Slapping.

First topic message reminder :

As an adult have you ever slapped anyone or been slapped?

Is it still more acceptable for a woman to slap a man than a man to slap a woman?

Raggamuffin wrote:

Syl wrote:I will read that book soon Rags, it does sound more (not detached...cant think of the word) than the film, which was more one dimensional...showing her as the scorned wife and not really focusing on him.

I wonder what her childhood was like?

The scenario you outline is one that happens to countless women....being left for a younger prettier model after they have been the loyal wife for decades, what made her different as in not being able to get over it though?

I think the fact that he wasn't rich when they met, but became rich later on had an impact. She felt that his success was largely down to her, but she was totally financially dependent on him after the separation. She didn't really get a financial settlement in the divorce which enabled her to be fully independent even though he was loaded. She gave up her children at one point to teach him a lesson, and he got to keep them, which I think really sent her over the edge. He lied to her for years about the affair with Linda, and that didn't help. She was old fashioned, and thought that marriage was for life, no matter what.

There was talk that Dan and Linda goaded her, and that Linda sent her stuff about diets and that kind of thing. I don't know if that's true, but it would certainly be a factor if it was. The judge at one of the hearings told Dan to get Linda's voice off the answerphone because it was just provoking Betty.

He was the lawyer though not her...she may have helped him build up his business but ultimately it was his brains that made the business work not hers.
The divorce settlement gave her the house and 16,000 dollars pm...this was in the late 80's, it would be worth over 31,000 dollars  per month in todays money....so she was financially well able to manage.

I know she used to call by phone and leave disgusting foul mouthed messages, even when her children could hear, and the fact that Lindas voice was on the answerphone should not have provoked her...Linda was now married to him, Betty  was long divorced and part of his past, she should have accepted that and moved on.

Watching the interview of where she was in jail to me summed her up.
She was the victim and there was no reasoning with her, but obviously her ex, his new wife  and her children were the victims, she made sure of that.

Syl wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

I think the fact that he wasn't rich when they met, but became rich later on had an impact. She felt that his success was largely down to her, but she was totally financially dependent on him after the separation. She didn't really get a financial settlement in the divorce which enabled her to be fully independent even though he was loaded. She gave up her children at one point to teach him a lesson, and he got to keep them, which I think really sent her over the edge. He lied to her for years about the affair with Linda, and that didn't help. She was old fashioned, and thought that marriage was for life, no matter what.

There was talk that Dan and Linda goaded her, and that Linda sent her stuff about diets and that kind of thing. I don't know if that's true, but it would certainly be a factor if it was. The judge at one of the hearings told Dan to get Linda's voice off the answerphone because it was just provoking Betty.

He was the lawyer though not her...she may have helped him build up his business but ultimately it was his brains that made the business work not hers.
The divorce settlement gave her the house and 16,000 dollars pm...this was in the late 80's, it would be worth over 31,000 dollars  per month in todays money....so she was financially well able to manage.

I know she used to call by phone and leave disgusting foul mouthed messages, even when her children could hear, and the fact that Lindas voice was on the answerphone should not have provoked her...Linda was now married to him, Betty  was long divorced and part of his past and should really have accepted that.

Watching the interview of where she was in jail to me summed her up.
She was the victim and there was no reasoning with her, but obviously her ex, his new wife  and her children were the victims, she made sure of that.

She took the view that without her, he could not have devoted so much time to becoming a successful lawyer though. We do hear this kind of thing all the time - the woman looks after children which frees the man up to pursue his career. It's not something I necessarily agree with, but it's how she and many other women see the situation.

The money she got seems like a lot, but not compared to what he earned. Again, I think she should have got her own career, but she hadn't trained for anything - she felt that his success should be her success too, and that she should have half the money, which she didn't get. If she hadn't worked early on to put him through college - first as a medic, and then law school - maybe she might have felt differently.

Linda's voice was on the answer phone well before she married Dan. Betty took the view that they did it on purpose, and the judge appeared to agree. I think the film was very sympathetic to Dan and Linda actually.

Re that last point....because she was so wrapped up in herself and unable to see anyone elses point of view, no doubt she did think they used Lindas voice on the answerphone on purpose....because she was the victim in all of this.

Self obsessed people see everything in life revolving round them...they are always in the starring role in their eyes, even when they are not in the thoughts of others.

It's interesting....I have to go, will have a look tomorrow at the thread here and will try to read some of the book if it's available online.

Laters.

Syl, you might find this blog interesting. There's a lot of hearsay in there and personal opinion, but this sums it up really. Betty didn't have enough confidence to see that she didn't need Dan and that she could just walk away.

Yet, on this anniversary of her crimes, I'm angry with Betty because she didn't think enough of herself and her womanhood to realize that she didn't need Dan Broderick or his money.

http://atouchoftuesdayweld.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/betty-broderick-this-message-is-for.html

This also gives a slightly different slant to it.

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-11-07/local/me-3622_1_betty-broderick

Raggamuffin wrote:Syl, you might find this blog interesting. There's a lot of hearsay in there and personal opinion, but this sums it up really. Betty didn't have enough confidence to see that she didn't need Dan and that she could just walk away.

Yet, on this anniversary of her crimes, I'm angry with Betty because she didn't think enough of herself and her womanhood to realize that she didn't need Dan Broderick or his money.

http://atouchoftuesdayweld.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/betty-broderick-this-message-is-for.html

I just read through some of the blogs. There is a lot of love there for Betty....very odd.
I sense some of the posts are written by women who have been similaly cruelly discarded and see Betty as some kind of heroin getting even with the people who ruined her life.

Syl wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Syl, you might find this blog interesting. There's a lot of hearsay in there and personal opinion, but this sums it up really. Betty didn't have enough confidence to see that she didn't need Dan and that she could just walk away.



http://atouchoftuesdayweld.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/betty-broderick-this-message-is-for.html

I just read through some of the blogs. There is a lot of love there for Betty....very odd.
I sense some of the posts are written by women who have been similaly cruelly discarded and see Betty as some kind of heroin getting even with the people who ruined her life.

Some of the post may have been written by such women, but not necessarily all of them. Betty had two trials. The first one resulted in a hung jury, and one of the jurors asked afterwards - what took her so long - and he was a man.

I saw that comment Rags....I thought it was very extreme...a lot of them seemed to think that Bettys actions were justified.
I cant understand that tbh. Even if she was hounded by them and not the other way round, dragging her kids into the mess then eventually killing two people is inexcusable.

I am re watching the first film 'A woman scorned'....just up to the Liar Liar pants on fire bit where she burns his clothes, so far she is the one wronged....I will keep an open mind till I have watched both films.

I do think the interview she gave in jail is very telling though. She shows no remorse and still sees herself as the victim.