The exception was Lucille Ball, who managed to break out of the male-dominated society in nearly every episode of "I Love Lucy." Even though she had to concede to her husband's judgment at the end, she never learned her lesson, Thompson said.
Since then, the old values have proved as hard to shake in real life as on television. In the 1990s, a grown child of the women's movement still struggled with old gender ideas in "Ally McBeal." Even in the current crop of women-led detective or law shows, women can be the sharpest tool at work, but their personal lives are always a mess.
Hendricks, Moss and Jones said the cast always has a good laugh at the impolitic dialogue in their first reading of an episode. "Some of it just feels absurd," Hendricks said. "You think, 'My God, you would never say that in public.' "
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday, July 24, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 28 words Type of Material: Correction
'Mad Men': The caption with a photograph in Sunday's Calendar section of cast members of the TV show "Mad Men" incorrectly identified actor Mark Kelly as Rich Sommer.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday, July 22, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 23 words Type of Material: Correction
"Mad Men": An article about the series "Mad Men" in Sunday's Calendar section said that cast member January Jones would appear this summer on NBC's series "Fear Itself." It will be fellow cast member Elizabeth Moss on that show. Also, the article said that "Mad Men" creator Matt Weiner wrote that series' pilot while he was a writer on "The Sopranos." He wrote the pilot before he worked on "The Sopranos."
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday, July 23, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 23 words Type of Material: Correction
"Mad Men": A correction that appeared Tuesday about the TV series "Mad Men" misspelled the first name of actress Elisabeth Moss as Elizabeth.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Sunday, July 27, 2008 Home Edition Sunday Calendar Part E Page 2 Calendar Desk 2 inches; 86 words Type of Material: Correction
"Mad Men": Last Sunday's article about the series "Mad Men" said that cast member January Jones would appear this summer on NBC's series "Fear Itself." Cast member Elisabeth Moss will be on that show. Also, the article said that "Mad Men" creator Matt Weiner wrote the series' pilot while he was a writer on "The Sopranos." He wrote the pilot before he worked on "The Sopranos." Finally, the caption with a photograph showing cast members of the show incorrectly identified actor Mark Kelly as Rich Sommer.
On the other hand, they said people still say shockingly sexist and politically incorrect things in public. Jones, for instance, recently found life imitating a "Mad Men" scene. She said she was in an elevator with some men exactly as some characters were in a Season 2 scene, and the men were making the same sort of sexist remarks about women, as if there was no woman in the elevator.
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lynn.smith@latimes.com
