One of my recent obsessions is Mad Men, a show set in the 1960’s advertising world on Madison Avenue, a show which has been described by people I know as ‘that show about lying and cheating’ and ‘product placement porn’. Both of these statements are somewhat true - there’s a lot of secrets and sleeping around and real-life products are used but duh, this is a advertising agency in the 1960’s and it’s trying to be real!
Anyway, my favourite characters are Peggy Olson and Pete Campbell. My reasons for liking Peggy are straightforward - she’s ambitious and aware and always honest. She isn’t glamourous or celebrated for her beauty but she has something that matters more - credibility. Something that she cherishes because she’s had to push for it. She’s just too likeable to dislike. But like Pete, her outside demeanor masks something far different - it comes out through her eyes sometimes or how she says things - but like Pete, she is probably unware of the depth of this other-persona.
But Pete, oh Pete…a weird little set of compulsive needs and neurotic tendencies in a manboy’s mind. Slightly robotic, frustrated in every way possible, with a never-to-be-returned mancrush on Don Draper - Pete is everyloser but nevertheless, in a enviable position - he is from a well-regarded family, married to a picture-perfect wife (even if they seem to be children playing house rather than an actual adult married couple) and a big office at Sterling Cooper with his Greek chrous buddies (whom I also love despite their rather disgusting ways).
I’m not telling anyone anything they wouldn’t learn from episode one (if you haven’t seen it, go watch it!) but it seems like Peggy/Pete is the relationship everyone loves to deplore but secretly cheer on. That’s understandable - they’re both outsiders, more so than Don/Rachel, and besides, they just look too cute together! But in a way, I feel guilty for feeling that Peggy should make things work with Pete. It would be too out-of-character for her (especially in light of the season two ending) because she wants more than that.
Then I start thinking more personally. I know (knew?) a Pete in real-life (minus the freaky hunting fantasies) and things ended badly. I was never sure if he’d be nice or not to me…and sometimes I didn’t mind either one. The few times I was at his place, he’d make awkward conversation and put his arm around me and act like this is all homely and gosh-terrific. Every act was functional. I told him that I thought he felt things deeper than he even knew himself and he agreed. That made me feel very sad for him.
