While most recaps focus on the entire aspect of a show, this one’s going to be a little bit different.  As this is a feminist blog deconstructing images and portrayals of women in pop culture, why spend an entire post rambling on about the men of Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price.  Instead, these recaps will focus on the women of Mad Men – the main ladies: Peggy, Joan, and Betty, and any new additions or guest stars – hence the title “Mad Women.”

Betty
Considering the amount of anger Betty has shown toward Don since the divorce, it was good to see her smiling; (I don’t think we’ve seen her smile all season, much less because of something that Don did.  It was really good to see him doing fun things for Sally.)  I was surprised to see Betty confronted with protecting Don’s identity and doing so.  It looked like it bothered him much more than her.  I think she’s becoming slightly wary of Henry, with him working long hours; hopefully a big difference between him and Don will be honesty.

Peggy
No thoughts on Peggy this week, she was completely absent from this episode.

Joan
After the episode earlier this season where Joan visits her doctor, I was surprised to see the topic of abortion come up again this season.  (Its not the first time the topic has been addressed on the show, Betty considered and discussed it with Francine when she became pregnant with Gene at the end of the second season.)  It was curious how Roger wanted Joan to keep the child, but didn’t discuss or consider how she would support herself or the baby, with her husband off at war.  I wondered if she was so calm about the situation because she’s been through it before, and if he caught on to that.  The contrast of how abortion was treated then versus now wasn’t very big.  It is still a very taboo subject, despite the fact that it’s been legal for over thirty years.

Toni, Faye, Sally
I don’t know why, but I never took Lane for being socially progressive in his dating life.  The scene where Lane introduced Toni to his father was a bit awkward to say the least.  While he tried to play it off like it was nothing, I think she understood the racist undertones in his fathers excuses.  I’m curious whether he’ll do what his father says going forward, or stay with Toni, and continue his life in New York.

I wasn’t surprised to see that Faye was not upset by finding out that Don Draper isn’t who he pretends to be.  She was completely supportive and comforting of him while he fell apart and revealed his secrets.  Additionally she doesn’t care who he wants to say he is, it doesn’t matter if he still wants to be Don Draper or would like to start being Dick Whitman.  It was a really big moment for him, considering only Anna (who’s now gone) and Betty know.  I think Faye will be incredibly good for Don – she’s strong, independent, and speaks her mind without hesitation.

Leave your thoughts on Faye’s reaction to Dick Whitman, Joan and Roger’s future, and anything else from this episode in the comments.

Last Sunday, the new series Boardwalk Empire premiered on HBO.  While watching previews, I wondered if the show would address the fact that a large force behind prohibition was the Women’s Temperance movement.  I was surprised and happy to see that it was addressed in the first five minutes of the first episode.  Nucky Thompson (played by Steve Buscemi) is shown speaking at a meeting for Women’s Temperance, about how evil alcohol is, and how great it is that women no longer have to fear their drunk husbands.  If you saw the commercials, it’s obvious Nucky controls the Atlantic City Boardwalk, and part of that role is keeping the booze flowing freely during prohibition.  The upside for him is that he now gets to charge astronomical prices for a simple cocktail.

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While most recaps focus on the entire aspect of a show, this one’s going to be a little bit different.  As this is a feminist blog deconstructing images and portrayals of women in pop culture, why spend an entire post rambling on about the men of Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price.  Instead, these recaps will focus on the women of Mad Men – the main ladies: Peggy, Joan, and Betty, and any new additions or guest stars – hence the title “Mad Women.”

Betty
I find it more and more difficult to be a fan of Betty as this season progresses.  I understood where she was coming from by leaving Sally with Don after he called her, but I completely disagreed with the approach she took.  Her annoyance at every single thing Don does is getting tired.  I think the writers are spending too much time on the surface of her behavior, and not enough with the issues that lie underneath.

Joan
It was interesting to see Joan’s reaction to her husband (Mr. Asshole) going off to war.  Also, while Joan was chastising Roger for wanting to take her out after buying her the at-home spa treatment, she was wearing his “favorite dress.”  (He made a comment to her during the Christmas party episode, telling her to wear the red dress with the bow.)  It made it somewhat unsurprising that they got together again a few hours later.

