the treatment of marylin's comedic acting reminds me of how men so often dont pick up on women's jokes and sarcasm, they just assume that women are being literal and stupid.
@Sophia Ako Well, I am certainly no women but I do always speak with a sarcastic tone and in my experience, when you try to change that after people are already accustomed to it, your situation won‘t change but at this point, I don‘t really care anymore so people can do what they want as long as they get out of my way. Also here in Germany, most view pretty girls as smart or at least in my area unless you are one of those who wear 300 tons of makeup, maybe then people won‘t see you as the smart one
@Monkey D. Toni I stopped doing deadpan and no difference. I'm pretty, young and female, generally stereotyped as not very clever. Are you a woman? It is the experience of a lot of women to have their intelligence underestimated and cleverness overlooked
@Sophia Ako That is the consequence of saying everything with the same serious tone... or you always talk in a sarcastic manner so people don't know if you are serious or not
This is how I feel as a Mexican woman in regards to Selena Quintanilla. Let her rest. I love that we keep her memory alive and I get that, but all these remakes fatigue the audience, over saturate her image leading it to be cheapened. I wish her family knew they are harming her image.
She’s only had two. And tbh I’m glad a new generation was introduced to her for those outside Mexican culture who didn’t grow up with that JLO film to learn about her like I did. I’d kind of be sad if no talked about her anymore
@mary Fr, they didnt even pay him for using his image on the shows they make about her. Like in the one from Netflix, he said not even the actor spoke to him in how to portray his role. The Quintanilla's are only taking advantage from that poor girl that only wanted a normal life since she was child. They exploited her in life and seems like they wont stop, not even after her death
I’ve stopped supporting anything from Selena’s family. It’s become so clear, especially from Abraham, that they care about money. I don’t doubt they want to keep Selena’s legacy alive and honor her, but the way they constantly come up with new ways to profit off her image while not even letting Chris make his own series based on his book or be a part of most things, is so nasty. I only support Chris now.
I assume marilyn’s comedy is often overlooked as well because we don’t typically view women as capable of being intentionally funny. Instead of acknowledging her character as a representation of marilyn’s comedic talent, we assumed that she WAS the over the top ditzy character, because somehow that was more believable to us than her being intentionally humorous
@Cameron Lucille also also had to contend with a limited role in Hollywood. When you played into that as a woman, you could only be the clown so to speak. Marilyn didn’t want to be comedic mainly. She made the best of the roles given to her but her end goal was always drama. Unfortunately being considered sexy by beauty standards both helped her get on screen and created a situation where men wanted to make fun of her rather than let her shine on her own terms. It makes sense when you consider the ideal body today in in the the major industry still humiliating women for the male gaze, the porn industry. She was curvy and blonde. And he she had that way of speaking even if she amped it up at times. Therefore she couldn’t be both serious and a sex symbol like an Elizabeth Taylor(who also had the benefit of starting young before she could be objectified to that degree which forced men in charge to notice her work first)
@Heather Ackerman yeah I was confused as well because many women related to Marilyn and saw past the ditz. To me i thought most of her movies were her playing a comedic character not actually being some ditz in real life, not to mention that even when they tried to make her characters ditzy she always seemed to be able to bring in intelligence and a certain humane warmth and relatability to all of her characters. Men did try to either portray her as a ditz or a seductress on TV and in real life and she always showed she was more then that.
@May Walker Not all therapists. Many of us keep presences in our clients' lives after therapy ends, but we have to be careful because those same boundaries of ethical professionalism and confidentiality still apply. Many clients don't realize how important those boundaries are - they're what keep your therapist from emotionally relying on you, sharing their traumas, and participating in the give-and-take normally reserved for friends. Therapy is supposed to be your space, not your therapist's. You don't want to be put in a situation where you're suddenly advising your ex-therapist on their dating problems.
My family was linked to the whole network of quack shrinks up to Ralph Greenson, who I located letters from to this relative of mine big in the psychoanalyst world. Kris, Greenson, Hartmann, Kubie and all these people were also close to the National Security State and several were participating in MKULTRA and other terrible operations against unwitting victims.
To me I think admiring Marilyn Monroe for her sexual liberation is like admiring someone with an eating disorder for their thinness, it’s very unsettling
Women who are caught up in the cult of Monroe are also conditioned by societies puritanical standards. Notice how there’s an ongoing campaign to dilute or remove Marilyn’s sexuality altogether. “She wasn’t sexually liberated , she was a victim”. Marilyn was said to enjoy sex and had a lot of it. She was a highly sexual woman, and that’s okay. More than half of women can’t find their g spots, but they wanna control the narrative and pathology of a woman who actually did have participation in creating her image. She knew what she was doing, it just got to be too much at times, I’m sure.
@Lubna Saleh Marilyn’s entire life has been reduced to trauma porn so I’m not sure exactly what you mean here. I don’t think anyone admires her for anything they just like to wallow in her victimhood. It’s what led to Blonde, the “biopic” fictional novel. We can now cry over her breaking into the industry by being (fictitious) raped instead of her sheer determination. Her talent, strength, ambition, politics, huge role in changing the industry have all been buried for the sake of tragedy.
I'd say with the current climate of social media it's how people are glorifying obesity which also stems from eating disorders and try and make it seem like something positive. I totally agree though you can't admire the beauty without realizing all the pain behind it. I know I can't be the only one who can't even look at pictures of her especially around the time of her passing. Her eyes are so sad, practically crying out for something, her smile never really reaches her eyes. You can see it in the last movie she did. It makes me so sad to look at someone so beautiful and inspiring to so many people, look like that and more importantly someone loved by so many but still not really have anyone who understood her. I think our society definitely has sexual liberation and internalized trauma mixed up. In many cases those who are seemingly so sexually liberated are doing those things to fill some kind of void.
Instead of reframing Marilyn's tragedies in life as "empowering", why not make it common knowledge how unfairly she was treated despite being such a remarkable woman? How steps in her career reflected this mistreatment and put deeper meaning to her actions and legacy than just being the most glamorous woman in Hollywood. Acknowledge that she was wrongfully reduced to a sex symbol when she was, in fact, a talented actress in her own right. Don't diminish important things about her like with the Kim Kardashian Met Gala dress situation-people claim Marilyn would "love seeing another curvy woman wear her dress" when in reality, Marilyn had that dress made specifically for her and her alone in response to the mistreatment and injustice she experienced.
@I love got7 Home wrecker? Who's home did Marilyn wreck? The Kennydy's? That home was already wrecked...thousand times over. JFK fucked everything with a pulse.
My grandmother who was a young lady around the same time as Marilyn had told me she wasn't a fan because of how suggestive she was in films. Although she never held anything against her as a fellow person. Mostly because my grandmother and Marilyn shared the same body type and that caused a lot of men to show unwanted interest in her. My grandmother was genuinely pure of heart (I haven't known anyone sweeter) and men would try to get her to be /like/ Marilyn. So she married the biggest nerd she could find that treated her with respect and encouraged her college education rather than seeing her as something pretty to own.
My grandmother who was a young lady around the same time as Marilyn had told me she wasn't a fan because of how suggestive she was in a film 🤣WOMAN AT THAT TIME POSSIBLE WAS JELAUS OF HER TO GET ALL THE ATTENTION Mostly because my grandmother and Marilyn shared the same body type and that caused a lot of men to show unwanted interest in her. HOW DID YOUR GRANDMOTHER HIDE HER BODY TO MARRIED WITH A NERD, TO THAT TIME AND MORAL VALIUS,...SOUND??
