Celebrities: Are They Raising Your Children?

There was an interesting debate on Facebook in reference to role models in the entertainment industry. A Facebook friend of mine posted a picture of sex icon, actress, and model Marilyn Monroe.

It was a famous portrait of her in a meme. The meme quoted facts about the young starlet’s life in reference to her affairs with married men, drug abuse, and her untimely death. The meme also hazed her as being a role model to women by using some of her quotes in admiration. The friend who posted this as a status captioned the picture “Bullshit” being in agreement with the meme.

When I saw this I commented “I love Marilyn Monroe for her contributions to the industry. She was a good actress and beautiful model. I can respect her for making her own way in the industry the best way she thought she could.” I also mentioned what a lot of people don’t know or talk about which is that she suffered from depression. It has been said that she even heard voices in her head.

I explained on this thread that depression despite status could have taken some part in her choices of dating married men, drug use, and overdose. Depression is a serious thing and some people don’t make it to tell their stories. Some people kill themselves due to non-believers. Mental illness is nothing to joke around about let alone start a social media hazing for.

Then the argument was being raised about her as a role model. What your child should know is right from wrong. Which is something taught in the home from foundation of family. You can’t expect Marilyn Monroe, Beyonce, Shakira, etc to raise your child. It is your responsibility as a parent to protect and teach your children about negative imagery. It is the parents job to enforce morals and values in their children to be prepared for the world.

It is the parents job to shape and mole their children into respectable people. I know when I have my child I won’t look to a celebrity to raise mine because he/she will have parents for that. My mother instilled values in me that reflect a strong mind not a weak one. If there is a problem with children in the world reacting in a monkey see monkey do way then maybe the parents should be brought to panel. Instead of constructing a social media “March on Marilyn”.

For the record she has done anything to influence anyone since 1962. She wasn’t even here long enough to influence my own mother. My mom was just 3 when she died.

I love internet protest and the ineffectiveness it brings to the masses. I know this revolution won’t be televised for sure.

To bring role model on a much smaller scale let’s start with school. School is the first place where children feel the need to conform to fit in. The most influential people for children are other children. In life people tend to gravitate to what’s real and what we can touch. They most likely idolize the most popular girl/boy in school then try to dress, speak, and act like them. Now the most popular boy in school maybe a drug user but a great athlete. The most popular girl in school maybe a slut but the head cheerleader.

We’ve all been to high school and sat right next to these people the student body voted as important. In my high school I was friends with both. Which lead me to this question? Why wasn’t I fucking out of both pants legs or smoking all the weed my hometown had to offer? Let me answer this for you. It is because it is possible to break people apart. Take the parts you like and disregard the rest.

I have my own values and that wouldn’t allow me to engage in things that went against it. It is possible to learn from people whether all positive or negative. There is a lesson within everyone you meet and always a reason. Whether it’s valid or invalid.

Let’s give our youth a little more credit before we announce them as brainless zombies. The conversation took a very racial turn when it was purposed that I didn’t care for the young black women in my community and I accepted the behaviors of Ms. Monroe.

I have no idea what race had to do with it but okay I’ll bite. The same group people I supposedly don’t care about I am. I grew up a young black little girl so that would reveal that I didn’t care for myself. That is completely idiotic. The fuckery continued by saying I endorsed adultery. I am a married woman and in no way would I be cool with my husband sleeping with other women.

Now I do think I am cut from a different cloth in regards to anger displacement. If my husband slept with another regardless of who she is it’s because he ALLOWED it to happened. My beef is with him. A woman does everything with permission. So yes Ms. Monroe was sleeping with them but they were also sleeping with her.

It is easy to make women wear the Scarlet Letter meanwhile men get less of the blame. Marilyn Monroe I respect from a business stand point but I do not model my life behind her. I think our children black white yellow purple should be sent into the world with a solid foundation of values and integrity. The children who embodied these qualities are built to be strong and most importantly wise.