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While most recaps focus on the entire aspect of a show, this one’s going to be a little bit different.  As this is a feminist blog deconstructing images and portrayals of women in pop culture, why spend an entire post rambling on about the men of Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price.  Instead, these recaps will focus on the women of Mad Men – the main ladies: Peggy, Joan, and Betty, and any new additions or guest stars – hence the title “Mad Women.”

I always use a quote from one of the female characters of Mad Men for the title of the recaps.  However, Don’s line to Peggy during last week’s episode was too good not to use.

Betty
During last week’s episode I couldn’t help but think that Betty has married a cross between her father and Don.  Instead of getting to the root of her issues, she keeps marrying controlling men who treat her like a little girl, so she continues to act that way.  From the end of the episode it seemed clear she’s desperate for the picture perfect suburban life that only exists in the advertisements Don creates for a living.  I think from the dinner, it’s obvious that she still isn’t over Don.  While she divorced him, and moved on, it pained her to see him doing the same.  From her conversation with Francis I think she’s beginning to become concerned that Henry is just another Don in a different suit – she’s spending her time being the trophy wife at important dinners for his career, and waiting in the kitchen for him to get home.

Peggy
I think Peggy is my new favorite character of the series.  Her reaction to Joey’s sexist behavior and attitude was excellent.  I was surprised that she gave him a chance to apologize to Joan, and I was glad that she fired him.  It was fantastic that Don told her to do it herself, I think it was power she didn’t realize she had yet.

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In addition to criticizing the negative aspects of being a gamer girl, I plan on writing about positive portrayals and treatment of the female gender in the gaming community.  There are some pretty kick ass companies out there making games that feature smart, non-sexualized, independent women.

Gears of War wasn’t the first third-person shooter game I played, but it definitely piqued my interest in the genre. (Previously I spent most of my time playing racing and skateboard games.)  I became interested in Gears via the online options – playing Horde and Annex are among my favorite ways to spend a weekend.   The first two games of the franchise only featured one female character – Anya Stroud, the control contact for the COGs.  Anya is smart, non-sexualized, and a valued member of the COG team.  In the upcoming Gears of War 3, Anya will be on the combat side of the COG team, along with a newly introduced character – Sam Byrne.

During an interview with G4, Cliff Bleszinski, Design Director of Epic Games, explained the reasoning behind having playable female characters in the latest installment.  “There’s more female fans in that franchise than a lot of other shooters…We wanted to depict the women as…tough, more like Jim Cameron women.  Like Sarah Conner, like Ripley from Aliens who are tough, and not like girls on the cover of like, Low Rider magazine.”

The fact that the team at Epic Games decided to listen to the female fans of the game, and made these characters badass and non-sexualized is something I can appreciate.  I’ll find out if Gears of War 3 lives up to my expectations next April when the game is released, but for the time being, I’m feeling pretty hopeful about it.

While most recaps focus on the entire aspect of a show, this one’s going to be a little bit different.  As this is a feminist blog deconstructing images and portrayals of women in pop culture, why spend an entire post rambling on about the men of Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price.  Instead, these recaps will focus on the women of Mad Men – the main ladies: Peggy, Joan, and Betty, and any new additions or guest stars – hence the title “Mad Women.”

Apologies for the late recap this week.

Peggy
I feel this week’s episode proved that this is turning out to be a very Peggy-centric season.  In my opinion, it was the best episode of the series so far.  Although I haven’t felt this type of vibe from her and Don’s relationship in the past, I really felt in this episode that they should be together.  They balance each other out, and neither judges the other for their past, their current mishaps, or their secrets and anger.  They both opened up to one another in emotionally revealing ways, and Peggy telling Don that he didn’t lose the only person who truly knew him, was spot on.  I believe that Don could sit down and tell Peggy all of his secrets, and she wouldn’t hold it against him, or be angry.  I thought when Peggy and Don were talking at the bar, she would tell him that Pete was the father of her child, and while she didn’t say who it was, I think that she’ll tell Don at some point down the line.

While I think Trudy’s comment to Peggy in the ladies room noticeably bothered her, her actions proved she isn’t caving to the pressure to be a “real” or “good” woman of the time, and let her life just become about marriage and children.  By the end of the episode, it didn’t bother her that instead of dinner with her boyfriend and family, she spent her birthday brainstorming, drinking with, and consoling a grieving Don Draper.  She is smart, and knows the stigma attached to her choice to focus on her career instead of landing a husband.

