If you ever get the chance to ask the cast of Riverdale a question, use it wisely. In an interview with JustJared Jr., Cole Sprouse revealed the question the Riverdale cast won't answer, and no it's not, "Who is Jason Blossom's murderer?" It's much more important than that.
According to Sprouse, the cast doesn't like to be asked if they are Betty or Veronica people because it feels too much like pitting the cast members against one another. He told JustJared Jr.,
"I think it’s hard and it also puts the cast members against one another in a strange and competitive way that makes me a little uncomfortable. So most of our cast don’t even answer it."
Sprouse is absolutely right, in my humble opinion. The age old question of whether or not a person is a "Betty" or a "Veronica" is antiquated, especially when the Betty and Veronica of Riverdale are both deep, complicated young women.
While it's natural to relate to one fictional character more than another, that has more to do with a person's individual personality than it does to boiling two characters down to a set of stereotypes. The question of Betty or Veronica puts the two women in opposition of one another, as if the most valid answer isn't both.
Veronica and Betty aren't in competition with one another. They are friends who are supportive, loyal, and whose differences complement each other. There's absolutely no reason the cast or the fans should feel obligated to choose between them when one of the most progressive moves Riverdale has made is deconstructing the classic Archie love triangle.
Betty may drink vanilla milkshakes, while Veronica prefers chocolate, but both of the characters can be confident, dangerous, and loving. Riverdale needs both of its leading ladies to work, and Sprouse and the rest of the cast are smart not to perpetuate the Betty or Veronica debate.
The whole idea is rooted in the notion that a woman can either be "good" or "bad," or "sweet" or "sexy" instead of all of those things at once. It also makes it seem like Betty and Veronica exist only as opposing options for Archie to choose between, and that is so not the Riverdale way.
Honestly, the question was silly when the Archie comics debuted, and it's downright offensive now. Betty and Veronica are both amazing, and they both deserve to be respected and embraced for what they bring to the show. Bravo to the Riverdale cast for not wanting to answer this terrible question. Betty and Veronica would be proud.
