7 Reasons Marilyn Monroe is a Great Role Model ...

Marilyn Monroe grew up in a very unhealthy home environment, with a mentally unstable mother and no father. Eventually, Marilyn’s mother sent her away to live in a string of foster homes. While staying in these foster homes she was sexually abused and nearly smothered to death. Despite all of this, however, she emerged as the amazing talent, becoming what many people regard as the world’s most beautiful woman, and this just one of the many reasons Marilyn Monroe is a great role model.

There was nothing Marilyn Monroe hated more than being stereotyped as a ‘dumb blonde.’ In fact, she hated it so much that she refused to be cast in any more of those roles and walked out on her film contract! Not to mention that she was very far from a ‘dumb blonde’ - Marilyn was very smart and well read, and eventually she became the third woman in history to start her own production company. She did the inspiring thing and refused to sit back and let people label her!

When faced with the horrible fact that she had depression, Marilyn Monroe tried hard to keep going about her life. Even when it became difficult to go on set to film a movie, she never gave up, and continued to make movies which wowed critics and won the hearts of the public. Depression is never an easy thing to overcome, but Marilyn Monroe did all she could to try and fight it, and that is admirable.

Many charities benefited from Marilyn Monroe’s generosity, such as The Arthritis Foundation, the MS Association, The USO and many more, including a lot of anonymous donations she made to various orphanages. Marilyn knew what it was like to grow up in a difficult childhood, and truly wanted to make the lives of other people happy, which is just so lovely! She also adored children and animals and was always polite to anyone she came across.

When Ella Fitzgerald was refused from singing at the Mocambo nightclub in Hollywood simply because of her race, Marilyn Monroe became furious and personally called the owner. She demanded that Ella Fitzgerald be booked immediately, and that if she was, then Marilyn would sit at the front table every single night. Knowing what kind of press that would create, the owner booked Ella Fitzgerald, Marilyn sat on the front table every night, and after that Ella never had to play in a small club again - she became a superstar, and rightly so! Marilyn refused to witness injustice, particularly when it came to discrimination against someone’s race.

Marilyn Monroe is known for being a sex symbol, but she also managed to dramatically change the way people viewed sex in society. Because of her, it was no longer something to be ashamed of - she showed that sex could be fun and cheeky, and encouraged women to celebrate their bodies and be comfortable with who they were. Marilyn Monroe showed that you could show off your sexuality while still being completely self-respecting.

Sexual abuse was certainly not a talked-about issue during Marilyn Monroe’s time, so when she came out to say that she had been sexually abused, there were very mixed reactions. Most people mocked her, and refused to believe her, and lots of people believe that this is how her battle with depression started. However, despite all of this, she didn’t keep her abuse a secret, and succeeded in showing other women that had been sexually abused that they were not alone.

I could go on forever about why Marilyn Monroe is one of my role models, but these points sum it up pretty well. To me, she was an amazing, talented, strong woman who inspires me and so many other women on a day to day basis, and that deserves to be celebrated! Who is your number one role model?