Joan Crawford: A Tainted Image

Joan Crawford may have passed away 37 years ago, but her legacy still lives on today.

Unfortunately, it’s not the good one.

(Photo: quoteko.com)

Upon the release of Christina Crawford’s (her first adopted daughter) book, Mommie Dearest, Joan’s image drastically changed— from a strong woman who dazzled the silver screen to a horrible, abusive mother. She may have ended her struggles in life when she died, but this is one battle that she’ll have to fight forever… even though she can’t defend herself anymore.

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I feel sorry for Joan (or Lucille LeSueur, her real name). Whenever I watch her videos on Youtube, I always see the comment section flooded with opinions about her being a terrifying mother. It’s always “No more wire hangers,” “Mommie Dearest,” and almost all offending adjectives that anyone could ever use to describe a person. Only few people recognize her worth, talent, and the legacy she left for future generations. For most people, she is “Joan Crawford the Beast” rather than “Joan Crawford the Actress.”

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I feel bad for her not just because I’m one of her adoring fans, but because the world’s being so unfair to her. She’s already resting, yet people still point out her bad qualities over the good ones. Christina’s still talking about “surviving her mommie dearest.” It’s been ages; why don’t we just give the lady the respect she deserve for bringing joy and entertainment to us, right? I always think, “Can we forget Mommie Dearest for a while and not bring it up whenever there’s a video or article about her? Can we just recognize her for being a professional actress who didn’t give less for her fans?” After all, it’s none of our business if she was, as they say, an abusive mother. We shouldn’t judge her for her personal shortcomings. We weren’t there when she was “beating” her children, so how should we know, right?

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If only people could set that book aside for a moment and really look into the Joan Crawford that we (her fans) know: the angelic-faced star who delighted audiences for almost half a century; the actress who is best known for her hit films such as Mildred Pierce, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?, Our Dancing Daughters, and more; the 5 foot 3 inches-tall movie goddess who stood taller than anyone else, with her trademark broad shoulders, thick eyebrows and full lips. The Joan Crawford who gave us some of the best films in Hollywood history.

(Photo: pictify.com)

Joan, may you rest in peace, knowing that there are still people who see you for your wonderful contribution to the film industry, not for your personal problems. We love you, Joanie!

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Happy blogging (and “fangirling”)!
Jane