User:Changedforbetter/sandbox: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

'''Mufasa''' is a fictional character in Disney's ''The Lion King'' franchise. The character first appears in ''The Lion King'' (1994) as King of the Pride Lands and devoted father to [[Simba]]. He was killed by his brother, Scar, so he may usurp the throne.

"'''America's Sweetheart'''" is an [[honorific|unofficial]] title afforded by the American [[News media|press]] to a [[public figure]] who is widely beloved or popular. In most cases, the title is typically awarded to young female entertainers whose public personas are generally perceived as wholesome, charming, and humble. Canadian-born actress [[Mary Pickford]] is considered to be the first known celebrity nicknamed "America's Sweetheart", having been coined as such by theatre producer David Grauman in 1914. Dozens of celebrities have been referred to as "America's Sweetheart" in the press, with notable examples including [[Shirley Temple]], [[Debbie Reynolds]], [[Meg Ryan]], [[Julia Roberts]], [[Sandra Bullock]], [[Jennifer Aniston]], and [[Taylor Swift]].<ref name=":2" />

== Origins and definition ==

== Creation ==

Jones' staunch demeanor during recording sessions served as inspiration for supervising animator Tony Fucile.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kring-schreifels |first=Jake |date=July 19, 2019 |title=How the Original ‘Lion King’ Came to Life |url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2019/7/19/20699678/the-lion-king-original-animation-1994 |access-date=September 11, 2024 |work=[[The Ringer]]}}</ref>

The term "America's Sweetheart" is believed to have first appeared in the early 1900s. It has since been used to describe a large number of celebrities, typically "young, bubbly, wholesome-seeming ladies who women want to be and men want to introduce to their mothers", according to Shaunacy Ferro of ''[[Mental Floss]]''.<ref name=":2" /> Although the term has occasionally been used to refer to some famous men, the overwhelming majority of recipients have been female.<ref name=":2" /> Scottie Andrew of [[CNN]] defined "America's Sweetheart" as a celebrity who is "so beloved that they appeal to most Americans, regardless of political and social differences", citing [[Dolly Parton]], [[Tom Hanks]], [[Betty White]], and [[Oprah Winfrey]] as examples.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Andrew |first=Scottie |date=February 5, 2023 |title=How stars like Dolly Parton and Tom Hanks became American sweethearts |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/05/entertainment/american-sweetheart-celebrities-dolly-parton-tom-hanks-cec/index.html |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

== History and usage ==

Actress [[Mary Pickford]] is widely considered the first known person to be called "America's Sweetheart" publicly.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Ferro |first=Shaunacy |date=Oct 18, 2018 |title=9 People Who Have Been Called America's Sweetheart |url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/560943/people-who-have-been-called-americas-sweetheart#:~:text=The%20term%20%E2%80%9CAmerica%27s%20Sweetheart%E2%80%9D%20first,to%20introduce%20to%20their%20mothers. |access-date=August 22, 2024 |work=[[Mental Floss]]}}</ref> Pickford was born Gladys Louise Smith in [[Toronto]], Canada.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |title=Mary Pickford (1892-1979) |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pickford-1892-1979/ |access-date=August 22, 2024 |work=[[PBS]]}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Whitfield |first=Eileen |last2=Butts |first2=Ed |date=May 14, 2008 |title=Mary Pickford |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/mary-pickford |access-date=August 22, 2024 |website=[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]}}</ref> After beginning her acting career on stage in both Toronto and on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]],<ref name=":1" /> Pickford moved to the United States, where she began appearing in the new medium, [[motion pictures]], in 1909.<ref name=":0" /> By 1910, critics and audiences had grown endeared to the actress' innate ability to "play for the camera", distinguishing her from other performers who had struggled to transition from stage to [[Silent film|silent films]].<ref name=":0" /> Her immense popularity coincided with the introduction of feature-length films.<ref name=":0" /> In 1914, movie theater owner David Grauman nicknamed Pickford "America's Sweetheart",<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mary Pickford Chronology |url=https://marypickford.org/mary-pickford-Chronology/ |access-date=August 22, 2024 |website=The Mary Pickford Foundation}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Larke-Walsh |first=George S. |url=https://books.google.ca/books?id=X8RsDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT51&lpg=PT51&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=A Companion to the Gangster Film |date= |publisher=[[John Wiley & Sons]] |year=2018 |isbn=9781119041740 |location=United States |publication-date= |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> despite the actress being Canadian.<ref name=":0" /> Two years later, [[Famous Players Film Company]] started advertising Pickford's films as starring "America's Sweetheart".<ref name=":6" /> Her reputation is attributed to playing sweet, innocent, "waifish" young girls well into adulthood.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Stamberg |first=Susan |author-link=Susan Stamberg |date=February 27, 2018 |title=How Movie Darling Mary Pickford Became The Most Powerful Woman In Hollywood |url=https://www.npr.org/2018/02/27/589061990/mary-pickford-darling-of-the-silver-screen-to-major-hollywood-force |access-date=August 22, 2024 |work=[[NPR]]}}</ref> Historian [[Cari Beauchamp]] said Pickford often played girls with spunk and a backbone: "She can be poorer than dirt and literally be covered in dirt, and yet she stands up for what is right, she stands up for her community and she has a sense of self that is universal and timeless".<ref name=":3" /> By 1919, Pickford had established herself as one of Hollywood's most popular and highest-paid stars.<ref name=":0" /> She would go on to make some of her most memorable films during the early to mid-1920s, winning the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] for ''[[Coquette (film)|Coquette]]'' (1929).<ref name=":0" /> She eventually retired from acting in 1933 after the advent of [[Sound film|talkies]] and aging out of the [[ingénue]] roles she became famous for,<ref name=":0" /> transitioning to a full-time producer role.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dwyer |first=Shawn |title=Mary Pickford |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/152222%7C108778/Mary-Pickford/#biography |access-date=August 22, 2024 |website=[[Turner Classic Movies]]}}</ref> Pickford is one of the pioneering entertainers of American cinema, and one of the most important actors of the silent film era.<ref name=":0" />

