Celebrity discussion and bitching thread

[pennydreadful]

Dave's gonna looooove this one.

So, I was thinking about how Marilyn Monroe is perceived by a lot of people to be a bimbo who shouldn't be a role model... and thought I'd discuss further.

It's worth pointing out that although she had a drug problem and emotional problems, plenty of artists, musicians and actors do. It's a sad fact that sometimes the most talented people are pretty screwed up inside.

Regardless, Marilyn Monroe did a lot more than just boff JFK - and it seems sad that a lot of her accomplishments are overlooked.

- Was one of the first three women to start her own independent production company.
- Was one of the first people to speak openly about gay rights.
- Was one of the first people to speak openly about sexual abuse (having been abused herself as a child).
- Was an advocate for the civil rights movement.
- Ella Fitzgerald (one of the greatest jazz singers of all time, and I'll fight anyone who says different) was not allowed to play at the Mocambo club (which was one of the hottest places in Hollywood during the 40s and 50s), because of her race. Marilyn was a fan of her music and supported civil rights, so she called the owner of the Mocambo and told him that if he booked Ella immediately, she would take a front table every night. The owner said yes, and Marilyn was there, front table, every night. After that, Ella never had to play in a small jazz club again.
- Had a personal library of over 500 books and rarely read fiction - she was desperate to learn and educate herself. She was very self-conscious about her education as she had only completed two years of high school (having had an arranged marriage at age 16 so that she would have somewhere to live). She made an effort to improve herself, loved learning and later enrolled in literature appreciation and art classes at the University of California. Her favorite authors included Dostoevsky, Proust,Freud, and Whitman. She attended singing lessons, dance classes,
- Supported numerous charities with both her time and money (often with anonymous donations) including the Milk Fund, the USO, March of Dimes, The Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Arthritis Foundation. She also headed the Committee For A Sane Nuclear Policy.
- Visited orphanages and hospitals on her own time to surprise the people there.
- Would put on a wig and glasses and walk the streets giving money to homeless people.
- She led to the overhaul of the studio system at a time when studios used to tell actors what movie they'd be in and they had zero choice or say in the matter. She was tired of being told to do "dumb blonde" roles and walked out on her contract with 20th Century Fox. This led to changes in the entire system.
- She was the first woman to get script and director approval in her movies.
- She studied with two of the most acclaimed acting teachers of all time, Michael Chekhov and Lee Strasberg of the famed Actor's Studio. Lee Strasberg, who said that she was one of his best students along with Marlon Brando.
- Refused to date people for publicity just because 20th Century Fox wanted her to.
- Revolutionized the way sex was viewed at the time. In the 50's, sex was seen as something dirty and taboo - Marilyn made it fun and arguably paved the way for the sexual revolution in the 60s.

More info here: http://www.immortalmarilyn.com/MarijaneGrayMM2.html

As far as role models go... you could do worse. So I'm gonna take back what I said before - hell, I am now Team Marilyn. She certainly did more with her life than most people, let alone the current crop of celebs.