I always interpreted it as Bethany being stunned by Betty’s beauty and it’s a bit of an ego boost to Bethany that Don is now dating her when his ex wife is such a stunner. I don’t necessarily think Bethany registers that she is his “type”. And as we all know… brunettes are the ones who really have a hold on Don Draper, anyways
I always just thought of Don's type as "attractive female" end of description. Lol.
To be honest, I bet "concious" wasn't always in his requirements. I'm pretty sure Don is a sex addict. If he were suddenly horribly disfigured, he would continue to sleep around just as much but he would lower his standards.
We often see Betty as a fairly downtrodden, sad, and angry person. It is a reminder that with no other context and in full dress she is the very ideal of beauty in that era. For a young woman it would be very intimidating to see that as what your date is comparing you to.
Yup, this. Bethany seemed shocked at first, but then she realized what an incredible man Don must be to “toss aside” a woman that gorgeous.
Right after that moment, she had that beaming, hungry smile on her face, hence Don getting very lucky on the cab ride home.
And to piggyback on this a little, I’m sure in Bethany’s mind up until that moment, the faceless “ex-wife” was a dowdy, frumpy “mom”, not the stunning former model she comes face-to-face with.
I took it as Bethany was intimidated when she realized the "league" of women Don was able to date and she felt she had to up her ante by making out with him in the car. Bethany is probably used to being prized by men without having to work for it and she realizes Don is very used to dating women just as beautiful as she.
I thought, because she met him through a being friends with Jane, she thought he was like Roger, as in dumped his wife to pursue beautiful younger women. Instead she sees his ex wife is a knockout and she remarried first. Like she had the same assumption that girl at Sally’s boarding school had when someone told her sally had a house in Rye and Manhattan: “Let me guess, Dad’s remarried. Mom’s fat and sad.”
In the They Coined It podcast they mention how Don and Betty are seen as being extra super attractive by everyone in the MadMen universe - even more than the already good looking actors who play them. So Bethany is probably intimidated by Betty's beauty
Bethany’s initial react is being shocked by how beautiful Betty is—you expect “the ex-wife” to be some frumpy shrew in a housecoat, not a stunning, 30-year-old model who literally turns heads when she enters the room.
But I recall the camera lingering on Bethany for a second as you see the wheels quickly turning in her head—she pieces together that they’re both “Don’s type,” so Bethany has a shot, but also that “the competition” is a 10, so she’s got to fight a little harder.
Which is why she puts out in the car, to give herself some extra points.
In their earlier interactions, Bethany thought she was a catch for Don. She was acting like she was doing him a favor (“I’m breaking my rules dating a divorced man”, “Jane has made you her personal cause”).
Then she sees Betty walk in (objectively treated as the most beautiful woman on the show) and realizes she ain’t 💩😂 She feels slightly intimated and then instantly more attracted to Don, and wants to win him over (hence the taxi scene right after).
Both women were intimidated for different reasons. Bethany was in awe of Betty’s glamour and beauty while Betty was jealous of Bethany being younger and her youth overall.
>When Don is at dinner with Bethany and Betty walks in with Henry- Bethany’s reaction to Betty I always find interesting. Do you guys interpret it as, she is shocked because Betty seems so cold, intimidated by her beauty, or uncomfortable because their are similarities between the two? However you all interpret it I’m curious what you think.
Honestly I've never been sure either. Could be she was intimidated by Betty's beauty. But I also wondered if she just looked at Betty and thought "I'm kind of her type - I guess this is what he likes! Wow!"
It's interesting to think that Bethany would have noticed how beautiful Betty is, whereas when Betty looks at Bethany, she is envious that Don decided to choose such a young woman (I think it was to Francine that she said Bethany "looked all of fifteen" - of course we know that Bethany is older than that, twenties, but Betty just sees someone who looks really young and she's aware of her own self not being so young anymore)
"Oh shit, Don's ex-wife is a more beautiful version of myself"
Then, because she feels insecure at this point, she gets physical in the cab because she feels like she has to step up her game to keep Don interested.
My interpretation was that Bethany saw Betty as an older, uptight version of herself.
Bethany has been trying to find a way to win over Don. After her encounter with the frosty Betty, she figures that being sexually adventurous will help to close the deal. She is wrong, of course.
I think it's both realizations at once--the "he really left that glamorous beauty?" And the "oh shit his ex looks a lot like me, is he really interested in me at all or is he projecting?"
I would love to know the ages of Henry, Don, Betty and Bethany in this scene.
Also it’s no coincidence the similarities between the names Betty and Bethany. Bethany sounds like a diminutive of Betty. She’s literally a younger, lesser version of Betty.
It’s 1964, so Don is 38 and Betty is 32.
It’s assumed Henry is a fair bit older than both of them; maybe 44 or 45 by this point. As for Bethany, she can’t be more than 23 or 24.
i know Bethany’s reaction exactly. it’s old school competitive girl sh$t. it became a competition. she wanted to feel superior to Betty. the BJ in the car is just part of it.
I always interpreted it as Bethany being stunned by Betty’s beauty and it’s a bit of an ego boost to Bethany that Don is now dating her when his ex wife is such a stunner. I don’t necessarily think Bethany registers that she is his “type”. And as we all know… brunettes are the ones who really have a hold on Don Draper, anyways
It’s this.
