Sterling Cooper: Where The Boys Are

There has been so much passion and polarization over the 8th episode(Souvenir) of this season’s Mad Men. Specifically in regards to one Pete Campbell and his extreme lack of judgment conscience with a German au pair. At first I couldn’t see what others were seeing: an obvious rape. That word conjures up something forceful and violent. And since we didn’t see extreme force or violence, it’s hard for me to use the word ‘rape’. Now, of course, the legal definition of the word has changed significantly over the years to include less obvious forms of violation. So to 2009 viewers, that was essentially rape. And wrong. I do not doubt the wrongness of it, but didn’t want to look at one of my (sometimes)favorite characters like that.


However, I’m beginning to see the other side of it.

So TCM(AMC’s classic movie rival) aired the 1960 movie Where The Boys Are on the Thursday following the “Souvenir” episode. And the programmers at TCM either watch the show or read my mind because the minute that Hildy made the comment about getting a place for the weekend with the other secretaries, I immediately thought of this movie! As I watched it, for the first time I understood it not just as some fluffy 60’s teen movie with the requisite musical numbers. There was social commentary, however flippant about young women expressing their sexuality, presaging the sexual revolution for women. What jumped out at me beyond the obvious morality tale was the fact that the young college guys were very much like Pete Campbell in attire and attitude. The Florida air was filled with entitlement. And poor little Yvette Mimieux was literally terrorized by her Spring Break fling’s buddy. I thought, ’Wow, I am having a profound Mad Men moment of clarity‘....and not all of those young men were ’the wrong crowd’ as George Hamilton stated. They were college preps just like his character. It hit too close to my fangirl home and I had to re-evaluate. Even if Pete was Uber-dork in college, he probably saw this type of behavior all the time...probably where he got his lovely manners towards women.  There was a constant demonstration of aggressive skirt-chasing at SC(though not as much in 1963 as 1960...things they are a’ changin’) Add to this his loveless family dynamic and you have a little boy trying to be a man based on what he's seen rather than what he's taught.  He does have sociopathic tendencies and we've seen it being alluded to with his mentioning of movies such as Rope and Cape Fear, which he apparently loves.  We've been set up for this to happen probably since the first episode of Season 1.  I can't believe that I didn't connect all the dots until I saw this cheesy teen movie. 

Also... It adds an entirely different meaning to the statement Pete made about Hildy at the beginning of the episode: “...it’s her you should feel sorry for.“ Maybe Pete knew what she and the other secretaries were in for over the weekend.

I do still believe in Pete and hope that this was the bottom for him. He can’t be the only villain at SC!  I do think he sincerely recommited himself to Trudy, even if it wasn't in the ideal Don Draper way. I still have love for him with a large side of hate but I’m keeping faith. Not so sure about Don Draper, though....that’s a whole nother post.