The Distruction Of Donald Draper

              The Don Draper we know and love is being dismantled episode by episode before our very eyes. The writers of AMC’s Mad Men are taking us through the destruction of a television icon.
             
              The character of Donald Draper has been a huge phenomenon throughout popular culture for the past 4 years. Women love the idea of him, men want to identify with him, but we are slowly seeing that Don has no sense of himself anymore. The power, confidence and genius that made Donald Draper who he was in the first 3 seasons came from his ability to project his true identity, Dick Whitman, through the lens he created to become Don Draper. We are locked in our view of who Don is and who we think he should be, and why not? Don the advertising phenomenon with perfectly timed epiphanies that change the way we buy products. Don the rye drinking ladies man, although immoral, it’s probably the coolest thing about him. And Don the family man, a trophy wife, 2.5 kids, the dog and a Cadillac. The discovery of his secret led to the implosion of his world. He is now Donald Draper only in name. So why would the writers, of arguably the most popular television show on the planet, want to deconstruct their main character? To what end?
         
              In past seasons Don’s extramarital affairs have come frequently, elegantly and without any resistance to his advances. His rendezvous were impulsive, passionate and idyllic. Betty’s discovery of Don’s secret led to the unraveling of his love life. In his Manhattan bachelor pad the writers have made him less than unsympathetic, pathetic? Alone and uncomfortable he gets by with occasional visits from a prostitute, whom he likes to have slap him around during their sessions, in the absence of any real emotional attachment. There have been a few instances where my subconscious hoped the old Don would shine through; his perky nurse neighbor, the blond at S.C.D.P., that works with the focus groups that he continuously flirts with and his sometimes twenty-something girlfriend, none of which have ended or began (in order of importance) with the suave nature of his previous exploits. At his lowest, albeit most realistic point, he clumsily and drunkenly seduced his secretary and then acted as if nothing had happened. This turns her world upside down, so much that she ended up throwing a paper weight at Don before she stormed out of his office.  Don’s seductive power over women, the trait everyman wanted to identify with, has been dulled into reality.
         
              The Mad Men writers have left the pitch man facet of Don’s character on the sideline this season. Removing Don from the conference rooms that symbolized his genius in powerful scenes in the past, has left the viewer starved for that endearing aspect of his character. The flash of brilliance during the campaign presentations, the witty revelations he doles out almost as insults to those around him, the Madison Avenue shaman of the 1960’s has left the building. Success can often lead us to forgive transgressions; the writers have not included these types of scenes that allow us to sympathize with Don. The drinks, however, have remained and in quantity. The drinks, combined with his unsympathetic status, present him like the borderline alcoholic he really is.

              This is the fleecing of Don Draper; they’re stripping him of his former self. In season 4, the dysfunctional and non-communicative relationship with Betty was the beginning and continues to be the basis of this new reality for Don. The relationship provides a significant portion of the antagonism and conflict in Don’s life. Continuously removing Don further from the dream life he lost when his secret unraveled and threw his life into an inevitable tail spin. The writers of AMC’s Mad Men are scripting their way to Don’s eventual hitting of rock bottom. It could be Anna’s death or it may come in some other form but it will happen.
               
              The original product was a fake, the old Don Draper wasn’t real and we knew it. His entire identity was based on a precarious set of lies, misinformation and things left unsaid. And why did he leave that damn box lying around! He did and he got caught, the writers had to get themselves out of that foxhole and the best way they could figure out how to do it was through catastrophic and monumental change. Change seems to be the theme of season 4, change for the better, change for the worse and the struggle to create something. We are witnessing a growth spurt in the character Don Draper; he’s learning to be himself without the life he once coveted. He’s struggling to let it go, he’s lost things he holds very dear, and he’ll probably lose more before the season is over. How far will they take him? We’ll just have to keep watching.