Don Draper: For Women Only, Please Respond

I am associated with the Culture Change Institute, a Tufts based group founded by Sam Huntington and Larry Harrison, which examines various cultures regarding attitudes towards prosperity, democracy and social justice. My area is the effect of entertainment upon cultures. Next week, I'll be leading a seminar about the cultural effects of American entertainment media on current attitudes. Last week, I watched a television news program in which a reporter asked "women in the street" what they thought of Don Draper, the anti-hero of the hit cable show Mad Men.
Draper is a cad, but a remarkably charming and handsome one. For those of you who don't watch the show, it is set in a 1960s advertising agency, where ad men drink, smoke and chase women around and over the desks. Draper appears the most suave of the characters, but he is also the most complex. He is extremely talented, and possesses a keen sense of the internal politics of his agency. He rises to creative director and a junior partnership in his firm. Don is a player in every sense of the word.

Nevertheless, most of the women interviewed by the television reporter said they would be more than happy if he fixed his attentions on them. Given the change in attitudes of women in the 1970s, I was surprised by their eager response. I am trying to determine the extent of the favorable response to the Draper character before I comment about its cultural effect at the seminar. Therefore, I would like to pose two questions to those of you who have seen the show, and know the character:

Would you date a "Don Draper"?

Would you considering marrying a "Don Draper"?

I've gotten zero comments on some postings, and a hundred or so on others. Here I need all the comments I can get, so please respond, I need the largest sample I can get.

 

 

Comments

[cyjames1975]

Date? If I'd just met him out of nowhere, probably. He's good looking and charming and has what appears to be directness and honesty. The ultimate coolness and detachment would scare me off ultimately, but who knows how long that would take. If I knew everything about him (or even some of his history) as I know watching the show, no.

Marry? Never, but I know lots of women who would. He has this strength combined with this "something" that makes him look like he needs saving. Like if you loved him and made him feel secure, he'd be yours forever. This is what has many of the women on the show sucked into the Draper vortex. To get a famous cad to be yours forever would be quite the skin to hang on the hall. People (male and female) love a tough win to show how fabulous they are.

[misspoptart]

Oh I'd date him all right..., but marriage? No way!

[KAEKBoston]

With all due respect to the research, I suggest you add a third category regarding Don Draper. 1) date him, 2) sleep with him or 3) marry him. I'd sleep with him but never date him or even consider a legal arrangement.

Also, you may get more responses to this fascinating question if it was easier to post on this site...too many obstacles from Huffington to jump through to simply respond to an article.

[lycanjunk]

My answer is: Yes, and Yes.

I consider myself a fairly modern woman, but there are a number of reasons why I, personally, would date and/or marry Don Draper. My first reason is because he would provide a level of income that I would not be able to obtain for myself. This income would open up worlds to me that would otherwise be closed and completely out of reach. They say money doesn't buy happiness, but it does provide opportunity. I would be able to make the choice to stay home with my children if I so desired. Unlike many women, I love being home and hated having to work full-time. Housework is not something I enjoy, so would have a housekeeper, but spending time with my children, taking them to piano lessons, watching them grow would be priceless.

Secondly, I find him exciting. Yes, he cheats on Betty, but he always comes home, can be a good companion to her, and is a participating father. But, he has that sexy, strong side that takes command of any room the moment he enters. All the women want him and all the men want to be him. I love that.

So, a resounding YES, YES, YES. I would take Don, warts and all. He does treat Betty well, even with the other women, drinking, and long hours. Deep down, he does love her. She knows he's not perfect, as would I, but I could live with that.

[semmer]

Don Draper is the type of guy that women think they can change. They love his masculinity (definitely not a metro-sexual!), and he knows how to make a women feel sexy. Women see his inner good boy just wanting to do the right thing, and were the ones that will bring that aspect out.

With that said, Don is the kind of man you would date, but you wouldn't marry because you could never entirely trust him. If he is cheating on another woman to be with you, he will eventually cheat on you.

[TruGal]

I have dated "Don Draper", if by that you mean an exquisitely handsome man.
But, with age comes wisdom (hopefully) so I doubt I'd now have the energy it takes to fight off other predatory women to hold onto him. Therefore, despite Drapers' (or Jon Hamms') looks and even his intelligence, he is less appealing to me than, say, Larry David!

[rodsbadhairday]

"Don" is physically attractive, and he oozes masculinity.
I'd date him, but I'd never marry him. But then again, I'm not Betty, and it isn't the sixties.