Details' 11 Sexiest Women of Mad Men

Details recently compiled their "11 Sexiest Women of Mad Men." As red blooded male and an avid fan of the show, quite naturally I was interested to see their choices. And as a red blooded male and an avid fan of the show, quite naturally I have my own opinions.

Some of the women who made the list should come as no surprise. I think it was a safe bet that January Jones (Betty Draper/Francis), Christina Hendricks (Joan Holloway), and Elizabeth Moss (Peggy Olson) would make the list. Not only are these three women the female leads of the show, but they are also generally counted as being among the most attractive by the show's fans. As for myself, I must say the only one I find incredibly attractive is January Jones as Betty Draper/Francis. I have always had a weakness for blondes and Betty always had this allure that is somewhere between Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe. That having been said, there are some things I don't find attractive about Betty, namely her temper and her tendency towards self absorption. In the earlier seasons this was forgiveable. After all, she had often had good reason to be angry with Don and the very nature of their relationship would led itself to Betty having to concentrate somewhat on herself. But it seems that Betty has actually gotten worse after divorcing Don and marry Henry Francis. She gets angry at Henry (who, unlike Don, seems to be a very good husband) for no reason at all and her treatment of her children, particularly Sally, is pretty much abusive. Betty was a bit neurotic early in the show's run--understandable given her marriage to Don--but now she seems downright psychotic!

Of course, Christine Hendricks seems to be the sex symbol of the show, so that many may be astounded to learn I do not find Joan Holloway shockingly sexy. It is true, like any man, I do admire Joan's curves, but ultimately she is ginger and, with few exceptions (Ann-Margret is one) I never have found redheads that attractive. I must also say that much of this may be due to Joan's personality as well--she has always rubbed me the wrong way, especially the way she treated the other women at Sterling Cooper and later Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce. As to Elizabeth Moss as Peggy Olson, Peggy is my favourite female character. She is intelligent, strong willed, and open minded, yet she still seems like the girl next door. And I love the relationship she has with Don--that of the sorcerer and his apprentice--she could be the only woman he respects. But as much I like Peggy, I never have found her physically attractive. I might go out for drinks with her, but it would not go beyond that.

Here I must say that, although not one of the leads, I think it was no surprise that Peyton List, as Jane Sterling nee Siegel, would make the list. In her time as Don's secretary she gave Joan a run for her money as Sterling Cooper's local sex symbol. And I have no doubt male fans found her as enticing as the men of Sterling Cooper. As for myself, until recently Jane was the woman on Mad Men I found most attractive. With dark hair, big eyes, and an incredible figure, I found her very sexy. Indeed, I am mystified as to why Roger would still be drawn to Joan when he has Jane waiting at home for him!

Of course, there were some surprises on the list as well. I was very pleasantly surprised to see that Allison Brie as Trudy Campbell (who also plays Annie on Community) made the list. I always thought Trudy was absolutely adorable and could never understand why Pete cheated on her with Peggy. I would think Trudy was all a man would need! I was also surprised to see Maggie Siff, as Rachel Katz nee Menken, made the list. Rachel was among those women I found most attractive on the show, and I could fully understand why Don would suggest they run way together.

One woman I was very surprised to see make the list was Melinda McGraw as Bobbie Barrett. Now in real life Melinda McGraw is not unattractive, but for some reason she lost something in the translation as Bobbie Barrett. I have to wonder that the make up artists of Mad Men did not put a lot of work into making Miss McGraw less attractive! Of course, much of the reason I think I never found Bobbie Barrett attractive is simply her personality. Not only does she cheat on her husband (who is admittedly no prize either), but she seems totally self absorbed and intent on furthering herself regardless of what it does to others (usually through her husband).

As to the women who did not make the list, I must say that I am a bit surprised that Jessica Pare as Megan, one time receptionist at Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce and currently Don's secretary, did not make the list. Of course, she is a fairly new character just introduced this season and may not have been part of the cast when Details went to press. The same probably holds true for Cara Buono as Dr. Faye Miller. Faye is my favourite female character on Mad Men of all time. She is intelligent, strong willed, reasonable, caring, and even sweet. She also possesses the sort of blonde good looks one might expect of Grace Kelly if she was a psychologist. Her combination of personality and good looks makes her the sexiest woman on Mad Men to me by far. Indeed, I cannot help but think I would treat her better than Don has (at least I minored in psychology)!

Of course, beauty and sex appeal are in the eye of the beholder, and I suspect others might have their own opinions. And, to be honest, I have no real objections to Details' "Eleven Sexiest Women of Mad Men, given the list was probably made before the fourth season had ever begun so that Megan and Faye could not make the list. That is, I have no objections beyond Bobbie Barrett. I still can't see how she made the list!