Mad Men Mannequins Abound: 3rd Set Enters Valley of the (Collectible) Dolls

(MoneyWatch)  Mattel (MAT) has created a line of Mad Men dolls, after the AMC show set on the Madison Avenue of the 1960s. It is the third line of dolls that the show has inspired, from the third different company.

Mattel's dolls are by far the best so far, in that they look like the characters they're supposed to be (the Monroe-esque secretary Joan Holloway, chuckle-head agency owner Roger Sterling, philandering adman Don Draper and his estranged wife Betty Draper).

Upon close investigation, however, it appears that the two men could be the same doll in different makeup, as are the two women. Or at least, the differences are almost negligible. The New York Times points out:

The dolls come with period accessories like hats, overcoats, pearls and padded undergarments ...

"Padded undergarments"? If that isn't The Times' new euphemism for bra then I guess you'll have to buy one to find out. The dolls are for collectors, not children, so it's a mystery why Mattel has given them so many clothing accessories but no cigarettes, ashtrays, highball glasses or cocktail shakers.

Previously, DraftFCB produced its own version of a Don Draper "action" doll ("Collect all 4 mistresses!"). That mannequin came after a pair of bobbleheads featuring likenesses of Don and Joan, both smoking, which were made as promotional items for the show.

Quote of the day comes from Robert Thompson, the omnipresent professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University:

"I have this fantasy of an 8-year-old getting a set" of the dolls, he added, "and saying: 'Mom, can Chelsea come over? We want to play "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit." I'm going to be the organization man, and she's going to be the soulless drone.' "

Related:

• Mad Men Spawns Don Draper Action Doll, Bobbleheads