Audrey Hepburn Vs. Marilyn Monroe.

I found this post on facebook comparing the two iconic women I mentioned in the title. The point of the post was to say how people should idolize good acts over just good looks. They mentioned all the amazing things Audrey Hepburn has done in her life. Helping the Belgian Resistance against Nazi invasion, speaking six different languages fluently, quit acting after several miscarriages so her unborn child can survive and have a chance at life, her working with UNICEF then her dying of cancer.

To continue on with them saying how we should value Audrey's good deeds over Marilyn's good looks, they listed all the things Marilyn is known for. Playing dumb, sexy blondes, being uneducated by choice, having three failed marriages and dyomg of a drug overdose.

First of all, how can you compare these two women. Both are amazing in their own rights. But what pisses me off about that post is they never said anything good about Marilyn. I get that the point of the post was for people to see good acts over good looks but Marilyn, like Audrey, has both the good deeds and the good looks.

Marilyn treated black musicians like actual people in a time where they were treated lower than dogs. She gave them respect. I'm sure all of us are familiar with Ella Fitzgerald, right? One of the biggest clubs in California in that time was Mocambo where names like Frank Sinatra, Charlie Chaplin and others have been known to perform there. Ella Fitzgerald couldn't perform there because she was black. Marilyn called up the owner and said if he booked Ella that she would be at the club each night, front and center, and it would be huge in the press. The owner agreed and Marilyn was true to her word. She was there every night, front and center and the press did go wild. After that, Ella never had to play a small time jazz club again. Ella Fitzgerald said it herself that Marilyn helped her career. In fact, a vocal coach told Marilyn to study Ella's music, years prior to the phone call, and it helped her grow as a singer. But no one knows pays attention to that.

And honestly, don't get me started on her less than pleasant childhood. If you have seen anything about Marilyn Monroe, and I'm not talking about My Week with Marilyn, you'd know she had a horrible childhood. A lot of the things that happened to her could explain how she ended up how she ended up.

She read books, trying to educate herself but that ,like all of her small deeds are, always overshadowed because of her movies, her failed marriages, her flirty "Happy Birthday Mr. President" with JFK and her apparent affairs with both JFK and Robert Kennedy.

Yes she may not have done as much as Audrey, but she had a short life. She was deeply depressed and abused substances. She did a lot in her short life but not many people see that because they just see the sexy, dumb blonde sex symbol. People don't look at her behind the facade. If you don't watch the documentaries or read the biographies, you're really missing out. I love both actresses, but Marilyn shouldn't be downgraded because of her being more of a sex symbol than Audrey.

I feel so much after ranting about that post. Like I said, both actresses are amazing in their own rights but one's good deeds shouldn't be used to down someone's good looks. Both deserve credit for the things they've done in their lives. Both are role models in their own ways. And now I'm going to end this blog with lovely pictures of both ladies; their most iconic pictures.

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I actually had that Marilyn picture but sadly my cat ruined it =/
March 16th, 2014 at 04:25am