some of my favorite scenes of Michael Ginsberg (but really all scenes with him are my favorite) last scene added because of peggy's scornful look at the computer
"There's no plot to take over Earth. We're just displaced." Every line of that little speech, so carefully chosen, all perfectly hidden by the initial goofiness of the pretext. Incredible stuff.
@@estebanrosa8635 It's very hard to say whether he himself was consciously talking about the Jewish people, if it was his subconscious, or if it was just the writers. He seemed very serious about the Mars thing.
I mean the creator of the show and many of the writers were Jewish. It seems logical that they would be very mindful about the words they used to reveal they had a main character who was born in a concentration camp@@keithklassen5320
@@keithklassen5320 He have all the details of the "fictional" story while talking about mars, also all the details fit on both stories. A shameful past covered by an obvious lie, best description of trauma I've ever heard.
Ginsberg had so much potential. His unique backstory, his odd camaraderie with Peggy and his rivalry with Don. I wish they did more with his character - way more interesting than Harry or Ken!
Dee Shan well I loved Ken's character and his writing backstory... Michael's character was amazing though. Remember when he thought of the Jaguar line about truly owning something of beauty? God that scene gave me goosebumps!!
I love the dichotomy of draper and Ginsberg at the Cinderella pitch. When don pitches, he makes us feel the emotions and Ginsberg creates an image in our head. He paints a clear picture of what is going on. Really shows how Ginsberg was ahead of Don, advertising has moved to be mostly visual with little phrases. Even Don's most visual ad, the kid in the basket, was not wholly his. This is what makes Ginsberg such a tragic character. He was probably the best ad man, who was going to lead the new generation of advertising, but succumbs to mental illness
Naw, Ginsberg's just spewing turns of phrase strait outta the shtetl. Only sounds fresh and clever to outsiders. That shtick gets stale fast. He's one level above Jackie Mason. Dons the real deal cause he talks the talk AND walks the walk. He put Ginsberg in his place but good in that elevator scene.
I watched Ben Feldman in this first and knew him by this character... until I binge watched Superstore and now I am watching this because I can't believe Michael Ginsberg and Jonah are played by the same actor! He portrays his characters really well!
Yeah, that one is great. So many of his lines I think are meant really to hammer home the point that he experiences the world in a very different way. The way they built on that by having it lead to a mental breakdown worked out very well.
I like his character because it’s so much unlike most of the other men on the show. Whereas the male characters (sans the creatives) act like New England WASP socialites, which was the dominant cultural group up until the 1960’s, Ginsburg is an animated, anxious Brooklyn-bred Jew who is less afraid to show the full range of his emotions. For this reason, he seems more human, and is probably why viewers say they can relate to him.
While rest people Art Department making jokes about girls being kidnapped. Ginsberg has probably lost family and friends that were hiding from NAZI. And got discovered taken to Concentration Camp😔😢
@@ceterisparibus8966 Your previous question, "wtf is this character even supposed to mean?" Has a lot to do with the fact that this is a character who believed cutting his own nipple off and giving it to a co worker would be a direct pressure relief valve...
Love the way Peggy glares accusingly at the computer after Ginzo is wheeled out. Maybe his paranoia got to her, too, or maybe she resented its intrusion into their office for her own reasons, but that glare just says: “It was you! You did this to him!” 😂
Or maybe she resented it for being the final straw for Micheal. Of course, that's not logical to think as Michael had a huge problem but it's a realistic scenario when you're traumatized by a thing like that.
@@ConsumeristScroffa Naw, Ginsberg was jus plain nuts! If there wasn't a computer, he'd of gotten paranoid about the Telex terminal, or the thermofax machine or the intercom system. Also, we don't know whether his bio is even true or not. We know he's an unreliable narrator. He might be another totally self invented fraud, like Don.
@@ConsumeristScroffaThis makes sense to me. She resents it for inducing the mental break, and it mirrors his paranoia because her hate is an analogue of his.
Something I never noticed about how they shot the scene at 11:05... When Ginsberg is talking, and we see his face as a reflection in the window - it almost looks like a ghost. The story he's telling Peggy is essentially the ghosts of his past, things he doesn't want people to see or know. And when it zooms out, his back is still turned away, isolated from Peggy and alone. Ginsberg was really such an isolated character and never truly fit in but the direction of this scene perfectly shows why.
@@JohnDoe-hs9hy It 1000% is. Art, Literature, music, screenwriting, theatre, graphic design, cinematography, photography... it's all there to be analysed.
@@beth.darvell weird..there were times I told people of my past and I felt positioned like that sometimes. Like I'm dissociated or disconnected from the persona I put on in public.
Ginsberg's story is so sad. Someone driven mad by the Holocaust. He tried to fit in and be normal but the scars of what happened to him were too deep to ever fade.
@@MA-on9xl Very true, and his story might even be false. We know he's an unreliable narrator. The characteristics the Mad Men writers included in his pathology are definately consistent with paranoid schizophrenia. Thinking all these guys were secret homos, thinking everyones against him, complaining of thought transmission, disorganized thoughts, disheveled appearance, bizarre delusions. Next stop Creedmore (by way of Bellevue)
My all time favorite character from any show. Full of quirk, unique fun with tons of creative talent. The foreshadowing from that first scene really hurts me because I know his fate (talk of imaginary people, talking to radios, having no control). Truly a tragic, memorable character.
