The passage of time adjusts one’s sensibilities in numerous ways. One such way is the realization that marriage is not the epitome of celebration, nor is divorce the epitome of mourning, especially when it comes to celebrities in the entertainment industry.
Tethering Women To Men
More often than not, we tether the worth of women around us to the men with whom they are associated. Individual celebrities with a massive body of impressive work become somebody’s wife or somebody’s daughter-in-law. While it is true that a human is many things and can exist in a multi-faceted capacity, why, then, must we assess a woman in the entertainment industry according to the success or turbulence of her personal life?
What’s Marriage Got To Do With It?
This train of thought comes after an incessant line of posts mourning the fates of actors such as Sajal Aly and Syra Yousuf. One meme in particular talked about how even the most beautiful celebrities cannot escape the atrocities of life and fate.
One can pose multiple questions here. Do beautiful women solely deserve the kindness of fate? Is escaping a situation that is not serving you, in any way, really a loss that must be mourned to the point where one considers the other party damaged by fate? Is a successful marriage the end-point for all women, and sustaining the longevity of the marriage a task that must be applauded?
Feeling Pain
Pain can and must be felt and grieved, and it is understandable when audiences show semblances of sympathy. However, perhaps, in certain moments, empathy must take the forefront, and while a contextual understanding may be absent, belief in the fact that what happens, happens for the best, is an advisable way to move forward.
It is important to understand, though, that the perceived pain audiences feel and the pain the individual goes through are two different phenomena. Unless communal healing and mourning are called for, space and distance are options for the wise.
Moving On
That being said – we must move on. We cannot sit and mourn the fate of women who have been separated or divorced. Similarly, reducing a woman’s hard work in the industry to just the man she had wed cannot double as a commemoration. Individualistic celebration of merit and talent must be of the utmost importance.
Of course, it cannot be missed that there are women who make their marriages their entire persona. More power to them, one supposes, for making certain decisions, within the circumstances and resources they possess. Perhaps, in those cases, an assessment of how far an individual wishes to relate a major life event to their personality begins to play a part.
To Sum Up
Marriage and divorce are not defining factors of joy and sorrow respectively. That is not to say that the intensity of emotions linked to these life events can be denied – it cannot. Everyone processes these life events in various ways, in varying capacities.
However, to make these milestones the ultimate destination within one’s meritorious journey does not sit right. As a collective, we must focus on the talent, legitimate merit, and work put out by the women in the entertainment industry because, let’s face it, we would never consider marriage to be the end-all-be-all for a man, nor would we consider his divorce to be the final devastating blow.
What are your thoughts on the matter? Let us know in the comments.
