Tag: Don Draper

  • A 2015 Conversation With Don Draper

    Don Draper opens up during a $234 bar tab conversation
    Don Draper opens up during a $1,258 bar tab conversation

    “Mad Men” has officially retired, but its star, Don Draper (AKA “Tricky Dickie Whitman”) is still alive and well. The suits he wears these days are sweatsuits, but he still cuts a handsome, if wrinkled figure in his walker outfitted with Penn tennis balls on the feet. The Lint Screen recently pulled up a barstool next to this advertising legend for a candid conversation.

    TLS: Hello, Don. It’s good to see you.
    DD: Enough of the chit-chat. Buy me a drink.
    TLS: Sure. So, how old are you now?
    DD: Don’t know. 89. 90. Something like that.
    TLS: And how’s retirement?
    DD: Retirement? From McCann? I wish. I’m freelancing now. Need some help?
    TLS: No.
    DD: I was a superstar, a legend. (TO BARTENDER) Keep pouring. and keep that bottle here– he’s buying.
    TLS: We’re not looking for any freelance help right now.
    DD: If you do, I’m your man.
    TLS: What did you think of the “Mad Men” finale?
    DD: What kind of a stupid question is that? It’s my story. It was incredible. Brilliant!
    TLS: So, you really created the “I’d like to buy the world a Coke” spot?
    DD: Of course, you idiot. Weren’t you watching?
    TLS: Well, some questioned the ending. It was a little ambiguous.
    DD: The spot’s on my reel. What more proof do you need?
    TLS: Was that a big moment for you?
    DD: What do you think? The biggest commercial in the world, and I did it.
    TLS: Was that the highlight of your career?
    DD: Hard to say. I had a lot of great spots.
    TLS: Such as…
    DD: Apple Computer’s “1984” spot. Came up with that in ’78. I was that good.
    TLS: Wow.
    DD: Steve Jobs was an ass. He wanted a talking dog spot.
    TLS: Any other big spots or campaigns?
    DD: Nike “Just do it.”
    TLS: You worked at Wieden & Kennedy?
    DD: Who?
    TLS: Wieden & Kennedy in Portland. I thought they created that campaign.
    DD: It’s in my book. End of discussion, okay, weisenheimer?
    TLS: Anything else?
    DD: McDonald’s “You Deserve a break today.”
    TLS: You did that, too?
    DD: Yeah. The clients wanted to change it to “You deserve delicious McDonald’s food every single day.” I talked them out of it. Idiots!
    TLS: Amazing.
    DD: That’s nothing. I did a bunch of classic campaigns–– Volkswagen Beetle, Fed Ex, Energizer Bunny, Budweiser Frogs, Marlboro Man, Wendy’s “where’s the Beef?”, Mini “Let’s Go”, Rolling Stone “Perception/Reality” print campaign, ESPN SportsCenter stuff, Got Milk, Dumb ways to die. If it’s famous, chances are I did it.
    TLS: That’s amazing, you created some of the most iconic ad campaigns of all time.
    DD: Damn right. (SHOUTING TO BARTENDER) Another bottle down here! And bring me a couple more to go. The good stuff.
    TLS: How are your contemporaries? How’s Roger Sterling?
    DD: Dead.
    TLS: Peggy Olson?
    DD: Dead.
    TLS: Stan…
    DD: Dead.
    TLS: Joan…
    DD: Dead.
    TLS: Pete Campbell?
    DD: Dead. The weasel.
    TLS: Duck Phillips?
    DD: He’s alive. Sells digital ads.
    TLS: Amazing. You’ve outlasted so many.
    DD: Yeah. Still in the game. Freelancing. Need any help? I’ll give you a break on my day rate.
    TLS: Uh, no thanks.
    DD: If you ever do, remember the Don. Don Draper.
    TLS: Will do.
    DD: (SHOUTS) Barkeep, where’s my bottles?!

  • X Marks Spot for Cinematic Gold

    Sometimes a winning franchise needs to go backwards to go forward and give it a shot of adrenalin. Such was the case with the Batman and Star Trek series, and such is the case with the X-Men tales.

    And she has super powers, too?
    X-Men: First Class takes us to the origins of super-powered mutants. Like Christopher Nolan’s 2005 Batman Begins and 2009’s Star Trek by J.J. Abrams, this prequel is action-packed popcorn-munching good times. And like those two brilliant prequels, this is one of the best in the franchise.

    The story in X-Men: First Class is rich, interesting, well acted and directed (by Matthew Vaughn of Layer Cake and Layer Cake fame). Learn about the early days of Professor X and Magneto, and what drove them apart. Hint: it wasn’t one lending his albums to the other and having them come back scratched (although that might make for a good sequel to this prequel).

    The effects are cool but do not get in the way of a complex and satisfying character-driven story.

    Not being an action comics fan, I didn’t know the beginning story of the mutants, how they came together and fell apart. It’s a classic tale of good and evil (oh, evil– why must you be so evil?). We’ve got Nazis, CIA spooks, Ruskies, JFK, government bureaucrats–– and those aren’t even the mutants!

    For mutated wonders, there’s mind readers, a metal bender, shape shifter, chameleon, flier and fireball spitter, harness-energy-and-then-zap-it-back-at-you wonderdude and more. Plus January Jones, who had some kind of superpower but she doesn’t really need it because, well, she looks like January Jones and that’s strong enough stuff to stop Don Draper in his Florsheims.

    There’s plenty of terrific performances by Kevin Bacon, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence and a crew of up and comers who’ll be here soon enough.

    I won’t get into details. Suffice to say this movie has a lot of charisma, energy and charm, and is certainly the best action adventure fare this year.

    See it and believe in the power of fantastical stories again.