Joan
While I think Joan had only two lines the entire episode, I loved her exchange with the guys.  She proved that she is no longer just the girl who cleans up after the messes other employees make, she now has the power to tell people what to do.

Betty
No thoughts on Betty this week, she was absent once again

Leave your thoughts on Peggy and Don’s relationship, Trudy’s comments, and anything else from this week’s episode in the comments.

While most recaps focus on the entire aspect of a show, this one’s going to be a little bit different.  As this is a feminist blog deconstructing images and portrayals of women in pop culture, why spend an entire post rambling on about the men of Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price.  Instead, these recaps will focus on the women of Mad Men – the main ladies: Peggy, Joan, and Betty, and any new additions or guest stars – hence the title “Mad Women.”

Betty
Despite my frustrations with Betty so far this season – her anger at Don this episode was totally legit.  He’s completely hit rock bottom, and she has no patience for putting up with his shit.  Who can blame her?

Peggy
Peggy was AMAZING this week.  She showed she has no fear and takes no bullshit from the men at Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price.  We also saw a total role reversal of Peggy and Don’s relationship – while she has come to his rescue and “fixed things for him in the past, this week, she told him what to do, how to fix it, and how it was his responsibility to clean up the mess he made.  She proved to the new art director that she is far from “repressed” and in fact, one-upped him completely.  She not only challenged him and proved him wrong, but completely shut him down in the process.  I’m pretty sure she won’t have any problems with him going forward.  Peggy’s response to Stan looking at Playboy “Are you going to work or just stare at pictures who can’t stare back” was interestingly profound.

Joan
The flashbacks of a younger Joan and Roger together was great.  I was shocked that Don kissed Joan on the lips when they announced his win at the Cleo’s, but I think there’s a certain part of Joan that feels like these guys are her extended family in some weird kind of way – from seeing her hanging out with Pete, drinking with Roger at the bar, and holding Don and Roger’s hand during the awards under the table.

Dr. Faye Miller, Doris, And The Woman From The Bar
These three women this week showed us Don hitting rock bottom. The Clio’s were on Friday, when he went to a hotel with the woman from the bar, and he woke up the “next morning” (it was actually) Sunday, next to a mysterious woman who called him “Dick.”  He was so drunk from Friday night to Sunday morning, he couldn’t even remember when the woman from the bar left, or who the hell Doris was, much less that he had slept with her.  (I’m guessing from her uniform it looked like she was a diner waitress?)  Which of course leaves the questions of what ended up happening with the woman from the bar, and how he met Doris, and why she knows him as Dick?

Leave your thoughts on Peggy’s liberation, who Doris is, and anything else from this week’s episode in the comments.

The above image is a screencap of Samus in the latest installment of the Metroid franchise: “The Other M”

On Friday, G4tv.com posted their review of “Metroid: The Other M” written by Abbie Heppe.  The review called out the game on its troubling sexist storyline, and the destruction of one of the most kick-ass female characters in gaming.  In the latest installment of the franchise, Samus refuses to use her large arsenal of weapons and armor until a former superior, Adam, allows her to.  She’s frequently reduced to a weak, crying, trembling mess, even when fighting enemies she’s beat in former games.  Throughout her review Ms. Heppe expresses her disappointment with these changes to Samus’ character.  Unsurprisingly, the review wasn’t received well by gamers.

People were pissed and it didn’t take long for the review to spread across gaming communities.  The typical arguments appeared: the game isn’t sexist, it’s not as sexist as other games, it’s just a game, who cares, it’s not like Samus is wearing a string bikini, etc.  I think you get the point.

While most recaps focus on the entire aspect of a show, this one’s going to be a little bit different.  As this is a feminist blog deconstructing images and portrayals of women in pop culture, why spend an entire post rambling on about the men of Sterling, Cooper, Draper, Price.  Instead, these recaps will focus on the women of Mad Men – the main ladies: Peggy, Joan, and Betty, and any new additions or guest stars – hence the title “Mad Women.”

Sally
Sally was a really big focus of this episode.  She’s hitting adolescence, and it’s obvious neither of her parents are quite sure of how to deal with it properly or appropriately.  She’s exploring appearance, beauty, and her own body (she cut her hair, tried to look like Phoebe, and masturbated at her friends house.)  I can’t help but wonder if Don and Betty’s reaction is due to what we know about their past.  Both of them had parents who weren’t exactly good at dealing with their children growing up, and the changes that happen during the process.  I think if any of Sally’s behavior is a way of her “acting out”, it’s because of Don and Betty’s divorce, and the death of her grandfather – her picture-perfect-on-the-outisde suburban life is crumbling. 

