Watching Mad Men with an objective eye

This season - I have decided to watch Mad Men with an objective eye - what this means is to look at the characters with an objective eye - not necessarily judging within the context of 2012, 2002, 1992 or 1982 or whatever but rather to look at the characters within the context of the times - 1966 it was neither cruel or abusive to tell kids to go watch TV - it was perhaps seen as normal. This thought of objective viewing hit me square in the face while watching the Tea Leaves - So many have chastised Betty for her parenting skills and her inability to reason at times. But lets look at it from the point of view of who this woman is or was brought up to be: self centered, vein, rich (money-wise), her only currency or value her looks, a Main Line brat as Don referred to her in season 3. Someone who married a man who cheated on her and turned out to be someone entirely different, someone whose mother was just as overbearing as Mama Francis. She loves her kids but there are many mothers out there who are cold - and do not know how to display affection probably because their parents did not show them the same affection (thus a vicious cycle). Now look at her a health scare turns out to be her gaining weight and growing older (the doc's middle age comment really hurt and is 30 something really middle age "again objective viewing so can't comment) Pete is perhaps a prime example - his mother is distant - his Father was cruel. We don't know if he will be like that with his daughter (though Trudy seems to be a dotting parent), Lane well the poor fellow gets struck down by his Father, Don well he still can't get over his childhood - he seems to want to break the cycle of neglect and cruelty with his own children - although a line from Season 4 - sums up his role as a parent - he says something like: "I am relieved when they go home to their mother but feel guilty the rest of the week".