@Firstname Lastname Pressured?? literally everyone hated her for it. SHe literally began her career as a nude model lmao. Stop playing the victim card on adults who choose their own careers. She chose her look. She chose her persona. She didn't choose to be real. She chose to dramatically choose to expose her body over her mind. This is the art of portrayal, and this is what she portrayed. A very skilled artist sure, i will give her that.
@Zifflezoovop it sucks that your grandmother was harassed by men but that wasn’t Marilyn’s fault, that was those men’s fault. Calling her promiscuous and indirectly slut shaming her isn’t going to help anything, although I understand your grandmother was from a different time.
Your commentary reminds me of that story Amy Greene, the wife of Marilyn’s personal photographer, told where she recalled her and Marilyn were “walking around New York City… she loved New York because no one bothered her there like they did in Hollywood, she could put on her plain Jane clothes and no one would notice her. She loved that. So as we’re walking down Broadway, she turns to me and says ‘Do you want to see me become her?’ I didn’t know what she meant but I just said ‘yes’- and then I saw it. I don’t know how to explain what she did because it was so very subtle, but she turned something on within herself that was almost like magic. Suddenly cars were slowing down and people turning their heads and stopping to stare. They were recognizing that this was Marilyn Monroe as if she pulled off a mask or something, even though a second ago nobody noticed her. I had never seen anything like it before.”
I love that story. She used to walk around NYC in sunnies and normal clothes, like person. I think she was her best self in the time spent in New York.
Great story! My favorite MM stories and what I feel sound the most truthful have come from Amy Greene’s interviews. She’s so blatantly honest it’s refreshing to hear and makes alot more sense.
@Sansa M it is a great story. I have Susan´s book and will try to locate it. I wouldn´t be surprised she did this thing with several friends. Seems quite cool. Turn her off and on 😘
I hate when people constantly wax lyrical about how she was "the most beautiful woman in the world." It's really creepy and makes her into a doll or an object. She was not a goddess or somehow different than other people. It's very disturbing to have people do this. All they seemingly care about is her body and they refuse to see her as human.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion and if some believe she was the most beautiful, how does that denigrate her? Like Marilyn used to say when she was alive, having grown up in an orphonage, with no family, who she belonged to was the public. Her fans made her, literally. Not the studio, not management, but the public. Look at how she was touched by the reception she received when she played for the American service men in Korea. She looks so happy. Stop only looking at the negative.
She was beautiful but it's important to remember that she was human and actually had a lot of insecurities about her face and body, creating the iconic image of herself from the young brunette model she originally was
The way people deify Marylin always got to me as well. She was just a person, a most likely very good and kind person but still, nothing more than a celebrity like everyone else from her age. It’s honestly dehumanizing at this point, how she is deemed a symbol/aesthetic more than someone who lived and died.
The more and more I learn about Marilyn the person, the more and more I love and appreciate her. It's just so sad that she's not even person anymore but a marble deity.
Hypersexuals like her who like to be 'sex icons' give me weird vibes no matter how intelligent, beautiful they are. They are willing to appeal and seduce any men even if he is married or a man that belongs to close relative/friends. They live off on that sexual longing people have for them, because it gives them sense of value and worth. They like to be 'above' any other women. Of course marilyn is a huge icon, but if you've actually been close to people who like to be 'sex icons' and hypersexualize their body, you'd recognize how much of a self-obsessed, greedy people they are. Usually they're obsessed with Marilyn Monroe,Jessics Rabbit, cat girl, siren, characters like maddy from euphoria etc lol but they stick around in groups though. And end up sleeping with their friend's boyfriend or shit like that. Its as if they want to be demigods or goddess that allures other 'average people'. Its a huge ego problem. We see this alot in influencers, models,idols, and streamers.
Growing up I would see imagery of her and Audrey Hepburn slapped on just about anything, I knew her picture long before I knew who she was or what she did. Even today if you walk into an ICING store youll see them on random dorm room decor for no reason. I never really understood the obsession, like it’s not praise/admiration for Marilyn’s work in movies or singing or anything, it’s just her IMAGE itself, it’s so odd. Like how many people who say they “love Marilyn Monroe” have actually seen her films?
I had a notebook with her face on it that i got when I was about 4. I kept it until I was about 9. I had no clue who the lady on my notebook was; all i knew was that i wanted to be her, so i took off the back cover of the notebook and pinned it to my wall. When i found out her name, i said i loved Marilyn, even though i had no clue who she was.
what makes me sad with regards to audrey hepburn is a lot of people i know think she died young. she didn't. she died in the 90s at 63 (still a younger age to die, but she was barely of senior citizen status when she passed) and i feel like the reason people don't know this is because she did a lot of humanitarian work with unicef--she chose helping less fortunate children over her acting career. no one wants to recognize her for that work though, they just wanna ogle at her in her scenes in roman holiday or breakfast at tiffany's. even within her career people don't even know that she took a risk in playing a lesbian in the movie "the children's hour" even though the film was nominated for several academy awards.
True I don't think there's any other actresses from the old hollywood who's faces are known everywhere and widely recognised by people around the globe even till this day like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn are. They are forever immortalised.
It's so sad how Marilyn was treated by many people that she cared about. Even Arthur Miller, at that point where she was again trying to turn her life around, seemed to discard her as soon as he saw that she was a human, vulnerable and flawed like everyone else. What he wrote about her, was so horrible, and later how the Kennedy brothers are said to have passed her around like a horse to ride. I hope that at least some men watching eg the Marilyn Neyflix documentary will see this- how even the woman framed as this 'ultimate beauty' was essentially just *used*. And now let's remember that this is a blonde white woman with all the privileges that brings... and what this says about what kind of treatment women of colour had/have to deal with.
@Cedar & Pezhuta - thank you. I am a woman of color and I see her life as a tragedy and do not see her as ‘privileged’. She was placed in a foster home 2 weeks after she was born. Her dad abandoned her and wanted nothing to do with her. Her mom had major mental health issues and was put in a Sanitarium. She got marry at 16 to avoid being placed in an orphanage. She never had a stable home environment from the moment she was born. That is sad.
@Cedar & Pezhuta are you dumb? Of course she had a hard life and a victim of sexism but she wasn't a victim of racism because she was white. Women of color have to deal with racism and sexism.
People believing the Netflix documentary and believing the Kennedy rumors are why Marilyn will never be treated correctly lol. Also Marilyn had agency in her life. She wasn’t this perfect person.
Probably the most similar male example would be James Dean, and it’s still different because he’s celebrated for representing things that are considered cool & rebellious & “manly”, not just being objectified for his looks.
heath ledger IS constantly obsessed over not as himself but as his portrayal of the joker. the fact that there isn't currently an outrage kind of shows that this ingoing peddling of Marylin's image isn't entirely sexist. It's a universal issue
The fact that Hugh Hefner could BUY a final resting place next to Marilyn is appalling to me. And Kim Kardashian could just buy a fast wear of a dress Marilyn herself wished no one else would wear. People forget Marilyn was a person. You can be inspired but this is objectifying, the same thing that was done to her as a sex symbol when she lived.
So true! I saw in one video that he has kiss marks on his grave and now she has a few. Ugh just gross. She would not be happy. They should have mentioned the name Norma Jean Baker on her grave because that was who she really was.
@TheKitKatLizard I agree, and I think that Britney’s story in real life is closer to Marilyn Monroes story than any other star, except Princess Di maybe. The paparazzi hounding her until she snapped is basically the same story.
