The Legacy of Marilyn Monroe

Fame, fortune, and glamour, three tiny words that beseech every single American. Marilyn Monroe was no exception to the American conquest to grow to be a common household name. Her legacy, adore life, and charming very good appears will forever be a part of American cultural history. Marilyn Monroe, a significant social influence on American Society, lived a brief, but wonderful life, and effected modern day culture in several ways, each optimistic and unfavorable.

On June 1st, 1926 t Norma Jean Baker was born to Gladys Baker, an ill woman who couldn’t supply stability for her youngster (Lifetime 1), in Los Angeles California. Norma Baker, also, did not have a biological father that she knew of, but she nevertheless created the ideal of what she had. “Her mother was a film-cutter at RKO Studios, who abandoned (Norma) to a sequence of foster homes” (IMBD 1). In the course of her time in the foster houses, she was nearly smothered at two and raped at six (Alverson 15). For the duration of her teenage years, “Monroe dropped out of college at the age of 15 (American National four). Norma rapidly discovered a way out of the foster houses, marriage.

At some point, at the young age of 16, Norma married a man named James Dougherty who was 21 years old. “She married her initial husband in Las Vegas, Nevada” (IMBD 1). The differences in their ages caused many difficulties for the two, especially the element of jealousy. Dougherty and Baker also had numerous problems regarding the fact that Baker yearned to become a mother. “Dougherty went off to Globe War I and Baker was left at home, just before he left she tried to convince him to get her pregnant, she was afraid he would die, but he refused simply because she was too young” (Hiskey 52). At some point their variations brought on them to finalize a divorce. Their marriage was brief lived and only lasted from 1942 – 1946 (Grahn 20). Her marriage to him was truly her 1st taste of freedom, excitement, and of what her life could be like, even even though the marriage eventually failed (MTV 1).

Fame has never been provided with out effort and Norma Jean Baker was no exception. Though her life was difficult, small did Norma Jean Baker know her life, and profession, was about to take off. Near the finish of her marriage to Dougherty, “In 1944, a U.S. photographer, named Otto Ose, took images of Norma Jean, hence the start off of her profession as a pin up model” (Hall). As an erotic female object, Marilyn Monroe’s celebrity image represented “pure” femininity and “immoral female sexuality for Post –War American Culture” (Scheibel). The pinup photographs have been the ticket that skyrocketed her career. In 1946, 20th Century Fox gave her a contract but let it lapse a year later. In 1948, Columbia gave her a six-month contract, and featured her in the B movie Ladies of the Chorus (1948) in which she sang 3 numbers: “Every Child Wants a Da Da Daddy”, “Anyone Can Tell I Adore You” and “The Ladies of the Chorus.” In 1960, she had a little component in The Asphalt Jungle and later in All About Eve resulting in 20th Century re-signing her to a seven-year contract (IMBD 1). During her contract with 20th Century Fox, she stared in Niagara (1953) and Gentlemen Favor Blondes (1953), which launched her as a sex symbol superstar (bio.com). In 1956, Norma Jean Baker decided to modify the views on her childhood and transitioned into who she wanted to be, staring with the change of her name from Norma Jean Baker to Marilyn Monroe.

The Blonde Bombshell, Marilyn Monroe, was an sophisticated woman. She, despite being the epitome of class, was a human like absolutely everyone else and of course went through a lot of tribulations in order to hold her looks up to the normal of society. Briefly after her the brief-lived second marriage, to Joe Dimaggio, Marilyn decided to concoct a mixture of Clorox and Ammonia, which changed her hair from a dark brown to, the properly identified, platinum blonde. ”Marilyn suffered from such nerves that she would throw up ahead of each and every scene, and her skin would break out” (Donnelly). Her break outs also proved that Marilyn was often extremely conscious that she need to take care of her skin, her very first husband Jim claimed that after washing her face she would splash it 15 instances to ensure that her face with completely void of oil, dirt, soap or make-up. She is said to have smeared Vaseline on her face as a moisturizer/primer. It has also been claimed that she would take ice baths to keep her skin firm and use olive oil as a all-natural moisturizer (Henrikson). Her weight, often fluctuated, her weight was so inconsistent during some of her filming’s that her costume designer had to create various sizes (The Sydney Morning Harold). “She also took time for glamour with her perfume Chanel No.5” (Lifetime 1). Her immaculate care for her appears also played a significant aspect in the roles she would play in film.

Marilyn Monroe was featured in 33 films. Her initial to be was Scudda-Hoo Scudda-Hay (bio.com). She would be greatest recognized for the following films: Gentlemen Choose Blondes, How to marry a millionaire, and The Seven Year Itch. In every single of the films she would be portrayed as the uneducated dumb blonde. Marilyn Monroe did not care for these roles too effectively in fact she hated this stereotype. She was also effectively sought soon after by many authors, for instance: ”Monroe was Truman Capote’s first selection for Audrey Hepburn’s part of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (The National 32). Though she hated the roles she played, they would lead her to productive nobility by means of several awards. In 1954, she won The Globe Film Favored-Female Henrietta award, and on March 8, 1960 Marilyn Monroe also received a Golden Globe for best comedy actress (Grahn). Although acting was her major interest, she had quite a few other activities/causes she enjoyed/rallied for.

Abraham Lincoln was 1 of Marilyn Monroe’s most properly know influences “she often carried around the book, The Biography of Abraham Lincoln” (Stephan, 35). ”Due to her fascination, Monroe became an activist in The Civil Rights Movement” (Residence). Outdoors of her political actives, she also enjoyed reading and performing yoga. Marilyn was, and nonetheless remains, a function model for women. She proved that even as a size 18 not all woman have to be a size 2 to be regarded gorgeous. Even though she was the most lovely woman of the twentieth century, Monroe also had imperfections and demons of her own.

Marilyn Monroe, the world’s most important and sought following sex symbol, knew no limits. A lot of guys swooned over her, such as the President of the United States: John F. Kennedy. At what would be her final appearance at John F. Kennedy’s birthday celebration in New York City, she sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to President Kennedy “while she was there she was fired from the production of Something’s Got to Give (Guillory 1-3). The tabloids believed that Monroe, allegedly, was having an affair with the President of the United States. However on August 5, 1962, at the young age of 36, in Los Angeles CA, Marilyn Monroe was found in her Hotel with a pill bottle in hand, laying face down in her bed. The medication much more than most likely would be for her sleeping troubles (ANB). Nevertheless, a lot of think that she did not more than-dose.

Many conspiracies exist, most claiming that the Kennedys targeted her and hired the mafia to kill her. While many other sources believe that her death was an unintentional suicide. Marilyn Monroe is buried at Westwood Memorial Cemetery in California. Throughout her profession, “Monroe’s films grossed more than $200 million” (ANB). Hugh Heffner purchased the burial vault subsequent to Marilyn in 1992, for $77,000 (The Sydney Morning Harold). If Monroe had lived she would have been 85 years old. “Her mother died on March 11, 1984 of a heart failure in Gainesville Florida. She was 81” (Donnelley).

Marilyn Monroe’s legacy nonetheless lives to the present day she was not only a positive figure for girls, but also for American civil rights. Her figure nonetheless inspires women who don’t match into the mold that society at the moment has and regardless of whether or not or not it is considered “politically right,” she is nonetheless the most recognizable sex symbol of American culture. In modern day times, its hard to think that Marilyn Monroe hasn’t usually been a idol and it’s even harder to think that she is not still alive. Despite the fact that her death was tragic, her legend will survive extended after the 21st century.