Character Study: Don Draper

It's hard to imagine our world without Don Draper.  Mad Men has developed a resurgence of all things from 1960's American culture and Don Draper personifies every single one of those things.  Strangely enough, everyone loves him even though his many faults are displayed quite prominently throughout the series.  Is there anyone out there who doesn't want to be Don Draper?

Mad Men is unique in that the show relies mostly on subtlety to put across any sort of message to its viewers.  Don is the most subtle character of them all, his actions reserved to the point where even the strangest nod of his head triggers a concerning thought in the viewer's mind.  Watching Don at work is sort of like watching a man walk into a burning building.  You know he's going down - eventually - and it hurts to watch, but you can't look away.

He's clever.  Charming.  Handsome.  He knows how to control a room.  His advertising ideas are usually brilliant.  He seems to respect women more than the other men he works with (his relationship with Peggy is honourable) and yet womanizes them like no other.  Don Draper sways back and forth, riding on the edge of every personality line, every season of the show placing him somewhere new in his characterization.

One thing is for sure: Don Draper makes the show.  He's certainly one of the most important television characters of our generation.  Time for some whiskey.