Mad Men C to Z Podcast: Don't Watch Mad Men

Don't watch Mad Men . . . or listen to our Mad Men podcast, unless, of course, you know what a fantastic show this is! We kept finding ourselves talking about various episodes of Mad Men days and weeks later as we talked about other movies, books, and stories. Lines from Mad Men kept working their way into our conversations. And much like a favorite book you feel the need to re-read, it felt like time to re-visit this amazing series.

We have a lot of friends who have varying tastes in media, including a number who have watched the show, but we haven't connected with any dedicated fans. This Mad Men podcast was born because we wanted to find those people - the re-watching fans - and to get a chance to talk and think more about each episode. Part of what's great about Mad Men is that you experience it differently at different times of your own life, and you're able to find new details with each re-watch. We also love the idea of new fans discovering this incredible show, so we stared our podcast creation process with a question:

Why would anyone want to watch Mad Men ?

Here's a link to our bonus episode, advising you not to watch Mad Men. After all:
1) It's dark. It's depressing. Characters can and will disappoint you with shocking regularity - even, or perhaps especially - the ones you most want to be heroes. You've got enough going on in your life and you probably want a little escapism when you turn on the TV . . . who wants to see petty co-workers or bad marriages or cruel parents when they're already dealing with those things in their own lives?

2) Do you really want to keep up with all the unique characters in the massive ensemble cast? Why not have a hero and a villain and call it a day? Instead, every minor character in Mad Men has a backstory and a future, and every conflict gives each character a chance to fight for their goals and fend off their fears - even if they're pretending to be fighting a nobler cause than self-interest.

3) You can't watch this show and multi-task - it requires your full attention to appreciate. You can't start in the middle of an episode (or the series) and understand all the dynamics. Your brain can't coast.

4) Nothing happens. It's almost entirely dialogue. If you're looking for car chases, battle scenes, or heart-pounding heists, you're in the wrong place.

5) This show will give you a life-long aversion to things you never thought you'd fear, like oysters and orange sherbet. Don't say we didn't warn you.

If, however, you're beyond hope and you're determined to ignore our advice, we're happy to enable your Mad Men re-watch habit! Find our Mad Men Season One podcast episode guide here. We hope you love it. That's what the podcast's for!