re: Is Joan from Mad Men awful overall?

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It's the 60s. Nobody was going to give her opportunities if she didn't take them.

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Its not about taking opportunities... But as Don told her: EVERYTHING to her is an opportunity for HER.

The agency owns the material, ideas...but she acts like its her intellectual property DESPITE getting paid for it.

She's beyond the example/character of the "fast talking career gal" who gets her foot in the door.

The show purposefully begins her journey by having her give up her baby (yes, I forgot) to lay the groundwork that she doesn't want her Mother's life and as she says, "why can't I have what men have?"

But the show goes further. She's not simply a symbol of women's lib. She's sociopathic selfish. Doesn't tell Pete about the baby until its long-gone, buried under adoption secrecy.

Her banner at Sterling Cooper would be: "Is this good for Peggy?"

Instead of:


I think Joan's sympathetic and seems to always be there for the agency. Peggy extorts money from Roger to do her job of which she's already getting paid for and has little remorse in leaving once she is done with Don and has her bonafides...

Don to Peggy as she gives notice: "lets pretend I'm not responsible for every single good thing that's ever happened to you."

She says, "it's what you would do."

She admits, like Don...she's selfish...Don knows he is and struggles with his faults and behavior. Peggy doesn't believe she does anything wrong. Her telling Pete about the baby is iced cold chilling...Pete half doesn't believe it and wonders why she is telling him now.