@@johnmurdoch8534you are greatly missing the point. He needed help and he didn’t get it. He would’ve been much more likely to get it today. And you need new friends if you think there are no personalities out there.
@@frankdodd3355 exactly, and also suggestive of Michael's instability - he's hearing something no one else is hearing (he says in the first scene we meet him he's 'the kind of person who argues with the radio' - this is what that looks like, not cute and self-aware but unhinged and a little alarming, even to Don)
@@ceterisparibus8966 I think he realized that computers are the future and will replace human beings which is funny because thats very close to happening
@p_roduct9211 "Cassandra" was referring to the ancient Greek mythology of a young Trojan priestess who became an Oracle by the God Apollo. But then Apollo wanted to get with her and she said no, resulting in every thing this woman said in particular her future predictions, to be considered false by everyone around her. She predicted the fall of Troy and not a single person believed her. Sad.
Michael Ginsberg reminds me of my mother so much. She's a Jew, Was considered as a creative genius in her work field, Almost 0 social skills with good heart. She only got excited when people applauded her for her unique idea. Very good looking but doesn't care so only wears same thing over and over again. Some people really didn't work with her so wanted to get rid of her but couldn't because her ideas were irreplaceable. And ultimately she was slowly descending into madness however...Only the ending is different. She had me finally she found a purpose in her life so she didn't go nuts. That's what she tells me.
Our history is rich and absurd.. Its like every generation has to adapt to a new culture (I.e. we left the Soviet Union for NYC when I was 8 and the various degrees and expressions of our adjustment disorders were pretty obvious.) Where is your mother from?
Man he really grounded the cynicism of the other creatives with a morality that became understandable once you hear about his past. Where he came from.
Ginsberg was by far my favorite character of the show, with Stan Rizzo a close second. I was upset that the show ended leaving the audience wondering what ever happened to him.
Sadly, given the era, he was probably drugged with Thorazine and the like heavily for some years until his mind was mush, to be eventually released during the peak of the deinstitutionalization movement to flounder around tragically as a drifter in the mid-to-late 70s and 80s. In my head canon, I like to think he did eventually pull his life somewhat back together and achieve some minor impact as an anti-psychiatry advocate and writer in the late 80s and early 90s.
I'm currently working my way through Superstore and I can't believe Ginsberg and Jonah are played by the same actor. Ginsberg was my favourite character in the 2nd half of this show alongside Stan, they were such a great dynamic
Ohh it's such a slow build from the beginning Ginsberg trying to keep a lid on his paranoia. I think he suspects for a long time his schizophrenic tendencies, but also he has a clairvoyance / ability to read people in that he can see everybody else's delusions around him as well. So many amazing character moments. Being disgusted by how excited people get by the thought of the girls under the bed but then realising he can use that energy to sell shoes (a great ad man); or his backstory shared with Peggy, ghostly, two lonely New York souls, he a child who doesn't know for certain who or where his family are, and she somebody who doesn't really know where her child is; or with Bob, both talking about strategies for living with a lie, Bob wanting to power through and fake it to you make it, and Ginsberg confessing that the faking is breaking him. Then with the computer, the threat of displacement, for somebody already displaced and traumatised by a genocide he can barely remember, it's an attack on his humanity as an artistic, creative being. He feels so disordered that it becomes unmanageable. It's so heartbreaking. One of the best characters ever.
Ginsberg was one of the best and underrated characters. His wit and lines were just great. I like how Ted described him as "genius in a bottle". His ad-writing talents rivaled and maybe surpassed Don's (at least as far as humor was concerned). The story about coming from a concentration camp was sad to say the least. I hated how the writers took him off of the show, going out on a stretcher screaming. I wonder if he asked to be written off or that's just what they had in mind. Would have rather watched him leave with the rest in Season 7...
I think it’s what they had in mind the whole time. It’s foreshadowed quite a bit. There’s the scene where he says he was born on Mars instead of a concentration camp. In “The Crash” when everyone is on drugs Ginsburg is sober and says “I’m the only one in the time/life building who hasn’t lost his mind”. One time when drugs came up he said “I don’t do that stuff, it makes you crazy”. And also that scene where he is having a breakdown and Bob calms him down. I think they needed a character like Ginsberg to show how mental health was treated back then, and how some of the most genius people were also crazy. Those things can often go hand in hand.
One of Mad Men's more frustrating diversions. They had the potential to write a great character and they couldn't figure out what the hell to even do with him.
One of the funniest musical moments ever on the show. Stan's face at 11:46 when he can no longer hold in his scornful smirk, followed by Michael's declaration "it's stabbing me in the fuckin' heart," haha
@@jasonk7208 Hahaha I never noticed Stans's knowing smirk and head shake as Cosgrove dances to sell it, as Don is ever cynical. This song ain't The Beatles. But Jason K, why're you cursing?
I'm so happy with this video since mad man is going out of Netflix. I absolutely love this character and wish I could protect him. I got what was going on with him when the show was new, it wasn't a surprise, I'm watching again and knowing it for sure is heartbreaking.
