CNN -- After a 17-month absence, a heavy marketing campaign and a flood of adoring publicity, TV's most critically acclaimed drama returned Sunday night to record ratings. The fifth-season debut of AMC's "Mad Men" delivered 3.5 million viewers for its two-hour premiere. That's up 21 percent from 2010′s fourth-season premiere, which marked the show's previous all-time high. Of those viewers, about 1.6 million were adults 18-49. The fourth season averaged about 2.4 million viewers, including DVR playback. "Mad Men's" first season averaged about 925,000 viewers.
Can I be honest? I just don't get Mad Men. Never watched an episode, never had the slightest inkling to, either. I don't know what it is. I mean it's a cultural phenomenon, Boston.Com is writing about Mad Men parties where a bunch of people dressed up like 1960's ad executives for the premier, not unlike super-dorks who dress up for Harry Potter and every single comic book movie release, critics bombarding the internet gushing about how great it is that it's back...and yet, none of this convinces me I should be watching the show.
There's just this huge disconnect between how much people rave about the show, and actually listening to them try to describe why the show is so fantastic. It just doesn't line up, it sounds terribly boring, which I'm sure just knocked a fair number of you reading this on your asses. "He called Mad Men Boring! How Dare HE!" But yes, the way you people describe the show is boring. The commercials? BORING. I can appreciate the idea that you get wrapped up in the characters and underlying story lines maybe, but I question how anyone started watching to begin with? What was so relateable or interesting about ad executives from 40-50 years ago? That's what I've never been able to get my head around.
So I'm going to continue on with my head in the sand I guess. If someone ever comes up with a plausible reason or explanation as to why I'm missing out and should be watching the show, I'll give it a chance, but lets just say I'm not holding my breath.
PS: after discussing this yesterday via e-mail chain I came to find out that two of my friends also have never watched Mad Men...Could it be that I'm not alone? Could this be one of those things where a very loud and vocal minority are opining about this shows greatness and the rest of us are just nodding along in agreement in fear of standing out from the crowd? God knows I've done it. I've been in situations where people were talking about the show and didn't want to volunteer the fact that I don't watch it, lest I be outcast from the conversation, so I just smiled and nodded, took my cues when to laugh and agree...is that what everyone else is doing, too?
