Marilyn Monroe and Judgemental Judy
I know a woman who we will just refer to as Judgemental Judy. Let's be clear in stating that I am not referring to the one on TV who would be "Judge Judy". She has the credentials to be a judge and I respect her and feel she does a great job of getting the truth out of others while being absolutely entertaining in the process. This Judgemental Judy is simply a person that I had an encounter with, one that I falsely thought might lead to a conversation. She is ("bless her heart") the motivation for this BLOG about the beloved Marilyn Monroe and the movie "One Week with Marilyn".
Out of the blue and in what I found to be unusual circumstances I receive a call from Judgemental Judy where she brings up the movie "A Week with Marilyn" about the actress Marilyn Monroe. I stated to her that I'd seen the movie. She then said with what sounded like her usual harsh judgement and her own false sense of conviction (more like bravado), "I didn't know she was such a slut" and then referred to her intimate involvement with President Kennedy. Today I am now over the shock of hearing this kind of blatantly rude comment about a woman by a woman but at the time I felt compelled to defend Monroe by responding with "And what does that make President Kennedy and his brother? I could have taken it further but what I knew from several years of experience was that I'd be wasting my spiritual talents by attempting to enlighten someone who just is not ready.
Let me begin by sharing (what I could have shared with her, not to be mistaken for what I wanted to say to her) and that is that I found the movie beautiful made and the depiction of Monroe to be one that was thought provoking as well as a statement about that period in history when women, in my opinion, were objectified and controlled in Hollywood as though they were more like property than human. I loved the movie and also felt a sense of pain for a woman who was beautiful inside and outside, that gave her heart to others in a way that felt vulnerable and honest, who was used in a way that no one should have been. I am not sure if she decided to end her life or if she accidentally took too many pills to calm herself of a life that some actors still find difficult and stressful at times. I cannot help thinking that these might have been pills that were likely first introduced to her by someone else in the business, possibly a man. Although I cannot be sure of that either I suspect that if I am accurate it was not something that was deemed unusual and in fact maybe acceptable. For anyone to judge Marilyn or any actress of that era like Judy Garland is simply cruel and unthinking. For a woman to judge others that way is rather ironic to put it nicely. Yet for me what matters most is that here was a woman who was an actress, was manipulated by a system that did that to women all the time being referred to as a "slut" because a president who had way more power in a male dominated society, who used his power irresponsibly, had sex with Marilyn. It is also thought that his brother did as well. While we all make mistakes in life, even presidents who have their tools served under their desk in the white house, why is it that the women in the scenario are the ones that are frowned upon? I am not sure if this truly expresses or covers it but, I don't get it. I admit I am more accustomed to men who judge women and in all honesty it is painful either way, but a woman calling Marilyn Monroe a "slut". Huh?
My daughter Taina and her best friend are huge fans of Monroe and what I know is that their love of Marilyn has little to do with her outer beauty and more to do with her inner beauty and the journey of all women, one that Monroe took with courage and unconditional love for others around her. I suspect it is about her struggle and the deep pain she might have felt, much like the struggle for women to be seen for who they are on the inside.
I could keep going and I just might extend these thoughts around my dearest Judgemental Judy and others who are a little too quick to judge and a little too harsh in words. What I will end this saying is that if we are so charged about women maybe it is really time to look at ourselves and determine if we judge ourselves so ruthlessly as to have a need to heal our own divine feminine energy.
Here is a subject that I would love to hear some feedback from women about.
In Harmony and Joy,
Coach Elliott
Out of the blue and in what I found to be unusual circumstances I receive a call from Judgemental Judy where she brings up the movie "A Week with Marilyn" about the actress Marilyn Monroe. I stated to her that I'd seen the movie. She then said with what sounded like her usual harsh judgement and her own false sense of conviction (more like bravado), "I didn't know she was such a slut" and then referred to her intimate involvement with President Kennedy. Today I am now over the shock of hearing this kind of blatantly rude comment about a woman by a woman but at the time I felt compelled to defend Monroe by responding with "And what does that make President Kennedy and his brother? I could have taken it further but what I knew from several years of experience was that I'd be wasting my spiritual talents by attempting to enlighten someone who just is not ready.
Let me begin by sharing (what I could have shared with her, not to be mistaken for what I wanted to say to her) and that is that I found the movie beautiful made and the depiction of Monroe to be one that was thought provoking as well as a statement about that period in history when women, in my opinion, were objectified and controlled in Hollywood as though they were more like property than human. I loved the movie and also felt a sense of pain for a woman who was beautiful inside and outside, that gave her heart to others in a way that felt vulnerable and honest, who was used in a way that no one should have been. I am not sure if she decided to end her life or if she accidentally took too many pills to calm herself of a life that some actors still find difficult and stressful at times. I cannot help thinking that these might have been pills that were likely first introduced to her by someone else in the business, possibly a man. Although I cannot be sure of that either I suspect that if I am accurate it was not something that was deemed unusual and in fact maybe acceptable. For anyone to judge Marilyn or any actress of that era like Judy Garland is simply cruel and unthinking. For a woman to judge others that way is rather ironic to put it nicely. Yet for me what matters most is that here was a woman who was an actress, was manipulated by a system that did that to women all the time being referred to as a "slut" because a president who had way more power in a male dominated society, who used his power irresponsibly, had sex with Marilyn. It is also thought that his brother did as well. While we all make mistakes in life, even presidents who have their tools served under their desk in the white house, why is it that the women in the scenario are the ones that are frowned upon? I am not sure if this truly expresses or covers it but, I don't get it. I admit I am more accustomed to men who judge women and in all honesty it is painful either way, but a woman calling Marilyn Monroe a "slut". Huh?
My daughter Taina and her best friend are huge fans of Monroe and what I know is that their love of Marilyn has little to do with her outer beauty and more to do with her inner beauty and the journey of all women, one that Monroe took with courage and unconditional love for others around her. I suspect it is about her struggle and the deep pain she might have felt, much like the struggle for women to be seen for who they are on the inside.
I could keep going and I just might extend these thoughts around my dearest Judgemental Judy and others who are a little too quick to judge and a little too harsh in words. What I will end this saying is that if we are so charged about women maybe it is really time to look at ourselves and determine if we judge ourselves so ruthlessly as to have a need to heal our own divine feminine energy.
Here is a subject that I would love to hear some feedback from women about.
In Harmony and Joy,
Coach Elliott
Marilyn Monroe was abandoned by her mother and never knew her father hence her deep desire for love and fear of abandonment. She had relationships not only with John but his brother Robert as well. If Judgmental Judy had bothered to read the facts about Monroe, it is that she was smitten with Kennedy and that President Kennedy was known for his liasons with many women. It is knowledge that can be verified that his secret service men would "clear the way" to let Kennedy know when to remove a woman from his bed, when his wife was returning.
ReplyDeleteJudgmental Judy calling Marilyn Monroe a slut says nothing about Monroe and everything about Judy's need to judge another and clearly someone she knows nothing about. For that, we can only feel sorry for J and perhaps can even send some love to JJ. For that is clearly what she needs.
HK