I watched the episode at 22:06 while stoned once, and that specific scene made me realize every single line of dialogue in this show has subtext. Even the farts line lol.
Maybe I'm biased because he was my favorite character, but I really think he could have used just one extra scene after getting taken away. I like the idea of showing the mistreatment of mentally ill people during this time, but it really was left as just that - an idea. There's really no elaboration and it leaves the sentiment feeling hollow and incomplete. It would have been nice to have a scene of Peggy visiting him or something, just to give proper closure to his character and their relationship.
What’s ironic is that Michael was always a little “off” and he was gradually becoming very ill. Unfortunately, in that business, you could not really tell until it was too late - it was inevitable that he’d do harm to himself or someone else. Luckily it was only a nipple. He should’ve been in therapy for a long time before this
I always thought that Butler shoes ad was terrible, I'm surprised it got past Don. The client was absolutely right, saying "cheap" does put cheap on your mind even though the word "never" is in front of it.
Preston Hong Yes and funny enough, he said he was from Montclair NJ, Montclair is probably the most liberal town in NJ. It’s painful to go to, but they do have very good food
I didn't like him in the beginning but his reaction of his colleagues fascination and almost admiration of the Speck killings made me mellow and I started to like him :)
I was wondering why they had a scene discussing that of all things (apart from historical value) and I realised later this sympathy for female victims was written some time ahead of the scene where he harasses Peggy in her own house. It's to show the change in his mental state, as well as speaking to his distaste for torture given where he said he was born.
I seriously doubt Don was gonna fire Ginsberg especially given his insane potential for ideas and Ginsberg knew it by saying " I dont think youre right about that ". But Don did have to put the brakes and scare on him to know not to pull stunts like that. " He's such a decent guy" ,Im dead lol.
I wonder if he's truly supposed to have been born in a concentration camp or if it's just another delusion? His character had do much more potential. They should have given him more time, instead of the other 3-4 boring guys that got more airtime.
@@curvytangerine I personally think that could've been one of his delusions. You know; the whole: "Born in a concentration camp... I'm a Martian", deal. Delusional thoughts tend to be very common amongst mentally ill people, specifically patients with schizophrenia. I've also read that even certain humming or white noises can trigger delusions. This is evident in his reaction towards the noises involving the machine during his final episodes.
@@hegelsbagels02 in this case it's p obvious to me that the delusion was being a Martian; that would have been created by his mind as a protection against his real, more painful past, which was being a Holocaust survivor. he bluntly says he doesn't believe he was born in a camp and that it's just some bullshit his dad told him (even though he remembers being at the orphanage in Sweden)... why does that come off as the delusion here?
I don't think it was a delusion. I think the creators were following a study of children born from concentration camp survivors have trauma- almost like it is passed through DNA.
@@minipinkrosa Cassandra was an ancient Trojan princess, who was blessed by the God Apollo with the gift of prophecy, before later being cursed to never have those prophecies believed. What Michael is referencing is that he apparently foresees the harm the computer will cause, but like Cassandra, will never have his warnings understood or believed
it always amazed me how almost everyone who watched the show thought that was such a "badass Don" moment... it was always so clear to me that that moment was set up to showcase just how much of an insecure, selfish hypocrite Don was. it was a really powerful scene.
IN a way Ginsberg's background is just a more brutal european Jewish parallel to Don Draper's history . One is someone whom the Germans almost gassed and his mother was either killed or died under horrific conditions. Draper came from the poor white rural side of town and ... they both had to make a transition from their respective starting places to the Big Smoke of NYC where they were both outsiders trying to break in. Don by getting Sterling drunk and schmoozing him and MG by being pushy and almost offensive to Peggy and then turning on the charm with D Draper, his Waspish "alter ego" ... it is very clever scripting when you thin it out .. TE Fidler in NZ. PS; Draper had to do a lot of fraudulent work and lying to get where he was, whereas MG, the macher, worked on the basis a quick head and a fast tongue and a certain Jewish madness. It is also interesting that DD came into advertising via an EMPLOYEE job at Hellier (or Heller , I would have to go look at the scene) Furs, which has a certain yiddisher sound to the name if you catch the wind... // On a completely different matter the scene with Beverly Farber in the Restaurant..and so on , Woody Allen could have written that script. So much repression and NYC angst.. In Fact if Konigsberg were younger and more handsome..... Hold the thought. !!! ;-) TEF
Timothy Fidler --That was really insightful, I had not thought of them that way. I knew Don was jealous of him for his talent but I hadn’t contrasted their upbringing.🌺
@@PrincessofErised all the Nazi's were Germans and they were voted into office by the Germans. That's like drawing a distinction between white people and slavers or Mongols and Genghis Khan
He added so much quirk , humor and sadness to the series.
Your comment is very Jewish
@@minjiflieslikeninja Your comment is very vacuous.
I realize it is quite off topic but do anybody know a good website to stream newly released movies online?
@Myles Jasiah thanks, I went there and it seems to work :D Appreciate it !
@Leroy Kian no problem :)
“I’m one of those people who talks back to the radio.” That was foreshadowing.
So was "I believe that I'm the only person in the Time Life building who's not out of his mind".
And him dreaming of throwing something through the window.
