During the first season, I often wondered. Marvelously underplayed by January Jones, she sometimes seemed at times a cold fish, at others, simply immature. As parents, both she and Don are disconnected, at best, from their children, her more so. But she seemed especially lost and lonely, like Tom Hanks performance in "Big", his first night away from home.
The scenes between her and the dysfunctional neighbor kid Glenn, as she tried to emotionally connect with him were just plain creepy.

Now in season 2, her tightly bottled up emotions occasionally seep out. No longer the "perfect" wife, she's breaking chairs, kicking Don out, etc.
But I'm surprised by this new cruel streak. Punishing the kids (though extreme, locking them in a closet wasn't as uncommon as people seem to think today). Declaring in front of company that her son is a liar. And setting up her friend for an affair, then acting condescending about it.

Is she purely a victim? Or is there something more?

A few thoughts:

Betty made several references throughout season 1 to maintaining her appearance and how her mother stressed the importance of appearance and looks.  She is a (former) model - probably the most satisfying period in her life.  She was terribly crushed when Mckann-Ericson declines to take her on after Don refuses their offer.  She derives much of her identify and self-worth from her perception of her youthful beauty.  One of the first things she says to Don after Jimmy Barrett breaks the news to her about Don and Bobbie is "How could you! She's so old!" as though it were beyond her understanding how Don could find a woman of Bobbie's age attractive.

I think she was lost without someone to take care of her that night away and agree with other posters that in some ways, this season has been one of "growing up" for Betty.  She's beginning to realize she can manage on her own (as long as Don's money is coming in and she still has a maid).  And she's manipulating events around her, like setting up Sarah Beth for an affair (which seems more like wish fulfillment or projection on Betty's part); "teasing" the tow truck driver into fixing her car when she didn't have enough cash; or creating confusion through her night of intimacy with Don at her father's house.

Betty and Don mirror one another in one important way:  each recognizes that they have what the wider culture would consider an ideal life (attractive spouse, nice home, beautiful possessions, a vacation home, cute kids, etc.) but neither can figure out why none of it seems to make them happy.

I just bought my Betty Draper T-shirt.  A word of advice – don’t get it on gray as all of the white in the illustration (Betty) comes out dark.  If I reorder it will be a white shirt.

http://www.zazzle.com/oss ...


The root of Betty’s problems is her beauty.  Drop dead gorgeous women have their heads bombarded with praise and attention often undeserved.  This girl of average intelligence was listed as one of the “hottest” congressional staffers by Roll Call magazine.  A nice girl but nothing exceptional upstairs that would give her an edge over her young colleagues.  But there she was profiled in Roll Call.

Joan seems to have both looks and exceptional smarts.  I think Betty is of average intelligence but has been given so much deference because she’s beautiful.  She may have a hard time processing things that’s compounded by high expectations of people who assume beauty, virtue and smarts always go together.   Some of my friends who dated exceptionally beautiful women commented how they were logs in bed.  The current term is “pillow queen” someone who deserves and expects to be ravaged because they so beautiful.  I recall Betty asking Don in bed to tell her what to do sex wise I don’t think it’s because she’s a prude she’s just too self centered.

Our six month old adopted daughter is stunningly adorable – yes every parent thinks so.  But she draws a crowd of people who rant about her beauty when we're out.   My wife half jokingly says she’s going to sign her up for boxing with the hope of toning it down for her own good later on in life.  She references Denise Richards and other real life drop dead beauties we know as being handicapped by their looks.  Being exceptionally attractive can mess you up almost as much as being ugly (but not quite)

james harsh take on betty!

Beauty is a tool, if you were a woman you'd understand that. It can be leaned upon to often, but even women of "average" intelligence find a happy balance and learn to wield the tool wisely. Betty has used beauty a certain way as a single young fashion model. But when a woman gets married, has kids, and becomes a stay at home mom its confronting and difficult to adapt to the changes in your life. We have to somewhat die to an old idenity and take on another. It seems that after she had her kids, she sort of became one in her mind, much too dependant on Don for every choice and HE hated that about her! This season we've been watching more changes take place in Betty with a very critical eye.

As a wife and mom, I think she has greatly matured, learned her power, she was almost "kid-like" at the beginning of the season. Now she is a woman who is making her own decisions, not just leaning on Don for her every step. So what? She jumped some guy in a bar...it shows the human condition, that none of us is perfect, we all make mistakes. At least she is thinking for herself and coming into her own. If you are in the game your going to fall, but at least she in the game now.

Human condition...in the game.  Good Stuff.

LaAdGirl:

I agree with you that Betty has matured.  Unfortunately, her growth was out of necessity.  It would have been nice if they both could have grown together maybe they will in season 3 but what fun would that be?

I still put Betty in the Pete Campbell’s status of being crippled by privilege.  Pete with his family’s name and connections, Betty with her beauty and upbringing.

