All the hype has made "Mad Men" ripe for takedown — don't fall for it!
Season 3 of "Mad Men" is stronger than ever, says Tim Goodman. Even, he says, after all the hype and an Emmy "backlash" that aimed at limiting exposure to "niche" shows like "Mad Men," says Tim Goodman. "An argument could be made that with all the accolades and scrutiny, a less-assured hand might have tried to make 'Mad Men' more accessible or something that it's not," he says. "This is a series truly not made for mass consumption, Emmy wins and nominations and magazine covers aside. All the elements 'Mad Men' does well – the humor, the note-perfect clothing and sets, the creeping cultural change – are still there to be savored."
Writing is better than ever // Reality vs. "Mad" // Why Gen Y women need to watch
How to mix a "Mad" cocktail // A look at "Mad's" stellar cinematography
Jon Hamm's TV past: On "Gilmore Girls," "Charmed," "Providence"
It's Don Draper on "Brady Bunch," "Sopranos" // How to dress like Joan
Jon Hamm insists he's not Don Draper // Will Sal Romano ever come out?
Matthew Weiner: Season 3 is about the anxiety of 1962 // Don vs. Pete
Costume designer on "Mad" fashion // What fashion changes can we expect?
How to "Mad Men" your apartment // Elisabeth Moss on Weiner, low ratings
"Mad Men" is "bad for my relationship" // The Kitchens of "Mad Men"
How men dress "Mad"-ly // The hidden genius of "Mad" product placement
"Mad Men" cast talk about "Sesame Street" lessons
Baltimoreans: "Mad Men" got it wrong! // Set decorator scours Pasadena

"Mad Men" writers are "cowards" if they keep on ignoring race
The '60s-set drama has failed to tackle racial issues, says Latoya Peterson. "Although (Don) Draper has a gift for engaging and seeing through marginalized types—the unwed mother, the Jewish heiress, the closeted gay man—in the case of the black characters, the relationship never goes beyond shallow conversation," she writes. "Mad Men takes on a number of cultural controversies, yet race is treated with politeness, distance, restraint, and a heavy dose of sentimentality. For a show that takes place in the early ’60s, as race riots are breaking out, this is a glaring omission."

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