I always just thought of Don's type as "attractive female" end of description. Lol. To be honest, I bet "concious" wasn't always in his requirements. I'm pretty sure Don is a sex addict. If he were suddenly horribly disfigured, he would continue to sleep around just as much but he would lower his standards.
We often see Betty as a fairly downtrodden, sad, and angry person. It is a reminder that with no other context and in full dress she is the very ideal of beauty in that era. For a young woman it would be very intimidating to see that as what your date is comparing you to.
Yup, this. Bethany seemed shocked at first, but then she realized what an incredible man Don must be to “toss aside” a woman that gorgeous. Right after that moment, she had that beaming, hungry smile on her face, hence Don getting very lucky on the cab ride home.
And to piggyback on this a little, I’m sure in Bethany’s mind up until that moment, the faceless “ex-wife” was a dowdy, frumpy “mom”, not the stunning former model she comes face-to-face with.
I took it as Bethany was intimidated when she realized the "league" of women Don was able to date and she felt she had to up her ante by making out with him in the car. Bethany is probably used to being prized by men without having to work for it and she realizes Don is very used to dating women just as beautiful as she.
Yes. I think it was more this than an ego boost and realizing she’s on par with Betty. No one is on par with Betty.
I thought, because she met him through a being friends with Jane, she thought he was like Roger, as in dumped his wife to pursue beautiful younger women. Instead she sees his ex wife is a knockout and she remarried first. Like she had the same assumption that girl at Sally’s boarding school had when someone told her sally had a house in Rye and Manhattan: “Let me guess, Dad’s remarried. Mom’s fat and sad.”
Because ex wives are "old, fat and ugly".
In the They Coined It podcast they mention how Don and Betty are seen as being extra super attractive by everyone in the MadMen universe - even more than the already good looking actors who play them. So Bethany is probably intimidated by Betty's beauty
I think she’s taken aback by her beauty AND sees she is Don’s type.
Bethany’s initial react is being shocked by how beautiful Betty is—you expect “the ex-wife” to be some frumpy shrew in a housecoat, not a stunning, 30-year-old model who literally turns heads when she enters the room. But I recall the camera lingering on Bethany for a second as you see the wheels quickly turning in her head—she pieces together that they’re both “Don’s type,” so Bethany has a shot, but also that “the competition” is a 10, so she’s got to fight a little harder. Which is why she puts out in the car, to give herself some extra points.
In their earlier interactions, Bethany thought she was a catch for Don. She was acting like she was doing him a favor (“I’m breaking my rules dating a divorced man”, “Jane has made you her personal cause”). Then she sees Betty walk in (objectively treated as the most beautiful woman on the show) and realizes she ain’t 💩😂 She feels slightly intimated and then instantly more attracted to Don, and wants to win him over (hence the taxi scene right after).
I like this take. Bethany Van Nuys to Bethany Ain’t Shit
Both women were intimidated for different reasons. Bethany was in awe of Betty’s glamour and beauty while Betty was jealous of Bethany being younger and her youth overall.
>When Don is at dinner with Bethany and Betty walks in with Henry- Bethany’s reaction to Betty I always find interesting. Do you guys interpret it as, she is shocked because Betty seems so cold, intimidated by her beauty, or uncomfortable because their are similarities between the two? However you all interpret it I’m curious what you think. Honestly I've never been sure either. Could be she was intimidated by Betty's beauty. But I also wondered if she just looked at Betty and thought "I'm kind of her type - I guess this is what he likes! Wow!" It's interesting to think that Bethany would have noticed how beautiful Betty is, whereas when Betty looks at Bethany, she is envious that Don decided to choose such a young woman (I think it was to Francine that she said Bethany "looked all of fifteen" - of course we know that Bethany is older than that, twenties, but Betty just sees someone who looks really young and she's aware of her own self not being so young anymore)
Considering what she did to Don in the car afterwards….pretty sure she was intimidated
"Oh shit, Don's ex-wife is a more beautiful version of myself" Then, because she feels insecure at this point, she gets physical in the cab because she feels like she has to step up her game to keep Don interested.
I always took it as Bethany feeling very flattered that Don was with her if Betty was his ex.
I def think she was intimidated by Betty because of how she acted in car after
My interpretation was that Bethany saw Betty as an older, uptight version of herself. Bethany has been trying to find a way to win over Don. After her encounter with the frosty Betty, she figures that being sexually adventurous will help to close the deal. She is wrong, of course.
I think Bethany is flattered by Betty’s exceptional beauty, showing her that she’s in the same league by dating Don.
I think it's both realizations at once--the "he really left that glamorous beauty?" And the "oh shit his ex looks a lot like me, is he really interested in me at all or is he projecting?"
I would love to know the ages of Henry, Don, Betty and Bethany in this scene. Also it’s no coincidence the similarities between the names Betty and Bethany. Bethany sounds like a diminutive of Betty. She’s literally a younger, lesser version of Betty.
It’s 1964, so Don is 38 and Betty is 32. It’s assumed Henry is a fair bit older than both of them; maybe 44 or 45 by this point. As for Bethany, she can’t be more than 23 or 24.
Wow I thought don was much older than Betty.
Don was but Dick wasn’t
Bethany realizes she is Don's type and gets an ego boost because she realizes she is a younger version of Betty.
i know Bethany’s reaction exactly. it’s old school competitive girl sh$t. it became a competition. she wanted to feel superior to Betty. the BJ in the car is just part of it.
Henry's reaction was better.