During the [[Great Depression]], film star [[Shirley Temple]] was nicknamed "America’s Sweetheart" as a child actress, the most prolific period of her career (1934-1938).<ref name=":2" />

Initially [[Breakthrough role|breaking through]] on ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'' (1961–1966),<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Chappet |first=Marie-Claire |date=July 14, 2023 |title=Who was Mary Tyler Moore? |url=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/entertainment/a44125880/mary-tyler-moore-history-explained/ |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[Harper's Bazaar]]}}</ref> actress [[Mary Tyler Moore]] was nicknamed "America's Sweetheart" while starring as [[Mary Richards]] on her [[The Mary Tyler Moore Show|eponymous sitcom]] from 1970 to 1977,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Walsh |first=Savannah |date=May 25, 2023 |title=Mary Tyler Moore Was Rarely What She Seemed on TV |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/05/mary-tyler-moore-was-rarely-what-she-seemed-on-tv |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525011000/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/05/mary-tyler-moore-was-rarely-what-she-seemed-on-tv |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref> receiving the moniker from publications such as ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' and ''[[Rolling Stone]]''.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=VerMeulen |first=Michael |author-link=Michael VerMeulen |date=January 25, 2017 |title=Mary Tyler Moore: America’s Sweetheart Goes All the Way |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/mary-tyler-moore-americas-sweetheart-goes-all-the-way-115919/ |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320201633/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/mary-tyler-moore-americas-sweetheart-goes-all-the-way-115919/ |archive-date=March 20, 2023 |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref> Moore's portrayal of a single, working-class woman was considered revolutionary for addressing topics pertaining to [[Second-wave feminism|feminism]] and [[women's rights]].<ref name=":7" /> The 1980s and 1990s saw an influx of female celebrities sharing the "America's Sweetheart" title, notably actresses [[Meg Ryan]], [[Julia Roberts]], and [[Sandra Bullock]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Essential Sandra Bullock Movies to Watch |url=https://aframe.oscars.org/what-to-watch/post/essential-sandra-bullock-movies-to-watch |access-date=August 23, 2024 |website=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|A.frame]] |quote="America's Sweetheart" isn't one single person, but a title bestowed upon greats like Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts and, yes, Bullock.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=June 15, 2009 |title="Proposal" star Sandra Bullock hates romantic comedies |url=https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertainment/local/article_dcdb01e6-9e4c-527b-973f-ef33e970333e.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]] |quote=Sandra Bullock was once poised to steal the title of "America's Sweetheart ... Julia Roberts (who had stolen it from Meg Ryan).}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Posner |first=Amos |date=September 30, 2004 |title=America's Sweetheart |url=https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2004/09/americas-sweetheart |access-date=August 24, 2024 |work=[[The Daily Cardinal]]}}</ref> Each actress ranked among the most [[Bankable star|bankable]] and highest-paid of the time period, with their films grossing millions of dollars at the box office.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 1, 1995 |title=The Hollywood Pay Scale |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/10/01/the-hollywood-pay-scale/ |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=January 23, 2000 |title=Hollywood's Heavy Hitters |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/01/23/hollywoods-heavy-hitters/ |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref> Their creative output was characterized by "romantic, sympathetic and funny roles",<ref name=":4" /> and they dominated the [[romantic comedy]] genre during the peak of their careers.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 22, 2014 |title=The Rom-Com Hall of Fame: Champions and Challengers |url=https://grantland.com/features/the-rom-com-hall-of-fame/ |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[Grantland]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=May 4, 2022 |title=The romcom queens return! Can Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock revive the ailing genre? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/may/04/the-romcom-queens-return-can-meg-ryan-julia-roberts-and-sandra-bullock-revive-the-ailing-genre |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Houseback |first=Morgan |date=February 22, 2023 |title=“Set It Up” is the best romantic comedy of the last 10 years |url=https://unewsonline.com/2023/02/set-it-up-is-the-best-romantic-comedy-of-the-last-10-years/ |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[Saint Louis University|The University News]]}}</ref>

