It’s one thing to switch on the TV for “Mad Men” each week, vicariously sip whiskey and smoke stogies with Don Draper and Co., and experience (or re-experience) life in the 1960s. I, like most other women in America, jumped at the chance to give my look a makeover complete with red lips, the pencil skirts, the swooping coifs, and the tight cardigans that give Joan, Betty, and Peggy their sexy, vintage sizzle. Hell, I even found myself harboring the urge to tie on a frilly apron and bake something wholesome for my husband. It’s fun, escapist even, to dabble in outdated social stereotypes and play the victim to those womanizing ways that dominated the “Mad Men” era. We’re safe in the knowledge that times have changed, and we can go back to being empowered, successful, respected alpha-females whenever we feel like it. Or so I thought.

After “Gilmore Girls” and “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” went off the air, us smart ladies looking for strong female characters flipped through the boob tube channels, alone, confused, and bleating for someone, anyone to come to our rescue. (Sorry, but Liz Lemon on 30 Rock never fails to piss us off for always coming around to see her boss’ point-of-view by the end of the episode.)

Female leads we could identify with—um, no you, Kate Gosselin, are not what anyone would expect to find on a show about the boozy, womanizing, frat boy culture of a 1960’s Madison Ave ad agency. But the nail polished fingerprints of the seven women who comprise “Mad Men”‘s nine-person-strong writing team are all over every episode. [Wall Street Journal]

There’s no question that I find Don Draper sexy. If I lived in “Mad Men” land for a day, I would totally screw him on his Sterling-Cooper purchased desk. In real life? Not so much. At least not anymore.

If there’s one thing Mad Men fans know about the show, it is that nothing happens by accident. So I’m sure creator Matt Weiner intended Joan Holloway‘s rape at the hands of her douche-y doctor fiancé to make a point: in the 1960s, the concept of “date rape” did not exist and people scarcely spoke openly about rape.

But even though it’s 2009 now, Christina Hendricks, the actress who plays Joan, has noticed the point still appears to be lost on people. Hendricks told New York magazine:

“What’s astounding is when people say things like, ‘Well, you know that episode where Joan sort of got raped?’ Or they say rape and use quotation marks with their fingers. ‘I’m like, ‘What is that you are doing? Joan got raped!’ It illustrates how similar people are today, because we’re still questioning whether it’s a rape. It’s almost like, ‘Why didn’t you just say bad date?’ ”

“Sort of got raped”? How does one “sort of” get raped? Is that like being a little pregnant?

“There’s something in what you don’t see. There’s restraint. I’ve had people say to me, ‘My husband and I watch it and we always have sex afterwards.’ I think it’s really hot that some of the things it’s stirring up in people are very naughty things.”

—Christina Hendricks in Esquire

Amy Adams visited “Good Morning America” in Times Square, looking a lot like her “Mad Men” character, Joan Holloway, in this promo photo. She must be as excited for season three as we are. [NYC, 7/30/09]

Oh, to be in the cast of “Mad Men,” hanging around Don Draper, sporting gorgeous, well-made clothing, and gracing the only program on television where the actresses are encouraged to be voluptuous. January Jones, who plays Betty Draper on the show, had to be asked by the producers to gain weight. “I got told a couple of days ago that I look too skinny, and I was in trouble,” she said. “I’m naturally pretty thin, so I’m trying. I eat whatever is at craft services.” Since women had more meat on their bones in the ‘60s, “Mad Men” actresses are asked to not work out. “They want a soft, voluptuous woman which they were [back then] which is beautiful, as it should be,” said Jones. [OK! Magazine]

How refreshing—I’ve been prepping for January’s role all my life! I happen to be an expert on the subject of gaining weight. So here are five ideas for how January can soften up.

If you actually won a walk-on role on an episode of “Mad Men,” wouldn’t you be hyperventilating too heavily to do Sterling Cooper justice?

Probably, but apply to Banana Republic’s contest anyway! Starting today, upload a photo of yourself decked out in righteous ‘60s style on AMC’s website, using a code number from Banana Republic stores before August 11. The lucky winner will receive a $1,000 gift certificate to Banana Republic and a scene-stealing cameo on “Mad Men.” So far the contest entries, available for viewing online, look like a lot of cheesy Hollywood-wannabes who uploaded head shots which aren’t in authentic ‘60s style, so your chances look good! [Simcha, this looks like a contest for you!—Editor]

But, if upstaging Don Draper isn’t your thing, whittle away the afternoon on MadMenYourself.com (Adobe Flash Player 10 required), where you can create your own “Mad Men”-style avatar and deck her out in ‘60s threads. A fur stole? A pencil skirt? Cat eye glasses. We’re so on it.

