It’s not really a secret around here that I am a big fan of New York Times op-ed columnist and author Gail Collins. Collins, whose witty and sharp columns often add a measure of levity to the Times op-ed pages — particularly during last year’s sometimes fraught campaign season — has brought those same talents [...]

Yesterday I watched an advanced screener of the season three premiere of Mad Men. At this point it’s hard to imagine anyone not being aware that the show will be debuting tonight on AMC. It has officially become a cultural phenomenon. Here’s some thoughts about the premiere episode and how it might fit into the larger picture. Don’t worry hardcore fans, no spoilers here!

You’d have to be living under a rock not to know that Mad Men is debuting its hotly-anticipated third season on Sunday — and everyone’s excited. All that smoke-filled, sexed-up, whiskey-splashed glamour is enough to make one long for the heady days of the early Sixties — who knew advertising could be so compelling? We know who — the folks at Morning Joe, currently representing the most harmonious blend of advertising and editorial on the airwaves. Don Draper himself couldn’t have topped it (and he might even have switched out his whiskey for a Venti Frappucino). From there, the comparisons suddenly seemed obvious.