As a long time fan of the AMC series, Mad Men, I'm struck by the current series of "Fat Betty" jokes.
The former model turned model wife of Mad Avenue's hunky and brilliant Don Draper, turned divorcee, turned remarried wife of political adviser to NY Gov.Nelson Rockefeller Henry Francis, Betty Draper Francis has undergone a series of changes in her tv life, now in its fifth season, all fraught with emotion and complicated by her precarious mental health, now punctuated by binge eating.
I don't personally tweet or facebook but I read and interact as the "face" of my company. I recently came across this back and forth and it caught my attention.
@BettyDraper while trying to present appropriate behavior can be sweet, needy, bitchy, cruel, but most of the time she's just a woman with very low self esteem. I guess that lets her off the hook. Episode 9 Season 5 shows the depths of Betty's despair; her anger, her hopelessness, her cruelty to her daughter when she reveals a secret about Don.
@_FatBetty and @DonDrapersLiver on Twitter are having a field day with the character. As for me, she drives me crazy and she elicits my sympathy. I feel her pain.... No, not really. But I think the actress, January Jones, does an excellent job.
Poor Betty. This is what she keeps getting in the mail.
I thought only guys did this.
10 comments:
I know. Joan is one of my faves as is Peggy. They are opposite ends of the perspective on females by the cocksters @ SCDP. I was up early this AM & I read some critiques of Sunday night's show. The female writer had a very different take on the show than did her male counterparts (slate.com). She cried for Joan and cheered for Peggy.
I agree. Bring back Betty. I'm so sick of his whiny new wife. And I was pretty shocked to see Joan sell herself out this week. I did love seeing what's-her-name except another offer though. I'm rooting for her to take some accounts away and show the firm what they lost.
Well, I follow some of the funny twitter accounts that appeal to me. Andy Borowitz, the comedian, is one of them. He makes me laugh every day.
@DonDrapersLiver and @_FatBetty accounts are unsanctioned Twitter feeds relating to the show. But it's the kind of publicity money cannot buy.
Interestingly enough, my husband and I think the show has lost its edge w/o Betty's consistent presence this season. For reasons of which I am unaware, she has hardly been in the show at all. The actress had a baby sometime last year...no idea if that impacted or if the writers are focusing elsewhere.
She adds tension to the shows which is always fun.
I've also noticed how unlikable the characters have become this season. They have always been self-centered with assholey tendencies. They now seem to have few redeeming qualities turning me off as a viewer. As a writer, I'm sure you heard critiques all the time. As a long time soap opera style episodic tv show viewer, I feel qualified to give them. ;>)
I've actually started watching again and this decade in the series is really interesting. But I remember season one when Betty had a horse and was flirting with another guy at the barn. Betty needs another horse. It would do wonders for her self-esteem.
That's quite a conversation you came across while tweeting for your company. Disturbing!
I hear so many great things about this show. My daughter loves it. I just can't seem to pull myself away from the BBC costume dramas. Maybe one day on Netflix we'll queue it up.
Well, I didn't live in the 20s, 30s or 40s & barely remember the 50s other than the late 50s, but I have always had a fascination with expat writers like Fitzgerald (he's my favorite actually) & Maugham & so on, and movies from the 30s & 40s. So, I respectfully disagree.
I've only caught bits and pieces of the show. I'm not sure what value the show has but I don't really know much about it. I'm suspect of it's treatment of reality. Many viewers (most?) didn't live in the 50's, 60's so they don't have much to base it on. I guess it's like thinking the 20's was just like the Great Gatsby.
Oh that last cartoon - that's whip cream right? If it was beer than I would agree that mostly guys did that.
Netflix has the entire series online or for rent. I re-viewed it from the first season earlier this year, while recuperating from my knee replacement. It was wonderful the second time around.
I wish I had cable so I could watch this. I've only seen a few shows. I do love those dresses!
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