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Last Night's <em>Mad Men</em>: From Hare Krishna To American Hurrah
By
Jen Carlson
Published May 21, 2012
Modified Apr 2, 2013
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By
Jen Carlson
Published May 21, 2012
Modified Apr 2, 2013
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It's time to look back at the timestamps placed in last night's episode of Mad Men—there were quite a few. Don't scroll down unless you're prepared for some spoilers.
HARE KRISHNA
Harry goes to visit former ad man Paul Kinsey, who has joined the Hare Krishnas. This movement actually started in New York in 1966 (the current year on Mad Men) as a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization, founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The movement's beliefs are based on traditional Hindu scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita.
In October of 1966, the NY Times reported on the movement, specifically a meeting in Tompkins Square Park that Allen Ginsberg attended. He told them, "It brings a state of ecstacy. For one thing, the syllables force yoga breath control; that's one physiological explanation." He was talking about the mantra ("Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare Hare"), which he also said "replaced LSD and other drugs for many of the swami's followers."
When Harry visits Kinsey at the Krishna storefront, this was most likely at 26 2nd Avenue, and it's still used today.
AMERICAN HURRAH
Megan takes Don to see America Hurrah, which premiered at the Pocket Theatre on November 7th, 1966. The trilogy of short plays—called Interview, TV, and Motel—first premiered at LaMama Experimental Theatre Club in 1964. In New York it ran for 640 performances and was "widely hailed as the watershed play of the sixties—the first major dramatic expression of the anti-Viet Nam war movement. Catching theatre—goers by surprise, America Hurrah had a shock effect on the culture." Don wasn't a fan however, as he viewed it as a criticism of his career in advertising.
STAR TREK
The original Star Trek series started running on television in 1966, and had only been on air for a few months at this time. Kinsey writes a spec script and tries to get Harry to get in the hands of someone at NBC. It's called "The Negron Complex," and someone points out on a Trekkie message board, "I laughed because the 'Negron' people were white, so they're playfully poking at the mythical Star Trek script about the world with the inverse race problem." Here's a promo for the show in 1966:
CHRISTMAS WALTZ
The song Joan and Don are listening to at the bar is "Christmas Waltz" which has been performed by many, including Peggy Lee (who just sang to JFK at Madison Square Garden on his birthday a few years earlier). This was also the title of the episode, and some the song's more prominent lyrics are: "May your New Years dreams come true." There are only three episodes of the show left for the season, and this one saw the characters seemingly starting down new paths, both good and bad: Don is back, and is throwing himself back into the game at the agency; Joan is moving forward with her divorce; Kinsey is (possibly) moving to L.A.—but on the other hand, Lane is amidst a financial mess; Roger is now getting drunk before 8 a.m. (albeit, he's a former sailor and in this episode was commemorating the 25th anniversary of Pearl Harbor); and Harry may soon have a Hare Krishna recruiter hunting him down.
Previously: The Rolling Stones play Forest Hills, Queens, the Charles Whitman shooting spree in Austin, the Richard Speck murders, that "thing'"happened in Bed-Stuy, Roger takes LSD, Peggy goes to Minetta Tavern, and Trader Vic's makes a cameo.
Tagged
christmas waltz
mad men
mad men history
television
tv
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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