Marilyn Monroe Symbolism

When Marilyn Monroe stood over a subway gate in The Seven Year Itch, her white pleated dress billowing above her waist, and squealed, "Isn't it delicious?," she created a legendary image. Yet she was far more than a face and a voluptuous body, although those were her major assets to a flesh-conscious industry. As the public viewed Monroe as a porcelain vase, which is extravagant on the outside yet hollow in the inside, most label Monroe as a ‘sex symbol’ and ‘screen siren’. The star only did three topless shoots that were in no way derogatory, but her celluloid stunts stirred the belief she was a ‘bimbo’ in a prudish world. Though the real Monroe was more than skin deep, people still insist on viewing her as a vapid moneymaker. Despite the
During the war, women were working outside of the home, and it seemed the world was on the verge of loosening the corset stays on sexuality. Except that didn’t happen- the men returned home and expected their women to get out of the factories and into the kitchen. Dior’s unveiling of their “new look” sealed women’s fate- they were expected to be prim and proper and ladylike. Modesty and decorum were of the utmost importance, and all the women who had risen to the occasion of self-sufficiency during wartime were now relegated back to being kitchen drudgery broodmare’s. When the nude calendar story broke, the studios went into a panic, the country was poised for the scandal of the year: that the fresh young starlet Marilyn Monroe was the naked, unashamed woman hanging on walls across the country. Then, Monroe was the breath of fresh air that the stale social morays needed. Instead of being ashamed, instead of performing spin control or trying to garner sympathy, she not only held her head high and admitted it. She made jokes about it, saying she had nothing on but the radio. Her candor and honesty was refreshing to the public. She wasn't a size 0 but men still desired her. Therefore it started showing you don’t have to be super thin to be attractive and made being thicker more acceptable in social outlook. Most
In 1953, 20th Century-Fox released three movies starring Monroe: Niagara, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and How to Marry a Millionaire. Movie exhibitors voted her one of the top ten box-office draws for that year. After completing The Seven Year Itch Monroe left Hollywood when 20th Century-Fox wanted to pigeonhole her in dumb blonde roles. She not only defied them and moved to New York to study at the Actor’s Studio, she started her own production company, one of the first women to ever do so. It allowed Marilyn to explore different characters and express herself as a real actress - not just a corporate puppet – though sadly her best roles are often overlooked in favour of the stereotypical Lorelei Lee. Not only was Monroe a pioneering woman in the movie industry, she also helped to overhaul the studio system. The studios used to demand actors what movie they’d appear in, like it or not. Monroe was the first woman who fought for and won the right of script, co-star, and directorial approval in her films. The sheer moxie of a woman in the 1950’s to demand and be granted such power and respect is a facet of Marilyn that is sadly overlooked nowadays. On the other hand, championing civil rights, Marilyn used her fame as a platform for advocating support. In the 1950s, America saw extreme segregation, and black musicians were often faced with the brunt of it. When a whites only club