Hold up. Cigarettes AND alcohol?

It's interesting that you talk about the liberal evolving from the Orthodox. Liberal Judaism certainly came out of, then left, the shtetls, but what's fascinating is that this erasure of any depiction of women in public life is a pretty modern development - like in the last few decades. It's not based on anything…

All of the women were very likely in a separate room or building, nearby, having a separate, parallel, wedding reception and dinner. The bride and her close family/friends were brought to the men's section just for the mitzvah tantz - the part in the pictures.

Just like most royalty I suppose...

At modern Orthodox weddings men and women will typically sit together, just not dance together - and even then, some couples choose to have traditional separate dancing at first for a few songs, then the separation goes down and men and women dance together. Quelle scandale.

Actually at least a part of it almost surely was. Looks like the Jerusalem municipality had to do a good job of clearing the streets and providing security. Most of the Hasidic population in Jerusalem does not work above-the-board jobs or pay taxes, and there were a lot of out-of-towners, so yeah, the average…

At the beginning of the wedding, the bride is in one area and the groom is in another. They traditionally haven't seen one another for a week. Guests visit them separately, mingle, have cocktails and appetizers. Then about an hour in all the guys lead the groom, with singing and dancing and music, to the bride. It's…

I've been to a number of Hasidic weddings, in Jerusalem and NY. I'm pretty sure that she was only veiled when being seen by the men. The women were probably in a totally different building nearby, and when she went in with them I'm guessing she took off the veil. The ceremony itself is only the chuppah - everything…

It's interesting because perhaps these parents are also making a class-related point - I can't afford to hire someone to show up in my place like you can, so I guess school volunteerism is now just for regular people (who can afford NYC private-school tuition) and the servants of the wealthy, huh?

Me neither. I work full-time. I just think that that was the meaning here, not some bullshit classism. But I could be wrong.

I think the point is that if they can manage to make the time, then the other parents should be able to as well.

But...but what does a hippo eat? I HAVE TO KNOW IF I'M DOING IT WRONG.

Snaps. Exactly.

Thanks for this, Tracy. It really is insane how pervasive this is. Anybody ever catch themselves looking at someone skinnier than you and thinking "Wow, I bet they have NO problems." I do this all the time, and talk about fucked up. "She's on heroin? Well hey, at least she's thin! Her life must be perfect! Except, you…

I think her blackness was crucial to the greater point the episode was making, in my opinion, about the real messiness and upheaval of the sixties infiltrating the sheltered world of Mad Men's white folks. The Draper kids are used to seeing middle-aged black women as nurturing, harmless mammies, which made the scene…

What made this episode so amazing was that it was written - the time lapses, the weird camera angles - to leave you feeling disoriented and disturbed, as if you had just had a bad trip yourself. Or was it just me?

That tap-dancing bit was absolutely mesmerizing. The timing, the delivery, everything. Especially how you can't tell if he's angry, sardonic, stoned, or all three. Brilliant.

yeah I'd still hit it.

Sheena Danger sounds like the name of a drag queen. And I mean that as a compliment.

I caught that movie on TV when I was 12, and when I was really being snotty to my mom I'd called her Mommie Dearest. She <i>loved</i> it.