What's The Deal with AMC?

[Aesop Rocks]

I just finished the pilot episode of AMC's latest show Rubicon, and I'm pretty sure I won't be tuning back into the show, but while watching it, something caught my eye and made me think.

As much as I completely love Mad Men and Breaking Bad and as hyped as I am for The Walking Dead, I can't help notice one thing: *****y female characters.

Mad Men: Betty Draper starts off in the series as the innocent, married young housewife that Don runs round on. You feel completely sorry for her and actually hate Don's affairs in the beginning of the show. As the show progresses, and things happen, Betty becomes basically just an annoying pointless character. One I wouldn't careless about if she left the show (written or killed off).

Breaking Bad: Skylar White is a gigantic ***** to begin with, but it's also kind of understandable. Much like Betty's character in Mad Men, as the show goes on she becomes a completely intolerable character to watch every episode, and I literally can't stand to watch Skylar-centric episodes (much like Kate on LOST until the 6th season where she randomly becomes important) because I just don't care what happens to her character anymore.

The Walking Dead:

Spoiler

In the comic books, after Rick gets put into a coma due to the gunshot, a zombie apocalypse happens and Rick's partner Shane takes Rick's wife Lori and his son Carl and protects them. In this Shane and Lori develop a sexual relationship and eventually she becomes pregnant with his kid. Even after Rick joins the group, Lori is constantly on his ass about everything. Eventually, like Betty Draper and Skylar White, I found myself not caring for her character at all, and what happens in the comics really didn't effect me emotionally, as much as it should have.

Rubicon: I already don't remember her name, or care to know it, but the girl that jumps to that quick assumption about Will Travers. Seriously, screw her.

What the funny, AMC?

 

[Keyser Soze]

I actually think that both Betty Draper and Skyler White are strong characters, brilliantly performed by their respective actresses. But I think that often the largely male viewing demographic just doesn't appreciate them. A flawed, morally ambiguous male character is an anti-hero. A flawed, morally ambiguous female character is an annoying, uppity b***h.

Plus, in the case of Skyler in Breaking Bad, it's a similar situation as with Rita in Dexter. There's nothing inherently wrong with the character, in fact it's their male partner that there's something wrong with - they're the ones keeping the secrets. But because we sympathise with the male protagonist, their female love interest constantly questioning them and trying to find out what they're hiding rather than blindly accepting our hero's lies at face value - in fact a perfectly natural reaction in such a situation - becomes a pain in the ass for us, much like it does for the male protagonists in question.

I found it funny, cruising some Breaking Bad message boards. Walt killing people, cooking meth, etc, is all not only tolerated, but often cheered. But when Skyler sleeps with her boss - oh, how could she! This is morally unacceptable! How could she betray her husband's trust like that! It's a total double standard.

With Skyler, I found her arc in this third season to be one of the most fascinating aspects of the season. It really was about her "breaking bad", and being drawn into her husband's web of corruption. I like to think that the cancer jumped out of Walt's lungs and into his soul, and now it's metastasizing, infecting everyone close to him, including Skyler.

With Betty, I too dislike her. She's an unlikeable character, but tragic in that she's in a hell of her own making, terminally unhappy with whatever her lot in life is at that moment. In that respect, she is in fact a perfect match for Don, who shares many of the same flaws. And it's the same double standard I mentioned above. Don Draper sleeps around with a laundry list of women, and he's a playa. Betty sleeps with two other people, and she's a ****e. I think January Jones should be given kudos for the way she totally throws herself into this naturally unlikeable character, and finds the humanity in her.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

People actually cheered for Walt's actions? what the hell?

I guess I just don't like the character because like you said they realistically approach all the situations and quite possibly strike at a personal level for the audience member watching. Skyler isn't anywhere near unlikeable as Betty is, that's for sure, but she still didn't have to do to Walt what she did. Walt never cheated on her and he always put his family first, even though what he does isn't the best thing.

And yeah, January Jones does have that who unlikeable character appeal. I mean ****, she's playing Emma Frost in X-Men: First Class.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

I actually think that both Betty Draper and Skyler White are strong characters, brilliantly performed by their respective actresses. But I think that often the largely male viewing demographic just doesn't appreciate them. A flawed, morally ambiguous male character is an anti-hero. A flawed, morally ambiguous female character is an annoying, uppity b***h.

This. I don't watch BB or Rubicon so I can't talk. Betty for one isn't the only female character on the show, and Betty is just a flawed character. By the time Betty came to her big decision, I dont think anyone faulted her for making it.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

I didn't fault her for it at all, but the way she approached the situation was just completely unacceptable.

