume people and him and the other producers and writers." Weiner said the costume and makeup people were amazing showing Peggy's continuing weight gain, especially considering episodes were often shot out of order.
Slattery said he felt Roger was "the best part I've ever had," but couldn't resist adding "I'm saying that now because I'm here." He brought up the incredible extremes he got to portray just in one episode, as Roger goes from a kinky liaison with a young lady to a heartfelt hospital scene with his wife (played by Slattery's real life, no less). Weiner said that despite Roger's health issues "he will be part of the show [in Season 2]," adding "I don't want to do the show without John."
Asked if his hard to like character Paul will ever find happiness, Kartheiser answered "I don't think happiness is an area anyone really lives. I think it's an area we touch upon once or twice a year." Kartheiser said he felt that the whole idea of the "pursuit of happiness" in America has "caused us to be so much sadder than a lot of Europeans." He added that he felt Paul does deserve to be happy, "but he doesn't realize that doesn't really matter." As for if Paul is a "villain" or not, Kartheiser remarked "None of us are good and none of us are bad. We're kind of confused and doing what we think will bring us happiness, which doesn't exist." Weiner added that he felt when it came to an antagonistic character like Paul, "You must accept the fact that other people have a reason for doing what they're doing. When you're writing it's very easy to ignore it, because it interferes with the scene." Weiner said that "the amazing thing about Paul is he's just a person. He does some despicable things, but he wants what he wants."
Hendricks said that when it came to Joan, she was a bit uncertain about her dynamic with Peggy for awhile, wondering what exactly her character was thinking. She recalled that Weiner told her Joan's "not jealous. She's confused. She doesn't understand why this girl is not dressing the way she tells her to be dressed and going after a man's job. She's just absolutely baffled by it."
An audience member asked Weiner about Mad Men's wonderful and incredibly distinctive opening credits. He said initially they were meant to be live-action, and he had "An idea about a guy getting up in the morning. A faceless man going to work and jumping out of office window. I imagined we'd do it live action, and freeze frame with his jacket flapping, when he's from twelve feet from the ground, and it would say Mad Men."
Having praised the network a lot during the evening, Weiner said with a grin that when it came to his propsed opening credits, "AMC has a problem with it," but added "Their problems with it were not unreasonable. These people are actually smart! And they're really interested in making it right." Ultimately, the credits "Because more abstract." Weiner noted that the imagery on the buildings around the falling man were meant to represent his fears and that "I wanted to say 'This is what's going on inside this man.'" Weiner credited the "amazing graphic artists" who worked on the credits, noting that in the end, those credits "took as long to put together as an episode."
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