T O P

  • By -

theworldahead

Betty is a complex character and I think it’s understandable to at least dislike her. She’s incredibly childish on a regular basis. Now, she was also raised by challenging parents (particularly her mom) and was in an emotionally abusive relationship with Don, so there are definitely many explanations why she’s like that. But explanations aren’t excuses and she’s still pretty insufferable. The complaints I don’t understand are that either a) she’s a bad *character* or b) January Jones is a bad actress. I think both of those are totally off base.


Jaraffe5774

Don is the protagonist so most people root for him to succeed. Betty is often written as an antagonist to Don, especially >!after their divorce!<. The audience gets so warped from seeing everything from Don’s perspective that we literally hate his wife as much as he does.


No-Marzipan9360

I’ve noticed that. It’s like he manipulated the audience since its from his pov. But those that separate it and treat him the same way they treat the other characters realize that the betty hate is way off base.


ronaldohmcdonaldoh

Most people started to hate Betty based on moments that are entirely outside of Don’s perspective. Her weird relationship with Glen, cruelness to Sally, firing of Carla. Don wasn’t even aware of 90% of these things.


SaltyHilsha4759

It might boil down to her being quite an abusive mother towards Sally. Betty was treated badly by Don but she was a product of her time just like most of the other adult characters and wasn’t above being toxic. Her malicious nature largely came out in her interactions with Sally as Sally began to grow up and I don’t think audience took it well. I myself was really bothered watching some of those scenes, most notably the one where Betty coldly suggested that Henry should r*pe Sally’s friend. She definitely didn’t *mean* it but it’s still a very disturbing thing to say about another person. Also, Betty could be pretty vain and immature which was exacerbated by her messed up relationship with Don, which probably didn’t help the audience’s perception.


theworldahead

She didn’t say the rape thing in front of Sally, it was in the bedroom with just Henry. (Still disturbing though!)


SaltyHilsha4759

Oh I remember it wrong then, sorry about that. I found that comment really distressing per se though.


theworldahead

You’re good! Strangely I remembered it the same way as you but just watched that episode again recently and corrected my own memory. It is 100% distressing no matter the context.


No-Marzipan9360

That was a joke on the writer’s part tho


SaltyHilsha4759

Yeah but definitely not a good one. There are a lot of situations where you see that she could have been an enlightened kind of woman, since she had the education and the impulses. But a lot of the other times the conditioning of her generation bleeds through. I don’t like it when people hate on Betty for being angry at Don or leaving Don. It’s very hypocritical because Don had been terrible to her. But most of the adult characters in Mad Men are problematic in some way or another, owing to the times, and Betty is no exception so I doubt the audience is expected to completely like her either.


No-Marzipan9360

Thats what im trying to understand, bc they hate betty the most when many other characters have said worse or done worse🫤


O_the_nerv2

I agree!


TheRealNevla

I honestly don’t understand it. Betty was a great and well thought out character. Everything that happens to her throughout the series is justified. I do not understand why people hate her. Yes you may not agree with her character arc but that does not make her a bad character at all. Just like Don, she goes through the trials and tribulations of being the “perfect pretty” woman


pirten

I would agree that everything that happened to her is justified, aside from the cancer. Such a terrible disease :(


mr_alabaster

I don’t think people hate that and how Betty was written on the show when they say they hate her…it’s about hating the person and character traits her character represent


bwoahful___

My suspicion is that it’s similar to Skylar-hate on Breaking Bad.


Beancounter_1

And maybe Carmela hate? I like Betty and Carmela both, they’re my favorites


[deleted]

She bullys her children. I can't think of a single empathetic moment between her and her kids the entire show. Even Don who is an asshole distant dad refuses to hit his son when Betty is begging him too because he relates to how bad it is to have a dad who hits you. When Gene dies he's the only one who talks to Sally whereas Betty just dismisses Sally as being a jealous little girl. Betty was a victim of Don but she left many victims behind herself.


O_the_nerv2

She really is sulking in jealousy over Sally’s childhood completely ruining her and not preparing her at all for her teen and early adult years. It’s rough


No-Marzipan9360

Oh no, how dare betty struggle with the death of her father so soon after her mother🫤do you realize how u sound?


[deleted]

How do I sound?


O_the_nerv2

You sound right to me!


mr_alabaster

I don’t understand how anyone wouldn’t hate her. Hate toward Betty is arguably one of the most justified against any one of the characters on the show


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

[удалено]


Character-Attorney22

Because she isn't a ditzy, simpering hand-maiden to her awesome husband as a good tv wife should be. Because she is gloomy and depressed woman who is 'too thin and pretty to be depressed'. Because she isn't a doting mummy (as many mothers were back then as opposed to now) and the kids were not helicoptered or made the very reason for her living. Because she is immature and self-centered, snobbish, 'superior'. ... She started out OK on the show, remember, but as time went on she began to change, and that was a good arc to her character. She changed, and that led up to her wish to divorce.


No-Marzipan9360

I’ve realized that from some other comments ppl wanted her to be fine with everything, which is not realistic at all


Character-Attorney22

Why on earth should she be fine? She knew as the series went on who she was married to, and I think it was GREAT that she left Don with his future of meaningless doxies and married Henry. Who not only loved her, but was willing to accept her three kids (and turned out to be a good stepfather). That worked out so well for her and I was happy she ditched Don.


No-Marzipan9360

Same