@@BigPhatMan wait, i dont get this one? why is this foreshadowing?
Yes. What a tragic character.
"There's no plot to take over Earth. We're just displaced." Every line of that little speech, so carefully chosen, all perfectly hidden by the initial goofiness of the pretext. Incredible stuff.
Just now I realized he was talking about the Jewish people.
@@estebanrosa8635Wait, is Ginsberg jewish?!?!
@@estebanrosa8635 It's very hard to say whether he himself was consciously talking about the Jewish people, if it was his subconscious, or if it was just the writers. He seemed very serious about the Mars thing.
I mean the creator of the show and many of the writers were Jewish. It seems logical that they would be very mindful about the words they used to reveal they had a main character who was born in a concentration camp@@keithklassen5320
@@keithklassen5320 He have all the details of the "fictional" story while talking about mars, also all the details fit on both stories. A shameful past covered by an obvious lie, best description of trauma I've ever heard.
Ginsberg had so much potential. His unique backstory, his odd camaraderie with Peggy and his rivalry with Don. I wish they did more with his character - way more interesting than Harry or Ken!
Dee Shan well I loved Ken's character and his writing backstory...
Michael's character was amazing though. Remember when he thought of the Jaguar line about truly owning something of beauty? God that scene gave me goosebumps!!
Ginsberg lived his potential out. He was whole.
I think the whole point of his character is to show how we treated mentally ill people back in the 60s
Don has more in common with him than most other characters in the show.
True. They missed out a bit on his character.
lol they give him the funniest lines. "Then you're like everybody else" "I've never been accuse of that, but I really am trying". LMAO
Ella Sanandaji that’s just one of many hints of his insanity
I fucking love that line lol
He wants to be like everyone else,.... only more so. (classic W Allen line)
“Maybe you didnt work it right?” *air squeeze*
“Michael, can you keep a secret?”
“Nope.”
"Michael, can you keep a secret?"
"No. :)"
Lightning in a bottle. Such a complex character. Eccentric, hilarious and tragic. Brilliantly written, cast and acted. Loved him the most!
I love the dichotomy of draper and Ginsberg at the Cinderella pitch. When don pitches, he makes us feel the emotions and Ginsberg creates an image in our head. He paints a clear picture of what is going on.
Really shows how Ginsberg was ahead of Don, advertising has moved to be mostly visual with little phrases. Even Don's most visual ad, the kid in the basket, was not wholly his.
This is what makes Ginsberg such a tragic character. He was probably the best ad man, who was going to lead the new generation of advertising, but succumbs to mental illness
Until Don combines the two in the Coke ad
Man, they were both so good. What a show
Naw, Ginsberg's just spewing turns of phrase strait outta the shtetl. Only sounds fresh and clever to outsiders. That shtick gets stale fast. He's one level above Jackie Mason. Dons the real deal cause he talks the talk AND walks the walk. He put Ginsberg in his place but good in that elevator scene.
Ginsberg was a brilliant advertising guy. But, it's obvious had some personal demons tried keep under wraps with humor.
Hes not a great salesman like Don. Zero charisma.
"I insulted you because im honest, and I apologized because I'm brave" i want to be able to get away with saying stuff like this LMAO
You can, so long as you’re prepared for most people to react in a befuddled manner
He, did not in fact, apologize.
His talk to Peggy about coming from a concentration camp was heat breaking.
I thought he came from mars
Don't worry, there's no plot to take over Earth. We're just displaced.
Terry Kain, what are you talking about
Terry Kain oh stfu with your anti jewish nonsense. this is 2020, not the fucking nazi era
Imagine hearing that, and realizing you gave him shit for being quirky for over a year.
I watched Ben Feldman in this first and knew him by this character... until I binge watched Superstore and now I am watching this because I can't believe Michael Ginsberg and Jonah are played by the same actor! He portrays his characters really well!
he's an amazing actor.
Watch him on the show Silicon Valley as Pied Piper's lawyer.
@@LJGreni big agree. between this, Superstore, and Silicon Valley, he def disappears into the character.
"He's such a decent guy..."
Great character.
Yeah, that one is great. So many of his lines I think are meant really to hammer home the point that he experiences the world in a very different way. The way they built on that by having it lead to a mental breakdown worked out very well.
Franklin James Agreed!
@@jameslatin2939 Different way? How?
I like his character because it’s so much unlike most of the other men on the show. Whereas the male characters (sans the creatives) act like New England WASP socialites, which was the dominant cultural group up until the 1960’s, Ginsburg is an animated, anxious Brooklyn-bred Jew who is less afraid to show the full range of his emotions. For this reason, he seems more human, and is probably why viewers say they can relate to him.
@kizz didn't he develop schizophrenia? That will change a person
He's like a more attractive version of Woody Allen.
@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 and way less “marry my stepdaughter”
@@chelleolsen969 I literally spilled my kombucha (my fav flavor too) reading your comment. Can I give you an e-hug for making me laugh?
@@XanderShiller I’d love an e-hug
Oh my God his reaction to the girls and hiding under a bed makes so much more sense after his backstory
While rest people Art Department making jokes about girls being kidnapped. Ginsberg has probably lost family and friends that were hiding from NAZI. And got discovered taken to Concentration Camp😔😢
This actor almost single handedly stole the entire show (filled with fantastic actors).
