Celebrities attending birthday balls

[Tennessee Top]

Rhonda Rousey (UFC champion) just kept her promise to a young LCpl and went to the birthday ball with him. Other celebrities have attended in the past including Kim Kardashian.

Some believe celebrities detract from the meaning of the celebration so should not be there. Others say it brings positive attention to our Corps (and the celebrity by honoring our troops).

I believe I read the CMC made a comment about this but don't know if he banned the practice all together.

Both sides have legitimate arguments so I can go either way. Curious as to how others feel.

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[USMC 2571]

The Corps already has positive attention by virtue of its being the Corps. Celebrities should be welcome to attend as long as it's as the guest of a Marine or someone else present.

But to use the Ball as an excuse for more publicity of the celebrity? No. And for the Corps to use the presence of a celebrity for publicity for the Corps? No.

That's just one person's opinion, out of hundreds or thousands. Counts for nothing, has no effect on anything, but for the sake of a discussion about Tennessee Top's post, that was my two cents.

[josephd]

I despise it....the first time it happened a few years back when that Marine asked Mila Kunis, which started out as a joke, it was funny and cool that she went along with it....

since then though it is just these Marines looking for attention IMO, and the wrong kind. The Marine Corps ball is about tradition, spending time with your Marine brothers, doing what we as Marines do best...get rowdy...

Social media has spawned this "New Corps" which I'll be honest I am not proud of being part of, asking celebrities out on dates, being disrespectful by posting stuff on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc. that usually goes on behind closed doors

I am the first one to defend my Marine Corps, the changes it makes, and its evolution to adapt to the times....BUT I cannot defend all the garbage that goes down on social media and gives the Corps a bad name

all in my opinion of course

[29palms]

Social media is kind of different from back in the days I was in for certain. I don't really see the harm in that though. Marine Corp ball usually wives of Marines or girlfriends would attend, why not a celebrity. How else can an average joe get to meet a celebrity?
But I agree, its the way it's done via youtube and the others. What was really embarrassing to me was a dance song on youtube by some Marines in Afghanistan that went viral. Kind of as queer as if you remember a few years back when an Israeli team in the Gaza strip on patrol made a viral video to some dorky tune. It looked really gay.

[29palms]

[USMC 2571]

Yes, Joe and 29, if they want to join the Corps, then join the Corps, if they want to go to Hollywood, go there----but please don't mix the two, unnecessarily, just for kicks.

[Kegler300]

Marines are the celebrities at these Balls.

[USMC 2571]

(We see these BOUNDARY issues throughout society nowadays, at all levels, and in all areas.)

[USMC 2571]

Top posted that the Commandant made a comment about this. Does anyone know what that comment was?

[Rocky C]

Marines are the celebrities at these Balls.

You got that right Brother

[silveradomick]

I dislike the practice of young Marines inviting celebrities via social media. I think it's not only childish, but reflects the attention seeking nature of these Marines who do it. However, I just thought of an interesting benefit that may arise from celebrities attending the ball...

As was correctly stated above, Marines are those honored at the birthday ball. We've all been to celebrations and heard along with the Commandant's message, stories and tales of Maries past and present worthy of praise. If a celebrity who has not been exposed to our warrior culture attends the ball due to pressure from social media, maybe they leave the ball with a changed view on Marines in particular and on those who serve in general?

I think that while the actual invitations and they way they are conducted are distasteful, the benefit of exposing uninitiated celebrities to our culture likely has an overall positive impact on their view of the Corps. Just saying that even though none of us would engage in such an invitation, at least there's a silver lining.

[Rocky C]

Well thought out Justin and good food for thought Brother.
Never looked at it that way.

I wouldn't but....

Perhaps it does have a silver lining ?.

I hope more post on this and even perhaps a Marine that went with a celebrity, or not lol.....

[USMC 2571]

Mostly everything does have a silver lining of sorts---but the Corps doesn't need celebrities' good will ambassadorship, because the recruiters' doors are being beaten down by potential new recruits. The Corps' reputation isn't suffering, to where we could use the services of celebrities to rehabilitate it for us.

Fine, if they're invited to the Ball, fine if they're not. True, they might leave with a different perception of the Corps, but that could possibly work both ways, depending on who the celebrity is and how he or she is treated. Maybe he or she ends up bad mouthing the Corps because of (and this is common) perceived arrogance.

Overall, it seems better to let celebrities go to Hollywood and celebrate whatever they like, and Marines go to the Ball and celebrate the birthday of the Marine Corps. The mixture of the two, FOR THE SAKE OF MIXING THEM TOGETHER, is probably not a well thought out idea.

What relationship is there between 10 November 1775 and celebrities?

But we love anything new and different.

[silveradomick]

What relationship is there between 10 November 1775 and celebrities?

Steve McQueen. And that's all I should have to say about that, lol.

All I'm saying is that is this causes a celeb or two to view the Corps in a positive light, and maybe donate some of their millions to charities for wounded/disabled vets, or sponsor/participate in a USO tour, or any other number of decent, proactive things they could do, then that's one less celeb who's gonna bad mouth us when some jackwagon videotapes themselves throwing a puppy off a cliff or peeing on dead insurgents or whatever.

Once again though, I'm far too humble (even though I'm admittedly awesome, good looking, and pretty much a bad-azz, so sometimes it's really difficult to be) to ever consider putting myself in the spotlight by inviting a celeb to the ball. Now, if Scarlett Johannsen or Salma Hayek want to come over to my house for pizza and sex, I'll make sure the wife is otherwise occupied during their visit. Let this be my official invite...

[USMC 2571]

Great points---imagine how great it would be to have Justin Bieber at a Birthday Ball. LOL