Influence of a Legend: Marilyn Monroe

Outline for Research Paper

Thesis: Marilyn Monroe's status as a sex symbol and popular icon has greatly impacted many artists since
her time, including Andy Warhol, Madonna, and even Britney Spears.

I. Introduction
a. Background
b. Thesis
II. Growth of Sex Symbol
a. Becoming Marilyn Monroe
b. Love Life
III. Movie Star
a. Achievements
1. Movies
2. Awards
IV. Impact
a. Andy Warhol
b. Madonna
c. Britney Spears
V. Conclusion
a. Her influence was positive and lasting

Over the years, there have been hundreds of celebrities and stars for people to envy, admire, and enjoy.
However, the most lasting image we have of stardom is the image of Marilyn Monroe. "When you speak
of the American way of life, everybody thinks of chewing gum, Coca-Cola and Marilyn Monroe" ("Quotes"
n pag.). Marilyn was born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1st, 1926. She rose above her poor
background and troubled childhood to become one of the most revered stars in the history of showbiz.
Norma Jeane's beautiful face had always drawn attention to her, and she began to model when she was in
her teens. On August 26, 1946, Norma Jeane got her first studio contract with Fox and changed her name to
Marilyn Monroe. With this beginning, a star was born. Marilyn has appeared in magazines, movies, and
even had a career as a singer. On August 5, 1962, her body was found dead in her home. It was an
apparent overdose from sleeping pills. Marilyn's beauty, sex appeal, and tragic death have made her a
legend who grows over time. Marilyn Monroe's status as a sex symbol and popular icon has greatly
impacted many artists since her time, including Andy Warhol, Madonna, and even Britney Spears.
Norma Jeane was a shy girl. "She was addictive-so beautiful" (Mailer 192). Norma Jeane had been abused
countless times in her years at a foster home, yet she still retained an air of innocence. It was only after she
realized her influence on men, that she understood the power it gave her. One day, at the beach, she
discovered that there was a different person inside of her who was struggling to get out. She said, "I was
full of a strange feeling, as if I were two people. One of them was Norma Jeane from the orphanage who
belonged to nobody. The other was someone whose name I didn't know" (Monroe 25). However, it would
be several years, and one marriage later, before Norma Jeane discovered who that other person was. Her
first marriage was too her neighbor and ended in divorce in 1946, when he returned from military service.
That same year, she signed a contract with Fox studios and changed her name to Marilyn Monroe, taking
the last name from her grandmother. After changing her name, Norma Jeane truly became a different
person. No longer would she allow anyone, even her closest friends, to call her by her birth name. She
started to walk taller, smile more frequently, and gave off an air of assurance and confidence that people
could truly feel. In May of 1949, in desperate need for some cash, Marilyn posed nude for a calendar.
However, she was not ashamed of the incident. It "was accepted by the public for what it was, a ghost out
of poverty rather than sin risen to haunt me" (Monroe 122). Marilyn felt that as long as the public
understood her motives, then there was nothing to worry about. Even though these pictures were taken
before Marilyn was famous, they mark the beginning of her career as a sex symbol. She would continue
her rise to the top, through her raw talent and her striking beauty. "To the dumb blonde stereotype, Marilyn
added a sense of innocence, naturalism, and overt sexuality" ("Marilyn Monroe" n pag.). During this rise to
fame, Marilyn dated many men. She was married to famous baseball player Joe DiMaggio and playwright
Arthur Miller. Both of these marriages ended in divorce. Marilyn wanted more than love; she wanted to be
famous.
Spyros Skouras was one of the many men who developed a crush on Marilyn and, lucky for her, he was
also the president of 20th Century Fox. After seeing her at a studio party, he inquired what movies she was
in. When he discovered that the answer was none, Spyros said, "Marilyn must be worked into any film that
is in production and could use a sexy blonde, and there are very few Hollywood films that can't use a sexy
blonde" (Monroe/Barris 129). Over the following years, Marilyn was in dozens of movies, including
Niagara, Some Like It Hot and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. These were only a few of the thirty films she
made during her career as an actress. Her success wouldn't have been so great if she had not put in effort.
In 1953, she flew to Korea to sing to the military troops stationed over there. This time period was the high
