I see it all the time, especially on FB and Twitter - girls and women throwing Marilyn Monroe quotes around. The incessant 'Aw, Marilyn Monroe was sooo glam' 'Love Marilyn Monroe [insert 15 lovehearts]
It is particularly noticeable with it being the 50th anniversary of her death tomorrow. Now, I adore Marilyn Monroe movies and I have read several books about her. But why do people not realise that Marilyn Monroe was merely a character invented by Hollywood execs? Norma Jeane was a mousey brunette with crooked teeth and a bumpy nose, and throughout her life she suffered horrific abuse at the hands of those who should have been taking care of her. She was naive, and she was exploited terribly in her constant persuit of love and acceptance. She was a sad, tragic person who was by all accounts childish and unstable. Was she charming? Absolutely. But she is not somebody who should be remembered because of her blonde hair. She was a person who deserved so much more than she ever got, and she often took the wrong path.
I don't think I'd be so bothered if these women quoting her and fawning over how 'glam' she was actually knew that none of it was glamorous, she led a sad life full of trouble. She is not a role model. And people are constantly throwing about that supposed quote of hers 'If you can't handle me at my worst, you don't deserve me at my best.' I see young women throwing this quite around when they've been a stroppy cow with their boyfriends for no good reason. Completely out of context.
Same goes for Audrey Hepburn. She is somebody to be idolised, but not because she looked good in a black dress smoking a cigarette. But because despite her horrible, scary childhood she grew into a strong person who dedicated her life to helping those in need. Her father abandoned the family during the war as he became a Nazi sympathiser, and left them in great danger, and her brother taken to a concentration camp. Despite this, when she was much older, she traced her father and although he wanted nothing to do with her, he was very poor and very unwell and she financially supported him and paid for his treatment until his death. She was a strong, selfless person who made the best of her life and helped others despite such an awful start in life. If you must idolise her, idolise her for that not because she looked 'classy and glamorous'.
Anybody agree?