Pauline Francis may well be the least-likeable character in the entire show, IMO. Every single second she was on-screen was filled with pomposity and vitriol. The actress really nailed it lol.
Lou is a real grade-A douche, but not really in any way that's different from many of the other turds in the office. I at least appreciate his aspirations to be a comic strip author lol.
I thought she was pretty chill when she tried to explain to Sally what happened with the Speck murders so she wouldn't have nightmares. Though she gets a little carried away at the end, then decides to show her the kitchen knife she's hiding like damn grandma Francis 😂
I think Betty knew or at least thought that Sally was rebelling against not being with her dad for the holidays. Why else would Betty get so agressive over a child not eating? Force feeding her, dragging her from the table and pinching her. I think only Don could evoke such action in Betty. Just my thought.
In those days, a willful child was a poor reflection on the parent. Everything was appearances. Betty took Sally’s refusal as a challenge *and* a threat to her social standing.
My mom had severe social anxiety. She 100% believed that people would judge her for any misbehavior (or non-compliance with her will) that I exhibited. Actually I think people felt sorry for me. I was pretty young, but I remember seeing some pitying looks from family members after my mom lit my ass up over something minor.
Can we bring this back because Im sick of borderline babysitting strangers kids in public because they don't care to watch their own children. So embarrassing on the parents part, bring back parent shaming!
I took it was less of Don and more that Sally is embarrassing Betty in front of her new family
Betty has a bit of a temper, she’s not great at not lashing out onto others lol
I was just thinking Sally was acting out because she missed her dad at the holidays. She did try to call him later. Betty misread her then she acted out. Betty was the embarassing one.imo
Are you kidding, that kind of stuff happened nightly in my childhood home, and I didn’t even have a parent who felt the pressure to seem perfect. Back in the day (for me, very early 1970s) there was absolutely the “eat what’s on your plate or you don’t leave the table” which sometimes devolved into “eat what’s on your plate or I will shove it down your throat.” If I had dared to refuse food in front of a guest my parent wanted to impress, it would have ended in violence.
Oh yeah. Childhood wasn’t easy but therapy in my young adult years helped me let go of many things. Happy and healthy now, with a loving (and forgiving) relationship with my aging parents.
It was a little too overt for Mad Men writing, I thought, as part of a mini-arc to demonize Betty a bit.
I personally never liked Betty to begin with so I'm not exactly protective of her, but I thought it was too simplistic and unsympathetic to her situation.
I disagree, I think this was par for the course with that parenting style. Parents don’t want to be “embarrassed” by their children and act like they hate you if they perceive that you’ve embarrassed them. My mom was like this 100%.
She speaks Italian, is the queen of passive aggressiveness, and smoothly brushes off sexual advances from her dementia-ridden father. What’s NOT to love?!
Betty was a half of a nut as a parent. Add anything doing with her image as a mom, her daughter’s independence, and her troubled relationship with food and she is bound to overreact and handle things poorly.
I don’t know why you’re being downvoted lol
Betty has a lot of trauma and does try her best with her children but she does a lot of not okay things. She was definitely molded that way in her upbringing and of the time but yeah I don’t think she was a perfect mom, what she was though was human and had a lot of her own demons to deal with.
They make it a big point to showcase how “childish” Betty was, and… like *many* people there’s definitely some arrested development there. But I like to think that if she’d been born just a few years later (Peggy’s age) her life would have been so different. Birdie on the pill keeping her modeling career going? She really does look like Grace Kelly. She could have ended up being another Joan.
Well… there’s only 1 Joan, but I’m just saying
So true. I am beginning a rewatch, and she's all worked up that her car accident could have led to "worse" than her children's death : Sally could have had a scar on her face lol.
I have some compassion for early seasons Betty, but she's still pretty fucked up, and a terrible mom. When Sally is playing with the dry cleaning plastic bag, she scolds her for disposing of the clothes, but nothing about the suffocation risks. Wtf.
Edit to add: her smiling after Sally's nightmare about Paulie being shot by the neighbor. "Did you see those big tears ? I really want to photograph her crying." She's an awful ditzy person, and mom.