I hate that she has to rest in eternity next to that creep who exploited her and her sexuality after spending a lifetime trying to be taken seriously by the Hollywood that exploited her.
"To see a woman so in charge of her sexuality..." Idk, to me it sounds like she did it out of necessity, not because she was glad to. And sure, that takes a level of guts. But it's also sad to be backed into that corner. That's not empowering.
Exactly…. People keep attaching “being sexual is so empowering” no it’s not… especially not in Marilyn’s case. She was sexualized and degraded with hardly doing anything. Trauma caused her to turn to even being more sexual it’s been so clearly explained too many times..
I always cringe when I see people calling playing into stereotypes or the way others want you to empowering just because you do it on your own terms. Like in the end I just feel like you give them what they want and not send the message to your oppressor. People like to romanticise that, but I just feel like it is ignorant and misses the whole point. Let's not make people into god like creatures, because that just takes away from who people are and what they had been through.
You have wrong! She was not a muslim girl. She go for it..And was happy many times..Sex..is normal..for me..Many girls whant to look like her..But they dont...Blond girls have more fun! I am blond to 😂😂
I feel like Marilyn always resented her fame being connected to her sexuality. She knew she could get attention with her face and body but she wanted desperately for people to really see her as a person. My heart breaks for her, every man in her life took advantage of her.
They did it to Judy Garland too and Shirley Temple who was sexualized at 12 years old. I did read somewhere that Norma warned other women to be careful in the acting world.
I also think the obsession may actually stem from her tragically early death. Hollywood has this obsession with female youth and a tendency to immediately throw away any women that age. However with Marilyn because she passed before ever reaching that point she became this immortalized picture of female innocence, youth and sexuality that Hollywood and pop culture could latch onto.
so interesting. Let's think anout marylin's persistant presence in pop culture vs. Betty Page- who was a humongous icon and "sex symbol" in her day but did not die young.... How cruelly pop culture left her behind to grow old and die poor
@Blippy Pippy I don't believe it was as bad back then as today ironically. I read a book from the regency era that was calling people in their late twenties and early thirties "young people". Also remember that Alfred Hitchcock movie "Rebecca" when the protagonist said she wished she was 35 among all these other good qualities mentioned so that she'd be good enough for the guy she was marrying.
I'd love to see this sort of commentary about Frida Kahlo. Another incredibly distinctive woman whose image is now oversaturated everywhere. In both cases I'm sure these women would be horrified to see what we've made of their human lives. That said, I find them both (especially Frida) incredibly compelling figures and I struggle against the urge to turn them into symbols they never consented to be.
@K Frida was a communist and marxist, she would absolutely fume at the idea of big Corporations making Billions of dollars by plastering her face on magnets and tshirts
Yes and no they both wanted to create and be a part of something especially frida but she knew that exposing herself was going to lead to something she never wanted yet the exchange is what is important imo. I don't agree with plastering their faces up on everything at all but at the same time people are going to do what they want to do whether you want them too or not, that being said they still wanted to put themselves out there because of what they knew they could bring to the table for people frida wanted her art to reach women and girls like her and anyone that could see what she meant. Yin and yang type thing I guess there's a push there is a pull God gives you something and then takes something else especially in the cases of both of these women.
I think it's nuts that these men decided who Marilyn was, not evening letting her decide and pick. The scene with the guy saying "There is something inside of her that is a model, where she just wants to show..." and I'm just sitting here thinking, is that you're own sexualized twisted view of her? eagh. This is so saddening to hear that all this happened to her.
Society pressured MM to be perhaps sexual. MM may have railed against that. And which doth make herself at least presentable. She took herself seriously somewhat. That is a good thing.
I think The Lord will*Forgive marilyn monroe. The Lord can surely see and understand the way that society itself is and how the society took its toll on MM. In other words, society itself pressured marilyn monroe to be a certain way and marilyn monroe herself railed against it. Seemingly so.
This is perhaps more to do with society's expectation that a Woman should have it all. Perhaps MM recognised this and was what people wanted MM to be. And the resulting effect is now shown. The long lasting effect/impact.
I wish you had mentioned the men who bought grave sites around her. I don't remember their exact names but they're all buried in a morgue type grave sites where the bodies are stuck in individual tombs on top of each other. The man who bought the space directly above her said to lay his body face down so he could look at Marilyn Monroe for eternity. She doesn't get to escape prying eyes or her performance even in death.
Norma Jean went through so much. It's so disturbing how much we glamourise Marilyn's life as a pinnacle of femininity, when people literally had no idea how much she had to suffer - and how much disrespect she is STILL suffering decades after her death - in order to maintain that image. She seemed like a pure soul, too, which only makes it worse.
The more I learn about her the more I just want to hug her, she is so much more that a sex symbol. She was a woman a human who struggled and it doesn’t sit right with me that she is reduced to being a sexy woman.
I love that you brought up Playboy's origins. I feel like the symbol of playboy has become so popular in the past 5 years (even with teen girls), without people knowing that Hugh Hefner's career literally began by publishing Monroe's pictures without consent. It makes me wonder what other women he screwed over in his career. Also, not to defend Kim Kardashian in any way because I think she's a negative pop culture figure and that wearing Marilyn's dress was extremely disrespectful, but one of my co-workers was recently discussing how he thought the whole met gala dress was misunderstood. He said he thought that Kim wore the dress to intentionally draw parallels between Marilyn's rise to fame and her own. Since both women came to fame due to pornography of themselves being shared illegally on a mass scale, and went on to define the sexuality of an era and constantly be viewed for their bodies, I actually think that was a really interesting point that I had not considered. I still believe wearing that dress was a cheap shot and that she should have worn a recreation, but it gave me a new perspective on her motive behind wearing it.
Regarding Kim Kardashian coming to fame like Marilyn Monroe. Wasn’t it revealed Kim Kardashian staged the whole porn leak to give herself fame? Because if so then she wasn’t taken advantage of like Marilyn Monroe. She planned to use her sex appeal for fame. Also, wasn’t Kim copying Paris Hilton at the time. My timeline could be incorrect but before Kim’s sex tape was released, prior to that, Paris Hilton had a similar incident of her own sex tape release. So I’m sure Kim was just looking at it all as a publicity stunt for her and her family and using these ladies past as a way to mimic and profit.
Watch the Secrets of Playboy docuseries. It's on AMC and shows how truly disgusting Hefner and his enablers really were. He preyed on young and poor girls, convinced them his exploitation and abuse of them was "revolutionary empowerment." Many of the girls were drugged and raped and manipulated into thinking they had no other choice.
@June Lee you are aware that kim kardashian became famous because of a sex tape that was leaked against her will right? and again, i dont think that kardashian should have worn the dress nor do i support anything the kardashians stand for. but both marilyn and kim became famous because of photos/videos of their bodies being exploited by others. thats literally all i was saying.
Hold on. Kim K CHOSE that path, her family status can give her options.But Marilyn had such a troubled and sexualized childhood. She wanted to get out of it so bad. She wasn’t able to choose these serious roles because she was so heavily objectified, Hollywood tried to control her.What choices does Marilyn, what parents or family can she run back to for help?
Marilyn has always been an example to me of how the world treats women in general. Take and take and take and then judge you for falling apart due to their abuse.. overly sexulaized and her true personhood was never really appreciated. Smart and kind woman, but all anyone cares about Is how sexy she is.
@Paulo if you really think about it, looking at your other comments, your true intentions shows. Taking accountability from guys and acting as if guys do not put ladies in box to label
You got to be beautiful first.. a women is nothing without her beauty. But once she has that beauty she jumps up from 0 to 100. You won’t be treated like Marilyn since you aren’t as beautiful as her. So the majority of women aren’t treated like that if you really think about it..