I read some lunatic woman on the AMC blog “ask Wiener a question” where she chastised him for Betty’s actions.  She flipped out how disgusting the story line became comparing MM to Desperate Housewife’s and swore never to watch the show again.

Interesting this woman had such a double standard for Betty.  Her comments seem more likely to have come from a man calling her a slut or tramp.

I don’t slight Betty for her having sex with the man in the bar any more than I would diss Duck for hitting the bottle.  Everyone has some way (often not healthy) of coping with stress and desperation. 

While it seems that everyone can rally around and be supportive someone who deals with their emotional problems though substance abuse, Betty's actions would have her labled as a slut.  Not saying by any stretch that an affair is okay and isn’t destructive but there’s an odd peaking order of what we feel comfortable condemning.  Anyone can get a pass for addiction to prescription medicine, no one gets sympathy for crack.  Brittney Spears seems to have overcome some mental illness to the praise of talk shows – David Ducovny (sp?) who checked in for sex additional will always be a laughing stock – butt of jokes.

I don’t think I’m being too hard on Betty.  She, like most characters in the show and even in real life are the victims or products of circumstance.    Geez that sounds like bleeding heart clap trap – Dr. Laura would not approve.

How nice to find this forum - AMC forum has people asking "Who is Dick Whitman" and wondering if Betty will have twins, one fathered by Don and one  fathered by stranger-in-bar.  Wow...sorry to say, I don't like Betty,  yet I'm completely in agreement that she's crippled, like Pete, by her privilege...SUCH a good phrase, James!  I still think she's cold, with a strong sense of entitlement and a true mean streak (ie phone call to riding friend).  Biggest tragedy is that women like this ever have children, when they will be petulant spoiled children themselves forever.

Welcome Lindley!

It would appear somebody somewhere is in desperate need of a biology lesson...

james:

perhaps your right...she is a fictional character after all, but I did feel you were being too hard on attractive women...your quote:

"The root of Betty’s problems is her beauty.  Drop dead gorgeous women have their heads bombarded with praise and attention often undeserved"

When you make sweeping generalizations like that, you are asking for dialog!
Every attractive blond held up to Denise Richards? Not PC james...If this were the 60's, I'd understand your tendency to embrace such stereotypes, but in 2008? ah hem!

Still I cut you a break here because we are talking about a show that takes place in a simpler more narrow minded time. It is my hope that has humans, most or all of us aren't victimized by our circumstances, but through our experience we are able to rise above them. i think that is what the show is about, these characters are flawed for whatever reason, and due to weiners brilliant writing we get to watch them become people we at the very least, respect.

Nevertheless, loving to hate betty and pete will keep us watching the show!

LaAdGirl –

I guess we don’t hang with the same drop dead gorgeous women.   

Super UN PC of me to say but I believe and like using reality based generalizations.  They are helpful in shortening conversations.  Generalizations are just that – there’s always the exception to the rule.

I don’t think most people are on a constant good/bad track.

On one end is Mother Teresa and on the other is John Gacey.  Pete, Betty, Don, me and you probably will always slush around in the middle, hopefully closer to Mother Teresa.  Some days I’m slushing more than I wish I did. 

We’ll I’m impressed, the shows off the air and people are still posting their keen insights, thank God.   My co-workers / friends are sick of me talking about it.

Agreed.  Most people don't wake up in the morning thinking "I'm going to become an alcoholic, adulterer, a sluggard, slacker, saint or savior."  They do operate between two ends of a spectrum.  Where they wind up between those poles is (IMHO) governed by their general character.

I believe a person's basic character (hopefully) evolves over time.  The way a person acts when "the chips are down" provide great insights into their character.  Was I honest?  Was I fair?  Did I take the easy way out?

Most good drama (IMHO) revolves around stories of character.  And the best, most believable,  fictional figures are those who, like real people, have many layers to that character (they're not all Mother Theresa or J. W. Gacey) . 

To me, one of the interesting aspects is that "Mad Men" plays character against personality.  Roger Sterling, for example, has a wonderful personality, the guy everyone wants to go pal around with, but has tremendous character flaws.  For example, he summed up his relationship with Joan in that "piece of @ss" speech, that I'm sure to him felt like a confession of overwhelming emotion but really served to confirm the way he had objectified her.

Don has a warm personality, although I'm not so sure everyone wants to hang around with him.  His distance can be read as off-putting and not mysterious.  Yet there are little moments when Don does some amazing things that are rooted in character - not personality.  When "the boys" are making fun of Freddy during the blood drive, for example, Don shuts them down because they are ruining "a man's name".  Or the time when he almost gets into it with the guy on the elevator who doesn't take his hat off out of respect to the lady who is present.  Or, out of everyone at SC, he was the only one who took the time to find out what really happened to Peggy, showed up at her bedside, waited for her to be awake and coherent and give her the absolute best advice he could about her situation.