Michael Ginsberg

==Biography==
Michael Ginsberg was a copywriter for Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce.
In summer 1966, Ginsberg's portfolio was noticed by Peggy Olson, who despite discouragement from Stan Rizzo, resolved to interview him for a copywriting position. Ginsberg in his interview struck her as abrasive and bizarre. Later in his follow-up with Don Draper, however, he toned down his eccentric manner and was welcomed to the agency. He was as of January 1967 the only Jewish copywriter in SCDP and possibly the only Jewish employee, except for someone seen once in 1960 working in the mailroom.
According to the story he related to Peggy in the episode "Far Away Places", Michael was born in a concentration camp during the Holocaust. He was taken to a Swedish orphanage where his foster father, Morris Ginsberg, adopted him when he was 5 years old. Ginsberg lived with him in New York City.
Ginsberg quickly established himself as a talented and ambitious copywriter, and was seen leading the presentation for Butler Footwear in "Mystery Date", using Don's idea as decided upon by Don. After the Butler Footwear representatives had agreed to the idea from the presentation, Ginsberg then told them his idea (which Don had already rejected because he found it "too dark"). The client then picked the rejected idea, which infuriated Don and almost got Ginsberg fired, though Ginsberg, with his low ability to discern social cues, did not notice. In "Lady Lazarus", Ginsberg was seen pitching another successful idea to Chevalier Blanc. Roger, who was chasing the Manischewitz account, approached him for ideas and implied that he would get the account if the client signed on.
There was a strained relationship and implied rivalry between Ginsberg and his creative director, Don. One night, Don found a folder on Ginsberg's desk named "Shit I Gotta Do". Ginsberg had composed a series of ads for Sno Ball, playing on the anti-authority attitude of children showing authority figures, such as an Indian chief, teacher, and policeman, getting "hit by a Sno-Ball". (Michael also had one idea of Adolf Hitler getting hit with a snowball, but that was a throwaway for his personal amusement and clearly inappropriate to pitch as an ad). These inspired Don to try to pitch his own idea for Sno Ball. The SCDP staff favored Ginsberg's "snow ball in the face" joke over Don's "not a Sno Ball's [sic] chance in hell" and Peggy's cartoon idea. Don was compelled to bring both ideas to the client but pretended to forget Ginsberg's folder in the taxi. Even though the presentation was successful, Ginsberg was beside himself with anger and stormed out of the room. When they confronted each other in the elevator, Michael told Don that he felt bad for him, Don retorted, "I don't think about you at all". But as he walked to his office, he looked troubled.
Later, in "The Other Woman", Ginsberg was seen working on the creative team for Jaguar. He came up with a concept for Jaguar (after his former colleague, Megan, visited her husband at work), with the line, "At last. Something beautiful you can truly own". Don is shown to be speechless, and the idea ended up winning the Jaguar account. It was expected that after Peggy's departure to Cutler, Gleason, and Chaough, Michael would take over Peggy's accounts and assume the role of copy chief.
==Mental Illness==
Ginsberg became increasingly unstable over time, and it accelerated when SCDP brought a computer into the office, displacing the staff lounge. He became paranoid and believed that the computer was sending out signals that made men engage in homosexual acts. He professed his love to Peggy and gave her a gift box containing his nipple, which he had severed in order to "release" the waves of data from the computer. Ginsberg was taken away on a stretcher while he warned his colleagues to leave before the machines replaced them.
Category:Male
Category:Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce
Category:Sterling Cooper & Partners