9 Life Lessons We Learned From "Mad Men's" Betty Draper

9 Life Lessons We Learned From "Mad Men's" Betty Draper

She isn't perfect, but then again, who is?
Helen Mae Price
Helen Mae Price Jun 14, 2016
321
views

For any "Mad Men" fans out there, you know that when the series ended, it truly was "the end of an era." Arguably one of the best period pieces to grace Netflix with its presence, it presented a perfect balance of comedy and drama in both its equally complicated deep plots and characters. One of my favorites is the icy and hard to love Betty Draper Francis.

You hated and loved her equally and managed to appreciate both her emotionally undeveloped childish behavior as well as her profound sadness. Despite her repressed, limited '60s housewife life, she managed to teach us some life lessons along the way. Would we want her as mom? Absolutely not. Would we want to be her? Hell no. Would we want her as a friend? Not really, but that would be better than having her as an enemy. Can we still learn something from the infamously detached and "Hitchcockian" persona? Well, yes, if you really pay attention — and take it with a grain of salt.

1. Think all by yourself and let people know it.

2. When her backwards, old-school love advice reminded us that sometimes, you have to play hard to get.

3. It's okay to have a cheat day because sometimes, that '60s housewife life (or stressed college student life) is just a struggle and you need some ice cream.

4. Sometimes, silence and attitude is enough to get the point across.

Save the fighting words.

5. People are rude.

Sometimes, you just have to call them out on it. In the most polite way possible, of course.

6. "Only boring people are bored."

Don't be boring.

7. It's not resting b**** face — it's just that your "people are Nordic."

Sure, Betty, let's go with that.

8. Surprise everyone with a little bit of badassery every now and then.

Maybe not by shooting your neighbor's pigeons, though.

9. Not everyone will like you, not everyone will understand you, but you don't really have to care, because you're Betty Draper.


Cover Image Credit: The Guardian
Helen Mae Price
Helen Mae Price Jun 14, 2016
At Florida State University

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11 Things You Understand If You Hate Physical Contact

Please keep your hands and feet away from me at all times.
Charlsley Carey
Charlsley Carey May 29, 2017
33802
views

We currently live in a world where EVERYONE LIKES TO TOUCH EACH OTHER. People enjoy hugs, high fives, tapping others on the shoulder, pokes, ect. For someone like you and me (I'm assuming you too since you clicked on this article), this is the WORST thing in the world. Whenever I think of someone touching me (even just a poke) without my permission my reaction is like Sofia Vergara in Modern Family.

I mean, when I take that love languages quiz, physical touch is always on the bottom of my preferences. So I thought to my self, you know I can't be the only person in the world that hates physical touching. So here are 11 things every person who hates physical touch will understand:

1. When people tickle you

I don't care that it's just for fun and jokes; I'm not laughing because I want to, you are literally forcing me to laugh. I hate you, get your greasy hands off of me before I make you get them off of me.


2. When people think they need to tap your shoulder to get your attention

As if simply saying "Hey" followed by my name wasn't enough. I don't need your grubby little fingers touching me. Now I'm annoyed with you before this conversation even started, what do you want?


3. When someone you barely know reaches in for a hug

I don't know who the heck you're thinking you're about to hug because it sure isn't going to be me. Hugs are reserved for people I know well and like, not you. Okay release me now, I am not enjoying this. LET ME GO.


4. When people tell you that you aren't an affectionate person

Are you aware there are ways to show my affection without constantly being all over you like a koala bear? Yes, I'm affectionate, hop off.


5. When someone is in your personal space

We could be best friends, we could be complete strangers. We could be lovers, I could hate your guts. We could be in private, we could be in public. I don't care what the situation is, if you're in my personal space uninvited GET OUT. There is no reason to be so close to me unwarranted.


6. You don't know how to comfort people

When you see an upset loved one, most people think they you should comfort then by pulling them into a long lasting hug. But, that's the kind of things that your nightmares are literally made out of. So, you stand there confused how you should comfort your friend/relative while also not sacrificing your touch moral code.


7. When people say you "look like you could use a hug"

Um no. I never could use one, get off of me. I will let you know when I want one.


8. When you're hugging someone wondering how soon you can release

Please end my suffering.


9. When you arrive at a social gathering and people rush to greet you with hugs

Let's not.

10. When you try to leave a social gathering by just waving to get out of goodbye hugs

Please no one make me hug you.


11. That one person who is allowed to hug you/touch you

This person, typically a significant other or best friend, gets to break all the "no touch" rules and we gladly accept their hugs and cuddles and public displays of affection. But only them, no one can copy them.

Cover Image Credit: YouTube
Charlsley Carey
Charlsley Carey May 29, 2017
At Midlothian, Virginia

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12 Classics That All College Students Should Read

Reading is important — yet many people forget about books.

Hannah Zeigler
Hannah Zeigler Nov 19, 2018
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These are the classics that I think all college students should read.

1. "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger

This classic by J.D. Salinger is a staple for many high school kids. Yet, I believe college students should revisit this novel, as it's a great portrayal of adolescence.

2. "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald 

Love him or hate him, Jay Gatsby is one of literature's most recognizable characters. "The Great Gatsby" is a tragic story of a man stuck in the past, and a grim warning of the empty happiness money buys.

3. "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells

H.G. Wells was far beyond his time. His novel, "The Time Machine," explores what would happen if time-travelling could happen. It's both an evocative and frightening tale, full of important philosophical questions.

4. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde 

This novel is about the degradation of Dorian Gray, and his descent into depravity. It showcases one of the greatest character declines in literature. By the end, Dorian Gray finds his life to be empty, his hedonistic lifestyle pointless.

5. "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami 

Haruki Murakami is famous for his surreal novels. "Norwegian Wood" follows a college student in Japan, as he navigates life after a tragedy. It's both beautiful yet melancholy. If nothing else, it'll get you listening to the Beatles' Norwegian Wood.

6. "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte 

I consider "Jane Eyre" to be one of the first feminist novels. It's a fantastic Gothic novel about an independent and strong woman — Jane Eyre — who meets the mysterious Mr. Rochester. It's more than a romance — it's a commentary on Victorian societal expectations of women, with Jane representing objection to it.

7. "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

This novel is a beautiful story about a girl in Nazi Germany. Liesel Meminger knows the importance of books, and uses her knowledge and kindness to save a Jewish refugee. It's a poignant novel that expresses the importance of literature and books.

8. Any Sherlock Holmes mystery by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

If you've watched the Sherlock series with Benedict Cumberbatch, then you should definitely give the novels a go. The mysteries are exciting and intriguing, despite their old age.

9. "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

This is one of my absolute favorites novels. It follows a young boy named Pip, who befriends a beggar, meets the depraved Miss Havisham, and falls in love with unattainable Estella. This novel is at once a bildungsroman and a tragedy.

10.  "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov 

This controversial novel by Vladimir Nobokov follows the perspective of Humbert Humbert, a depraved man who falls in love with 12-year-old Lolita. Nobokov showcases his mastery of the English language, while writing a depraved and tragic story following two terrible people.

11.  "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

Perhaps one of the most famous novels of all time, "Pride and Prejudice" stands the test of time by showing how two outwardly opposite and contrary people can come together and form an amazing love. It's about accepting one's flaws and getting to know people beyond surface level.

12.  "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque

This is a fantastic novel that depicts the absolute horrors of war, particularly World War I. If this doesn't enlighten you about the realities and horrors of war, then no book will.

Reading is important as it broadens one's horizon. Literature is one of the greatest inventions of mankind.

Hannah Zeigler
Hannah Zeigler Nov 19, 2018
At James Madison

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