Sunday Essays: Marilyn Monroe and How Her Career Affected Her Life

Diamond's are a girl's best friend...

Marilyn Monroe is by far one of the most well known actresses of all time. Just about everyone knows who she is even if they have never seen any of her films. Miss Norma Jeane has certainly made her mark on the world and continues to gain new fans all the time. Despite this, most people only associate Marilyn with a few things. Specifically, her beauty. They also tend to think of her as the "typical dumb blonde" as this is often times who she portrayed in films. But is that who she really was? How has this belief of her changed the way people viewed her in the past and now? I wanted to discuss Marilyn and her roles today and how the affected her positively, negatively, and also the lasting impression she has left on us today.

Marilyn with Jane Russell outside Graumans Chinese Theatre

There are many different elements of the Marilyn image that had a positive effect on her life. Clearly, one of these things are the success she found. Being one of the most well known actresses in the world is certainly a perk. Marilyn played a variety of roles in her life even though she unfortunately passed on fairly young. She became well known primarily for her beauty but also as a great actress. Marilyn got an abundance of incredible opportunities in her life and becoming a house hold name for about 50 years is certainly something to be proud of!

A picture from Marilyn's last photo shoot, taken by George Barris three weeks before her death

Despite the fact that Marilyn was beloved by many, her public image did not always bring happiness. Marilyn had to face a few problems due to the way she was portrayed in films. In many of her films, she portrayed characters who were the typical "dumb blonde". She had a lot of roles where the primary aspect of the character was her beauty. This lead to people then (and still sometimes now) believing that Marilyn herself was also not very smart. People wouldn't always take her seriously as an intelligent individual. Many people seemed to not care about what was going through her mind or what she felt in her heart, they were more interested in what she was wearing and how gorgeous she looked. That's not to sat that everyone viewed Marilyn this way, but most people did view her simply as a sex symbol. We also unfortunately can see that her life wasn't an overall happy one. In the days of classic Hollywood, you wouldn't hear quite as much about celebrity scandals and the truth that can often lie behind their dazzling smiles as much as we do today. There is still mystery surrounding her death, but we clearly know that she wasn't in a good mind set during her last few days whether she did commit suicide or if there was foul play. She had to go through many difficult problems in her life through a rough childhood, divorces, a few miscarriages, along with problems with alcoholism and drugs. Still, she painted a smile on her face because that's what the people wanted to see and she wanted to show a bright face to the world. Of course, she did still have happy moments but we can never really know everything that was going through her mind. Even with the millions of audience members who loved her, so many of them didn't know the real Marilyn and I believe that having to hide all this pain from the world is truly what lead to her unfortunate death.

Marilyn signing an autograph while on a break filming "There's No Business Like Show Business" in 1954

Today, Marilyn continues to be viewed in many different ways. Some people admire her. They see the beauty of her soul, the kindness that she showed others, the things she believed in. Others simply don't know very much about her besides the fact that she a beautiful actress during the 1950s. Then there are others who only see the bad. They see the fact that she had many affairs, that she succumbed to drug and alcohol abuse, and that it seemed as though she was only good for her looks. I think it's important to remember that Marilyn Monroe was one thing: a human being. She was not a perfect being, but she was also not an evil being. She was simply human. She good qualities along with bad qualities. It is not wise to look at her as though she could do no wrong, but this doesn't mean you should despise her. She was a lovely actress who had beliefs and goals. She loved things and hated things, laughed and cried. Marilyn continues to have a lasting affect on our pop culture in both positive and negative lights.

Whether you are a fan of Ms. Monroe or not, there are things that can be learned about this woman who has become a classic image of the 1950s. Marilyn was a part of the crazy world of Hollywood and was often times thrust into the spotlight during unfortunate circumstances. She certainly had a passion for acting and adored getting to live this dream, she was also beloved by so many people. Still, she had to face harsh realities and judgement from those around her who may have not even known what it was that she was going through. Overall, people must remember the fact that Marilyn was not the roles she played, she was herself. She was simply Norma Jeane.

If you would like to discuss any of the topics I brought up in this article, please feel free to do so in the comments. I only ask that you keep it civil! I would love to hear other people's opinions on the way Hollywood affected Marilyn in both positive and negative ways.

Information Sources:

Evans, Peter. "Marilyn Monroe's Last Weekend: Told for the First Time, an Eyewitness's Account of the Row with Frank Sinatra That Friends Fear Signed Her Death Warrant." Daily Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 02 Aug. 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1299496/Marilyn-Monroes-weekend--told-time-eyewitnesss-account-row-Frank-Sinatra-friends-fear-signed-death-warrant.html

Kashner, Sam. "Marilyn and Her Monsters." Vanity Fair. Condé Nast, 5 Oct. 2010. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2010/11/marilyn-monroe-201011

"The Secret Pain That Marilyn Monroe Shared With So Many Women." Immortal Marilyn. Immortal Marilyn, 15 Oct. 2015. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. http://www.immortalmarilyn.com/the-secret-pain-that-marilyn-monroe-shared-with-so-many-women/ 

Photo Sources:

Top Image

Marilyn and Jane Russell

Marilyn Last Photo

Marilyn Signing an Autograph

 Young Marilyn

Classic Marilyn