Mad Men: The Rear View Mirror
Our enterprising but un-named partner at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce, Pete Campbell, or as Mrs. Blankenship calls him, "Mr. Peters", goes to dinner at The Asia Society and comes back with an appointment to make a pitch to Honda. It's worth $3 million as Lane Pryce informs everyone. Mr. Peters is Lane's new favorite partner.
Bert Cooper is a Japanophile (maybe he was the prototype for Lt. Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly), however in this case, Cio-Cio-San or Honda is going to leave him behind the sailing ship of Japanese Re-Industrialization and the selling of its products. Notice how Bert is bowing lower than the Honda Guy; the supplicant bows the lowest in a greeting. Unless the Un-supplicant wants to show him up, then the Honda Guy should be bowing lowest. If this is beginning to sound like Monty Python and the Ministry of Silly Walks (SCDP and the Ministry of the Lowest Bow), then you are getting the picture and the plot.
Back at the wining and dining of Honda, Mr. Peters hands out the gifts to Honda.
Because the Japanese believe in giving gifts to their guest. The Manhattan Indians also believed in giving Complimentary Gifts to their European Guests. "Here, take this island of our Manhattan." The Manhattanites of that time period were just giving the guests bed and breakfast, and then sending them on their way. It was a case of misunderstood manners, but Pete Campbell's relatives took them literally and took Manhattan all right. Until Pete's Dad lost it.
Pete tells Honda, "It's a cantaloupe."
The other Hondas receive booze and they promptly re-gift. Yes, the Hondas are Re-Gifters!
It's all a Confusion of Cultures, but Don Draper didn't steal Don Draper's identity and then fit seamlessly into his life without being Adaptable. Don adapts to the Japanese Code and gets the Honda CGC account.
The Honda CGC is the first motorcycle that Transforms into a Car. You'll notice that The Transformers make their first appearance.
But it will take years before the technology is applied to cartoons and anime.
Actually, the Honda CGC looked something like this:
Minus all the girls. This car was not a Chick Magnet. Don Draper is.
The Competition
Ted Chaough (I thought that his name was Shaw) considers himself to be Don Draper's competition. He picked up the SCDP castoffs, Clearasil and Jai-Alai. He is going after Honda.
I don't know if that is his wife or his mother with him.
But then when people see Bethany with Don, they probably don't know if that is his girlfriend or his daughter's girlfriend with him.
Bethany is drinking a Shirley Temple out of a Panda China cup. What is the age of consent in Manhattan?
Ted Chaough: "Every time Don Draper looks in his rear view mirror, he sees me."
Ted comes up with a Glo-Coat'ish type commercial to woo Honda.
Ted: "A honda tears through a subway tunnel, the train nipping at its tires. He keeps looking back, the train roaring at him."
Except Ted thinks that he is the train, and Don is really the train.
Don runs Ted over on the Honda Account.
Sally Cuts Her Hair
Look at Sally's hair.
It is Bad. It is Bad Hair.
Sally is Sad. Sally cuts her Hair. Snip, Snip!
Betty is Mad. "Bad Sally! I will cut off your fingers!"
Why? Sally has Good Hair now.
Sally looks like Caroline Kennedy.
Why is Betty crazy?
Doctor Edna will find out.
Doctor Edna will make a Good home for Betty.
Betty will be Happy!
Betty will get treats for being Good.
Henry gives Betty treats and makes her happy.
Happy Betty!
Happy, Happy Betty!
Double Standards
What the fuck is going on?
Bobby plays doctor and nurse with his sitter, Phoebe.
And Sally sits on the couch and watches.
But Sally can't sit on a couch, in the dark, with her friend asleep, and enjoy a fine show, The Man from U.N.C.L.E, and its super cute and gorgeous guys.
That dark haired guy tied up in the back looks like Tom Welling.
What shit is this when a girl can't enjoy her Tom Welling?
I blame Sally's friend's Mother. That bitch is probably a Twitlite Stan and thinks that Robert Pattinson is The Best and The Cutest. That woman needs to get a Sex Life. She obviously doesn't have one, as she told Betty that that stuff doesn't go on in her house with her immaculately conceived daughter. Oh Yeah woman, you read your Twatlite books and think that your panties get wet all by themselves.
Mrs. Blankenship Goes to Work
Mrs. Blankenship continues her Sterling work as Don's secretary. She interrupts a call from the NY Times with an announcement that Don must go to a Partners' Meeting.
Oh see! She does have tissues on her desk. Honk, if you care, Mrs. Blankenship!
Mrs. Blankenship solves puzzles. 8 down is "Snozzle" Mrs. Blankenship.
And Mrs. Blankenship fights Mr. Peters for Don's Saki.
Step aside Mothra, Mrs. Blankenship kicks ass.
Don: "Mrs. Blankenship, any luck on that call to California?"
Mrs. Blankenship: "I'm sorry, no answer."
Uh oh! No word from Anna!
Roger Sterling has PTSD or so He Claims
Roger Sterling doesn't want Honda's business. His life was defined by WWII and the fight in the Pacific. He is just coasting through the rest of his life.
Pete: "If Bernbach can do business with Volkswagon, we can do business with anybody."
Bert: "The war is over Roger."
Roger: "Why don't we just bring Dr. Lyle Evans in here?"
Pete: "Who the hell is Dr. Lyle Evans?"
Who is Lyle Evans? Well let Roger tell the story:
Roger: "There was a kid on the destroyer, PFC Bryson. And he was an honest to goodness poet. And then during..."
Wait a minute---a poet? Well, he got the poetry knocked out of him by the war after he saw how some sausage is made, and he became a sausage maker and sausage king in the MidWest.
Roger ought to lay off the booze, it is affecting his memory.
There Are Wars and There are Wars
Contrast Roger and his WWII resentments against the Japanese with the war being waged in the US at the time.
Sally watches TV and sees a report of a man named Reed: "The body of a 38 year old unitarian minister was cremated within hours....He had been killed by white men who resented his coming to Selma..."
"There's a battle outside and it's raging,
It will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls,
For the times, they are a'changing."
As Joan says, "You made the world a safer place." Now give up the hate and live your life with the new opportunities that you created.
People do that all the time, Roger.
And what was I supposed to think of this?
Was I supposed to think of Betty's Hate?
Miscellaneous
This is the Dippy Bird, Peggy. And this is how it works.
This is Don Draper in a suit.
This is Don Draper's doll in the same suit.
Screen Caps By Me