Episode Report Card Couch Baron: A | 13 USERS: A YOU GRADE IT The Dark Side Of The Closet
By Couch Baron | Season 1 | Episode 8 | Aired on 2007.09.06
It's presentation time, and Freddy is talking as the head Bel Jolie guy (played by Bruce French, who's been a total Hey! It's That Guy! since like, the dawn of time) stuffs his face. The campaign is centered around Peggy's idea that women don't just want any old color on their lips, and it uses the "basket of kisses" quote on the way to the ultimate line: "Bel Jolie lipstick. Mark your man." Nice that they tied in the idea of Don's from a few episodes ago that women want any excuse to be closer to their men. This show is so subtle, I swear; it makes my job harder, but I'll live with it. Not so subtle is Bruce French's distaste for the campaign -- he thinks women want colors, despite his partner's assessment that the slogan is "pretty cute." Ken tries to sell Bruce French on the "fresh approach," but Don, fire in his eyes, stands and says they should call it a day. Bruce French is confused, so Don tells him, "You're a nonbeliever. Why should we waste time on kabuki?" Bruce French: "I don't know what that means." As someone in the makeup business, Bruce French, you really, really should. Don's point, though, is that Bel Jolie has been going with their approach for a while and is fourth in the market, and Don isn't interested in participating in an approach that's already proven to yield mediocre results. Bruce French still isn't convinced, so Don tells him he's not there to talk about Jesus. "Either he lives in your heart or he doesn't." This is met by a "WTF?" look from Freddy, while Ken just looks like he's about to let the cigarette fall from his mouth, which is how you know he's really in shock. Don goes on to parrot Peggy's statement about how women don't want to be one of a hundred in a box -- they want to be unique. He artfully pushes the "Mark Your Man" idea some more, and Bruce French is convinced.
Outside, Ken, in a not-very-veiled way, invites himself for drinks with the Bel Jolie guys at the Roosevelt; Bruce French's partner enthuses about the architecture there, and says he was in the lounge the night before and ended up having a drink with Robert Mitchum. Bruce French and partner leave, and Ken slathers praise on Don for the Jesus gambit. Don says that someday Ken will learn when "seduction is over and force is actually being requested." I don't feel like being terribly disturbed, so I'm going to skip right past that to the point where the crowing boys head into Don's office and close the door without a look Peggy's way. Don then buzzes Peggy for some ice, which is fitting, because that was cold.