@Gail Ainsley I do not think that it is all down to jealousy. That is an oversimplification. I think a lot of the time it has to do with Standards. People of my Grandparents kind would find such exposures to be quite indecent. And they hath not had a jealous bone within themselves. Nor do I feel Jealous. I am Conservative.* And it surely feels good to be so.
I always feel bad every time I see any negative articles about her. She is a woman. A human. She deserves the respect that she has earned. Of course, she has done things that could be frowned upon in society, but that doesn't mean she is any lesser than anyone else. She deserves to be recognized for the good she has done. I'm tired of people stereotyping her.
I used to roll my eyes whenever people would mention and gush over Marilyn Monroe. I didn't get the obsession over her (and still don't) because to me, she was just another rich white woman who was overly fetishized and exaggerated. That is, until I learned of how she was very cool towards African Americans back in the era where racism was openly displayed and even encouraged. When I read about how Marilyn helped an African American singer to be able to perform at a very famous club owned by a racist owner who discriminated against the singer performing there, I was honestly surprised. She did not have to do what she did, yet she did it anyway. Marilyn sat in the club every time the African American singer performed just so that the woman can sing. That gave me a newfound respect for her. There were also other things Marilyn did to help out other African Americans but the other side of Marilyn rarely gets talked about. All anyone wants to talk about is how beautiful and sexually inspiring she is. No one also mentions how Marilyn herself was inspired by someone else to be the way that she is. Women wanted to be like Marilyn but Marilyn wanted to be like Dorothy Dandridge, her best friend, a woman of color. Sadly, they both died almost the exact same way.
@Snow999 You didn't read the ENTIRE comment did you? They expressed how annoying it is when people obsess on Norma's looks and nothing else. Nobody talks how sweet she was, intelligent, kind, funny, sarcastic, cheeky. To most people, Norma was just eye candy to jerk off to. Nobody actually got to know Norma.
@the cool nice guy🎩 Ella Fitzgerald was a fucking pioneer and one of the reasons people like Aretha Franklin were able to get as big as they were. Just because you don't know her does not mean she was some small underground indie figure.
Marilyn monroe was not similar to dd. By a picture or so I saw of DD, the two were not at all alike. MM is known to have been very Unique. And thus has lasted. Long.
I do not think that there is any evidence that Marilyn Monroe was ever a friend of dorothy dandridge. And also dorothy dandridge is Not all that well known. I believe Ella Fitzgerald is much more well known than is that dorothy dandridge. I do not pay really any attention to dorothy dandridge. And there is not any evidence to my knowledge that Marilyn Monroe ever admired and aspired to be akin to dorothy dandridge.
I have BPD as well, so I can closely relate to Marilyn. I took on a “hot girl” persona because I was desperate for attention and for people to notice my beauty, but in reality I was absolutely miserable because no one wanted to look behind my appearance. I thankfully started getting treatment for it and I’m doing much better now and trying to be my genuine self. It must have been really difficult for her because there was so little known about it at the time. She’s an inspiration and will always be one of my role models.
That’s what I always say about acting. People claim it’s being fake when it reality we put on masks all day. Acting is more like peeling off our layers and revealing vulnerability and authenticity. If we’re being someone else, it’s coming from a place of empathy to lead to authenticity
It took time for myself to become fully authentic but I became it. And I believe I do not have any regrets over the past. I appear to have had a balanced life overall.
you did better research and better representation of Norma than the movie “Blonde” on netflix did … such a disgraceful & distastful movie. it took me a week to finish because it was just so appalling. Can you please make a video on the new movie??
It's strange to see ppl turn into symbols after death. It feels exploitative to make money off them now, whether it's with Elvis merch, a prince hologram, an Audrey deepfake, etc etc etc. I agree that Marilyn's acting is good, she knowingly played the innocent type, she wasn't being a "dumb blonde" stereotype or being herself either per se. I like her humor
I’m personally a big fan of Marilyn, but I really don’t think it’s okay to still make money off of her. Let her rest. People really shouldn’t “milk” her.
I was grossed out by Heffner making sure that after he died, he was buried right next to her. It felt a bit like he sexually assaulted her memory Edit because I'm getting bored of explaining this to people: that was a simile. If you don't know what a simile is, look it up. You passing primary school English is not my problem
@Raydromeda I don’t have a problem. Someone dead being SA’d? Really? This is not n3cr0philia. Everybody knows what a simile, and no, it’s not accurate. It’s an insult to anyone who has actually been assaulted.
@Anastasiya not all sexual assaults is rape for a start. And you obviously don't know the meaning of a simile, not even after I broke it down for you. That's your problem, but the whole point of a simile is that it's non literal, but an accurate description of what one might feel towards the thing it's describing.
@Anastasiya that simile makes sense. It describes the objectification of Marilyn in spirit, that even though men cannot touch her physically, they can taint her through the statements that their actions made. In this case burying yourself over someone's grave face down to objectify them for an afterlife's time most definitely feels like a sexual assault of her memory, as it says that she cannot escape a man's filthy gaze. And if those men could do more to her in afterlife, they most definitely would. No one asks to be buried on top of someone for innocent wholesome reasons.
Growing up I remember seeing her always compared to Audrey Hepburn; pushing this narrative to young girls to “pick” if they were Audrey of Marilyn like, “are you the trashy party animal one or the classy one?” In reality both women were intimately familiar with suffering; Audrey may have had a different social background and a privilege in that, but she still actively starved during her childhood because of Nazi occupation; both were fantastic actresses, and both were deeply compassionate and cared about progressive/humanitarian efforts. They were treated differently by the media and the patriarchy; Audrey may not have always been mistreated in the media like Marilyn was; but they were both still women in Hollywood in the midcentury. Honestly I think Audrey was just lucky to able to have the opportunity to leave the industry and she took it, and her life was probably better for it.
Audrey hepburn's real suffering was to do with her father leaving the Family - when audrey was yet a young girl. Audrey hepburn hath stated this. Thyself didst omit the detail of Audrey Hepburn's main and large problem - along with some pregnancy miscarriages of course.
"Why is comedy viewed as a lesser medium." As a writer and script consultant, I can say with 100% certainty that comedy is harder to write. So many drama writers don't have this talent and this lie that only drama is worth anything has spread with time. If anyone realized that everybody can write mediocre drama, but few can write mediocre comedy, so many writers, actors, and directors would be out of work. I've always loved Marilyn. My mom was an old movie lover. So I used to watch all the old movies and my dad used to believe that Marilyn was just a dumb blonde. So I sat him down to watch Some Like it Hot and he realized that Marilyn had a comedic timing that was leagues above most of her costars. With time I've often wondered if the reason she was "difficult to work with" was because she wasn't taken seriously. Or maybe some days her own struggles made it harder for her to get into this persona, so she didn't want to act. She's not here to comment, so I can't say.
Her ambition was to play Shakespeare’s heroines at the Globe theatre, and before her death she was in the process of creating her own production company/studio. So she could make the content she wanted to work…She was truly an intelligent and artistic soul, but I feel Hollywood’s objectification is haunting her legacy.
