See final updates below.
There is apparently some talk about the prominent 666 on the building across the street going on in Mad Men discussion groups. There are apparently other references too.
First, is it true. I mean, is there actually a 666 across the street? Yes there is. Here is a screen shot from last night's episode:
I don't think there is any room for dispute there.
But that got me wondering, was it there in earlier episodes too? Since I just watched "The Rejected" recently, I knew there was a shot from the right angle in it, so I checked and:
Hey, there it is.
Is it meant as an Antichrist reference? It's possible. Given my earlier wacky speculations about Christian references maybe it is and Don's is a false rebirth? I hope not and that may be skewing my judgment. I like Don and don't see him as evil—although lots of people disagree with me. See here, for example, where Don is described as "a bastard and a drunk".
But if it is such a suggestion, it has to apply to the whole season. And who is it supposed to be a reference to?
PS: I checked on street view and it doesn't look like anything at that location on either 6th avenue or 50th street should have the number "666" so maybe they have planted it.
Looking this up in Wikipedia, I see that there was a scene for Rosemary's Baby filmed in the lobby of the Time-Life Building. Maybe it's all an in joke reference to that previous use of the building.
Final update: BobinCt nails it in the comments. It's the Tishman Building built in 1957 and famous for its prominent "666" on the side. Wikipedia entry here. So much ado about nothing, the 666 is just a fluke.
Another "Final" update: This is one of the most popular posts I've ever written. It gets 20-40 visits a week every week many months after I wrote it. So a teaser for anyone who desperately wants to keep the 666 alive. Mad Men is not actually shot in the Time-Life building but in a studio with blue screens for windows. The exterior shots are later dropped in. And the Time-Life building has four sides. So Matt Weiner must have decided that of all the various background views he could have had, this is the one he wanted to have. So, cue spooky music, if you really want to believe this is an intentional Antichrist reference, you can.
I don't.
Yet another final update: I amuse myself.
There is apparently some talk about the prominent 666 on the building across the street going on in Mad Men discussion groups. There are apparently other references too.
First, is it true. I mean, is there actually a 666 across the street? Yes there is. Here is a screen shot from last night's episode:
I don't think there is any room for dispute there.
But that got me wondering, was it there in earlier episodes too? Since I just watched "The Rejected" recently, I knew there was a shot from the right angle in it, so I checked and:
Hey, there it is.
Is it meant as an Antichrist reference? It's possible. Given my earlier wacky speculations about Christian references maybe it is and Don's is a false rebirth? I hope not and that may be skewing my judgment. I like Don and don't see him as evil—although lots of people disagree with me. See here, for example, where Don is described as "a bastard and a drunk".
But if it is such a suggestion, it has to apply to the whole season. And who is it supposed to be a reference to?
PS: I checked on street view and it doesn't look like anything at that location on either 6th avenue or 50th street should have the number "666" so maybe they have planted it.
Looking this up in Wikipedia, I see that there was a scene for Rosemary's Baby filmed in the lobby of the Time-Life Building. Maybe it's all an in joke reference to that previous use of the building.
Final update: BobinCt nails it in the comments. It's the Tishman Building built in 1957 and famous for its prominent "666" on the side. Wikipedia entry here. So much ado about nothing, the 666 is just a fluke.
Another "Final" update: This is one of the most popular posts I've ever written. It gets 20-40 visits a week every week many months after I wrote it. So a teaser for anyone who desperately wants to keep the 666 alive. Mad Men is not actually shot in the Time-Life building but in a studio with blue screens for windows. The exterior shots are later dropped in. And the Time-Life building has four sides. So Matt Weiner must have decided that of all the various background views he could have had, this is the one he wanted to have. So, cue spooky music, if you really want to believe this is an intentional Antichrist reference, you can.
I don't.
Yet another final update: I amuse myself.
Wow, that's amazing! I don't know how you can do that--take a screen shot and post it, way beyond my technical expertise, I take my hat off to you.
ReplyDeleteBTW, 666 5th Ave. is the Tishman Building, which might be visible from the 37th floor of Time-Life on 6th Ave. Ok, so what does the 666 mean? Maybe it represents that they're all looking for happiness in the wrong places, or idolizing the wrong God, i.e., Satan? I asked the person on the other blog about the other references, the only one she mentioned was when Ida told Peggy that the ad business was for "sadists and masochists" and Peggy knew which category she fell into. I think that was more a reference to Ida's past--Queen of Perversions as Roger called her in his book--than a Satanic reference. Not that S&M isn't a good metaphor for advertising, and one might draw or infer something Satanic about it.
That appears everytime throught that window, not just in this particular episode. I was seeing one of the 5th season and it appeared again. Stop tripping about "father of all lies" and stuff, that's useless.
DeleteYikes!! Advertising is about lies--"Mad Men--Where the Truth Lies" and who is the father of all lies?
ReplyDeleteI guess "author of all lies" according to the Baptismal ceremony and renewal of those vows during the Easter Vigil service. So Weiner is making a statement about advertising and concievably all who inhabit that world.
ReplyDeleteDo you really believe this is a fluke and not intentional on Weiners part, especially with all the other Christian references this season? And with "Where the Truth Lies" in the subtitle? Weiner is using Christian sympbolism to make a point, like Fellini did. We need to see if the "icthus" or fish shows up in any episodes.
ReplyDelete