In the ’50s. Imagine.

And knowing what we know now, who was the better man? Kennedy or Eisenhower? The fact that one was liked and respected (and you can hardly argue that Ike wasn’t popular) by the people who made it through the Depression and fought WWII, and one was idolized as handsome and stylish by the spoiled youth culture of 1960s should tell you something.

While it’s true that Mad Men is seen as, as you put it, another “Boomer Victory Lap,” simple math should make it apparent that it’s not about the BoomyBabers. And no, I don’t watch it.

C,mon, Ed, in 1963 the oldest Baby Boomer was 17 years old – and damn sure wasn’t working on Madison Avenue. Talk to some people my age, born during WWII. The distinction between common sense and the Me Generation has never been subtle. Virtually anybody born before 1946 has a clear and well-focused vision of the difference between up and down – even though there are plenty of folks who are Lefties anyway in those generations.

The difference between us and the Boomers is that we were taught that it’s a virtue to think for yourself, and not an abberation.

“I’m convinced JFK died at the hands of our National Security State operators, w/military & intelligence community people orchestrating this black op. I still believe to this day that no one is safe as long as this crime remains covered up.”

And yet you feel safe enough to discuss this topic openly on the Internet, much like the more recent 9/11 “Truthers.”

It’s not that complex. For us little kids in ’63, it’s more accurate to say we “lost our mothers” for a short time. Much of MM’s target demo today are boomers who were then pre-school, grade-school or junior high. I remember the funeral on TV, but don’t distinctly remember any of the news coverage before it. I was too busy playing on the swingset in the backyard. But I distinctly recall Mom crying — and it was distressing to me, because I couldn’t validate her reasons for WHY. I didn’t make sense to me. Death isn’t something a kid crazily embraces like (American) adults who adore their martyrs and elevate them to hero status.

In the 60s, moms were the primary care-givers, dads disappeared for the whole day. So I’ll argue that his mom “losing it” was imprinted on Matt Weiner’s mind somehow, although he wasn’t even a zygote when Dallas happened. But in many of the Boomers’ family annals: JFK is “when Mom was crying and us little kids didn’t understand it.” JFK was many Boomers’ first encounter with grief. The Kennedy good looks and dreamy East Coast privilege absolutely entranced the bourgeoisie and martyrdom for 2-1/2 years was made complete.

Matt “supposes” that we lost a father then. Someone wants to assign a benchmarks for when this country began the journey of lost innocence. Let’s hang it on JFK’s assasination.

(BTW: When Jackie succumbed to cancer, it resurrected sorrows all over again. At age 66, it worked for my mom to revisit being the 35-year-old homemaker sobbing on the couch in front of the TV…all…over…again.)

It hurts to say negative things about the man given the truly tragic circumstances of his death, but those glasses we use to look back on his term are far, far too rosy in color.

Too bad some of the people who have commented here know nothing about the 60s or the assination but still feel it is their duty or their right to make immature, silly comments on your blog. Interestingly, I remember no silly or immature comments from TV during the Kennedy coverage. I guess the good old days are gone forever.