 

[Pablo Parker]

I think Betty Draper is the second best character in Mad Men, and extremely likeable.

 

[TheComicbookKid]

I didn't fault her for it at all, but the way she approached the situation was just completely unacceptable.

But isn't that the defintion of a complex, intriguing character? No one congratulates Don on being a cheating husband, yet fans still attempt to rationalize him based on his troubled past.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Yeah, her unnecessarily slapping Sally across the face is one of my favorite moments of Mad Men ever! That's such a likable and appealing quality of a character!

 

[Aesop Rocks]

But isn't that the defintion of a complex, intriguing character? No one congratulates Don on being a cheating husband, yet fans still attempt to rationalize him based on his troubled past.

Like I said, I hate that Don ran around of her. When Don came clean in season 3 to her, she basically just kicked him while he was down.

 

[Pablo Parker]

Like I said, I hate that Don ran around of her. When Don came clean in season 3 to her, she basically just kicked him while he was down.

If I remember right, he didn´t exactly came clean... He was trying to cheat on her in the fist or second episode

 

[Aesop Rocks]

No, Don pretty much came clean about everything in season 3.

 

[Pablo Parker]

Well... not only he tried to cheat on her at the begining of the season, but he later had an affair with that teacher.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

...And he came clean about it.

 

[Pablo Parker]

You hate her so much

 

[Aesop Rocks]

That I do.

 

[Keyser Soze]

That said, I agree with your assessment of Lori:

[BLACKOUT]Everyone goes on about what a shock it was that Lori died, but to me she always felt like a bit of a redshirt. Perhaps it could be down tot he heavy foreshadowing, with Rick surrounded by people that have lost their wives and him constantly bringing up how he doesn't know how he'd react if he lost his. But to me, it felt like much of Lori's characterisation revolved around waiting for her to kick the bucket. She's probably been much more interesting and of much more relevance to the story dead than she ever was alive.[/BLACKOUT]

 

[That-Guy]

I can only comment on Mad Men, but I think you're forgetting that almost all of the characters on that show can be pretty loathesome. I would agree that, right now, I probably hate Betty more than the rest of them, but keep in mind that Don is pretty much responsible for the way she turned out.

But look at the male characters:

Don is a self-absorbed, arrogant, womanizing drunk.

Pete is a scheming weasel.

Roger is a racist pig.

Lane is an uptight wimp.

Freddie is a sexist hack.

Cooper has a few screws loose.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

I think Betty has always been how she is now, she just kept it away. I mean hell, she went to a shrink in the first episode, right?

 

[Prison Mike]

I'll admit that I was okay with Betty up until this season. I don't blame her for divorcing Don. He cheated on her so many times and lied about his past and his entire identity. However, I don't like the way she treats her kids. Especially Sally. I'm pretty sure Sally will grow up with an eating disorder or something. As for the other shows, I don't think there's any woman who pisses me off. The one girl in Rubicon asked a simple question. She didn't know Will lost his family in 9/11. I can't hate her for not knowing. I always liked Rita from Dexter. I never understood the hate for her. She was pretty realistic for a woman who was married to a serial killer.

 

[That-Guy]

Yeah, I always loved Rita.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Rita is cool, yeah. But eh, I'm actually really excited to see where they go now.

 

[Prison Mike]

Yeah. While I'm sad that Rita is gone, the storyline possibilities are exciting.

 

[Soapy]

I totally read the thread title in an exaggerated Jerry Seinfeld voice.

Anyway, I think Betty is a great character. Perhaps she's not a Strong Female Character™, but she's not meant to be. In fact, in many ways she's the polar opposite. But that doesn't make her a weak or bad character.

 

[Shifty]

Keyser nailed it.

Betty was fine in the first season, she was dealing with the death of her mother in that one. She had every right to treat him like she did in the second season but things turned sour in the third. Give credit to Jon Hamm and the writers as well as Bryan Cranston and the BB writers for keeping these men as likeable characters that do horrible things which have consequences for the women they love.

I also think fans didn't like how there was more focus on Betty last season which took time away from the office which is what fans want to see. Though the episode where Betty opens up the locked desk drawer, confronts Don and hears what he was to say was amazing. Hopefully she pops in every three episodes throughout the season, I want to see what happens with SCDP more.

Skyler may come around more next season as Walt seems to be dragging Jesse and Skyler deeper into the criminal world.

No problems with women in Rubicon. Which may be the problem with the show.