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Smoking? Check. Heavy drinking? Check. Philandering? Yep, it looks like American Movie Classics' "Mad Men" hits the mark, for suburban commuters who lived in the 1960's fast lane.
"Oh, it's quite an accurate portrayal in the couple of shows I saw," said 86-year-old Bill Harrington of Darien, a former account executive at Young & Rubicam. As someone who worked in the advertising industry during those years, he has a pretty good idea of what it was like.
All of the social woes and vices on the show were there, though Harrington said not nearly as prevalent as AMC would have viewers believe. For that reason, he quit watching the show when it became too much of a soap opera. "We experienced some of that in a more gentle way. It was far less cutthroat," said Harrington.
Sure, there were cigarettes in the office. In fact one manufacturer, Kent, was one of Harrington's clients. It was a great gig, too, because, according to the retired adman, there was a cigarette machine in every major office, and they were all Kent brand.
The philandering was a bit more secretive, but it went on. As to the alcoholism, well he couldn't vouch for that and said he wasn't aware of anyone keeping a flask tucked away. His wife, Marge, smiled and nodded. "Oh yes," she said, "there were flasks and drinking."
Marge, 81, joined Y&R when she was 19. She worked in a job that her husband is quick to point out wouldn't legally exist today: secretary to the head of female personnel. When they met, he was still in the mail room, working his way up the corporate ladder. "He was my mail boy," said Marge smiling at her husband.
Harrington said he doesn't intend to watch tonight's season premiere at 10 on AMC. Marge, who hasn't seen the show yet, said she is going to tape it because of all of the hype "Mad Men" has received.
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