Graphic Sarah McCrimmon
Content notice: misogyny, rape, sexual violence, assault.
“Breaking Bad”’s Skyler White, wife of Walter White, a methamphetamine manufacturer, is avidly hated by a relatively small but mighty proportion of the series’ fanbase for a variety of quite misogynist reasons, perpetuating sexist double standards between Skyler and Walter based upon adherence to expectations of gender. This investigation uses comments from the Facebook page “I Hate Skyler White” (which has 31,000 likes), posts from r/breakingbad and comments under reuploaded clips of the series on YouTube (a majority of which were posted during the run of the fourth and fifth seasons of “Breaking Bad” from 2011 to 2013).
Audience reception to Walter and Skyler White has been exceptionally dependent upon societal notions of fatherhood and motherhood, as responses were heavily regulated by the gendered expectations of each role. Fatherhood is defined by the financial, summarised in the line, “A man provides,” stated by drug kingpin Gustavo Fring in Season 3 Episode 5 in order to manipulate Walter into continuing their business partnership of manufacturing and selling methamphetamine. Comments under a reupload of this scene on YouTube reproduce gender norms through the lens of emotional connection. Arabic Courses wrote, “this was one of the most significant moments for me in this show, both for what it meant for the character and also for me on a personal level … the main reason families these days are so broken is because so many men are not acting like men,” and plutarch78 commented, “Best Father’s Day advice!” Gender and specifically constructions of toxic masculinity are one of the central and most deeply explored concepts throughout “Breaking Bad,” however, due the position of the show’s largely male audience within masculine socialisation, these portrayals seem to have the effect of affirmation rather than warning. The argument that Walter commits the atrocities he commits in order to provide a good life for his family is one made constantly both within the show and by its fans — despite the fact that it becomes increasingly apparent that this is simply a rationalization of Walt’s own ego.
One user commented on the Facebook page “I Hate Skyler White,” “I hate [Skyler] because while her husband risks his life to provide for his family’s future welfare in the only way he knows how … she can’t see that Walt has done this for her.” The societally skewed perception of what constitutes a good father validates Walter’s wrongdoings to the audience, which is in stark contrast to the growing narrative dissonance of the true danger Walter is continuously putting his family in through his involvement in the methamphetamine business. This dissonance is intentionally crafted by the show’s creators, resolving in the series finale as Skyler pleads, “If I have to hear one more time that you did this for the family,” before Walter interrupts her with, “I did it for me. I liked it.”
Conversely, audience reception to Skyler White is reflective of society’s habits of being overly critical toward mothers, as Anna Gunn, the actress who portrays Skyler, wrote, “most people’s hatred of Skyler had little to do with me and a lot to do with their own perception of women and wives.” Much of the criticism directed toward Skyler centred around her failings in the roles of a mother and a wife, often expressed through very gendered language. Alison Hobson Aifd commented, “Most wives keep to their place else the family dynamic risks a power shift … Skyler is flying too close to the sun. Best to let Walt deal with things,” and kimbooo stated, “I’ve had enough of Skyler’s bitching. Let the man cook his motherfucking meth.” These comments reflect the gendered expectation of female subservience to men, as well as Sklyer’s hatred being tied to her position as an obstacle in Walter’s narrative arc of self-realisation. This is echoed in Gunn’s statement, “Skyler was a ball-and-chain, a drag, a shrew, an annoying bitch wife.” Skyler’s true role as a mother was one of protection, as made explicitly clear in Season 4 Episode 6 when Walter states, in reference to their son, “I’m just worried he will blame you for this” to which Skyler responds, “Oh, he will. Once again he’ll blame his bitch mother for taking away what his loving father has given him … But you know what, Walt? Someone has to protect this family from the man who protects this family.” YouTuber Jack Saint reflected on the series as a whole, and stated that Skyler “would frequently let herself look monstrous or ridiculous or idiotic because she wasn’t seeking to fit within a role that she found pleasing. She did what she thought was right, genuinely, in a constant effort to protect the ones she loved.” Audience reception to such an interpretation demonstrates a deep and gendered double standard, as Matthew Stromberg commented, “What is worse is when [Skyler would] use ‘the family’ as her excuse, when in reality all she really cared about was herself.”
The same degree of analysis into male characters’ morality and alleviation of responsibility seen in the “Walt vs Heisenberg” debate is not afforded to Skyler as the major female character of the series. Debate around the morality of her far less destructive choices is very quickly shut down, often once again through gendered insults. Enrique Ortiz wrote, “she’s such a slut! She cheated Walter when he needed her!” In an article responding to the avid hatred of her character, actress Anna Gunn wrote, “Skyler multilayered and, in her own way, morally compromised. But at the end of the day, she hasn’t been judged by the same set of standards as Walter,” which can be seen no clearer than in the contrasting controversy surrounding Skyler smoking a cigarette while pregnant against dantheman280’s statement that “Walter White did nothing wrong when he poisoned Brock,” a 10 year-old child who is hospitalised and nearly dies as part of an intentional strategy used Walter in Season 4 Episode 12. This is not to say that Skyler is completely infallible; Skyler is characterised in complex, contradicting and sometimes irrational ways which feel human, subverting the long history of objectification of women in media. It is thus telling of broader perceptions of women that a female character who refuses gender expectations of passivity and chastity is labelled as so irredeemably evil in stark contrast to her far more ruinous male counterpart.