The character of Michael Ginsburg is a stroke of genius in this show. His every breath and movement is brilliant and tragic.
"I insulted you because I'm honest". That's my line every day of my life.
Carmen Cecilia Bolívar Ibarra people like that would get the most insults if everyone was “honest”
@@issecret1 thats ok
You look like a ghost. I would never date you.
hopefully you're as talented as Ginsberg to get away with it, then.
I don't trust people who have no compassion for this character.
Wtf is his character even supposed to mean?
Wouldn’t trust a guy who cuts his own nipple off either
@@NoNameNo.5 What does that have to do with anything?
@@ceterisparibus8966 Your previous question, "wtf is this character even supposed to mean?" Has a lot to do with the fact that this is a character who believed cutting his own nipple off and giving it to a co worker would be a direct pressure relief valve...
@@ceterisparibus8966 that is... an extremely broad question. you're gonna have to narrow that down.
He’s very handsome
Do you make a lot of money being a teacher?
@@BucketOfMarbles Ha! ..No.
Especially with the mustache later on.....
he was too hot for this role, tbh
most of the characters are on this show, save a few
“I’m the only one in the time life building not out of his mind” great line in hindsight
Love the way Peggy glares accusingly at the computer after Ginzo is wheeled out.
Maybe his paranoia got to her, too, or maybe she resented its intrusion into their office for her own reasons, but that glare just says: “It was you! You did this to him!” 😂
Or maybe she resented it for being the final straw for Micheal. Of course, that's not logical to think as Michael had a huge problem but it's a realistic scenario when you're traumatized by a thing like that.
@@ConsumeristScroffa Naw, Ginsberg was jus plain nuts! If there wasn't a computer, he'd of gotten paranoid about the Telex terminal, or the thermofax machine or the intercom system.
Also, we don't know whether his bio is even true or not. We know he's an unreliable narrator. He might be another totally self invented fraud, like Don.
@@ConsumeristScroffaThis makes sense to me. She resents it for inducing the mental break, and it mirrors his paranoia because her hate is an analogue of his.
Something I never noticed about how they shot the scene at 11:05... When Ginsberg is talking, and we see his face as a reflection in the window - it almost looks like a ghost. The story he's telling Peggy is essentially the ghosts of his past, things he doesn't want people to see or know. And when it zooms out, his back is still turned away, isolated from Peggy and alone. Ginsberg was really such an isolated character and never truly fit in but the direction of this scene perfectly shows why.
That's a stretch, Beth
Don't try analysing media again sometimes it's not for analysing
Excellent analysis! I totally agree (with you, Beth)!
@@JohnDoe-hs9hy It 1000% is. Art, Literature, music, screenwriting, theatre, graphic design, cinematography, photography... it's all there to be analysed.
@@jasonk7208 thank you! Ginsburg was a really interesting character.
@@beth.darvell weird..there were times I told people of my past and I felt positioned like that sometimes. Like I'm dissociated or disconnected from the persona I put on in public.
"Why are you cursing? This is an AMC show"
"I just had the same conversation"
"No I think it was different, yours was private."
Fucking snark 😂😂
Ginsberg's story is so sad. Someone driven mad by the Holocaust. He tried to fit in and be normal but the scars of what happened to him were too deep to ever fade.
he had schizophrenia
i don't think this is correct
Is this canon how did I miss this?
@@steadyjumper3547 it’s not correct, he was born in one but it’s never implied he remembered it. He only remembered getting adopted at age 5.
@@MA-on9xl Very true, and his story might even be false. We know he's an unreliable narrator. The characteristics the Mad Men writers included in his pathology are definately consistent with paranoid schizophrenia. Thinking all these guys were secret homos, thinking everyones against him, complaining of thought transmission, disorganized thoughts, disheveled appearance, bizarre delusions. Next stop Creedmore (by way of Bellevue)
21:50 Ginsberg's gaydar is on point lmao
Yet the only reason he asks is because he has a schizophrenic delusion about gay people
@monokhem Ginsberg is in love with Peggy but found himself looking at Stan's shoulders and getting excited. safe to say he is bi?
Bob is gay
I died when I first saw that. He’s so blunt.
I always thought he was bi
"I hate the word 'cheap.'"
"And so do I! That's why I put the word 'never' in front of it."
Most relatable person in all of Mad Men, at least to me. and don't get me wrong, they are all very relatable.
At first few minutes i did not see, but as i watch long and longer i see this
Superbly produced series. Instant nostalgia.
My all time favorite character from any show. Full of quirk, unique fun with tons of creative talent. The foreshadowing from that first scene really hurts me because I know his fate (talk of imaginary people, talking to radios, having no control). Truly a tragic, memorable character.
Ben Feldman played the shit out of this role. I wish he got more airtime.
Nowadays, everyone would see immediately that this kid is teetering on the edge.
The world today has no place for personality
Are you kidding? He'd probably be a microcelebrity on tiktok making comedy skits @@johnmurdoch8534
@@johnmurdoch8534personality is one thing, paranoia and psychosis are different.
