Over the past six seasons, Mad Men's womanizing, alcoholic, fundamentally damaged protagonist Don Draper has been held up as an icon of masculinity. (He does, admittedly, look pretty great in a suit.) But if you're looking to channel your inner Don Draper, what can you do? In a recent interview with Denise Martin at Vulture, Mad Men creator Matt Weiner reveals the secret to Don Draper's success: He never changed with the times.
"The secret to his success is in not being a fad-ist," says Weiner. "It's not like someone's coming in and blowing him away with brand-new work that's super ingenious. He operates from what he wants. His creative style is timeless. Things that have torpedoed him at work have much more to do with drinking too much and letting his anxiety overwhelm him, acting impulsively, acting selfishly. That is not a product of the times."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
5 ladylike cartoons about women's role in the electionCartoons Artists take on the political gender gap, Lady Liberty, and more
-
The right to die: what can we learn from other countries?The Explainer A look at the world's assisted dying laws as MPs debate Kim Leadbeater's proposed bill
-
Volkswagen on the ropes: a crisis of its own makingTalking Point The EV revolution has 'left VW in the proverbial dust'
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strikeSpeed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
-
US economy still strong in final preelection reportSpeed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strikeSpeed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
-
Ports reopen after dockworkers halt strikeSpeed Read The 36 ports that closed this week, from Maine to Texas, will start reopening today
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homesSpeed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bidSpeed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detenteSpeed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
