Mad Men - Parodies

Parodies

Jon Hamm was the host of Saturday Night Live on October 26, 2008, during the show's 34th season. Mad Men was parodied on two skits in that episode. In one, "A-Holes: Pitch Meeting", Hamm is joined by two other Mad Men cast members in cameo appearances, Elisabeth Moss (who was called the morning of the show and asked to play Peggy, since Amy Poehler, who was set to play Peggy in the sketch, went into labor) and John Slattery. In another skit, "Don Draper's Guide to Picking Up Women," Hamm pokes fun at how easily his character seduces women.

The Simpsons' episode "Treehouse of Horror XIX", which first aired in the United States on November 2, 2008, included a segment called "How to Get Ahead in Dead-Vertising" The segment, an adaptation of the Mad Men animated title sequence, was the "inspiration" of executive producer Al Jean; it featured a "rotund, lunchbox-carrying figure, undoubtedly Homer Simpson, enter a living room and then float past windows bearing Springfield-centric displays that include a Duff Beer ad," with the Mad Men theme music on the soundtrack. On November 27, 2011, The Simpsons aired the episode, "The Man in the Blue Flannel Pants", once again parodying Mad Men. It featured Mad Men actor John Slattery and creator Matthew Weiner.

The children's television show Sesame Street ran a child-friendly parody of Mad Men on November 11, 2009 (episode 4188). Muppet versions of Don Draper and two other advertising professionals are shown going on an "emotional rollercoaster," becoming "mad," "sad" and "glad," as they sort through pictures of an ad campaign featuring a cartoon bear. When Miranda Barry of the Sesame Workshop was asked how such a parody is possible "given the drinking, smoking, and womanizing that's a big part of the AMC show", she compared it to their parody of Desperate Housewives: "You may have seen our parody called 'Desperate Houseplants.' It was about a houseplant not getting its needs met by the gardener. So it always works on two levels."

The April 2011 issue of Mad magazine included "Sad Men," written by Arnie Kogen and illustrated by Tom Richmond. The spoof ends with the ad agency landing a slew of promising new blue chip accounts in 1965: Johns Manville ("The king of asbestos!"), the Hearst newspaper chain ("print will never die!"), Underwood ("Nothing will ever replace typewriters!"), Gimbels department store, and E.J. Korvette.

In the Community episode "Physical Education", the character Abed, a television and movie connoisseur, does an impression of Don Draper, after his peers encourage him to change his personality. He practices a conversation with Annie (played by Alison Brie, who plays Trudy Campbell on Mad Men). He offers her cigarettes, while putting on a deep voice and a flirtatious charm. As Annie leans in to kiss Abed, he quickly turns away and says, "Don Draper from Mad Men". While many of his friends are impressed, Shirley shouts, "Don't be him! He cheats on his wife!"

In the 30 Rock episode "The Moms", Liz Lemon's mother, Margaret, mentions working for Sterling Cooper after graduating from secretarial school. In the episode "The Ones", Kenneth Parcell has an allergic reaction to strawberries and says "My real name... is Dick Whitman." The television show House references Mad Men when Dr. Gregory House insults a high ranking man who works at a well-respected advertisement agency by calling him Don when his name is Dave. In late 2010, the TV show Arthur had a parody of Mad Men in the episode "Nicked by a Name," using a character named Tom Taper instead of Don Draper. In the fifth episode of the second season of The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, it is revealed that Jon Hamm (who guest stars on the show) is playing himself and needs to return home as Mad Men begins filming shortly. A five-minute parody entitled "Malt Men" features actors Ryan Ridley and Eric Price as characters who advertise malt liquor beverages, and appears on Channel 101, a monthly short-film festival in Los Angeles.

The comedy website Funny or Die has a small series of skits entitled MA Men which transplants the show into present-day South Boston and invariably involves creating ad campaigns for various Boston businesses in which certain members of Boston's professional sports rivals are sodomized. Comedian Rob Delaney plays Draper, Joey McIntyre plays Roger, Nate Corddry plays Campbell, Jessica Chaffin plays Joan, Jamie Denbo plays Peggy, Nat Faxon plays Salvatore, and Michaela Watkins plays Trudy. Comedy website CollegeHumor released an animated short called "Alternate Mad Men Intros" for the release for the fifth season.