Actress [[Jennifer Aniston]] achieved global fame playing [[Rachel Green]] on the sitcom ''[[Friends]]'' from 1994 to 2004, transitioning to a successful film career once the series ended.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ali |first=Lorraine |author-link=Lorraine Ali |date=August 9, 2015 |title=American sweetheart Jennifer Aniston as you've never seen her in Cake |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/american-sweetheart-jennifer-aniston-as-youve-never-seen-her-in-cake-20150805-girn57.html |access-date=August 25, 2023 |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref> In 2019, Rachel Simon of [[NBCNews.com]] opined that arguably no other celebrity has retained the title "America's Sweetheart" for as long as Aniston, describing her as "an anomaly — a superstar whose status is tied not to her career, but to her humanity".<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Simon |first=Rachel |date=November 30, 2019 |title=From 'Friends to 'The Morning Show,' how Jennifer Aniston has remained America's sweetheart |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/friends-morning-show-how-jennifer-aniston-has-remained-america-s-ncna1092216 |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[NBCNews.com]]}}</ref> Both Simon and Laura L. Finley, author of ''Women in Popular Culture: The Evolution of Women's Roles in American Entertainment'' (2023), attributed Aniston's longevity to her avoidance being [[Typecasting|typecast]] as a "mother figure" unlike other actresses who experience aging in Hollywood.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Finley |first=Laura L. |url=https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Women_in_Popular_Culture/bkTPEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=america%27s+sweetheart+jennifer+aniston&pg=PA75&printsec=frontcover |title=Women in Popular Culture: The Evolution of Women's Roles in American Entertainment [2 Volumes] |date= |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]] |year=2023 |isbn=9781440874130 |location=United Kingdom |pages=75 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref><ref name=":5" />

In the 2000s and 2010s, the term "America's Sweetheart" was brandished on actresses such as [[Reese Witherspoon]], [[Jennifer Lawrence]], [[Emma Stone]], and [[Anne Hathaway]].<ref name=":5" />

== Reception ==

Some figures have publicly denounced the term. Although writer [[Kevin Sessums]] declared actress [[Renée Zellweger]] "the newest version of America’s sweetheart, proving just how far we’ve come since Mary Pickford" in 1997, Zellwegger said the title "sounds as if I should be riding on a float in the [[Rose Bowl Parade|Rose Bowl parade]] ... I wouldn’t think about myself that way at all”.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sessums |first=Kevin |author-link=Kevin Sessums |date=September 12, 1997 |title=Running with the Stars |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/1997/09/renee-zellweger-cover-story |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331023924/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/1997/09/renee-zellweger-cover-story |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]}}</ref> In 2005, Aniston stated that while she was not actively trying to "shake" her "America's Sweetheart" reputation, she hoped her role in the then-upcoming ''[[Derailed (2002 film)|Derailed]]'' (2005) would debunk the label.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Roman |first=Julian |date=Nov 9, 2005 |title=Jennifer Aniston & Clive Owen Talk Derailed |url=https://movieweb.com/jennifer-aniston-clive-owen-talk-derailed/ |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[MovieWeb]]}}</ref> In 2019, Roberts has expressed ambivalence towards the title.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |last=Tingley |first=Anna |date=June 4, 2019 |title=Why Julia Roberts Never Thought of Herself as ‘America’s Sweetheart’ |url=https://variety.com/video/julia-roberts-americas-sweetheart-actors-on-actors/ |access-date=August 23, 2024 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>

== In popular culture ==

''[[America's Sweethearts]]'', a 2001 romantic comedy starring Julia Roberts.<ref name=":8" />

== References ==

== References ==