point of her career. Her nude photos were discovered and put on the front of Playboy Magazine. That
same year "Monroe had been voted the top star by American film distributors" ("Marilyn Monroe" n pag.).
This was only one of the many awards she got in her life and even since her death. She also received
"recognition for 1959's Some Like It Hot, winning a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy"
(Haberman n pag.). This was her first of two Golden Globes. The next would be in 1961 for World Film
Favorite. Moviegoers worldwide adored Marilyn. She oozed her sexuality, both on and off the screen.
These movies reveal a woman who is beautiful and talented, yet it is hard to see past her gorgeous features
and find her talent. This upset Marilyn, who once said, "I want to be an artist, not an erotic freak" (Monroe
135). She wanted to be more than sex appeal. Her glamour was never questioned, despite turbulence in her
life involving love, drugs, and sex scandals. Marilyn's abilities helped her shine through and become a star,
impacting the lives of others along the way and since then.
In the world of art, Marilyn is forever remembered as the subject of a Pop-Art image created by artist Andy
Warhol. Nobody knows what possessed him to choose her as his subject. "Perhaps Warhol could identify
with Marilyn's desperate attempt to rid herself of the dumb-blonde stereotype and to be taken seriously as
an artist" (Decker n pag.). At the time in his life when he made the brightly colored piece, Pop Art was
being ridiculed as consumerism and a form of advertising. Warhol, like the rest of America, knew of
Marilyn's life and death. He "admired Marilyn's glittering career and became fascinated and impressed
with the amount of publicity her death generated" (Decker npag.). This could be the second main reason he
created the image, which was originally from a scene out of the movie Niagara. Whatever his reason for
creating this work of art, it has lasted as the most memorable image the world has of big screen sex
goddess, Marilyn Monroe. In the 1980's, a young woman known as Madonna began her climb to the top.
Marilyn is "the ultimate role model for young women and girls who admire her glamour and image" (Klein
n pag.). She gives them hope for the future. Like Marilyn, Madonna was from a poor background and
started with nothing. It is obvious that "Madonna's idol is Marilyn Monroe-in her early days Madonna
dyed her hair blonde and had clothing similar to that of Marilyn" (Klein n pag.). She, like many young
girls, viewed Marilyn as the height of sexiness. Madonna wanted to bring something new to the world of
music and showbusiness. She "came along and shocked us all. But Marilyn did that back in the '50s"
(Christenson n pag.). Madonna's "Material Girl" song is reminiscent of "Diamonds are a Girl's Best
Friend," because they both focus on girls who desire material things. Madonna and Marilyn both showed
that riches can rise from rags. Finally, "Britney Spears, a modern day pop star, has in every way tried to
copy Marilyn" (Klein n pag.). She, too, dyes her hair blonde and wears glittery dresses. In her video for
the song "Lucky," Britney is done up like Madonna and appears sad with all her wealth. It is easy for
Britney to copy the famous sex symbol. "She has the same gorgeous heart-shaped face as Marilyn
Monroe" (Lee n pag.). Over the past several years, Britney has risen against all odds to become the
reigning pop queen of the new millennium. However, she is just one of millions who were impacted by
Marilyn Monroe.
In the early morning of August 5 1962, Marilyn died in her sleep at her Brentwood, California home. She
was 36 years old. "Now she is dead and how do we say goodbye?" (Monroe/Barris 335). The American
public did not know how to respond. She had impacted them so deeply that they were in shock. Marilyn
had brought to our country a youthful beauty that was rarely, if ever found. Her lifestyle only served to
enhance her beauty and sexuality. "For the entire world she became a symbol of the eternal feminine"
(Conway 7). Women universally mourned the death of their idol. Even today, she is gone but not
forgotten. In a Playboy Magazine poll, taken in 1999, Marilyn was "voted the sexiest woman of the
century" ("Monroe Named" n pag.). This shows the impact that she still has on the world. How could we
forget this wonderful, talented, gorgeous woman? She has left her imprint for all of us to look back at in
wonderment. "As long as there are movie projectors, future generations will be able to see this brilliant
artist who in private life progressed from sad girl to sad woman; a girl who was truly an American
Phenomenon" (Conway 21). And an American Phenomenon she will remain, until the end of time.

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