For those in the audience who actually watch (and love and adore) Mad Men, this weekend's Saturday Night Live was a treat, since it featured series star Jon Hamm, aka lothario 1960's advertising superstar anti-hero Don Draper, whose name gets bolded for obvious reasons. The opening monologue was about how few people know and watch Mad Men — even though it won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series this year — so probably much of the viewing audience didn't realize how AWESOME it was that Peggy Olson and Roger Sterling were in on that sales pitch to the Two A-Holes, but for those of us who have embraced odd sexual fetishes ever since John Slattery guest-starred on Sex and the City, it was a trip. And damned if Don Draper didn't make you want to buy that suspended hula hoop as much as a Kodak carousel.
I suspect that, for regular readers of this column, this is not inside baseball — but if you don't know what I'm talking about then get thee to iTunes and download Mad Men and then see if Betty Draper doesn't remind you of Cindy McCain. There are, of course, other parallels to these times, but we'll leave that for another obsessive TV column. In the meantime, I'll just say that I laughed out loud several times at "Jon Hamm's Jon Hamm," which may mark the first time I've ever really laughed at toilet humor.
Also, special shout-out to Casey Wilson for the best cameo ever - who wouldn't want to play Joanie? (Though less so after last week's episode, when her sexuality was used so sadly and awfully against her. Read Emily Nussbaum on that.) Also, note that, though Amy Poehler was not on the episode since brand-new baby Archie Arnett chose to have his own appearance live from New York on a Saturday Night, this was actually Poehler's last episode of SNL since she appeared in "Don Draper's Guide To Picking Up Women" with the memorable line, "Let's get me out of this skirt." Oh, come on. You would, too.
Yes, this was a self-indulgent post written basically as an excuse to kvell over Mad Men and make a goofy pun in the headline, but it's useful too, because here are all the videos! You really get to understand Jon Hamm's method on the fifth or sixth or twelfth views, trust me.
Two A-Holes Go To Sterling Cooper:
The Obama Variety Hour (best part: Hamm's awesome JFK):
Update: Ralph Nader (best part: Bill Hader's Vincent Price, sadly not shown):
Samberg's Rasta Man Digital Short (best part: lowering his voice when he passed actual rastas):