Emotional Paralysis and Moral Culpability.

So last night was the season premiere of the 4th season (I think?) of Mad Men which is quite possibly the best show on television right now. Excepting True Blood, but only because the men on True Blood tend to frolic through the show sans clothing. And we all know how I feel about that.

But it got me to thinking. . .

Here is a man, granted a beautiful man, who is repeatedly unfaithful to his wife and generally an asshole and yet he comes on the screen and I swoon. Now as much as I would like to think this is totally because Jon Hamm as Don Draper is dreamy in that stereotypical patriarch kind of way I think on a certain level I'm attracted to his character's moral culpability. For serious, he's an asshole. He slept with his kid's teacher whom he wooed at an eclipse. First of all, how in the world do you woo someone at an eclipse? That ability is mind numbingly brilliant to begin with and secondly:

When is the next eclipse? I wasn't aware they were events to pick up men at.

For the most part I really do blame his wife and his past for his lack of good moral standing. Betty is a frigid bitch. I couldn't get it up for her either. She may be a bombshell but she's got the emotional complexity of a grapefruit and is unfortunately just as sour. That one Valentine's day episode where she's all dolled up and they go to the hotel to get it on and Betty is just laying there like a tepid fish and Don can't get it up. . . Well no freaking wonder! Granted I'm sure you'll argue that by that point Betty had had enough and was already checking out but the woman is creepy. Remember that relationship she had with that kid? WTF Betty? And she's all evil to Sally. And completely ignores poor Bobby. SPOILER ALERT: And then she runs off with Henry and the baby to live in Nevada for a month and just leaves the kids with Carla! Granted Carla is the only one in that household that has any sense at all but still, leaving your kids with the nanny? For a month? I'm sure Carla has her own family to take care of. Geez. END. Betty is for serious a prime example of emotional paralysis. Example, see "The Dead", James Joyce. There's another crazy bia. Geez oh pete, I can pine for someone but she really takes the cake.

So maybe I'm just attracted to Don because he has actual emotions and acts on them. Compulsively. Which may or may not be a healthy thing to do but at least he's not emotionally dead. SPOILER ALERT: Although I will give Betty some credit with Henry, at least there she seems to be trying. New nightgown and all. END. To some extent his moral ambiguity is also evidence of his vulnerability which is also a big thing for me. Seeing as how I have that whole "I'm-so-screwed-up-I-can't-distinguish-between-you-loving-me-and-you-needing-me" complex happening. For serious, I'm kind of a mess.

I think on some level I can identify with the characters who are capable of gross moral turpitude. Because on some level I too am capable and why the hell not? I of all people should be careening down the slippery slope because let's face it, I'm emotionally unstable and have a questionable background. The whole parental mess and all. And my whole commitment/relationship mess and all.

You'd think it would be the opposite. I should be attracted to those characters who are emotionally dead because the Good Lord knows I could use some folks that are emotionally dead in my life. Or at least stable. I'm assuming that dead = not flip-flopping back and forth hence stability ensues. There's not a whole lot of emotional steadfastness in my immediate circle ie the parental units.

But I guess that's also an issue. Shouldn't my immediate circle consist of people separate from my parents? That at 27 I should have a new immediate circle. Try as I might I don't think that's going to happen. At least not anytime soon.