Courtesy of Vibe Vixen
I recently read, “It’s a shame that so many black girls would prefer to be Marilyn Monroe than Lena Horne.” I had never thought about it before. Definitely been a fan of Monroe’s infamous quotes like:
“I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”
and
“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they’re right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”
…but didn’t realize it until recently when hip-hop newbie Brianna Perry and hip-pop star Nicki Minaj both dropped songs titled “Marilyn Monroe.” Although Monroe wasn’t like the “dumb blonde” roles she played in her films, she was known for repeatedly taking roles where she comes off as extremely beautiful but not very bright.
Lena Horne on the other hand– a gifted singer, actress and activist during the Civil Rights movement–isn’t looked at in the same light. Let’s not forget that she also has some amazing quotes that could have been great concepts for songs.