Core Response: Marilyn Monroe's Sexual Delight

When I was young, my mother had a large picture of Marilyn Monroe framed in our house. It was in color, she was holding a flower and I remember thinking she looked so sad. I heard so much about the appeal of Marilyn growing up and I always thought she was stunning, but I never fully understood how she became an icon. The first time I saw her on screen, it clicked. In Some Like It Hot the first time you see her is the first time the two men also see her and that helps set the stage for her as an object of desire. On the surface level, it makes sense that she would be idolized at the time. She was beautiful, she had a nice body, and she was blonde meaning she fit into the white stereotype of beauty. However, I think she has maintained celebrity because of this charm she possesses. The way she speaks and maneuvers across a screen is truly breathtaking. The Heavenly Bodies article helped me better understand Marilyn and society’s persistent obsession with her. Ultimately, Marilyn was an openly sexual person during a time when there was increased interest in female sexuality. She was able to exist within the contradiction of a fairly conservative society with a highly sexualized image both because society was changing during this time but she also possessed a child-like “dumb-blonde” innocence. Dyer argues that the “dumb-blonde” persona makes Marilyn untouched by harmful societal forces, meaning she remains pure and desirable. It is the very fact that Marilyn both is sexual and seemingly pure and innocent that she is so alluring. In her eyes, or at least in what she presents, sex is innocent. This was revolutionary during the time and I think is the reason she became such an iconic figure. Dyer summarizes it perfectly when he says: “She possessed a purity of sexual delight.”

One area I do disagree with Dyer is in assuming that Marilyn, both in acting and in her character, was not being manipulative in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. I think the reason I found the movie so great is because I could tell she was exaggerating her feminine and sexual qualities to trick the men around her, and it worked! I think this also is what helped women identify with Marilyn, that deep down she knew her power as a women and used that to get ahead. Also, there is something sad about her image, and obviously her unsolved death reflects a deep turmoil inside the star. I think she also balanced the contradiction between being the number one star in the world and still feel lonely and sad. This also would enhance her appeal during the time. And ultimately her surprising death helped cement her status as well. I have seen a few of her movies now and I think Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is my favorite I have seen thus far because it perfectly embodies all the contradictions that exist in her identity and persona. In one aspect she is vain, beautiful, sexual and the “dumb-blonde.” On the other, she is cunning, a sweet friend, somebody with a troubled past who seems very pure, innocent and kind. By the end you cannot help but admire her ability to use her wit, appearance and sexual appeal (a combination of the two) to get what she wants.