Mad Men: 10 Things About Betty Draper That Make No Sense

When one talks about some of the best television shows to have ever been made, it goes without saying that Mad Men would definitely be an integral part of the conversation. After all, the fact of the matter is that this love letter to America in the 1960s and 1970s hits all the sweet spots of what makes a show satisfying — the writing is impeccable, the setting is interesting, and the focus on advertising ends up leading to some truly excellent set-ups indeed.

Of course, it would be impossible to talk about Mad Men‘s strengths without mentioning its rich cast of characters, each of whom elevates the status of the show just that much. Betty Draper is a great example of this — initially coming off as nothing more than a dutiful wife before revealing the depth of her character.

That being said, not everything about Betty Draper’s character — in fact, there are actually certain things about her character that make absolutely no sense whatsoever in Mad Men.

10 She Should’ve Realized How Horrible Don Really Was From The Get-Go

While their relationship might’ve started off with a bang, anybody with half a brain would’ve understood that Don would never really be happy with Betty for too long, or content too, for that matter.

Given the carelessness of Don’s behavior, anyone would’ve connected two and two to realize that Don wasn’t the greatest husband around. Yet, not only did Betty still stick with him, but she also remained loyal to him for the longest time.

9 She Never Cheated On Don, But Cheated On Henry With Don Instead

It wasn’t like Betty wasn’t short of options even when she was married to Don. However, she always chose the higher ground and never really went out of her way to cheat on Don.

Meanwhile, when she was with Henry, Betty had no qualms when it came to sleeping with Don.

8 Henry Should’ve Been More Supportive When It Came To Molding Her Political Opinions

That being said, one can’t deny that Henry wasn’t exactly the greatest husband around. While it’s true that he definitely loved Betty with all his heart, he still never really showed her any support when it came to involving her more in his political life.

The fact that he coldly told Betty to not discuss her political opinions at dinner with guests was certainly rather odd indeed and shows that he doesn’t really value her opinion in things where he considers himself to be an expert.

7 It’s Weird How She Pretty Much Took Over Don’s House Without A Second Thought

For someone who has been shown to be rather meek and submissive for the better part of the show, the fact that she shamelessly decided to stay in Don’s house even after their marriage was done and dusted was rather odd from Betty’s end.

It’s not like Betty didn’t have any self-respect, but this action showed nothing of the sort, which proved to be somewhat inconsistent for her character.

6 Giving Glen A Lock Of Her Hair Was A Really Odd Thing To Do

While it’s true that Betty might’ve been starved for attention during her marriage with Don, the fact that she had to stoop so low to be important in someone’s life was rather odd indeed.

Betty should’ve realized that agreeing to Glen’s demands and giving a lock of hair to an impressionable child was a horrible thing to do, and yet, she still did it with zero restraint.

5 Her Act Of Shooting Her Neighbor’s Birds Is Completely Weird

While it’s true that Betty’s neighbor had been extremely rude to Sally by threatening to kill the family dog, one has to admit that Betty’s retaliatory actions were quite extreme.

The fact that Betty started using her air rifles to take potshots at the neighbor’s birds is ridiculous, and she should’ve realized what a weird act this really was from the get-go.

4 Her Treatment Of Her Children Is Awfully Barbaric At Times

Given the fact that Betty had dealt with her fair share of abuse as a kid, it was possible the cycle of abuse would repeat itself in Betty’s interactions with her kids, as well.

However, that is still not an excuse for the horrible way she treats her kids, almost making it seem like she doesn’t care about her children when it has been established well beforehand that she does.

3 Using Her Children To Spy On Don’s Life Sounds Absolutely Horrible

Perhaps the worst thing that Betty did with her kids was manipulating them to spy on Don’s life and try to attain satisfaction from the idea that her ex-husband was not doing well.

Not only is this a horrible thing to wish on someone anyway, but the fact that Betty was using her kids for such a petty issue speaks volumes when it comes to her insecurities.

2 She Shouldn’t Really Be All That Surprised When Sally Acted Out As A Teen

Given the manner in which Betty completely mistreated Sally growing up, it was only a matter of time when Sally’s rebellious phase would kick in and reject everything that her mother had been putting her through.

Betty herself was a victim of emotional abuse by her mother. Surely she should’ve realized that doing the same thing to Sally would make her daughter harbor the same feelings towards her as Betty had for her own mother?

1 She Should’ve Never Left Her Modelling Career

While it’s true that the ’60s and ’70s was a completely different time for women, there’s still no denying the fact that Betty had a promising modeling career that would’ve paid dividends had she chosen to stick to this profession.

Perhaps if she stood up to Don and declared that modeling was her passion, perhaps she would’ve never had to stay dominated by him for the better part of their marriage.