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    End of “Mad Men,” but show’s relics find new life at museum

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments838 Views
    “Mad Men,” cast member Jon Hamm who played Donald Draper, poses beside Don's charcoal grey suit and some objects from the AMC and Lionsgate TV series, "Mad Men" that were donated to the National Museum of American History, Friday, March 27, 2015, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

    By Brett Zongker

    WASHINGTON (AP) --

    Don Draper is making his exit with "Mad Men" this year, but his image as a 1960s advertising man will live on at the Smithsonian Institution.

    Jon Hamm, who plays Draper on the AMC drama about a New York ad agency, joined cast members and show creator Matthew Weiner at the National Museum of American History on Friday to donate costumes, props, sketches and a script from the show. The collection includes Draper's trademark gray suit and fedora.

    "Mad Men's" final season begins April 5.

    STAR OF THE SHOW – AND THE MUSUEM
    A crush of cameras surrounded Hamm at the museum as he smiled and posed with his suit from the show — the trademark of the "Mad Men" costumes. But he took no questions. Hamm recently completed treatment for alcohol addiction and has asked for privacy, through his publicist.

    REAL-LIFE RELICS
    Curators at the Smithsonian were particularly interested in "Mad Men's" real 1960s-period relics, from cigarette cartons and liquor bottles to shaving kits and tooth brushes that were used in the show, along with costumes that were recreated for the period. Some objects, including Draper's suit, will be featured in an exhibit on American culture slated for 2018.

    Entertainment Curator Dwight Blocker Bowers said "Mad Men" producers did the best research he's ever seen for a TV show, with meticulous detail to create the look of a 1960s ad agency.

    LOOKING AHEAD
    Weiner, the show's creator, said he was thrilled that objects from the show might one day be seen during a school field trip at the Smithsonian.

    "What I love about these objects being here is that these are for the most actual objects; they are not recreation," he said. "This is the archaeological site of humanity from this period. We're glad that we saved these things."

    'ALL GOOD THINGS'
    AMC President Charlie Collier said "Mad Men" perfectly recreated the 1960s, and he said the show's creators were honored that Draper's suit would join Dorothy's ruby slippers from "The Wizard of Oz" and other objects from entertainment history at the museum.

    "You know, they say that all good things must come to an end, and all great things come to the Smithsonian," he said.

    Tags:Mad Men



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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