Mad Men Season 6 Finale ends with the song by Joni Mitchell, "Both Sides, Now" | 1969
Joni Mitchell was inspired to write this song while reading Saul Bellow's, Henderson the Rain King and looking at clouds from a plane.
{ Joni Mitchell fast fact via Rolling Stone: http://rol.st/12fzEZx }
SAUL BELLOW: "Africa reached my feelings right away even in the air, from which it looked like the ancient bed of mankind. And at a height of three miles, sitting above the clouds, I felt like an airborne seed...And I dreamed down at the clouds, and thought that when I was a kid I had dreamed up at them, and having dreamed at the clouds from both sides as no other generation of men has done, one should be able to accept his death very easily. However, we made safe landings every time...and I kept thinking 'Bountiful life! Oh, how bountiful life is'". - Henderson The Rain King, Chapter V
JONI MITCHELL SONG
Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
I’ve looked at clouds that way
But now they only block the sun
They rain and snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way
I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It’s cloud illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all
Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way you feel
As ev’ry fairy tale comes real
I’ve looked at love that way
But now it’s just another show
You leave ‘em laughing when you go
And if you care, don’t let them know
Don’t give yourself away
I’ve looked at love from both sides now
From give and take, and still somehow
It’s love’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know love at all
Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say “I love you” right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I’ve looked at life that way
But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I’ve changed
Well something’s lost, but something’s gained
In living every day
I’ve looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It’s life’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know life at all
I’ve looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It’s life’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know life at all
Credits: Top photo borrowed from Mad Men AMC archives / B/W Clouds photo found via Pinterest.
I have been very busy...more about that later...I will be playing Cosmo catch-up this weekend, I promise!
In the meantime, I have to comment on last Sunday's Mad Men episode, more specifically, the introduction of Megan Draper's (aka Megan Calvet) parents. In my opinion, it would have been hysterical if Mr. Weiner had casted actual French-Canadian actors. It was a bit of a disappointment. Hmmm...I will have to reference past episodes - are Megan's parent's suppose to be European immigrants? Is Megan the only true French-Canadian in the family? To be continued....
Image borrowed from here: Emile Calvet (Ronald Guttman) and Marie Calvet (Julia Ormond) in Season 5, Episode 7
Jessica Paré was introduced to us Mad Men fans as Megan Calvet this season and I think she is an entrancing addition to the series. For one thing, I love that she is a French Canadian playing a French Canadian. Her French is authentic and glacé. She brings an air of sophistication to the show and to Don Draper's life. I especially enjoy that her beauty is not perfect...she is not Barbie-Betty and this is refreshing. Will she marry Don?. . . I am curious to see how her presence will affect the other female characters . . . especially Peggy.
Does she really admire Peggy or will she play dirty and stomp on Peggy's career? Is it really about who you marry?
I believe Season 4 ends in the year 1965-66. . . can I wishfully predict that in the upcoming Season 5, the Mad Men writers will take the opportunity to honor the city of Montréal (and its new belle femme) by depicting the city's most spectacular event in its history. . . the World's Fair of 1967:EXPO 67?. . . ok, so I'm dreaming, maybe. Will they film in Montréal? hmmm...
NOTES: B/W photo of Jessica Paré from the September 16, 2010 issue of Rolling Stone.
It is a rainy day in Montréal and I am feeling a bit melancholic.
I miss ME. Do you ever ask yourself, where did I go? All three of my personalities are feeling the blues...and so I created a cathartic:pictorial assemblage to help me snap out of it.
1. The first set of pictures describe the sophisticated and fashionably-Jazzy ME. A detail of a Miles Davis picture I discovered in Shilo Byrd's pinterest board; gold hat from McQueen's AW 2010 collection; the beautiful Julie Delpy in metallic blue.
2. The second picture represents the artistically-aloof ME. I can relate to the entire mood of this scene...the shadows of working men in the background...hmm. Photo: MadMen's Midge Daniels in last Sunday's episode, Blowing Smoke.
3. The last two pics illustrate the attention to detail ME. Unadorned lightbulbs: photograph by Ambroise Tezenas and jacket from the Japanese label mina perhonen.
and I guess that's why they call it the blues...
Ok. So I meant to have my Mad Men post up Monday, but I was super busy.
I had another idea prepared but then I discovered London Fog's 2010 ad campaign with the gorgeous Christina Hendricks and I had to post it. She looks great, she kept her 'Joan' style and well it was just a matter of time. Mad Men created an entire episode around London Fog back in Season 3 (Episode 1: Out of Town) so perhaps this is London Fog's way of returning the favor.
For more pics click here...and is that Los Angeles' Union Station in the background? I miss L.A.
Mad Men makes me smile, hysterically laugh, sigh and at times vey upset...but I am completely enamored with the cast, writers and overall concept. One of my favorite aspects of the the show is the very intentional & historically relevant 'product placement.' A couple of weeks ago in Episode 2, Season 4 ( year 1964-65 ) I was very pleased to see that POLAROID made this season's script. Polaroid's automatic 100 series cameras were very popular in the 1960's and in the year 1963 the first color instant film was released.
Paul Giambarba designed the packaging for the entire automatic 100 series line...and really for its evolving look well into the 70's...and recently he took part in the packaging design for the Impossible Project's re-launching of instant film. Thank you Paul..I salute you!
For more Polaroid fast facts, read here...
Stay tuned for another Mad Men inspired post next week...Check out Kelly L. Water's (mon amie) blog HALCYON DAYS for her Mad Men inspired posts..
"We came to the conclusion that Polaroid would be better off if we didn't paint ourselves into a corner with a logo that might be appropriate for a few years, then less so as time went on. The first order of business was to create a brand name image that people could remember and correctly pronounce: Pola-roid, not Poy-la-rode. Next, we should have signage at every retail outlet that was clean and classy." Paul Giambarba
I just had to share these gorgeous pictures of Christina Hendricks from the current issue of Los Angeles Times Magazine. I am a huge Mad Men fan and I cannot wait to see her as Joan once again in the upcoming new season. Can you believe she is a true blond underneath that seductive red hair?
