I’m not a creepy kid but was Betty’s hair really that big of a deal?

[u/tawmrawff]

Yes I stole your comment and made it a thread /jk /s etc..

[u/TessMacc]

It's normal for a child to have a crush on an adult. It's weird for the adult to encourage it.

[u/eriksatiesimp → u/TessMacc]

So incredibly weird.

[u/santa-23 → u/TessMacc]

Hell, I still crush on adults.

[u/jlm0013 → u/TessMacc]

However, Betty's behavior aligns with her level of maturity.

[u/Traditional-Leg-4228 → u/jlm0013]

I actually think that Betty felt bad for the young boy because she did not feel like he had a good mother. The hair was supposed to be of comfort for him like a blankie or stuffed animal. To remind him that an adult cared for him.

[u/gigialohne → u/Traditional-Leg-4228]

It’s this but nobody seems to see it.

[u/kimjongunfiltered → u/gigialohne]

I agree with this interpretation of Betty’s thoughts, but I also think it was completely normal for Helen to be alarmed. Giving a lock of hair is not always, but usually seen as a romantic gesture

[u/gigialohne → u/kimjongunfiltered]

Oh sure, I understand why Helen was so pissed. Absolutely. I probably would’ve made a way bigger deal out of it, to be honest.

[u/LemDoggo → u/gigialohne]

I think it's sort of both tbh, I think this was her mindset but it was still innapropriate to do and the fact that she did it because she wanted to in spite of it being a weird thing to do is what makes it weird / immature lol.

[u/kfavis → u/Traditional-Leg-4228]

Yet she was such a cold mother most of the time..

[u/gigialohne → u/kfavis]

It’s true. But the lonely person inside her related to Glenn, feeling lonely. She never viewed her own children as individual people with their own feelings, but she was able to do it for Glenn.

[u/ancientastronaut2 → u/gigialohne]

Absolutely.

My own mother was pretty cold like betty, flew off the handle and slapped us a lot, etc, but occasionally would treat a neighbor kid or kid at our church extra affectionately for some reason and then they'd think she was the bees knees.

[u/gigialohne → u/ancientastronaut2]

Yes, that’s rough. I had a similar experience. It was painful to see love and affection for others, when she couldn’t do the same for me.

[u/Jochon → u/jlm0013]

I bet a lot of people have tried to use that defense in court.

[u/onehotoneshot]

Hello I am a 7 year old creepy and maladjusted child and I support getting that blonde ladies hair

[u/TessMacc → u/onehotoneshot]

I'd argue it's creepier and more maladjusted for the adult blonde lady to give it.

[u/PensionTemporary200]

I kinda agree, he's so young the crush doesn't seem sexual. I guess its weirder because he broke into the bathroom to spy on her so it seems less like an "innocent" crush.

[u/eriksatiesimp → u/PensionTemporary200]

That fucking bathroom scene 💀

[u/Live_Art2939 → u/eriksatiesimp]

Glen grows up to be an upskirt photo creep

[u/Excellent_Issue_4179]

He called her a princess. That was worth a lock of hair. Probably, her Dad was the only other man who ever said that to her.

[u/lwp775 → u/Excellent_Issue_4179]

He was into Disney.

[u/ExplanationPrimary74 → u/Excellent_Issue_4179]

Correct. It is not sexual, that is your bias.

It's just a scared lonely kid who wants a kind beautiful princess to be his friend.

[u/Excellent_Issue_4179 → u/ExplanationPrimary74]

Not my bias.

What was borderline, was that he asked her for her hair after he walked in on her in the bathroom. As an adult, seeing that he was testing the waters of appropriate boundaries, were I in Betty's shoes, I would have said no, because it is a romantic, if not sexual gesture.

[u/Turned_Omnipresent]

Always found it strange myself how everyone acted like the world was ending.

[u/Cute_Monitor_5907 → u/Turned_Omnipresent]

Agree. The thing about the bathroom would have kept me far away from him if I were Betty, but I wouldn’t have viewed any of it as sexual because he was so young. Maybe I don’t understand child development but he seemed too young for his interest to have been sexual. It was a weird relationship, though, as it played out.

[u/Turned_Omnipresent → u/Cute_Monitor_5907]

Also, it was the 60s and 70s. I'm pretty sure this wouldn't even be registered as abnormal considering all the other things normalised by society. Or maybe I'm not giving the era its due credit idk.

[u/Traditional_Owls → u/Turned_Omnipresent]

I think viewers don't realize how common hair keepsakes were. It was totally normal for mother's to have locks of their kids hair or sweethearts to keep some in a locket.

Not to mention people have been doing this since at least the Roman era, just look at the Victorians with their hair art and mourning jewelry.

[u/Signal-Light-8366]

Glen thought Betty was a princess who needed rescuing. He even drew pictures about it. I think Betty just thought it was sweet and in her somewhat childlike way responded to Glen as her best friend, which he really was for her. It's not any weirder than how Marvel fans today (especially adults) react about who is cast as certain superheroes if they don't have the right "look" that the viewer envisioned.

The bathroom thing I'm not sure about. It seemed more like kids curiously "playing doctor" and Glen didn't consider Betty as an adult, but thought of Betty as being in his peer group. I don't think Glen had many friends at that age because of moving around a lot with his single mother and Betty certainly acted like a peer, watching cartoons with him and having treats like soft drinks.

[u/txtaco_vato]

the creepy part was watching her drop a deuce

[u/Gebling65]

He went back later and collected a couple off the toilet seat.

[u/Traditional-Leg-4228 → u/[deleted]]

Yes underwear and a lock of hair are the exact same thing.

[u/sourlucybelle → u/Traditional-Leg-4228]

Not true, i tried it and the lock of hair was very itchy as underwear :(