The 2009 Primetime Emmy Nominations were announced this morning and I’m thrilled that all my favorites got nods (well, except “The Bachelor,” but I’m sure that was just an oversight). “The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Flight of the Conchords,” and “This American Life” all got nominated, and “Mad Men” cleaned house with a whopping 16 nominations, including one for best drama, best actor Jon Hamm and best actress Elisabeth Moss. How did your favorites do? The complete list is here.

Hey, want a little scoop on how things might be different on the third season of “Mad Men,” which (hopefully) returns to AMC in the fall? Click past the jump for a couple stills from an episode that was recently shot. You’ve been warned once, but just in case—SPOILER ALERT!

“To me, to pick the right blouse with the right sensibility feels in some ways like art. I’m an artist, but I’m painting with clothes.”

That’s totally the sort of obtuse thing Karl Lagerfeld would say, but it’s actually a quote from Eric Daman, the costume designer for “Gossip Girl.” Good, because we’d expect nothing less than putting Michaelangelo-esque precision into dressing Chuck Bass!

The New York Times‘s Television section [interviewed costume designers from hit shows like “Gossip Girl” and “Mad Men” and shook them down for some secrets. Our favorites after the jump…

Oh, no! The third season of “Mad Men” has been delayed. Variety is reporting the show began shooting this week, and the season premiere will be pushed back at least a month to August at the earliest. [Ace Showbiz] How are we going to go four months without all that repressed desire and those really fabulous clothes?

You’d probably dress better if your dad was “Mad Men” creator, Matt Weiner, and you had all his “Mad Men” mad money to spend at the Top Hat Shop, the Plaid Pants Store and wherever else this dapper little lad gets his duds. But alas, your dad is not Matt Weiner and you are broke. But because envying the wardrobes of a fourth-grader somehow seems less pathetic than envying the wardrobe of, say, a Pussycat Doll, I’d like to introduce you to 8-year-old Arlo Weiner, pre-pubescent style icon. Click after the jump to look at more pictures of his stylish awesomeness, swoon, pinch his virtual cheek, and then plot how you can appropriate his style. (In Arlo’s elementary school parlance, that’s called “sharing.”)

“For some reason – and I love this – I keep hearing people say they have had more sex since watching ‘Mad Men.’”

—Christina Hendricks, aka Joan Holloway [Telegraph U.K.]

Phew! We were sweating a little about the future of our favorite TV show’s fate, but all is good in the land of pencil skirts and sweater sets. The show’s creator and executive producer, Matthew Weiner, finally came to an agreement with Lionsgate TV, so the third season will air this summer (with a fourth season agreed upon, too!). Of course, this means I have get to work watching the second season. P.S. The dress Betty is taking off in the above photo is my favorite ensemble of hers thus far. [Variety via NY Mag]

Despite knowing that “Mad Men” is an awesome show, I am a little behind on watching it. In fact, I just finished the first season last weekend. But I might not need to worry about getting through the second season in time to watch the third season on AMC this summer, because there might not be a third season! As we’ve said before, the show’s creator and executive producer, Matthew Weiner, hasn’t reached an agreement with Lionsgate about his contract. After the Golden Globes on Sunday night, Weiner told E! News: “And I don’t even know what to tell you. I don’t know what to say … I’ve done everything I can. That’s all I can tell you.” He also said the show’s fate is “unknowable.” How foreboding. So, even though I cannot wait for the first disc of season two to arrive from Netflix, it’s probably best that I’m so far behind on the show. At least I still have the entire second season to look forward to—all the cool kids who have already seen season two have nothing on the horizon. And with that, please take a moment to pray for the future of “Mad Men.” [NY Mag]

When we gave you tips for thrift store shopping last month, our experts advised you to stay away from clothes that have a certain stink to them, because the smell probably won’t go away. Well, Janie Bryant, the costume designer for “Mad Men,” says otherwise. Her trick for getting rid of that musty, old-clothes stench is to mix one part vodka with two parts water in a spray bottle and douse the offending article with the mixture. “It works every time—that’s the power of vodka for you,” Bryant said. And we believe anything this woman says. After all, she’s managed to make pen necklaces popular, a feat not accomplished since the TV show “Ghostwriter” in the ‘90s. [Valet]

“Mad Men” season three will begin in the summer on AMC, but the period show might have a new executive at the helm. Creator/executive producer Matthew Weiner has been in prolonged contract negotiations with producer Lionsgate TV since his contract expired at the end of season two. And both parties seem to be exploring other options.