Conspiracy theorists were probably a little let down last night when (spoiler) Megan Draper didn't die... giving them only two more episodes for their prediction to pan out. But be warned, hopefuls, Matthew Weiner has now spoken out on the whole thing, saying, "It's just a coincidence. Rosemary's Baby was a best seller, and I've wanted Megan in a real T-shirt [from the era] for a couple of seasons. We're not yet in 1969, so [no Manson] this season. He's not in New York. Sometimes the audience mistakes symbolism." FINE. Let's just look at the reality of what we saw in last night's episode, which took place just before the Olympics, held in Mexico City that October.
OCEAN SPRAY
L: An Ocean Spray Cranapple coupon from 1969, "The Second Great Temptation." R: Cran-Apple Ed (Courtesy of Ocean Spray Archives)
The company is trying to get Ocean Spray to sign on, even if Roger thinks they're going after Sunkist. In 2009, marketing whiz Edward Gelsthorpe died, but decades before he had earned the nickname Cran-Apple Ed. According to his NY Times obit, "At Ocean Spray Cranberries, which he joined in 1963, he took one look at the company’s product line and initiated an immediate expansion. 'No matter how much money you spent saying, ‘Now, for heaven’s sake, eat cranberry sauce every time you have chicken,’ people simply weren’t going to do it,' he told AdEast magazine in 1974. 'So the job was to broaden that base.' With great success, Ocean Spray introduced Cran-Apple in 1964, earning Mr. Gelsthorpe the nickname Cran-Apple Ed."
PEGGY'S RAT PROBLEM
Peggy just bought a brownstone on the Upper West Side, and even though she has threatened to "sell the shithole," she's still there for now. Will she stay on the gentrification path, or flee? Last night's unwelcome house guest was the latest to test her. Peggy ends up killing a rat that's invaded her apartment in a trap, but a lot of blood is spilled in the battle. By the end of the episode she has adopted a cat, which may be a sign that she's ready to fight to stay in her place. And on the upside, by the end of 1968 the NY Times had reported that rat bites were down 50% over the last five years:
A November 1968 NY Times article on rats. (H/t Bowery Boys)
MARK LINDSAY
Sally's boy-crazy friend, upon meeting her downstairs neighbor Mitchell Rosen, tells her: "You're living with Mark Lindsay." Mark Lindsay was no relation to NYC's mayor at the time, but rather a member of the band Paul Revere & the Raiders. Around this time the band was going through an era of un-cool, and was just trying to fit more in with the changing times. In January of 1968 they took on the role of hosts in the new Dick Clark-produced show, Happening '68 (also called Happening). That year they also released Too Much Talk, and their psychedelic album Something Happening. Their song "Let Me" was a huge hit, and the following year they toured with the Beach Boys and were featured in a Pontiac sports car commercial.
But that's not all... Mark Lindsay also once lived in the house where Sharon Tate was murdered. DUN DUN DUN.
DRAFT DODGERS
Mitchell is actually trying to dodge the draft, after sending his draft card back in protest and being classified as 1-A (eligible for military service). While he doesn't end up taking this route, one option brought up is fleeing to Canada. In 1968 Sammy Davis, Jr. spoke to draft dodgers about their experiences in Canada—he was in Toronto for two weeks of performances. Davis asked, "What's happening here for you guys? Is it comfortable? Is it... this is what I wanted to know..."
IS DON'S DOORMAN A TIME TRAVELER?
One of the doormen in Don's building appeared to be wearing earbuds last night (unless this was some sort of hearing aid). Earbuds were around as early as the 1920s (here's a cool timeline of headphones), but were they actually common in the 1960s? New conspiracy theory: is Don's doorman a time traveler?
UPDATE: A commenter has pointed out this is likely a crystal earpiece, "a type of piezoelectric earphone... usually monaural devices with very low sound fidelity, but high sensitivity and impedance. Their peak use was probably with 1960s era transistor radios and hearing aids. They aren't used with modern portable media players due to unacceptable sound quality." Here is a young Ron Paul wearing one.
BOB BENSON
HOTT
There have been A LOT of conspiracy theories flying around about who Bob Benson could be—the best being that he's a government operative. But it seems Bob is just a regular office Joe with an adorable crush on Pete Campbell... which also sets things up nicely for next season, which could possibly take place in 1969, when the Stonewall Riots occurred.
WHISKEY SOUR
And finally, let's have a drink. Peggy gets wasted on some whiskey sours, which was one of the definitive 1960s cocktails. Here's how to make one yourself, courtesy of Mad Men:
INGREDIENTS
2 oz whiskey
½ oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz tsp sugar
1 cherry
½ lemon slice
INSTRUCTIONS: Put all ingredients in mixing glass and add ice cubes. Strain into highball glass. Add lemon slice and cherry to garnish.
