Quote:
Originally Posted by
scowl 
What do you base that belief on? I have not read of any instance of a senior partner of any firm beating up an employee during a business meeting. An incident like that would have been legend in the industry! The scene was ridiculous and the thought that Pete would just go back to work with a bruised face as if nothing had happened is even more ridiculous. If Pete were a real person, he would have quit, found a job with another firm, taken as many accounts as he could with him, told Advertising Age that a desperate SCDP partner had beaten him up in a routine accounts meeting, and oh, Don Draper is actually Dick Whitman who belongs in jail.
In today's society, that is what would have happened. In the 60's, there was no HR. HR is a relative new thing in business. Back in the 60's, you either stood up for your rights or got run over. Male or female. Look at Peggy and Joan. Goodyear treads are all over them. There wasn't anyone there to hold your hand as today. Back then the people who owned the company, ran it as they saw fit and if you didn't like it, you could leave. And that is the way it was. Where do you think all the regulations we have to abide by today came from? Stuff like this. Heck, look what happened to Ken Cosgrove by Roger in this episode. You can't do that now. Today Ken could take the company to court, and win. What Roger did could be termed harassment and intimidation by a court, since it was.
While there are no widespread reports of junior partners getting into fist fights with senior partners, (surely this DID happen somewhere or they wouldn't have included it in the story, the writers do their homework, we have seen that) having lived through the time, it is completely plausible something like that not only could happen, but DID happen, SOMEWHERE. And no, Pete would NOT want this to get out. He would be "damaged goods" so to speak and no other agency would want him after that. His ego is damaged at this point. He is regrouping. Professionally he would be viewed as having no "intestinal fortitude". Some old guy, and an Englishman at that, beat him up. (remember America was riding high with national pride due to the space program going to the Moon, we could do anything) Then you were "a man" first and you made up the rules until someone else bested you and then they made up the rules. Remember there was no HR to go running to and complain. It was truly dog eat dog then.
Pete stays. They keep him (he is bringing in the money) and he wants to stay. (his ego, he is a "partner", although just a junior) His comment in the elevator with Don at the end about "we are suppose to be friends" telegraphed he had been naive about his place in the firm (an equal which he never was) and wasn't going to do anything rash and it was sort of a mea culpa knowing Don would be the one who would decide if he was fired. Pete did play that one well. The one that really counted. Fade to black. This festers in Pete but he doesn't do anything overtly about it. He can't. He has no power. He knows it now. He also knows Lane trumps him. Politically, he is worse off than before. The only place (other than with hookers) he thought he had power, he learns he really doesn't.
Also, early in the episode, when Lane and the Jag exec were eating after the soccer game with their wives and they are talking about being "proper Englishmen", proper Englishmen back in England were known to have fistfights to solve problems in those days, (a modern day Dueling, what we call, "take it outside") hence the "Medieval" comment. It was a backhanded slap toward Lane, until Lane got the best of Pete, (Roger's later comment on backing Lane) then it was all OK! Typical ad man. So two faced!
I LOVE the writing on this show.
