Watch: ‘Mad Men’ Final Scene Parodies Feature Don Draper’s Other Big Ideas
Becca Nadler
Your mileage may vary regarding your reaction to the ending of AMC’s hit drama “Mad Men,” which aired its series finale on May 17. [Spoilers follow.] The final episode, “Person to Person,” saw Don Draper (Jon Hamm) hitting rock bottom while at a hippie retreat in Big Sur, California, then finding enlightenment in the form of the iconic “I Want to Buy the World a Coke” ad, which the show implies to be Don’s brainchild and masterpiece.
Indiewire’s TV Critic Ben Travers called the ending “uniquely fitting” in his review of the episode, arguing that Don’s newfound empathy (gained during a breakthrough moment while listening to a man describe depression in a group therapy seminar) was precisely what allowed him to come up with the concept for the Coke ad. Show creator Matthew Weiner had a similar interpretation, explaining that he loved “the idea that some enlightened state, and not just cooption, might have created something that is very pure.”
For all the feel-good aspects of the sequence, however, we can’t help but celebrate the many meme-worthy parody videos on YouTube which pair Don’s peaceful, meditative smile with unexpected commercials. Hilarity, obviously, ensues — as you’ll see below.
Just in case you don’t remember the scene in question, here’s the original ending with the cut from Don’s smiling face to the Coke ad (the parodied bit starts around 2:19):
And here are the best parodies (so far) which foretell potential futures for everyone’s favorite ad man:
Meow Mix: “Now you know why we meow for Meow Mix, Meow Mix, meow, meow, meow.”
Kraft Crumbles: “They’re crumb-believable!”
Bagel Bites: “When pizza’s on a bagel, you can eat pizza anytime!”
Trivago: “Trivago makes it easy to find the ideal hotel for the best price.”
Budweiser: “WASSUP?!”