@@johnmurdoch8534you are greatly missing the point. He needed help and he didn’t get it. He would’ve been much more likely to get it today. And you need new friends if you think there are no personalities out there.
I just thought he was a neurotic Jew
Totally missed the 2001 A Space Odyssey reference on first watch, HAL reading their lips.
Thank you! I knew there was something familiar about that scene.
I thought of 2001 immediately, but only because I like that movie too much.
'why are you cursing' always cracks me up
Me too. Don's surprised and maybe a bit offended. It's a small way to show the generational gap in play.
Same!
@@frankdodd3355 exactly, and also suggestive of Michael's instability - he's hearing something no one else is hearing (he says in the first scene we meet him he's 'the kind of person who argues with the radio' - this is what that looks like, not cute and self-aware but unhinged and a little alarming, even to Don)
I mean he wasn't wrong about the computers
ahahah guy was ahead of his time.
What was his issue with the computers?
@@ceterisparibus8966 I think he realized that computers are the future and will replace human beings which is funny because thats very close to happening
This is so weird to watch if you know him as Jonah from Superstore ^^
@@breadtubereview373Are you forgetting that the script was written within the last 15 years? It’s not really that funny
Love Ginsberg, thanks for posting! Can we appreciate how good Elizabeth Moss does comedy as well?
Let's not underestimate the genius of the line "What am I Cassandra?"
Maybe I'm young but I may be missing the association here. What does Cassandra imply? Did it mean, "what am I, a nobody?"
greek myth of cassandra, who is gifted/cursed with the ability to tell prophecy, but no one would believe her. impending doom. @@p_eople6789
@p_roduct9211 "Cassandra" was referring to the ancient Greek mythology of a young Trojan priestess who became an Oracle by the God Apollo. But then Apollo wanted to get with her and she said no, resulting in every thing this woman said in particular her future predictions, to be considered false by everyone around her. She predicted the fall of Troy and not a single person believed her. Sad.
Until Jonah said that he had worked at an ad agency in the Superstore finale, I had forgotten Ben Feldman had been on Mad Men.
He's like Ferris Bueller on mescaline
Ahshdhkska
I think he's much more speedy than mescaline
Topaz exchange is hilarious, the way the client said he hated it was amusing, and he was right, u say cheap and u put the word on their mind.
Yeah but he put the word never in front of it….so
My favorite character on Mad Men. Hands down.
He is the "Crazy creative" of those times. And he is crazy even by today's times! The best part, his depiction is so realistic.
After watching his character in superstore and then this you realize how much of an underrated actor Ben is
Michael Ginsberg reminds me of my mother so much. She's a Jew, Was considered as a creative genius in her work field, Almost 0 social skills with good heart. She only got excited when people applauded her for her unique idea. Very good looking but doesn't care so only wears same thing over and over again. Some people really didn't work with her so wanted to get rid of her but couldn't because her ideas were irreplaceable. And ultimately she was slowly descending into madness however...Only the ending is different. She had me finally she found a purpose in her life so she didn't go nuts. That's what she tells me.
Our history is rich and absurd.. Its like every generation has to adapt to a new culture (I.e. we left the Soviet Union for NYC when I was 8 and the various degrees and expressions of our adjustment disorders were pretty obvious.)
Where is your mother from?
What was her purpose?
21:00 Ginsberg quotes Robert Oppenheimer who quoted Gita on the development of the atomic bomb.
Man he really grounded the cynicism of the other creatives with a morality that became understandable once you hear about his past. Where he came from.
Ginsberg was by far my favorite character of the show, with Stan Rizzo a close second. I was upset that the show ended leaving the audience wondering what ever happened to him.
His father had him committed
Sadly, given the era, he was probably drugged with Thorazine and the like heavily for some years until his mind was mush, to be eventually released during the peak of the deinstitutionalization movement to flounder around tragically as a drifter in the mid-to-late 70s and 80s. In my head canon, I like to think he did eventually pull his life somewhat back together and achieve some minor impact as an anti-psychiatry advocate and writer in the late 80s and early 90s.
I'm currently working my way through Superstore and I can't believe Ginsberg and Jonah are played by the same actor. Ginsberg was my favourite character in the 2nd half of this show alongside Stan, they were such a great dynamic
Ohh it's such a slow build from the beginning Ginsberg trying to keep a lid on his paranoia. I think he suspects for a long time his schizophrenic tendencies, but also he has a clairvoyance / ability to read people in that he can see everybody else's delusions around him as well. So many amazing character moments. Being disgusted by how excited people get by the thought of the girls under the bed but then realising he can use that energy to sell shoes (a great ad man); or his backstory shared with Peggy, ghostly, two lonely New York souls, he a child who doesn't know for certain who or where his family are, and she somebody who doesn't really know where her child is; or with Bob, both talking about strategies for living with a lie, Bob wanting to power through and fake it to you make it, and Ginsberg confessing that the faking is breaking him. Then with the computer, the threat of displacement, for somebody already displaced and traumatised by a genocide he can barely remember, it's an attack on his humanity as an artistic, creative being. He feels so disordered that it becomes unmanageable. It's so heartbreaking. One of the best characters ever.
Oof, well put excellent analysis
Missed him when he was gone, but he had the best exit in tv show history
Maybe not the best, but definitely one of the most memorable
He didn't even have the best exit on that network!