I can't talk about Marilyn without feeling sad. I didn't know her, obviously, but I don't know how to explain how I feel about her. I wish I could go back in time and save her :c
In terms of framing her in our own experiences I really like Marilyn and I am always reminded of a conversation I had with a mentor about her in the mid aughts. We both worked in costuming and were discussing the common misconception of her measurements/sizing. Saying even in her heavier sizes she was smaller than perceived (btw the way society now doesn’t mention this but I recall growing up many comments about how much weight she gained from addiction prior to death- I am glad it’s not even thought of anymore). Anyways I said something to the effect of everyone gains weight as they age and it’s fine and he took offense. Wanting to smooth things over I stupidly said, well they still wrote about how beautiful she looked right before her death so it wasn’t a bad thing. I regret that now and it took me entirely too long to learn how wrong it was. I didn’t know he was also struggling with alcoholism and prescription drug abuse and had gained weight from it. He like Marilyn was found dead a few years later from drug and sleeping pill overdose at too young an age. I miss my friend he was complicated his actions were not always the best but he was fun and inclusive and eager to share, generous in gifts and dedicated to producing art. I think of him when I think of Marilyn’s story. I think Elizabeth Taylor would be a great topic to cover next Mina, she’s very interesting combo of elements of Audrey (early career classy image, hyped up European heritage, later life charitable cause champion) and Marilyn (hyper sexualized object of desire and gossip on love life, struggles with addiction) and had a much longer career and life than both other women. We got to see Elizabeth age and grow which I think is so interesting in comparison especially with lens’s of societal treatment of older women, especially ones that were sex symbols.
I hate that radical elizabeth taylor. Elizabeth taylor promoted lgbtq people. That is not a good thing. It is indecent. Thus MM appears to be a lot more outstanding than ET. And Jayne Mansfield appeared to shine - as an as if All around Superwoman and with a Genius brain.*
MM was Prescribed the medications to be able to survive her Hollywood career. MM did not appear to choose the substances. This doth not apply to the general. The people whom themselves Choose to take Illicit (illegal) substances (the drugs).
I watch all her movies till this day. She is FANTASTIC. Watching her brings me joy. One of her co-stars said when Marilyn saw a camera of someone she would completely change her face from being "her normal self" to glistering Marilyn Monroe the persona. She said she saw how sad she was because no one really ever knew her.
"People love to see themselves represented in celebrity narrative because... people like to have someone to fixate their issues around. They want someone to start the conversation for them when it comes to things that they're internally dealing with." Mina Le. Wow, yes.
Marilyn’s inability to have a baby, terminated pregnancies, drug use and anxiety could have been due to endometriosis. One of the 20 most painful conditions in the world and underrepresented in public and medical discourse. Women have to “grin and bear it” which often means they rely upon heavy medication to manage pain and function. Which then exacerbates mental health problems
@Pamela McDermott I call them suicide cramps. Like suicide headaches are called. I’ve had depression all my life and never ever been as actively suicidal as my cramps make me. When I was pregnant and they said labor pains were like cramps I knew they meant normal cramps so I was not worried about the pain in the slightest because I knew it would NEVER top that. The thing I was the most absolutely and completely downright terrified of during pregnancy was getting my period again after post Partum because some said it can be worse. It wasn’t worse thank goodness but I’ve wanted a hysterectomy which they refuse to give to most women under certain ages for reasons that also greatly ignore bodily autonomy. It can become incredibly debilitating and jobs hate if you call out for issues because “other women deal with it fine”.
I wouldn't doubt that theory honestly. I have Endometriosis type 4 so my uterine lining has spread all the way up into my intestines and it is the most excruciating thing on this planet. For me personally I had nonstop periods from the time I was 9 to 14 and then I was put on a medication that completely stops my menstrual cycle because I was essentially bleeding out and I started to hemorrhage, I'm still on this medication years later because I haven't been able to get a hysterectomy yet because even though I can't have children and every week I go through contractions that are worse than labor contractions most of the Gynecologists Ive seen have said I'm still too young to have a full hysterectomy. I'm often depressed from the amount of pain I'm in both with Endometriosis and the other medical issues I deal with and every other person I know with Endometriosis is also incredibly depressed because we have no treatment even a hysterectomy doesn't fully fix the problem and most of the people I know don't want to give up their uterus because they can still have children but they have to endure the extra pain. But yeah I really wouldn't doubt that Endometriosis could've lead to some of her problems.
This is most likely why she had drug addiction related issues. I used to think how can anybody get addicted to drugs that they don't need like 'just stop taking it' then whenever I would get period cramps I would take a painkiller pill called cataspa and it would make me a little numb and somehow I liked that numbness because it was peaceful and calming so then I started getting random urges to take that pill even though I didn't feel any pain during periods or when I was not on my periods and that's when I realized what addiction truly is. You really have so little power to stop those urges. It's like a gravity that just starts pulling you in so I stopped talking to painkiller before it was too late because it scared me so much and I have seen euphoria so I really don't want to go there. addiction is a terrifying thing.
I have so much respect for Marilyn, she was smart, kind, and just an all around amazing person. It’s so sad that people sexualized her to no end, and didn’t really care about her at all. She deserved so much more. Rest In Peace, Marilyn.
I’ve always been drawn to Marilyn partly because she’s stunning and magnetic but also because she was so honest and vulnerable. Even though she had a persona of sorts, I feel that there was always an aspect of her in interviews that was just deeply human and sensitive and thoughtful. I hope in the future there continues to be more focus on her insights and talents and less on her branded image and objectification.
I would love it if you did a video on Jean Harlow, the original blond bombshell who Marylin idolized as a child. There were so many similarities between them. Both got married very young, died their hair bleach blond, had curvy figures, died tragically at very young ages etc.
Marilyn was a tremendous actress, and the people who dismissed her as just a pretty face were being almost willfully stupid. It's like they couldn't admit to themselves that it might just be possible for a woman to be that good looking AND that talented. And she worked for it too! She was always working hard, trying to be a better and better actress. She seems like she was a very smart and, honestly, very normal woman, whenever I hear things about her from people who knew her on a more personal level. It's such a shame that, even today, so many people can't see anything more than the pretty face.
the obsession with marilyn monroe has always been there but now with all these movies and documentaries and kim kardashian its become so crazy... you can be inspired by her without being weird and some things (like kim getting a lock of her hair) are just TOO MUCH. It's sad marilyn deserves better :(
Truly saddens me bc there’s avid collectors of Marilyn’s personal belongings from the time of her passing. I get some of them do it to preserve the past and some are in museums but there’s people that didn’t understand boundaries. Like everything she was or left behind was stripped away until there was nothing left including those hair clippings. People just would take and take from her and Kim wearing her dress is just another example of that entitlement
Ofc everything surrounding people trying to buy things that belong to her is wrong as well as objectifying her. But what’s wrong with movies and documentaries made of her? Just as long as they reveal her as the real person she is and not as just a sec symbol then it’s harmless
Ever since I learned how haunted of a woman Marilyn was (via her therapists notes that were revealed on a documentary) my heart aches for her immensely. She’s always refer to herself as a waif(an orphan) and simply longed for familial connection. She had everything you’d think you want but in reality she was so lonely, afraid, and insecure. What is worse is that nobody saw or tried to see it, Marylin was over serialized and in death over capitalized.
They tell you while you're young "Girls, go out and have your fun" Then they hunt and slay the ones who actually do it Criticize the way you fly when you're soarin' through the sky Shoots you down and then they sigh, and say "She looks like she's been through it" This video & discussion reminded me of some verses from "Nothing New" by Taylor Swift.
I think she was a very misunderstood woman in her time but a very strong, liberal & caring person. I read a book about her one day in 1981 and became fascinated with her life struggles, movie career & the affect she had on the world during her stardom. I find her fascinating in so many ways & it breaks my heart when her image/persona is disrespected. BTW, I thought you did a great job in this video on her. You have a great speaking voice & mannerism. Cheers!
