Shirley Temple: Origins of the Optimistic Image :: Shirley Temple Image Essays

Shirley Temple: Origins of the Optimistic Image Shirley Temple. When the name is uttered an image of the dimpled faced, curly haired, tap dancing four year old from the 1930s automatically appears in everyone's mind. She was the child actress of the depression era, winning over the hearts and pocket books of many. Films, dolls and even a drink named after her, her face and name were ones that couldn't be missed. She was Fox's gem and saviour. She was an escape from the hard life. She was a star. The image that she gave off, of love for the needy and pure optimism, must have had an origin. Did it rise from the social needs of the public to escape the depression or was it purely constructed by Twentieth Century-Fox? Her image clearly correlates with the mentality of the public at the time, but Fox must have had a hand. Undoubtedly her image was created through a mixture of both elements. To analyze the degree to which Shirley Temple's image was formed through the needs of the time or through manipulation by Fox, one must first look at stars' images in general and how they come into being. What do stars represent to the audience? What is the nature of their images? Many people might say that stars are merely a product of the Hollywood system needing to make a profit; Hollywood manufactures a product and creates the demand for it. A star's image is processed through advertisements and promotions and has little to do with what the audience wants and needs from entertainment. There is a widespread mentality that any Average Joe can become a star with enough resources backing him up. Richard Dyer points out, however, that even movies full of stars fail, and stars can and do fall out of fashion (12). A star's economic worth is not invulnerable to audiences' opinions. The audience isn't so easily controlled. As Dyer says, "Stars ... are the direct or indirect reflection of the needs, drives and dreams of American society." (6). The star's image is formed by what the audience chooses to see, and the audience will choose to see a movie that fills their societal needs, even if unconsciously. Once the audience has made its decision, it empowers that star to fulfill these needs. "Stars have a privileged position in the definition of social roles and types, and this must have real consequences in terms of how people believe they can and should behave" (Dyer 8).

Fatalistic World View Essay

I do think there are a large number of people who have a fatalist world view, though they might not even be aware of it. It seems to be the growing trend in the United States that a lot of people think even if there is a God he doesn’t have anything to do with them, or they only think about it in times of trouble like foxhole prayers. There also appears to be a large number of secularists, which is kind of a spin-off of fatalism, and they believe in nothing other than man’s ability to endure and overcome problems. I remember before I became a Christian I would never think about God or pray or go to church only when my life was falling apart would I think about God, and that was usually to blame him. Anytime I would start thinking about God or try to attend church I would get extremely uncomfortable. I realize now that was because the closer I drew to God the more my shortcomings were exposed not just to others but also to myself. That reality kept me running from God for many years until I had nowhere else to turn. I believe that is why there are so many with a fatalistic view of life because until self-sufficiency runs out, and our unaided human will fail us completely many people will not honestly seek God’s salvation or help. It is my prayer that fatalist and secularist alike would like me come to see their need for God’s salvation and help in their everyday life.

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