"Mad Men" Week 4: A Lecture from the Professor Emeritus of Accounts

With only 45 minutes left before the week five episode airs on AMC, here is my week four rumination on Roger Sterling for the "Mad Men Project".  A hearty congratulations to goes out to Colin McGuire, as his "TV Without a TV" blog was just named one of the best newspaper blogs by the Maryland/DC/Delaware Press Association. I thank him again for making this all possible.

After three weeks of watching Roger Sterling pathetically navigate his reversal of fortune within the agency, it was satisfying to see him return to form as a shrewd and savvy account man once again (perhaps the John Slattery director credit had something to do with this). Roger might be a terrible human being, but there's no denying that he's gifted with an emotional intelligence quotient that no other account man at SCDP possesses, especially arch-enemy Pete. And while Roger hasn't worked as hard as others to bring in new accounts, his hard work is reflected in the round-the-clock dedication to the whims of his clients. To him, the dedication of the account man is so total that nothing (including moonlighting as a hack science fiction writer) should divide your attentions. Roger relishes his work and believes it can satisfy every intrinsic need.

 

The scene with Roger teaching Lane the performance aspects of a successful client dinner was a highlight not just for Roger, but for "Mad Men" in general, as it momentarily stripped the show to its essence. That statement might seem trite, but to echo Colin's frustrations with last week's episode, the dream sequences and other soap opera-like flourishes often detract from the very compelling drama that exists in the everyday work of ad men. In other words, it was a welcome change to see Roger actually doing his job, and doing it well, too. Roger was surely being self-deprecating (and perhaps self-pitying) when he referred to himself as "Professor Emeritus of Accounts," but the countless three-martini lunches and late night dinners he's logged over the years certainly give him the expertise that Lane could benefit from. Unfortunately, Lane was unable to implement Roger's manipulation-masquerading-as-empathy routine with Edwin Baker from Jaguar, setting up a follow-up dinner and a calamitous turn of events ironically spurred by Roger. 

 

Naturally, Roger's efforts to cater to clients often leads to morally dubious behavior, and when Lane's buddy from Jaguar looks to indulge in some after-dinner "fun," seasoned veteran of debauchery Roger knows exactly what he's looking for. The resulting loft party with prostitutes (and a madam who might be Dr. Faye Miller's fat older sister) leads to unsurprising sexual dalliances for Roger, Pete and the client (and surprisingly not Don), but ultimately spells disaster for the Jaguar account when Mr. Baker's wife eventually discovers evidence of the "fun" he had. While Lane's anger over the circumstances is ultimately transferred to Pete via fist, it's worth wondering if Lane has gained a new respect for Roger's account man sensibilities. Lane has put Pete in is his place (for the time being at least), perhaps opening the door for a restoration of Roger's role as top account man.

"Mad Men" Week 3: Roger's Deep Pockets

Here's another (thankfully less-winded) analysis of Roger Sterling's insufferable antics from week three of "Mad Men". 

Roger Sterling's ineptitude and toothlessness were played up for laughs this week, albeit for only a few minutes of screen time. Having totally neglected his day-to-day management of the Mohawk account (to presumably spend all day lounging in his office in what appears to be a dentist's chair), Roger is forced to find a copy writer to craft an entire corporate image campaign over the weekend for a Monday morning conference call with Mohawk. With "genius" Ginsburg out of the office, Roger is forced to turn back to the penis-free Peggy to handle the creative grunt work. Of course, he needs her to sacrifice her weekend and to lie about her sudden role in the campaign.

Roger thinks a simple $10 bribe will buy Peggy's silence and compensate for the sudden overtime, but Peggy is not about to be manipulated so easily. Roger dismisses her protests over this raw deal by pulling rank and threatening to fire her if she doesn't comply, but Peggy sees right through these hollow threats. Roger's back is firmly against the wall and she lets him know it, giving him no choice but to sweeten the deal by upping the bribe. As Peggy hustles Roger for the $400 in his pocket, his lack of power is laid bare in a most embarrassing fashion. (This begs the question that Harry asked in week 1 — Why does Roger always carry so much money? And more importantly, how does he continue to have so much cash in light of his divorce and the lean times the agency is experiencing?).

