Is Betty Draper Loathsome — Or Just Misunderstood?S  With her
Ice Princess demeanor and penchant for shaming her daughter,
Betty Draper is one of Mad Men's most despised characters. But
are viewers just failing to understand her complexity?  Today on
The Daily Beast, writer Jace Lacob considers why,  ...Many
viewers (and critics, too, for that matter) seize the
opportunity to trample on Betty Draper as a character, to
denigrate her coolness and sublimated emotions, while
simultaneously celebrating the effervescent Joan Harris (née
Holloway), putting the curvy redhead on a pedestal.  Every
character on Mad Men has flaws, but perhaps the Betty hate stems
from the fact that hers are some of the least glamorous and most
realistic. While Joan is unhappily married to a man who raped
her, she hasn't lost her effervescent personality. Joan may make
mistakes, but audiences are still on her side because she's
witty, talented, and expresses her emotions freely (the
incredible clothing doesn't hurt either).  In contrast,