Much of the hate surrounding the character Skyler White manifested in criticisms of actress Anna Gunn for not fulfilling gendered beauty standards, as seen in memes which attack Gunn’s physical appearance, claiming she is too fat, too old and has unattractive masculine features. Comments about her appearance also perpetuate themes of sexual violence against women, as Brian Barlow wrote, “Thats not Skyler thats a blow-up sex doll,” and Mario A. Pena Jr expressed, “Stupid whore ! I am sure she is preparing her mouth to suck some dick.” These comments become increasingly concerning as this behaviour of sexual entitlement is taken to extremes in a comment from Robby Garcia, who wrote about another female character in “Breaking Bad,” Lydia: “i feel like she’s gonna get raped lol. Like when she went in that underground meth lab. I was like yes!!!! Rape time!! lol.” There is a clear relationship of disdain between Skyler White haters and broader feminism at the time. Criticisms of these subcultures of Skyler hate for their blatant sexism are quickly rejected within this community through the notion of crazy feminists. Josh Carnivore commented, “Kill all Feminazis with napalm,” Ankit Singh wrote, “keep the feminism out of the show at least” and memes from the time demonstrate a play on the “Leave Britney Alone” meme, mocking people who call out sexism with the phrase, “Leave Skyler alone! You’re all misogynists!” Furthermore, there seems to be a trend within this subculture of using the identity of women as proof that they couldn’t possibly hate Skyler for sexist reasons, as Malcolm DeWayne wrote, “My wife hates Skyler too,” Jared Brickey commented, “My girlfriend and sister both despise Skyler” and a Reddit user stated, “I’m a woman and I hate her ever-living guts!” These responses to the changing gender expectations of feminism echo the ways in which popular culture acts as a reactionary buffer to social change.
Audience reception to “Breaking Bad”’s Skyler and Walter White is based on their adherence to societal expectations of gender. As Walter White fulfills the definition of fatherhood as financially providing, his destructive actions which repeatedly put his family in danger are considered justified. Conversely, Skyler’s refusal to be a passive and supportive wife through questioning Walter’s suspicious behaviour garners her a large amount of gendered criticism, being called whiny, a hoe and a bitch. When Walter’s moral transgressions are scrutinised, they are seen as a separate entity over which he has no control, in stark contrast to Skyler, who is understood as nothing but a selfish whore for the entire series following the singular decision to have an affair in Season 3. This hatred for the character is transferred onto her actress Anna Gunn for not meeting gendered beauty standards, and speaks to broader attitudes toward women and the feminist movement in the themes of sexual violence present in comments, as well as the mocking and dismissal of those who call out this community’s blatant sexism.
Receipts lol
Fig. 1: Comment by ‘Arabic Courses’ on ‘Breaking Bad – “A Man Provides” speech’ on Youtube, 2016.
Fig. 2: Comment by ‘plutarch78’ on ‘Breaking Bad – “A Man Provides” speech’ on Youtube, 2013.
Fig. 3: Comment by ‘ישי במברג’ on ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 2013.
Fig. 4: Post by ‘odshfo’ on ‘r/breakingbad’ Reddit Page, 2016.
Fig. 5: Comment by ‘Bryan Soriano’ on ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 2013.
Fig. 6: Comment by ‘Alison Hobson Aifd’ on ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 2013.
Fig. 7: Post by ‘kimboooo’ on ‘r/breakingbad’ Reddit Page, 2012.
Fig. 8: Comment by ‘Matthew Stromberg’ on ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 2013.
Fig. 9: Comment by ‘19mine’ on ‘r/breakingbad’ Reddit Page, 2013.
Fig. 10: Comment by ‘kawhitheklaw02’ on ‘r/breakingbad’ Reddit Page, 2020.
Fig. 11: Comment by ‘PM_Dan_456’ on ‘r/breakingbad’ Reddit Page, 2020.
Fig. 12: Comment by ‘JCohner’ on ‘r/breakingbad’ Reddit Page, 2013.
Fig. 13: Post and comment on ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 27 September 2012.
Fig. 14 : Comment by ‘James Buckingham’ on ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 2013.
Fig. 15: Post and comment on ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 9 August 2012.
Fig. 16: Post by ‘dantheman280’ on ‘r/breakingbad’ Reddit Page, 2018.
Fig. 17: Posts by ‘Everybody Hates Skyler’ 25 June 2013, and ‘I Hate Skyler White’ 22 September 2013 and 30 August 2013, on Facebook.
Fig. 18: Comment by ‘Dave DeMerchant’ on ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 2013.
Fig. 19: Comment thread on ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 2013.
Fig. 20: Comment by ‘Mario A. Pena Jr’ on ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 2013.
Fig. 21: Post by ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 11 September 2013.
Fig. 22: Comment by ‘Josh Carnivore’ on ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 2013.
Fig. 23: Screenshot uploaded by ‘onex7805’ on ‘r/breakingbad’ Reddit Page, 2017.
Fig. 24: Post by ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 20 September 2013.
Fig. 25: Post and comments on ‘I Hate Skyler White’ Facebook Page, 30 September 2013.
Fig. 26: Comment by a deleted user on ‘r/breakingbad’ Reddit Page, 2012.