Dietrich Post Scriptum

Since I have had a lot of reactions to my comment on Marlene Dietrich I will try to make myself clear: I do not regard Dietrich as a good or a bad person. She was brought up in an era when little love was lost on children. They were regarded as small adults, be it among the peasantry, the urban proteltariat or in fashionable socielite circles.

The early loss of her father and the apparent lack of parental affection may have developed a fragile self with a low self esteem which often result in a life long compensatory urge. Dietrich may, and it may seem a paradox but is common, have felt ”guilty” of the loss of her father and lived up to the expectations of an ”evil” self or developed a very strong urge to ensure herself of men´s affection or at least attraction which she never got from the father, a compulsary need for affection or at least attention.

Her promiscuity could have been a ”revenge” or a need to compensate for a low self esteem by ”collecting” men, weaker than herself. She made good and bad choices, like all of us, with the exception that her doings were blown up a hundred times because of her celebrity status.

If Hitler and Stalin had grown up in parental love and great affection I doubt they would have become the monsters they turned out to be...

Douglas