Nah, the writers did him dirty.
Sometimes he has a point, but the world just doesn't listen to him
"But you hate him."
"I hate apples more."
That line always cracks me up.
Ginsberg was one of the best and underrated characters. His wit and lines were just great. I like how Ted described him as "genius in a bottle". His ad-writing talents rivaled and maybe surpassed Don's (at least as far as humor was concerned). The story about coming from a concentration camp was sad to say the least. I hated how the writers took him off of the show, going out on a stretcher screaming. I wonder if he asked to be written off or that's just what they had in mind. Would have rather watched him leave with the rest in Season 7...
I think it’s what they had in mind the whole time. It’s foreshadowed quite a bit. There’s the scene where he says he was born on Mars instead of a concentration camp. In “The Crash” when everyone is on drugs Ginsburg is sober and says “I’m the only one in the time/life building who hasn’t lost his mind”. One time when drugs came up he said “I don’t do that stuff, it makes you crazy”. And also that scene where he is having a breakdown and Bob calms him down. I think they needed a character like Ginsberg to show how mental health was treated back then, and how some of the most genius people were also crazy. Those things can often go hand in hand.
It was very much showing that fine line between genius and madness.
I absolutely agree with you.
i seriously believe that the way this character is written and played is absolutely unique in TV- and film-history.
He has so many great lines but "So, you make a lot of money teaching?" cracked me up on multiple levels.
why?
@@hargun1011late, but for one, teachers earn a notoriously low salary in the United States.
I sometimes think Michael was right about the computers
One of Mad Men's more frustrating diversions. They had the potential to write a great character and they couldn't figure out what the hell to even do with him.
I disagree. I think he and his arc fit into the rest of the story perfectly.
I agree. he really could have been huge. the write-off was hard to take.
"This song's like thirty years old..." LOL! And the way he points at it.
One of the funniest musical moments ever on the show. Stan's face at 11:46 when he can no longer hold in his scornful smirk, followed by Michael's declaration "it's stabbing me in the fuckin' heart," haha
@@jasonk7208 Hahaha I never noticed Stans's knowing smirk and head shake as Cosgrove dances to sell it, as Don is ever cynical. This song ain't The Beatles. But Jason K, why're you cursing?
@@frankdodd3355 Hahaha, for emphasis! 😉 (Thank you for pointing out Ken's awkward grooving to the song---also hilarious!)
I love the dynamic between Peggy, Stan and Ginsberg
“I’m the person you need to impress right now.”
A great way to get respect! 🤣
That conversation about being Martian hit me from nowhere.
This guy is a good actor
Ben Feldman is his name there are some other popular shows he’s on like superstore.
Too short-lived, the most relatable character to appear on the show
I hated Ginsberg at first but by the end he was one of the most interesting characters on the show
man......i cant believe i missed this. superb.
Don had to metaphysically carry the couch to become whole. Michael's job was to show him the way.
"That's not my imagiNATION!!!!!!!" I love how Ben Feldman shouts that line. Poor Ginsberg.
One of my favorite characters of all time.
His connect the dots comment to Roger was priceless.
Absolute Spectacular Performance!
I wish he hadn’t gone nuts and he’d have married Peggy 😂
I would laugh a second and cry a second later. Damn it Ginsberg!
I LOVE him. He plays Larry Page in Super Pumped & is ridiculously convincing. Superb actor.
19:55 "In fact, I'm the only person in this building who isn't out of his mind" OH NO MICHAEL SWEETIE
I wish Ginsberg, Bob, Meredith and Dawn got a spin-off. So underused, all of 'em!
JD Sarmiento Yes.
Meredith has some great lines.
For some reason I think she walks like a muppet.
Not great, Bob!
i wish they had more scenes with creative hanging out. The part where stan gets hit was great
Mad Men is a drama not a sitcom
Always thought Ginsberg was such an incredible character, didn't realise how great till this video
12:04 I think this is the first f bomb they dropped in the show. Cool 4th wall nod having Don ask him why he’s cursing
The conclusion to the character of Michael Ginsberg made me sad... I wanted things to work out for him!
Season 4 and up is where the show really found it's legs.
Friends like him are gold!
I'm so happy with this video since mad man is going out of Netflix. I absolutely love this character and wish I could protect him.
I got what was going on with him when the show was new, it wasn't a surprise, I'm watching again and knowing it for sure is heartbreaking.
I watched the episode at 22:06 while stoned once, and that specific scene made me realize every single line of dialogue in this show has subtext. Even the farts line lol.
i like how don actually wanted him to keep talking, it did seem like he wanted to actually hear what he had to say too
4:56 the moment Peggy recognizes him as part of the tribe the moment her maternal instincts kicks in
Maybe I'm biased because he was my favorite character, but I really think he could have used just one extra scene after getting taken away. I like the idea of showing the mistreatment of mentally ill people during this time, but it really was left as just that - an idea. There's really no elaboration and it leaves the sentiment feeling hollow and incomplete. It would have been nice to have a scene of Peggy visiting him or something, just to give proper closure to his character and their relationship.