Because Roger is effortlessly hustled by a woman who moments earlier he scolded like a child for having her feet on the desk (not to mention the whole lack-of-penis dig last week), the scene is another hilarious yet powerful example of Peggy's subversion of the prevailing gender dynamics in the offices of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. And thanks to Pete and Peggy, Roger is receiving his due karma, no doubt to the satisfaction of the viewing audience.

"Mad Men" Week 2: "Tea Leaves"

This is way late, but more astute readers would have already breezed through it over at "TV Without a TV". Anyway, here's another installment of passionate analysis for Roger Sterling and "Mad Men" week two.

"Tea Leaves" was an apt moniker for the second episode, as Roger Sterling catches an unsightly glimpse into the not-too-distant future of the advertising agency he's known his entire life — a future that will likely have no place for him, and sooner rather than later.

 

Roger's stake in the future of Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce continues to be thwarted by Pete Campbell's restless ambition. The power struggle between them picks right up in the first scene, as Roger refuses to go to Pete's office for a meeting regarding Mohawk Airlines. There is good news to celebrate, though, as Roger's client-winning rapport based around liquor and wartime nostalgia has brought the regional airline back to SCDP. Pete acknowledges Roger's role in landing the account and asks him to handle the day-to-day work. While Pete suggests Roger hire a simple retail copywriter for basic airfare ads, Roger has other ideas and wants to give Mohawk "a good looking version of Don." Though Peggy is a qualified in-house candidate for such work, Roger is concerned that the traditionalists at Mohawk would prefer "someone with a penis" to write their copy. Peggy is then given the task of hiring a new copywriter with grand ideas (and proper anatomic orientation). 

 

While Peggy fears that iconoclastic young copy writer Michael Ginsburg will clash with the prevailing austerity of Roger and Don, both men are impressed upon meeting and urge her to hire him. However, Roger's motives are based more on insensitive opportunism than talent, as he feels having "a Jew" on board would make the agency seem more "modern" and impress Mohawk. He chalks up Peggy's misgivings about Ginsburg to feelings of job insecurity and assures her that no one will replace her. 

 

Roger is forced to reevaluate this position, however, when Pete gathers the entire staff together to announce the acquisition of Mohawk. In Machiavellian fashion, Pete seizes the moment to cement his prestige in the eyes of agency by declaring to everyone that he's signed the airline himself, giving no due credit to Roger. While Roger is certainly receiving his comeuppance for trying to poach Pete's accounts in episode one, he is understandably furious and warns Peggy to forget what he's told her about Ginsburg and job security, as we learn Pete was the last person Roger hired (and according to Roger, was something of a protege). Roger then storms back to an office to liquor his wounds with Don following behind. 

 

As Roger and Don share a moment of closeness that hasn't been seen in a little while, the notion of mortality looms large, albeit in different senses. Don is concerned about Betty's possible terminal illness and  acknowledges how her death would change his life (with Roger callously quipping that Betty's death would "solve everything"). While the ever-jaded Roger has given up on actual life and death, he is forced to confront his own mortality within the agency, expressing resignation over having to prove his worth and being "exhausted from hanging onto the ledge having some kid's foot on my fingertips." Roger has certainly been outmaneuvered by Pete, but his predicament is equally his own fault.

 

When Roger leaves Don's office, he innocently asks "When is anything going to get back to normal?" For Roger, posing this question is a delicious slice of irony. Of course Roger was referring to the power struggles in the SCDP offices, but the seismic social and cultural shifts to come in the late 1960s (and their resulting effects on the advertising world) will undoubtedly turn the WASPy privileged profession Roger inherited into something unrecognizable. Whether or not Pete pushes him out, Roger will face the unpleasant reality of his own obsolescence.

 

Bombs away.