By Georgi DeMartino | Opinion Editorial Editor–
Being a child with two working parents meant I spent a lot of time at my Grandma’s house. We would cook, clean, and play cards. We had a lot of fun and my grandmother taught me so many things that I still carry with me today. One of those things includes a love of the child star, Shirley Temple Black. As a little girl, I’m talking 3 and 4 years old, I would sit and watch tape after tape of little Shirley Temple bounce about with those famous curls. I idolized her character, even 60 years after the films were created. I would sing every song she sang, and I would wish more than anything that my hair would curl up just like hers one day. Sadly, this week we found out that Shirley Temple Black has passed away at 85.
Although it is a very sad loss, it gives us a chance to reflect on the memories that her characters have given us. The most enjoyable part of looking back on this is that I know I’m not alone. Not only did people my own age feel this way about her, but my parents’, and even my grandparents’ generations all enjoyed the heart-warming little girl. That’s three generations of people who have all shared the same delight stemming from the same actress, over the span of 80 years.
The big question is, who would the equivalent of Shirley Temple be today? Has she achieved nearly as much, and will she still be talked about 80 years from now? In my opinion – I hope not.
We’re all familiar with Alana Thompson.
Wait, you don’t know who that is?
Yes you do, you probably just wish you didn’t.
She also goes by Honey Boo Boo. She’s the burping, farting, overnight sensation from TLC’s hit show Toddlers in Tiaras and now has her own show, Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. It’s a frightening series about a family living in McIntyre, Georgia. To be quite honest, it’s pretty entertaining to watch.
You have maw, June, paw, Sugar Bear, and 3 sisters. Typical Little House on the Prairie, right? WRONG. You’d never see little Laura Ingalls eat “sketti with butter and ketchup,” that would just be sick. So then tell me why 80 years ago the young lady representing girls in America danced around in overalls and a pink t-shirt singing about animal crackers in her soup, and now we get “sketti with butter and ketchup.” Maybe it’s because we live in a fast-paced society where fads have taken over, and (hopefully) pass much quicker than they used to. Maybe it’s because our culture has decreased so much that we would rather watch June Thompson fart on national television, than watch the news at night.
Now I want to pose a question. When you are 75 years old, and your granddaughter is on your knee asking for stories from when you were a little girl or boy, are you going to want to tell her about a girl like Shirley Temple, or one like Honey Boo Boo? Shirley Temple had manners, talents, and ambitions. Honey Boo Boo knows how to clean up for 30 minutes so she can win a sparkling tiara, and then play in the mud with it 10 seconds later.
I don’t want to be taken the wrong way. Alana Thompson is a funny child, and she knows how to make people laugh, which is why her show continues to be aired, but she isn’t a role model. Little girls need to look on TV and see young girls doing useful things with their lives. While pageants are more significant in southern states, not every little girl can grow up to be Miss America. If she was a pageant queen who also did great things outside of the pageant world, that would be one thing – but it wouldn’t make a very good show; therefore, no one would want to show it.
The Thompson family does do nice things for the community, and while those things do go on air, the majority of the shows are about farts and burps, and awkward sneezes that make the viewer, or maybe just me, uncomfortable. While their lifestyle wouldn’t necessarily be considered glamorous – by anyone – anywhere – they do have one admirable trait about them. They don’t care at all about what people think about them. In a world where body image and appearances mean so much; sometimes it’s good to remember that not everyone’s opinion of you really matters. That’s not to say you should live like a pig, and then put it on television, but I think you get what I’m going for.
I’m sure some of the girls in Elizabeth Blair’s (Shirley Temple in “Curly Top”) orphanage thought she was absolutely nuts, but that didn’t stop her from being the fun loving girl that we still know and love 80 years later. My point is, Honey Boo Boo is no Shirley Temple Black, and it’s a disappointing thought that we may never have a Shirley Temple-esque icon ever again, which only makes her that much more timeless.
Shirley Temple Black – Forever in our hearts.
