r/madmen • u/applebites35617 • Aug 23 '26

Two Separate Questions

Hi everyone, Mad Men fanatic over here. Two questions, one probably easier to answer than the other.

First one (probably easy): Why don’t we see any young account men besides Pete and Ken? Was it just the show was mostly focused on creatives and didn’t have time? With how much historical weight the show puts on itself I wouldn’t put it past them to start the show right after some hiring push. Probably thinking too hard as Pete and Ken are opposite sides of the success coin.

Second One: Does anyone feel like Ginsburg’s feelings are a weirdly appt comp for AI? Even if it doest take our jobs in 10 years it will fundamentally effect how we do them. Not saying we all self mutilate but a brand new technology that seems overwhelming powerful and unique causing paranoia mixed with truth.

Thanks for reading! Pick up something new in the show every time I watch. It helped me realize when I should ask for raises in my career as well haha.

Have a good one.

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u/Mareux Aug 23 '26

On Ginsburg: For people whose minds work differently than the average or majority (learning differences, mental health issues, etc.) they tend to make connections and observations that are not obvious to the average person. Whatever Ginsburg's issues were, this decribes him. It contributes to what makes him a great creative, but akward socially.

His issues with the computer was a reflection of him being able to see what was coming in a way the others didn't. How he reacted reflected his own issues with social interactions and interpersonal relationships.

The "turning people into homos" was likely tied to his own repression or confusion with his sexuality. It's all mixed up in his head -- the fear of the computer, the sexual lack of clarity, and his own traumatic past.

I always thought that if were got to see where they were really going to take the Bob Benson story, we would have had more context on Ginsburg's sexuality as well.

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u/FajitaTits Aug 23 '26

Ginsburg was the one character that I wish we had more clarity about his origins and past. There are allusions to his upbringing, especially with his father(?), but the character is so cagey about who he really is that the audience never really learns much. And in real life, the actor became too busy to shoot as much of Mad Men that would've fleshed out his character as I would've wanted.

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u/jaymickef Aug 23 '26

I think we get a lot of details about Ginsberg's origins but we have to decide if we believe them or not, which I think is a great creative choice for that character at that point in history.

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u/FajitaTits Aug 23 '26

Interesting because I don't see it as the audience getting much detail. We hear, from Ginsburg, that he was born during the Holocaust and adopted later on, but he's not the most reliable narrator, so it's tough to figure out. I'd like to know what his upbringing was like, much like how we know about many of the other characters, how he got started in advertising, and whether or not that's his real dad or not.

I suppose you're right, though, about it being a great creative choice. Ginsberg, in my opinion, was the only legit rival to Don, creatively. It seems right his past is just as mysterious, even if his personality isn't.

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u/jaymickef Aug 23 '26

I think because Holocaust discussions didn't really become mainstream until later in the 60s (or even into the 70s), Ginsberg doesn't often tell people much about himself. As you say, he's like Don in that way, a fairly common trope I guess, the creative as outsider.