One might argue that Javascript is considerably less sub-par than PHP, though; speaking purely from my own experience, I've found that writing Javascript involves a significantly lower probability of the language attempting, at random intervals, to shatter my kneecaps with a crowbar.

Both languages are painful, and both have a painful stdlib, but JavaScript's stdlib is much, much smaller, ergo less messy.

I've had the opposite experience! Given a choice, I'd avoid either, though. Scala spoils me.