Betty
After two weeks of almost no Betty screen time, this week’s episode featured her storyline throughout most of the episode.  I found her reaction to Sally cutting her hair disturbing.  While initially I felt that Henry was getting along better with her because he was listening to her after she slapped Sally, I quickly realized that it wasn’t an equal conversation they were having.  Henry’s tone and choice of words showed him treating Betty as everyone describes her: “a little girl.”  Something about the way he was telling her to go upstairs and apologize to Sally, and everything will be fine, was very…paternal?  Not to excuse Don in any way, because he certainly put her through hell, but it’s as if Betty married someone who would treat her in the way she sees herself – as daddy’s little princess.  While I was big fan of Betty for the first three seasons, rooting for her all the way, waiting for her to realize Don’s lying, cheating ways and to kick his ass to the curb, this season I find myself frequently annoyed by her behavior.

The show approached the topic of therapy once again.  Betty’s aversion to it, I think, is more about the betrayal she experienced the first time she opened up to a supposed confidant.  It seems she’ll be opening up and putting trust into the therapist she found for Sally.  I hope she’s finally able to work through her past – with her parents, her former and current husbands, and her kids.  It’s obvious simply divorcing Don didn’t solve “the problem that has no name” for Betty.  Being married to him wasn’t the source of all of her problems, and I think that in her discussion with the therapist, she may be coming to realize it.

I found it incredibly telling that while “trying” to get Sally help for her “problems” – Betty makes it all about her.  Rather than wondering why Sally would be driven to cut her hair or “play with herself  in public” the conclusion she reaches is that Sally is doing it to punish her.  As demonstrated by the picture I chose for this recap, I am fascinated by the possibility that the person who could help her understand herself, and open up is a child psychologist.

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Recently the website Consumerist.com posted a letter they received from an irritated female gamer.  She had contacted Xbox Live support to downgrade her account, and the reply she received told her they would be happy to help her with her sons account, and they know how disappointing it can be for her son when Xbox isn’t working properly.  And here’s why I’m writing about it – the woman who wrote in?  Never mentioned a son in her correspondence, and in fact she doesn’t even have any kids, much less a son with an Xbox account.  There is an automatic assumption that if you are female, you couldn’t possibly yourself be a gamer.  XBox is flooded with problems for girl gamers like me, but it’s something that is rarely addressed.

A few weeks ago, Gears of War was offering extra experience points for playing online.  Previously, I had always signed in as the +1 to my boyfriend’s account, and nothing would be saved.  Xbox was offering a 30 day trial period, so I figured, what the hell, I’ll sign up, I can always cancel once the trial period is over.  While thinking of a username, I realized that all the combinations of words that I would like to use, that I identified with, were all “feminine” in some way.  So immediately the first three ideas I had were out.  Of course, I could’ve used one of those names – but then I would’ve been subject to pictures of male genitalia, sexual harassment, and misogynistic comments.

When I finally settled on a username, one that is actually specifically male, I was happy.  “No more problems or worrying about any of the above” I thought.  The second day playing under my new account, I was invited to a chat with fellow team members while playing Warzone.  I realized that, even if I wanted to join (which I didn’t – I was already getting the feeling they were pissed because I wasn’t doing well), I couldn’t.  That would reveal me as being a woman, and wasn’t something I wanted to deal with.  (I was right about the annoyance part – they sent me messages telling me to “Get the fuck out!!!!!!!!” once the game was almost over.)  On top of all that, I was frequently put into games with people who had information that tried to circumvent the automatic Xbox offensive word finder – people would put words like “raep” and “b1tch” in their usernames or profiles, or in some cases, both.  I filed complaints each time I came across one, but over the long weekend, it seems I encountered this multiple times on a daily basis.

Currently, there’s no solution for stopping any of it, there’s only doing what I did – hiding.  Hopefully Xbox will get a clue and begin adding the “misspelled” words to their automatic finder.  Maybe institute a zero-tolerance policy on any of the above mentioned behavior?  But until then, it’s all male-sounding usernames and filing complaints one by one.