Who is Dr. Lyle Evans?
August 22, 2010 8:20 PM Subscribe
Is Dr. Lyle Evans a real historical figure or just a made-up person in the Mad Men universe?
I think there's about a hundred thousand people googling this right now.
This is all I could find.
This doesn't sound like someone Roger Sterling has ever heard of or would make reference to.
posted by amethysts at 8:39 PM on August 22, 2010
This is all I could find.
Lillian Lyle Evelyn (Evans) King, known to most people as Lyle Evans, is responsible for the growth of school library services in Saskatchewan through her initiative, enthusiasm, and efforts to interest school boards, superintendents, principals, teachers, and teacher librarians in the need for better school library service in the province
This doesn't sound like someone Roger Sterling has ever heard of or would make reference to.
posted by amethysts at 8:39 PM on August 22, 2010
Mad Men likes to use the medium of the show for social commentary that's relevant to today. It's a new kind of 4th-wall breaking. Basically, Matthew Weiner was having a laugh. He just pinged his whole audience with a red herring.
posted by iamkimiam at 8:48 PM on August 22, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by iamkimiam at 8:48 PM on August 22, 2010 [1 favorite]
One of the senior partners in the firm didn't want to do business with Honda because he had lost many friends fighting in WWII (and also because he didn't want to junior partner to bring in a client that might upstage him). Eventually he relents but says "You might as well bring Dr. Lyle Evans in here". I thought it might be a Nazi reference.
posted by amethysts at 9:11 PM on August 22, 2010
posted by amethysts at 9:11 PM on August 22, 2010
There's an actor named Lyle Evans who is credited in a (lost?) 1930 movie called Convict's Code.
posted by emelenjr at 9:26 PM on August 22, 2010
posted by emelenjr at 9:26 PM on August 22, 2010
Best answer: Lyle Evans Mahan, the son of Alfred Thayer Mahan?
Mahan was a "household name" in Germany, and Lyle Evans Mahan wrote about him + Japan, as referenced here.
I don't have time right now to figure out if he's relevant, but it seems like a possibility.
posted by acidic at 4:31 AM on August 23, 2010
Mahan was a "household name" in Germany, and Lyle Evans Mahan wrote about him + Japan, as referenced here.
I don't have time right now to figure out if he's relevant, but it seems like a possibility.
posted by acidic at 4:31 AM on August 23, 2010
No actual mention of her, but plenty about other real-life inspirations in Mad Men.
posted by Quantum's Deadly Fist at 8:05 AM on August 23, 2010
posted by Quantum's Deadly Fist at 8:05 AM on August 23, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks for all of the good sleuthing, especially acidic and Bwithh. Thanks also to amethysts for clarifying the question to enable said sleuthing.
From the scene, I would have expected Evans to be *against* harsh treatment of Germany, but this is the best explanation I've seen. (Though maybe I should check out "The Convict's Code" to be sure.)
Thanks again all.
posted by originalname37 at 7:08 AM on August 24, 2010
From the scene, I would have expected Evans to be *against* harsh treatment of Germany, but this is the best explanation I've seen. (Though maybe I should check out "The Convict's Code" to be sure.)
Thanks again all.
posted by originalname37 at 7:08 AM on August 24, 2010
I guess maybe he was saying "Let's bring in someone who would agree with me please".
posted by amethysts at 7:39 AM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by amethysts at 7:39 AM on August 24, 2010 [1 favorite]
Bwithh - but that's the opposite of the context of the scene. It's the guy who doesn't want to do business with the Japanese storming out of the room saying, "You might as well Bring Dr. Lyle Evans in here!" Which, if it implies anything, implies that this person was an Axis sympathizer or someone in favor of a soft touch with the Japanese/Germans.
FWIW, I took it to be a reference from Roger's past. Something about the character it was directed towards (Bert Cooper, who has known Roger from childhood) and the way that various characters, especially his former mistress, reacted to it.
Are there other references than just that scene? Sometimes Mad Men likes to build up a plot point through several seemingly isolated events.
According to most of the internet, lamkimlam is correct and it's a red herring with no real-world significance.
posted by Sara C. at 2:50 PM on August 25, 2010
FWIW, I took it to be a reference from Roger's past. Something about the character it was directed towards (Bert Cooper, who has known Roger from childhood) and the way that various characters, especially his former mistress, reacted to it.
Are there other references than just that scene? Sometimes Mad Men likes to build up a plot point through several seemingly isolated events.
According to most of the internet, lamkimlam is correct and it's a red herring with no real-world significance.
posted by Sara C. at 2:50 PM on August 25, 2010
Best answer: I just wanted to jump in and say that this week's episode (Sept. 5, 2010) explained who Dr. Lyle Evans was. Don't want to give spoilers, but it is indeed someone from Bert Cooper's past! Ah, Mad Men.
posted by stefnet at 8:12 PM on September 5, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by stefnet at 8:12 PM on September 5, 2010 [3 favorites]
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posted by Perplexity at 8:38 PM on August 22, 2010 [1 favorite]