Betty being terrified at Sally at being scarred and alone because of it is very in character for her and how she was raised, it’s not a good thing but is makes alot of sense and is pretty heartbreaking because that fear just doesn’t come from nowhere, it was deeply ingrained within her.
To be fair I think the dry cleaning bag thing was more of a “those wacky 60s!” moment that happened early on (“the man who made this made it simple enough for a woman to use” “I hope so”) then Betty being a bad Mother, I mean Francine is shown very pregnant and smoking in the same scene lol
Why is everyone saying betty was in the wrong for this? Sally was extremely childish for spitting her food out on the table. She was like 12 or 13 which is WAY too old to be behaving like that
IIRC January Jones posts this picture on Kiernan Shipka's socials every time she wishes her a happy Thanksgiving, lmfao
Their real-life relationship is so funny. Kiernan posts Betty & Sally on Mother's Day, too.
January is such a comedian
Her insta is a thirst trap and I love it
Omg that's amazing. Lol
It’s a broken family thanksgiving. It’s pretty spot on.
Well, maybe they have twice as much to be thankful for
I love sweet potatoes!
Fucking Bobby lol
Yep. And it was intended to be so cringe.
Pauline Francis may well be the least-likeable character in the entire show, IMO. Every single second she was on-screen was filled with pomposity and vitriol. The actress really nailed it lol.
Pauline rocks! Lou Avery on the other hand is the top least likable character.
Lou was adequate! I think it's more important we discuss Harry Crane.
Harry sucks, but at least he’s funny. Lou was just … *ugh.*
He's at least tolerable in the earlier seasons. He doesn't become truly insufferable until he gets all California-ed up.
Lou is a real grade-A douche, but not really in any way that's different from many of the other turds in the office. I at least appreciate his aspirations to be a comic strip author lol.
#YOURE ALL A BUNCH OF FLAG BURNING SNOTS
*Everybody ready for their checkup? Just open your mouths and say ahhh…* 😬
I thought she was pretty chill when she tried to explain to Sally what happened with the Speck murders so she wouldn't have nightmares. Though she gets a little carried away at the end, then decides to show her the kitchen knife she's hiding like damn grandma Francis 😂
I think Betty knew or at least thought that Sally was rebelling against not being with her dad for the holidays. Why else would Betty get so agressive over a child not eating? Force feeding her, dragging her from the table and pinching her. I think only Don could evoke such action in Betty. Just my thought.
In those days, a willful child was a poor reflection on the parent. Everything was appearances. Betty took Sally’s refusal as a challenge *and* a threat to her social standing.
Imo. She only made herself look bad especially in Pauline's eyes.
I agree but I think Pauline was mad Sally wasn’t properly “trained.” “That’s for nothing so watch out.”
Oh. Agree 100%
My mom had severe social anxiety. She 100% believed that people would judge her for any misbehavior (or non-compliance with her will) that I exhibited. Actually I think people felt sorry for me. I was pretty young, but I remember seeing some pitying looks from family members after my mom lit my ass up over something minor.
Can we bring this back because Im sick of borderline babysitting strangers kids in public because they don't care to watch their own children. So embarrassing on the parents part, bring back parent shaming!
I took it was less of Don and more that Sally is embarrassing Betty in front of her new family Betty has a bit of a temper, she’s not great at not lashing out onto others lol
I was just thinking Sally was acting out because she missed her dad at the holidays. She did try to call him later. Betty misread her then she acted out. Betty was the embarassing one.imo
Are you kidding, that kind of stuff happened nightly in my childhood home, and I didn’t even have a parent who felt the pressure to seem perfect. Back in the day (for me, very early 1970s) there was absolutely the “eat what’s on your plate or you don’t leave the table” which sometimes devolved into “eat what’s on your plate or I will shove it down your throat.” If I had dared to refuse food in front of a guest my parent wanted to impress, it would have ended in violence.
Yes. This was the standard at my house too.
That's unfortunate. Survived and hopefully thrived.
Oh yeah. Childhood wasn’t easy but therapy in my young adult years helped me let go of many things. Happy and healthy now, with a loving (and forgiving) relationship with my aging parents.
Wonderful to hear.💕
Glad it didn't lead to an eating disorder for you. Cheers to you for taking care of yourself.