Girl I watched the documentary on Netflix about her life and was so heartbroken. I had no idea what she went through. I think the obsession is because soooo many women identify with her story.
@Ana miguel its based off a book called goddess by Anthony Summers. Its not well regarded in the Marilyn community. A lot of his claims surrounding her death jfk involvement came from a deranged psycho fan called Robert F. Slatzer who took one picture with Marilyn, stalked her, and in the 1970s wrote a crazy ass book about being married to her in 1952, her little red diary. Just a fucked up individual who should've never been given a platform.
I'm sorry to all Kim fans but her wearing Marylin Monroe's dress, that was exposed in a museum, the ORIGINAL, when it was the last dress she wore before dying and saying she was proud to have lost the weight just to fit in just didn't sound right to me. Marilyn was an icon, Kim is a business woman. It didn't feel as glamorous at all
@Gail Ainsley oh & one more thing, it was more tasteful to have those nudes taken, EVEN at that sexist time, which is why we see so many pinups like that of past celebrities. It was just tits too, not spread eagle, getting railed by a D list "rapper", then releasing it on purpose. Funny how her tape was leaked during a time when Paris Hilton just got a lot of attention for a genuinely leaked tape & media was taking beaver shots of celebrities. It was a total power move that might've backfired but the family took it because KK was a nobody, with plenty of family wealth to fall back on, knowing the clock was ticking for age (to get famous for being a sex symbol anyway). I'm not even judging her for that bc it's whatever, but it's false that it was some innocent accident. For it to be like MM, it would've been like her doing that champagne photo with a nobody for $50, then becoming famous, & having it used against her like blackmail. It's crazy that a white woman using black culture & men, is still defended by so many people. You'd think that alone would've took them down a peg or two. Part of me thinks they've done well due to making a career out of click bait/ criticism, but sometimes I wonder if that family has deep connections to important people because I've never understood how they've stayed in the spotlight, while doing nothing new. They don't even have interesting looks, haven't changed in a decade or more, haven't expanded into other forms of entertainment, etc. Just before Kim, JLo was mocked relentlessly for her butt btw. Every woman was. All the sudden that became a thing because of KK with implants. It's very, very suspicious, esp when 90% of people seem to loathe them. There's nothing they can do wrong, a lot like Trump, but worse because he actually has more support. Nothing about that family makes sense. Scummy dad defending a murderer, sex tape, sham marriages, shitty reality shows, etc., But going stronger than ever. Name anyone else, esp a woman, that would get this far? I can't think of a single one.
@Gail Ainsley they may be similar in some ways, but also world's apart ... similar with having their images slapped everywhere, being seen in a sexual way, & being judged. HOWEVER that's where it stops. MM was a regular gal that was discovered the old fashioned way, then worked hard to make it in Hollywood. She was an actual actress (hence the tidbit about MM being belittled by critics calling her just a model) in successful movies. She was also a pioneer in a world that was not kind to women like her -- just the fact that she somehow kept her career after the Playboy debacle is nothing short of a miracle & a testiment to her determination. She also had her pinups come out AFTER she was a household name, which is why it was such a big deal. I believe they almost discontinued movie because they thought for sure she would be done. KK on the other hand, is the daughter of a wealthy, famous lawyer. Her video is what made her a household name (which is why people still believe it was released as a calculated move to get her name out there.) She was doing everything to get famous, dating (not even) B list celebs (more like relatives of celebs). She's the best example of the expression: climbing the social ladder (by any means necessary...) I'd even dare to say any parallels with MM are calculated/ forced as well. It's a great way to deflect from shitty behaviors (coincidence she has copied MM more than once), as if she's just unfairly victimized, & knowing the KK clan is very business/ media savvy, wouldn't be shocked to learn they've purposely studied people like MM when it comes to handling media/image. It's not just KK being unfairly victimized either. It's not as if she's always been herself & still gets portrayed the way she wouldn't want to. She's very much in control of what she puts out there. She has a lot of power in that regard, that MM never had. Full control over her nude photoshoots, access to social media MM Obviously never had, an entire team/ support system MM never had, a marriage to a powerful man, where work could've been optional, full control on how she makes money, & control over her relevancy. MM couldn't even get privacy in death (look at men clamouring to be buried by her... Yuck), couldn't get support (FFS she couldn't even give her estate to anyone trustworthy enough), had nothing to control her public image but old fashioned media, that had all the control, etc. Meanwhile, the entire Kardashian family has forced themselves into the public eye by doing reality shows, keeping up on public, attention seeking appearances, constant procedures to keep up a certain image, chasing famous, attention seeking men, etc. Are we really going to pretend KK couldn't fade out by now if she wanted? Since when can a 40 yr old woman, esp married, with kids, not dip out? Even women that want the fame, struggle to stay relevant after a certain point. It's only because she chases attention, she's still in the spotlights. She has so much money from other endeavors, it's not like she's even an actress that needs to keep up with the grind to keep her lifestyle standards. They have multiple products, endorsements, businesses, investments, etc., Where KK could be comfortably wealthy for life without ever throwing herself out there for criticism ever again. Kardashians also PURPOSELY invite criticism. It's how they've stayed famous. They're click bait personified.... Totally different than a 1950s actress trying to keep the public on her side. One last thing about Kardashians, esp Kim, that stands out from MM, or even other famous women, is the stunts pulled. The joke of a wedding, the Trump BS, having out with random, attention catching men, like Pete Davidson, entitled actions like hogging Disney rides & wearing that dress, promoting harmful beauty standards (even making products related to body image, like make up, undergarments to hide weight, etc), lies about procedures making little girls believe that's "natural", black fishing, black appropriation, constant Photoshop (& again, lying no matter how obvious), etc. It's genuinely sad to see KK defended by using the mistreatment of MM as an example. There's so much more wrong going on with the entire Kardashian thing, that is completely unrelated to her sexuality. There's a reason that family is frequently brought up in a negative way -- & that's the way they like it. It's their entire business model.
@Kiranjit Kaur RentagobRana Girl stop. Marilyn’s photos were definitely not seen as ‘classy’ nor ‘tasteful’ in That time. So yes, she got the same response. I had to stop right there. The delusion is real 😂😂😴
@Gail Ainsley MM was desperate for money and in extreme circumstances in a conservative Era - she did not have close Family members to turn to for assistance. Kim k was hardly desperate. Kim k had a wealthy Family. MM's photographs are seen as quite classic/tasteful - MM did not feel right about taking such photographs. Kim k doth appear to be all out and quite shameless. Kim k constantly hath advertised her body and self. MM was actually quite private and was sort of quiet. MM simply wanted fairness and equality. MM was rather intelligent. Wise. Kk is known for business acumen and not so much for intelligence and nor for wisdom , by what it appears. Kk will*I am quite certain not have that impact upon passing on that MM keeps. I do believe that this much is common sensical.
@Kiranjit Kaur RentagobRana They are the same. Sorry honey. You can be delusional all you want. Both are the icons of their respective generations. It doesn’t matter whether the photos of Marilyn posing bare came out later or not. The point is, she isn’t squeaky clean and that was actually what made her more popular and ridiculed by the public. Sort of like Kim. The bottom line is, Marilyn posed bare and Kim had a tape. It is what it is. 😂😴
Method acting definitely can be unhealthy. Being encouraged to blur the boundaries between ourselves and others, and to treat trauma as something to be indulged in, to be flippantly lived through.