"I've never been accused of it, bit i really am trying". 😂
What’s ironic is that Michael was always a little “off” and he was gradually becoming very ill. Unfortunately, in that business, you could not really tell until it was too late - it was inevitable that he’d do harm to himself or someone else. Luckily it was only a nipple.
He should’ve been in therapy for a long time before this
I always thought that Butler shoes ad was terrible, I'm surprised it got past Don. The client was absolutely right, saying "cheap" does put cheap on your mind even though the word "never" is in front of it.
Ginsberg and Paul Kinsey would make a very interesting duo.
Vinicius Siqueira YESSS
Kinsey was insufferable atleast ginsberg is entertaining.
Preston Hong Yes and funny enough, he said he was from Montclair NJ, Montclair is probably the most liberal town in NJ. It’s painful to go to, but they do have very good food
they'd hate each other but i'm so here for that drama omg
You deserve a million views.
I didn't like him in the beginning but his reaction of his colleagues fascination and almost admiration of the Speck killings made me mellow and I started to like him :)
I was wondering why they had a scene discussing that of all things (apart from historical value) and I realised later this sympathy for female victims was written some time ahead of the scene where he harasses Peggy in her own house. It's to show the change in his mental state, as well as speaking to his distaste for torture given where he said he was born.
I seriously doubt Don was gonna fire Ginsberg especially given his insane potential for ideas and Ginsberg knew it by saying " I dont think youre right about that ". But Don did have to put the brakes and scare on him to know not to pull stunts like that. " He's such a decent guy" ,Im dead lol.
PROJECT KILLMACHINE
I wonder if he's truly supposed to have been born in a concentration camp or if it's just another delusion? His character had do much more potential. They should have given him more time, instead of the other 3-4 boring guys that got more airtime.
Who?
@@curvytangerine I personally think that could've been one of his delusions. You know; the whole: "Born in a concentration camp... I'm a Martian", deal. Delusional thoughts tend to be very common amongst mentally ill people, specifically patients with schizophrenia. I've also read that even certain humming or white noises can trigger delusions. This is evident in his reaction towards the noises involving the machine during his final episodes.
@@hegelsbagels02 in this case it's p obvious to me that the delusion was being a Martian; that would have been created by his mind as a protection against his real, more painful past, which was being a Holocaust survivor. he bluntly says he doesn't believe he was born in a camp and that it's just some bullshit his dad told him (even though he remembers being at the orphanage in Sweden)... why does that come off as the delusion here?
I don't think it was a delusion. I think the creators were following a study of children born from concentration camp survivors have trauma- almost like it is passed through DNA.
He was in the show for just about long enough IMO. A character like that is better in small bursts
"what am I, Cassandra?" what a great line
Would you be able to explain what the reference is?
@monokhem Thank you
explain itttt pls
@@minipinkrosa Cassandra was an ancient Trojan princess, who was blessed by the God Apollo with the gift of prophecy, before later being cursed to never have those prophecies believed. What Michael is referencing is that he apparently foresees the harm the computer will cause, but like Cassandra, will never have his warnings understood or believed
Peggy's scowling at the computer is some terrific acting by Elizabeth Moss.
Don´t forget the scene in the elevator arguing with Don
it always amazed me how almost everyone who watched the show thought that was such a "badass Don" moment... it was always so clear to me that that moment was set up to showcase just how much of an insecure, selfish hypocrite Don was. it was a really powerful scene.
IN a way Ginsberg's background is just a more brutal european Jewish parallel to Don Draper's history . One is someone whom the Germans almost gassed and his mother was either killed or died under horrific conditions. Draper came from the poor white rural side of town and ... they both had to make a transition from their respective starting places to the Big Smoke of NYC where they were both outsiders trying to break in. Don by getting Sterling drunk and schmoozing him and MG by being pushy and almost offensive to Peggy and then turning on the charm with D Draper, his Waspish "alter ego" ... it is very clever scripting when you thin it out .. TE Fidler in NZ. PS; Draper had to do a lot of fraudulent work and lying to get where he was, whereas MG, the macher, worked on the basis a quick head and a fast tongue and a certain Jewish madness. It is also interesting that DD came into advertising via an EMPLOYEE job at Hellier (or Heller , I would have to go look at the scene) Furs, which has a certain yiddisher sound to the name if you catch the wind... // On a completely different matter the scene with Beverly Farber in the Restaurant..and so on , Woody Allen could have written that script. So much repression and NYC angst.. In Fact if Konigsberg were younger and more handsome..... Hold the thought. !!! ;-) TEF
Timothy Fidler --That was really insightful, I had not thought of them that way. I knew Don was jealous of him for his talent but I hadn’t contrasted their upbringing.🌺
It was the Nazi, not Germans, that did that. Some, if not most of the people that they killed were Germans. The terms are not interchangeable.
@@PrincessofErised all the Nazi's were Germans and they were voted into office by the Germans. That's like drawing a distinction between white people and slavers or Mongols and Genghis Khan
Ironborn4 some were Austrian and others Croatian
@@Ironborn4 The Mongols enslaved the Chinese, so what's your point?
One of the best characters in any TV show.
Seems like the kind of guy I'd date.. It would be a fucking mess from beginning to end but I would enjoy every minute.
"Like what?" Oh, that gets me every time.