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Return To Manliness Roundup: Mad Men Season Premier Edition

2 August 2008 No Comment

The season premier of Mad Men this past week was stellar.  It was like watching the Mad Men pilot episode all over again.  The show fast forwarded 14 months to Valentines Day 1962 and life was changing for everybody.

Peggy is essentially turning into a hard ass that the other women are beginning to look up to.  Sterling is back to his old womanizing ways.  And Draper is realizing his new, pretty face is looking much older in an ever-changing industry.

The two moments in Mad Men season premier that stood out were:

#1 – Draper saying, “Success is not about fitting in.  It’s about standing out.”

#2 – Draper responding to Peggy’s statement of “sex sells” by telling her “Sex doesn’t sell.  You are the product.  You feeling something is what sells.”  He then mentioned that the same people who want you to believe that “sex sells” are the same people that think monkeys can do what they do (advertising).  Classic…

Both of these comments hit me square in the forehead.  The idea of sales and marketing as a key driver to success kept playing in my head.  In any event, the show is incredible and the new season didn’t miss a step.

On to the articles…

The Key to Effective Viral Marketing is Emotional Engagement. (@DoshDosh)  Maki is hands down one of the best writers on the internet.  I follow his thoughts all over the net and continue to learn from his postings. This article compliments the Mad Men TV show perfectly.

How To Take Criticism Like Donald Trump. (@lifehack.org)  I love Trump.  He can rub you wrong at times, but you can’t argue with his success.  And he does handle criticism VERY well.  He takes it as good as he gives it – and if he doesn’t like what you have to say, he will just call you a loser and move on without a grudge.

Class Warfare and The Simple Dollar. (@ The Simple Dollar) Trent handles a commenter’s misplaced aggression by explaining the entire theory of his top-shelf website on personal finance.  Then some others folks jumped in (over 150 in the first 48 hours!).  It was clear the commenter missed the mark, but Trent handled it with the professionalism we have come to expect.

Why Boys Fear Physical Education. (@MasculineHeart) William writes a lot of good articles and he found an interesting topic from another article.  He dives into the psychological aspects of a young man and his physical presence.  At a young age, boys are taught, told, encouraged to be physical.  “It is what boys do.”  Well, it’s a little more complicated than that and this article is just the start of a much deeper conversation.  Remember Draper’s comment “Success is about standing out, not fitting in.”  There is a lot of pressure at a young age.

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