How many of you tuned into episode 3 of season 5 of Mad Men?
Honestly, Betty getting fat was NOT something I ever expected happening. I wonder if that’s a fat suit January Jones is wearing, or if she was actually dedicated enough to actually go all Bridget Jones and put on the weight. It was probably just a fat suit since her makeup seems a bit off below…
She still looked pretty though, which is testament to how attractive January Jones is.
Jen Chaney from the Washington Post summed it up pretty well:
For those who have always had issues with “Mad Men’s” frosty mommy, the sight of a hefty Betty — dare I say an ugly Betty, even though she still looked very pretty with a bit more meat on her— was a terrific schadenfreude opportunity.
Admittedly, it was mildly pleasing to see somehow go from physical perfection to go through what everyday women go through; depression, insecurity, self-loathing and self-denial. For me, it was touching to see a projection of these everyday feelings on the big screen. It reminded me of Peggy’s weight gain in season 1 of Mad Men, and the rumors that she had gone to a ‘fat farm,’ or the time Peggy tried to dance coyly to the song ‘Bye Bye Birdy,’ only to appear awkward and uncomfortable with her body. We can’t all dance as look both adorably innocent and carelessly beautiful like Ann-Margaret (Season 3 Episode 2 of Mad Men).
However, watching a panicking Betty go through thyroid cancer testing made me feel a bit more sympathy towards Betty, which was probably one of the writers’ goals for this season, given the strong anti-Betty movement from season 1 onwards. I wonder why people hate Betty so much. It may be sparked by perceptions of her being a bad, unstable mother, prone to criticizing or failing to empathise with her children. I think I may be in the minority in saying that I’ve always quite liked Betty and most of the women on the show, much more so than the men, in their having to find their sense of self in the mist of rampant sexism and condescension so pervasive in their lives.
I’m interested in seeing how Betty deal with her weight problems. The fact that the episode ended with Betty eating spoonfuls of ice cream, tells me she is going to go through a difficult and long journey. I feel like we can Betty and I buddies in this journey towards re-finding ourselves, as ludicrous as that may sound… I just have to make sure that I don’t eat too many dumplings tonight.
bjanana 