Clara Bow and the Risks of Investigating a Celebrity’s Romantic Life
By Judy Bokao
For a while now, we have seen a trend regarding celebrities. There has always been a restless fascination with celebrities, and the introduction of social media has intensified this culture. In particular, people are insatiably curious about the relationship status of celebrities. It is even worse when the public starts speculating and investigating the sexuality of their favorite celebrities. For queer celebrities, this is a nightmare, and many have been forced out of the closet. We all remember the Kit Connor situation, right?
These assumptions and speculations especially can be very harmful to these celebrities’ mental health. For example, we have the case of Clara Bow, who was an early 90s icon in Hollywood. She is mainly remembered for her roles in movies such as It Girl, Wings, The Wild Party and The Saturday Night Kid.
After being in numerous movies, she earned the nickname It Girl and eventually became a sex symbol. Her siren eyes, classic style, and many admirers made her one of Hollywood’s quintessential women in the early 1920s and 30s. Even now, she continues to be an inspiration to many women. Taylor Switf’s new album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ has a song titled Clara Bow. We don’t know what the song is about, but it could be because Taylor can relate to Bow’s struggle with the media’s scrutiny regarding her love life.
For most of her career, Bow faced intense scrutiny about who she dated, and everyone wanted to know about her love life. The media was constantly at her heels, wanting to know who she was dating, how she handled a break-up, etc. The scrutiny got worse as Bow’s career continued to take off. It didn’t help that Bow dated famous directors and producers. This only added wood to the fire and kept the blaze going.
Back in the day, Bow was friends with Dorothy Arzner, a director who identified as a lesbian and is considered one of the most prolific female directors. Her work later cemented her as a pioneer in Lesbian filming. Bow’s close friendship with Dorothy caused many to wonder if the two were an item. Another cause for speculation was Bow’s participation in pre-code movies, which subtly alluded to same-sex couplings.
Bow’s style was also beyond her time, and she had that certain je ne sais quoi to attract both men and women. Many said she had a magnetic thing about her; it was irresistible, and she knew how to play to her strengths. They described her as confident and alluring — every woman wanted to be her.
Sadly, sometimes, with fame and money comes trouble and such was the case for Bow. She found herself embroidered in scandal after scandal. The biggest fallout came after an intense legal battle with her former secretary, Daisy DeVoe. The trial led to some of Bow’s dirty linen being washed publicly. Soon, magazines started to talk about Bow’s sexual escapades with women and men and her drug use.
The tabloids were relentless, painting her as a woman of loose morals, beautiful but an embarrassment and so on. The worst part is the public believed every bit of the salacious stories being written about Bow. Ultimately, it was impossible to save her career. She married a fellow actor, Rex Bell, and is said to have been battling with depression for many years before her death. It is not lost on us that the media played a massive part in her downfall. Such intense societal scrutiny must not have been easy and probably led to her depression.
Unfortunately, we as a society have yet to learn; we are still doing the same thing. It’s the same routine but with different players. Social media has also worsened the ordeal. A celebrity can’t even hold hands with a friend before someone takes a picture and alludes to something. Queer celebrities are always living in fear of being outed before they are ready. They are also criticized if they don’t clarify every rumor about their sexuality. There is no winning for them. We have made it so hard for these queer celebrities to navigate their sexuality safely. It is more like playing on a minefield now. One “wrong” move, and boom, the world knows all about their business.
It is high time we stopped and asked if this is the society we want and whether this is what is best for Pride. As much as it is inspiring for celebrities to talk about their sexual journeys and live their authentic life, they don’t owe us this information.
About the Author
Judy Bokao is 20 years old and was born in Ethiopia but relocated to Nairobi two years ago. She is passionate about everyone having equal rights and is also big on conservation and speaking up for our planet. Judy loves reading and photography and is just a free-spirited young lady trying to grow into a woman her mom can be proud of.