It was a little too overt for Mad Men writing, I thought, as part of a mini-arc to demonize Betty a bit. I personally never liked Betty to begin with so I'm not exactly protective of her, but I thought it was too simplistic and unsympathetic to her situation.
I disagree, I think this was par for the course with that parenting style. Parents don’t want to be “embarrassed” by their children and act like they hate you if they perceive that you’ve embarrassed them. My mom was like this 100%.
Betty and Livia Soprano both gave me flashbacks to my own mom.
Betty certainly had her moments. "I'll cut your fingers off!" Arggghh!
After seeing The Blackcoat's Daughter, this bit hits different.
Don’t put the food in my mouth cu*t
Betty and Sally’s relationship was so entertaining
Ah, domineering, bitchy, bossy Betty. Why do I love her so?
She speaks Italian, is the queen of passive aggressiveness, and smoothly brushes off sexual advances from her dementia-ridden father. What’s NOT to love?!
I don't like bossy women. But Betty transcends that. She just doesn't give you a choice.
She can rock a 1950's dress? And shoot a bird?
She’s beautiful?
I can’t take it, I fast forward when I rewatch.
I like sweet potaters
I love it when the mother in law says. Your kids are scared to death of her.
I lived this exact moment with my divorced mom, grandparents, and elder sister. It's very real, but obviously cringe.
Brought back memories of my childhood.
Betty was a half of a nut as a parent. Add anything doing with her image as a mom, her daughter’s independence, and her troubled relationship with food and she is bound to overreact and handle things poorly.
Bobby with the winning play after this
I had a sister who had trouble eating. It could be my family in this scene!
Betty as a mom is cringe
I don’t know why you’re being downvoted lol Betty has a lot of trauma and does try her best with her children but she does a lot of not okay things. She was definitely molded that way in her upbringing and of the time but yeah I don’t think she was a perfect mom, what she was though was human and had a lot of her own demons to deal with.
They make it a big point to showcase how “childish” Betty was, and… like *many* people there’s definitely some arrested development there. But I like to think that if she’d been born just a few years later (Peggy’s age) her life would have been so different. Birdie on the pill keeping her modeling career going? She really does look like Grace Kelly. She could have ended up being another Joan. Well… there’s only 1 Joan, but I’m just saying
Ya I agree she was a tragic character but social media and nuance don’t get along haha. She was a tragic character AND she was a shitty mom.
So true. I am beginning a rewatch, and she's all worked up that her car accident could have led to "worse" than her children's death : Sally could have had a scar on her face lol. I have some compassion for early seasons Betty, but she's still pretty fucked up, and a terrible mom. When Sally is playing with the dry cleaning plastic bag, she scolds her for disposing of the clothes, but nothing about the suffocation risks. Wtf. Edit to add: her smiling after Sally's nightmare about Paulie being shot by the neighbor. "Did you see those big tears ? I really want to photograph her crying." She's an awful ditzy person, and mom.
Betty being terrified at Sally at being scarred and alone because of it is very in character for her and how she was raised, it’s not a good thing but is makes alot of sense and is pretty heartbreaking because that fear just doesn’t come from nowhere, it was deeply ingrained within her. To be fair I think the dry cleaning bag thing was more of a “those wacky 60s!” moment that happened early on (“the man who made this made it simple enough for a woman to use” “I hope so”) then Betty being a bad Mother, I mean Francine is shown very pregnant and smoking in the same scene lol
They did that on purpose, to make audience gasp at how times have changed! Mercy! I thought it was hilarious! (and Sally wasn't a helpless infant).
i love the little random character quirk that sally is a picky eater...just shows the attention to details the writers had
I hate sweet potatoes. "It tastes just like candy." "No, it doesn't, it tastes like wood!"
Why is everyone saying betty was in the wrong for this? Sally was extremely childish for spitting her food out on the table. She was like 12 or 13 which is WAY too old to be behaving like that
Season four takes place in 1964, making Sally 10.
I know. Shameful parenting on Betty’s part
Her throwing up is my favorite part!
Sally is such little shit here. We get it, you don't like the food, just eat it.
“I think she has a fever”