When I was allowed to decorate my room when I was 16 I went for a Marilyn Monroe wallpaper. It's still up now but I look back on that choice with guilt because how strange is it to plaster your walls with images of a dead celebrity you've never interacted with in any way?
It's so weird when you think about it, how much she's become a brand now and she's an actual deceased person like imagine everyone plastering your dead grandma's face everywhere
lately, i have been binge watching marilyn monroe. yes, she is plastered everywhere. clearly, she was a beautiful woman. i know that she is known for her beauty, but she was never someone i had admired till i got to know her as norma jean. i am definitely her fan now because she was SWEET, PURE and just overall genuinely KIND person. There is no one out there like her that's for sure. she's one of a kind.
There was a ‘You must remember this’ series of podcasts about Hollywood blondes and a couple episodes about Marylin. It was the most truthful story about her that i’ve ever heard.
Another thing about Marilyn Monroe is that she is also the victim of so many conspiracies. Every time I want to learn more about her life, I’m bombarded with conspiracy theories, and a lot of them are so ridiculous and not based on any facts.
@Kiranjit Kaur RentagobRana That’s like saying Kim is loved because she’s the most famous woman and her businesses are worth a billion dollars. It’s false. Marilyn was still ridiculed in her time. Her acting had nothing to do with it. It’s the scandals that people couldnt stand her for. Such as being with a married man like JFK. Again. Research! 😂😴
@Gail Ainsley I have done research and thus know about the Awards Marilyn Monroe personally received for Popularity. Thus Marilyn Monroe would have known that she appealed to many people.
@Kiranjit Kaur RentagobRana I can see your name is a foreign name you probably do not live in the west. That will explain why you do not see any influence nor understand how huge the Kardashian’s are to the rest of the popular countries like the USA and UK. 😂😂 if you are in the west, then like I said you are definitely in denial, sick, jealous and delusional 😂😴
@Kiranjit Kaur RentagobRana Honey without Kim there will be no influencers. Again. I had to stop it right there. You are soo slow and clearly in denial. Your jealousy is fogging your mind that you’ve turnt into outright lying just to disagree. To say Kim had no influence AT ALL on this generation is an absolute joke. Jealousy is a sick disease. Get it together 😂😂😴
I've never thought of Marilyn as sexual,more sensual.But I'm not a man.I think it's largely women who idolise her.She speaks to them of the glory of being fully embodied and confident in your own skin .
Marilyn Monroe most definitely had elegance, poise, class, comedic traits, intelligent, honest, kind and more. I respectfully have to disagree with some guys and ladies commenting that Kim K has or had the same level of sophistication as Marilyn. Marilyn was more than a persona/character; she was a beautiful human being who loved and wanted to be loved and respected. It's so sad how society has viewed her. I hope she is resting peacefully and smiling and dancing! 🎶 🎶 🎶 🌻
The obsession over Marilyn is definitely a phenomenon, the look alike sand wannabes are what get me the most. So many people want Marilyn to rest but these are the same people obsessing over look a likes who wanna be her or love her tragic life as if it’s there own. There’s definitely a line that many cross, and many like to cherry pick what they deem appropriate and inappropriate when it comes to Marilyn Monroe and her depiction or story etc
i feel so bad for marilyn, i genuinely cried watching this video bc she died so soon and she suffered so much, even after her death the media abuse her
The reason she was so frequently late was because she had terrible stage fright. She wasn't being a diva, she was having anxiety attacks. Probably she had difficulty remembering her lines because she was on a lot of psychotropic drugs, various types of barbituates. She wasn't dumb, she was in a chemical brain fog.
I had a Marilyn phase when I was a kid, but getting older and knowing more about her I can only pity her. Not a role model material at all, just a sad woman who was abused by some powerfull men.
Yeah, I have a big problem with how people make her into a saint. She wasn’t. She did some good things and she did some really bad things. Yes her life was sad but she also made choices that helped get her to that point. Marilyn wanted desperately to be a famous actress so she got a sugar daddy to pay for her plastic surgery and get her foot in the door. Her surgeon had the hand of God because it made her stunning. It’s a classic case of be careful what you wish for because she got it and realized what a horrible spot she got herself into. It’s rumored and confirmed in some cases that she was a pass around and got some pretty confidential info from her paramours. Marilyn didn’t care that she slept around a lot so I don’t know why people get so touchy about that part being talked about. They keep making her into this victim that was made to do that and unfortunately in some cases I’m sure she was pressured but a lot of the time she wasn’t. She was a grown woman and she could make her own choices. The only reason people are so obsessed with her more so then say Elizabeth Taylor who was just as stunning is because she died prematurely and mysteriously. We got to watch Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren and Audrey Hepburn grow old so they don’t generate nearer as much fervor as Marilyn does.
Thats exactly how i feel. Whenever i hear people fetishising her or raving over her beauty, i cringe hard. She dyed her hair blonde and created a persona, wore tonnes of makeup, we NEVER saw her true self. She was also treated horribly and abused by the men around her who dehumanised her. Multiple abortions, possible drug use. A sad life. May she rest.
I'm not obsessed,but marilyn is an icon in my eyes. She paved the way for a lot of fashion choices, including dresses,lipstick,and shoes. And I love warhol's print art of her.
that clipped you played where the women are saying Marilyn was “in charge” of her sexuality is so disgusting and shows the lack of research. From the very beginning (the playboy picture) Marilyn was never “in charge”, yes she did go along with the role but it was always men behind the camera, men writing the scripts, men telling her what to do and what she should be. I’m so tired of this choice feminism tryna make exploitation of women empowering…
Stop spreading this. How do you know this ??? It is known that men exploited her, yes. But MM DID enjoy her sensual image and it came natural for her. Stop trying to erase that. The MEN took that joy away from her when they reduced her to only being that.
@Gail Ainsley it's not a choice if not making the choice might lead to you coming to harm or suffering. Its not a free choice if you are doing it to avoid pain/suffering then they are exploiting your vulnerability. Also shaming women for not being sexualy active is as ridiculous as shaming women for being sexual active stop pitting women against each other. Women aren't children but they are still subject to infantalisation ie with all her sensuality she was still treated like a dumb baby. You aren't playing anyone if the game has already been set for you and your moves chosen for you. This idea that sexuality is a powerful tool women can use against men is all smoak and mirrors its just the age old Madonna and wh#re roles placed on women. Either you must be a virginal mother for men to use or a sex object for men to use either way they are both the same coin with different sides.
As someone who is surviving with mental health issues, anxiety, endometriosis and addiction I relate to her expressions of femininity that may now seem like a standard but for her was a statement to her creation of an identity. I think those struggles can alienate from feeling connected with everyone else and being a caricature of a woman so beautiful that becomes the conversation versus the other things.
It’s unnecessary to find disrespect when none exists just because she’s a woman portrayed as a sexpot. It’s overly defensive and she already defended her nudes and such. Women are well compensated. It’s a shame she died prematurely so she can’t tell her story, but I’m wary of digging it out and shouting about an injustice that is decades old. Anyways, this is definitely a bimbo eruption.
I'm also of tired of celebrities obsession with Marilyn Monroe. I believe there's an obsession to find someone who can be at Marilyn's level wether physically or emotionally. With this new upcoming movie from Netflix, Blonde, and Kim K's met gala look, it's weird watching, again, how her image is being "rediscovered". It's tiresome. I believe no one will be at Marilyn's level. In my humble opinion, I believe a woman cannot do a Marilyn gesture without looking a little clumsy. Maybe her unreachable persona is what awakens obsession among people.
