July 15th, 2011
Breaking Bad, for all the praise heaped upon Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul (and rightly so), has a remarkable star in Anna Gunn, who plays Walter White’s beleaguered wife Skyler. An oddly controversial character who can do no right in some viewers’ eyes, Skyler is a victim of what can reasonably be termed Betty Draper Syndrome. Betty Draper Syndrome is the problem of being a three dimensional female character in the intimate proximity of a narratively fascinating man.

The Girls of Summer (Television) | The Mary Sue

I defend Skyler White, and Betty Draper by proxy! Also there’s some talk about Louie and Curb.

(via natface)

Here’s the difference between Skyler and Betty Draper: Betty gets the viewers’ sympathy at first. When Breaking Bad starts, Skyler is already rejecting Walt’s response to his own fatal illness. So viewers’ are inclined to distrust her from the beginning. When she actually becomes wronged by him, it’s hard to reinvest the emotion into feeling bad for her. That’s also why Walt is sympathetic beyond a rational point in the series. He started off as such a nice guy! With cancer!

Also, I think the actual definition of Betty Draper Syndrome is more along the lines of wasting people’s sympathies with terrible acting.


∞03:36 pm, reblogged  by allthecoolkids ∩18
Notes
  1. allthecoolkids reblogged this from natface
  2. natface posted this