Marilyn Monroe remains a marketing powerhouse
Marilyn Monroe remains a tragic figure, regarded as a symbol of American culture of the 1950s, with all of the good and bad such a persona entails. She advanced feminism by taking on the male dominated studio system, yet that same system exploited her image to line its pockets. She created her “dumb blonde” image and exploited it to the hilt, using her sexual allure to get what she wanted in films, and in life. She was far from the first blonde bombshell, nor the last, but she remains the epitome of the stereotype 60 years after her death.
It is virtually impossible to separate fact from fiction regarding her life, her many affairs, her relationships, and her tragic and untimely death. In many ways, she is still exploited by writers and film makers, eager to use her image and her popularity to make money, with truth optional. Over 300 biographies have been written about her, with varying dedication to facts. She remains a major marketing icon, as well as a cultural icon. She is also a character in novels, fictionalized depictions of her life and loves, which are too often regarded as truthful by fans and readers. Even with such immense coverage, the real Marilyn Monroe and her life’s story remains elusive, hidden beneath the glitzy blanket of Hollywood’s past.
How do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“Marilyn Monroe Helped Hugh Hefner, But Not By Choice”. Lulu Garcia-Navarro, National Public Radio. October 1, 2017
“Marilyn Monroe”. Entry, Britannica Online.
“Marilyn Monroe Was Discovered Working at a Radioplane Factory”. Article, Aviation Oil Outlet. July 19, 2017
“Inside Johnny Hyde and Marilyn Monroe’s relationship as revealed in a new doc”. Bruno Cooke, The Focus. May, 2022
“Blonde Bombshells: Sirens of the Silver Screen”. Article, Central Rappahannock Regional Library. February 9, 2022. Online
“Marilyn and her Monsters”. Sam Kashner, Vanity Fair. October 5, 2010
“A Brief History of Marilyn Monroe, the Iconic Blonde Bombshell”. Mark Villanueva, Herald Weekly. September 13, 2022
“The Real Story of Marilyn Monroe: Who was the Woman Behind the Mask?” Clemmie Read, Tatler. September 23, 2022
“Marilyn Monroe in Korea”. Alex Q. Arbuckle, Mashable. Online
“The Dark Story Behind Marilyn Monroe and ‘Mr. Z'”. Alexander Larman, The Telegraph. September 28, 2022
“The Secret Career Genius of Marilyn Monroe”. Elizabeth Winder, Marie Claire. July 26, 2017
“FBI Finally Unseals Marilyn Monroe File and Reveals Her ‘Communist’ Ties”. Anthony McCartney, Associated Press. December 28, 2012. Online
“The Mentor and the Movie Star”. Patricia Bosworth, Vanity Fair. June 1, 2003
“FBI files on Arthur Miller track communist links”. Article, Irish Times. June 22, 2006
“Nightmares on the Set: ‘Prince and the Showgirl'”. Elizabeth Blair, National Public Radio. November 24, 2011
“The Last Film of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable”. Article, Silver Screenings. Online
“They Fired Marilyn: Her dip lives on”. Article, Life Magazine. June 22, 1962
“The Death of Marilyn Monroe”. Frank Wilkins, Reel Reviews. Online
“The Truth About Marilyn Monroe’s Alleged Affair with John F. Kennedy”. Taysha Murtaugh, Women’s Day. September 29, 2017
“Norman Mailer”. Article, Unraveling the Slander of Marilyn Monroe. Online
“Marilyn Monroe’s Final Years”. Susan Doll, How Stuff Works. Online
“Did Marilyn Monroe Ever Get Pregnant Or Have Children? Everything to Know”. Jacqueline Tempera. Women’s Health. October 4, 2022
“The Blond Marilyn Monroe”. Paul Rudnick, TIME Magazine. June 14, 1999