Like many, I was saddened to see the passing of Mary Tyler Moore, who I grew up watching on the 1970s television series “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” She passed away at 80. I liked Moore both on and off the screen. Indeed, her passing made me think about this older generation of celebrities, perhaps the greatest generation. While some were high maintenance or unhinged, it seems like so many of our younger celebrities are raw, vulgar, and downright nuts. I know that that makes me sound like an older geezer. Perhaps I am, but I just watched the vulgar protest “speech” of Madonna and the rave of the actor. Moore was as big, if not bigger, in terms of her celebrity status. Yet, she always maintained a sense of grace and decorum. I shared her belief in animal rights and she was a great advocate for both animals and combatting juvenile diabetes. She was a force for good, which is more than I can say for so many celebrities that followed her. I cannot help but think of women like Ariana Grande licking donuts or Madonna screaming about burning down the White House or Charlie Sheen drinking “tiger blood” on some rooftop.
Moore struggled off camera with Type 1 diabetes since she was 33. In 2011, she went through a harrowing surgery to remove a benign tumor of the lining tissue of the brain. Yet, she remained a positive force in our society.
I am not sure how some people like Moore can attain international fame and yet remain so well grounded and positive. That seems to be something missing with so many of our current celebrities. I am not sure if they were unhinged before attaining stardom or whether stardom unhinged them. Either way, it often seems the exception rather than the rule to find well-grounded celebrities.
Take Madonna’s profane speech at the recent Women’s March:
Then there is Shia LeBeouf in a signature moment:
Moore was a model for women in my generation. She showed an ambitious independent woman fighting to make her way in the big city. She was a great actress and a great person. She fought for animal rights and children without becoming some profanity spewing maniac with a cause.
I will miss her artistic presence and her elegant advocacy. She gave back much to her fans and her country.
