I know we all have “Mad Men” fever these days. On the off chance that you have become desensitized while watching Betty Draper suck those cancer sticks and throw back cocktails with her bun in the oven, let me remind you once again that smoking while pregnant is hazardous to the baby. Wait? You already knew that? But in case you need just one more good reason to quit lighting up while knocked up, a new U.K. study about smoking while pregnant is likely to scare the s**t out of you.

Those wacky Muppet operators over at “Sesame Street” have created a wonderful send-up of “Mad Men.” In it, puppets Don Draper and Co. at Sterling Cooper learn how to be ... happy! Who would have thunk it? I love the idea of Draper the cad going to teach the little kiddies that what’s important in life is not being a mad ad man, but finding happiness through honey advertising. It would have been awesome if Kermit played Don and Miss Piggy played Betty, but maybe they’re saving that for “The Muppets Take Mad Men.” [BuzzFeed]

“Mad Men” has been a lil’ up and down for me this season, with some serious highs—the “everyone has a talent” episode!—and lows—slowwwwww moving storylines, for one. On last night’s episode, something totally climactic happened, but it gave me a case of the pukes. Yes, “I wanna take you in that bedroom, lock the door, take your clothes off with my teeth, throw you on the bed, and give you a go-around like you’ve never had,” is a hot pick-up line—but uttered by Duck?! VOMS.

I’ve written here before about how Joan Holloway makes me feel better about myself. With her flame hair, pale skin and curvy figure, she and I could be sisters. It’s been a real boost to my confidence to see someone who looks like me get so much positive attention for her appearance. It’s been especially gratifying to watch Christina Hendricks, the actress who plays Joan, really own her curves in an industry that preys on insecurities and exploits anything that differs from the norm (in this case, stick-thin figures). So I was a little confused when I read an article in the Daily Mail this morning that accuses Hendricks of succumbing to pressures of the “body fascists” by losing weight. As proof of her drastic weight loss, the paper presents a photo of Hendricks taken at last week’s Emmy Awards where she looks, to me, just as curvy and lovely as ever. “She’d lost weight from her face, arms and bottom,” Hendricks’ weight-watcher accuses, “and her glorious hourglass shape had changed into something dangerously close to the typical Hollywood lolly-stick with breasts.” Wha?? Was the author seeing the same photo that I am? If Hendricks is “dangerously close to typical Hollywood,” then I’m lunching at the Ivy and giving crotch-shots to the paparazzi swarming outside my limo.

““I love playing Peggy [Olson]. Finding the balance between playing her, finding new things, and not losing her, and constantly finding enough new stuff to keep her remaining herself … Playing her is an exercise in remaining simple, despite the fact that she is becoming more complicated. [She’s] not out to hurt anyone, she’s just trying to figure out who she is. But it still is agenda-free. She is looking for her place in the world.”

—“Mad Men”‘s Elisabeth Moss in Venice magazine [Just Jared]

If you’re like us, and you love all things “Mad Men,” from the plots to the characters to the looks, you may have noticed the bed that Don and Betty Draper share on the show. Totally retro, it’s got a soft green button-tufted headboard fit for any suburban princess married to a mad, mad ad man—or, you know, you. While the bed on the show was created by set designer Amy Wells, Club Furniture has a similar sleeper for “Mad Men” lovers. Custom-made in North Carolina, the look-alike bed doesn’t come cheap—it’s $1,100 to $1,350, depending on size. (Oh, it’s on sale for just under a grand today!) I like the Sky blue, but the company will use any fabric you desire. Sadly, Don Draper is not included. [L.A. at Home]

” Is Pete in love with Peggy? How in love with her is he? Why is he in love with her? Is it really just his ego? I mean, how many times have you been in love with a woman until she loves you back? And then you realize it had nothing to do with her. Or a woman cheats on you and you hate her for decades and then you realize, it’s just my ego. I just couldn’t handle that she, like, wanted someone else—it had nothing to even do with this woman. And I think that’s the kind of grey area that these characters get to live in and that we get to portray—you say these long moments of silence.”

—Vincent Kartheiser, who plays Pete Campbell on “Mad Men,” talks to Vanity Fair, about why Pete’s got a thing for Peggy. But what we really wanted to know is where he learned to dance the Charleston.