I've loved Marilyn since I was a little girl. I actually owe one of the golden dream calendar photos. Many of us don't know or understand the litigation and business behind her image and I really appreciate you educating in an honest and respectful way!
The movie "Malena" with Monica belucci ALWAYS beings me back to Marilyn, she was so dehumanized just cause she was pretty, and people blamed her for wanting success
I would absolutely love to see a “eyes behind Disney in the Hollywood machine” type video- just how Disney revolutionized television and hollywood as a while
i was so excited for the movie when i realized it's just pretty much fanfic of marilyn monroe's life. it's sad to see people still capitalize off her figure, and she isn't getting anything in return.
I think the reason Marilyn is an "obsession" to some people is the fact that she was so beautiful yet had a Tragic life. We are intriged by someone who has seemingly everything anyone could wish for but still be unhappy. She's really relatable to us (not the small waist and picture perfect look but her personality and how not everything was perfect.) Also she's a fashion icon, her gentlemen prefer blondes pink dress is I think the most referenced or parodied dress ever.
There are a billion "relatable" celebrities that have been beautiful who lived tragic lives. She's only popular because the majority of the comfortable first world population is lazy and they'll fall for any mega brand already in front of them.
Nah y’all are just lacking in your own lives and probably suffer from an astounding lack of personal development which drives you to live your life through people you place on pedestals. Funny human brains go BRRR
“ seemingly everything anyone could wish for “ is a stretch. I don’t think anyone would have liked to be cheated by Hollywood or exploited the way she was. Not even the fame was all that good, because it was negative. The money is the only positive thing that might have come out of it. She was a victim at the end of the day
Anytime Marilyn is mention into conversation or i hear her story for the bajillion time i can’t help to get sad, her image has been dragged for DECADES, she really did deserve way much more, she was an angel and she deserved that recognition.
I never really understood her appeal and magnetism until I saw how funny she was. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes opened my eyes to just how natural and charismatic she was as a comedic actor. She was funny and beautiful. That kind of power, to me, was inspiring in my late teens/early 20s. Being a woman who is almost 40, I have become more appreciative of what gifts she left the world in her short 36 years. I'm a forever fan. I am however, appalled at the continual abuse of her image that is still being tossed around. The film, Blonde made me sick to my stomach. The disrespect completely saddened me.
I always feel deep sadness in my soul whenever Marilyn is mentioned. Her image is being dragged through so much, she deserves respectful remembrance, not exploitation and idolization after her death.
@WutUpWitDat So ... is a person who choses that at a young age allowed to regret that? Do we make allowances for the realisation that fame and idolatry aren't quite as painless as one might have thought? Maybe she wanted to be famous and idolised because she essentially wanted to be loved. You don't even need an in-depth memoir, the Wikipedia article alone already shows her difficult childhood. She was essentially an orphan, moved from one home to the next; Ana Lower, with whom she lived for only a few years, is stated by Norma Jeane herself to have been one of the few people by whom she felt loved. Ana also loved movies, that must have made an impression on Norma Jeane. People are allowed to make mistakes. Just because Norma Jeane wasn't forced into the lime light doesn't mean it's not a little twisted that Marilyn Monroe's legacy is still being capitalised on almost 60 years after her death in much the same way as she was treated throughout the later years of her life - which caused her much distress and probably eventually lead to her death.
@Can of Beans What profit a woman to gain the world, yet lose her soul? And THAT is the tragic ending of Marilyn Monroe. Her body has been decomposing for 60 years....and then, judgement.
I found this video because I was watching the trailer for Netflix's new movie BLONDE which depicts a dramatization of Marylin's life. I'm reading "the seven husbands of evelyn hugo" by taylor reid jenkins and the character evelyn hugo reminds me so much of parts of the way Marilyn was viewed by society in the 1950s. I think our society today is still so obsessed with sex/sex-appeal and image that we aren't really allowed to learn about people like Marylin beyond just what we see. thank you for this video, it's inspired me to learn more about her!
it's very depressing how social media and Hollywood hasn't really learned anything from the story of Marilyn. In fact it just keeps getting worse and worse...
I wish there was one source of media that could tell Norma Jean Baker's story the way she would want it and then the world could let her rest forever. I also think it's gross how they keep exploiting princess Diana in a similar fashion. Her children are still exposed to the ideology that got her killed.
I can’t hate people girlbossing Marilyn. Forming her own production company was impressive even to the tabloids that considered her too stupid to function. I can’t say anything about her politics of her sexuality, but we know she was completely aware of trend she bucked by forming MMP.
i'd love to see one for Amy Winehouse. She isn't hollywood but the glorification, villainisation, sexualisation and commentary on her is... a wild ride and i'd love to see a discussion by you on her as she was such an incredible person who once again, passed too soon
I agree. As a fan of hers since my teenage years. I've always remembered her as the amazing musician she was, definitely she is a music legend. However, I think the way her public persona and private life have been treated by media and the public in general is way too disrespectful. I've always felt empathy for her as a person and her life story, but I try not to get much into her personal life. As in Marilyn's case, Amy was a human being who deserves respect. She had her achievements and struggles as everybody else and I think we are not the ones to judge or comment on her private life.
I am legitimately blown away from this video, because so many of the opening five minutes apply to me. I collect stickers as a hobby and found one of Marilyn that was done by the brand: Supreme and i paid $13 for it. I’ve only seen 1 other sticker that was similar and if you know anything about the brand they only make limited merchandise of any kind but there was something so iconic about it that really drew me to it. Absolutely fascinating information
I think Marilyn is delighted that we still are interested in her as an actress and a beautiful intelligent, or dumb woman. I think she will live as long as this planetary cycle exist. There will have to be an almost total annihilation of humans and books and film to wipe out her memory.
I love your necklace. Thank you for addressing the conversation about how her entire persona was crafted by herself and by the Hollywood machine. I get tired of watching biopics about Marilyn Monroe that go on and on about how she was supposedly broken and obsessed with finding her father, which is supposedly her prime motivation. When in reality that story was perpetuated by Hollywood in an attempt to make her more appealing as a sad little sex symbol whose prime motivation was replacing her father figure with older men. Gross. It also allowed puritanical 1950’s Hollywood to see her a a “Little Girl Lost” archetype who would have done anything to have been raised in a stereotypical 1950s type of family. She was actually a much more complex person than that, and I believe that being treated like a stupid moron who, as Laurence Olivier said “Wasn’t actually acting” probably hurt her so deeply that she didn’t see any way to further her career or be taken seriously by Hollywood as the intelligent actress that she was, especially as she aged in a profession that valued only youth and beauty. I think it was Hollywood that killed Marilyn Monroe. They created her and they destroyed her. And they continue to exploit her to this day. My Mom used to wonder why I was obsessed with Marilyn Monroe as a teenager. My Mom was the same age as Marilyn (oh, btw, it’s pronounced “Cor-O-Net” instead “Cornay.” The t isn’t silent,) and to my Mom Marilyn was a “Blue movie actress,” meaning she was simply a cheap trashy sex symbol, kinda how we think of Pamela Anderson. But to me she represented how women are treated and boxed into a type by the male gaze, and I wanted to get to know her as a person.
As a man- as a human being- I despise how Marilyn was treated in her life and how she has been commodified in death. An example of misogyny but more so just plain inhuman. And as to her being a 'dumb blonde" I remember reading that when she was hospitalized for a nervous breakdown, intelligence testing revealed Marilyn's IQ to be close to or in the Genius range..