Last night’s episode of “Mad Men” was not only this season’s best, but possibly one of the most entertaining in the show’s history, with new revelations about each of the central characters. Sally Draper is a thief with an impressive reading level! Betty Draper may have a bit of a wandering eye! Jane Sterling is still an uppity c**t! Joan Holloway’s rapey fiancé may also be a total screw-up!

Best of all, the episode allowed many of the actors to showcase a secondary talent. For example, in the clip above, Joan Holloway shows off her accordion skills. And she sings in French!

Keep clicking for more clips…

Could this be the start of a new hobby for those of us suffering from end-of-summer malaise? Yesterday, lexicographer (I had to look it up, too) Ben Zimmer noticed that one of the props on this past Sunday’s episode of “Mad Man” was a three-volume edition of The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, which was first published in 1987 — well over 20 years after the current season supposedly takes place. Sterling Cooper’s CFO Lane Pryce — the character whose desk housed the OED — explained on Twitter: “Regarding my office library, I was asked to hold on to those books by a nervous young man named McFly.”

The set decorators on “Mad Men” are usually meticulous with this kind of thing, but now I can’t help but wonder what else from 1965 on has slipped by unnoticed? Show of hands: how many of us will watch the show next week with an eagle eye looking for a dog-eared copy of a John Irving novel on Peggy’s bookshelf, or a bottle of Diet Coke in Joan’s kitchen? Or, perhaps, your seasonal malaise isn’t quite as bad as mine… [via NY Mag]

“I know, I know. It’s hard to hurt her, but I kind of feel she’s frequently hoisted on whatever she’s told to be. I still think she could have had the best relationship of her life with that roommate. That, by the way, is probably not the first time that happened to Joan. I realized that at the end of that first season. I’ve heard from many fans that they have no leanings that way but could probably not keep their hands off her.”

—“Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner on Joan Holloway’s lesbian/bicurious fans [NJ.com via RKB]

• Season three of “Mad Men” debuted last night, which means it’s time for yet another round of “I’m A Feminist And I Feel Guilty For Crushing On Don Draper” confessionals. [Newsweek]—Actually, I’m so over Don. ‘Twas easy after he shoved his wife and sexually assaulted Bobbi Barrett. Alas, now I feel guilty for my crush on Pete Campbell.

As a redhead, I’ve often been told I resemble, well, anyone else who also happens to have red — or even reddish — hair. When I had a pixie cut, people told me all the time I looked like a young Mia Farrow from “Rosemary’s Baby,” and before that, when my hair was longer, I always got compared to Lauren Ambrose from “Six Feet Under.” About two years ago people started telling me I looked like a character on a new series called “Mad Men.” I’d never seen the show, but a friend soon emailed me a picture of Joan Holloway and wrote “Your doppelganger!” in the subject line. I had to admit — we did kind of look a little alike.

“Mad Men” is finally back after a hiatus that drove me mad (Ha. Ha.), and according to reviews, it’s better than ever. I’m mostly looking forward to lusting after the new season’s chic outfits, fetching hairstyles, and the oh-so-sexy Don Draper, but the plot should be interesting as well. Last season ended with quite a few cliff hangers. Sterling Cooper is about to undergo one heck of a merge, which means quite a few job loses. Sounds familiar… To top that, Betty finds out she’s pregnant, Peggy reveals to Pete that she gave their baby away, and Joan is raped by her fiance. What Drama! The recent “Mad Men” ads have gotten me all excited for the return of the “sexiest show on television,” and I’ll surely be tuning in at 10 pm on Sunday. And don’t worry—if you have plans then, you can catch the rerun at eleven that night. I might have to watch both…

After the jump, check out this weekend’s TV schedule.

“Drinking and smoking and having sex with other people’s wives and all those things—they are bad, bad behaviors. But it’s all done with fabulous clothes and lighting and excellent music, and that makes for a really sexy show. Being bad is sexy.”

— Christina Hendricks explains the sex appeal of her hit show, “Mad Men,” which starts its third season this Sunday. [NY Mag]

A few weeks ago, “Mad Men” held an open casting call. Anyone could submit a photo of themselves dressed ‘60s-style for a chance to appear on the show. Last week, New Yorkers were invited to try out for a role in “Sex and the City 2.” The roles that needed filling were for “fashion models, celebrity types, upscale socialites, urban club goers, gays and lesbians.” Today, we heard about an open casting call in Holland for “What’s Wrong with Virginia,” a movie starring Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly. The studio says they’re looking for “real looking people of all shapes and sizes.” [MLive]