I found the reading about Marilyn Monroe and her sexuality to be very in depth and interesting in the Heavenly Bodies book this week. While the analysis of many aspects of Monroe’s stardom was captivating, especially after viewing Gentlemen Prefer Blonds in class last week, it made me think about her role as a so-called sex symbol in the 1950s and how that image has become adopted and has changed in contemporary culture. After reading Dyers’ essay on Monroe, it can be concluded that her natural sexuality shocked and surprised not only those in the film industry, but the general public as well. The way she got away with her sexuality was what Dyer and Monroe herself called her “naturalness” and her belief that sex was simply just another part of one’s life and body. I think Monroe may have sparked our culture’s obsession and fascination with sex and finally made it public. Between her openness about her body and about her sexuality and Kinsey’s sexual discoveries at around the same time, sex became a talked about subject that was no longer repressed in society. Monroe was practically the first full on sex symbol to hit Hollywood and the tabloids and to begin a nation’s increasing interest in sex.
Even though Monroe’s sexuality was overt to many people at the time of her stardom, she would probably just be another Hollywood starlet by today’s standards. These days, many stars, young and old, have become completely open and comfortable with their sexuality and are willing to divulge information about their private sexual lives with interviewers or in magazines. Additionally, photographs taken of celebrities and stars today have become much more risqué and suggestive than they ever were in the 1950s. Almost every famous Hollywood actress has become their own version of Marilyn Monroe today.
While people in the 1950s may have been taken aback by Monroe’s representation of sex and the formlessness and naturalness of her body (as stated by Dyer), many people today believe Monroe to be classy and infamous. College students put up pictures of Monroe in their dorm rooms and adults may express deep admiration for her and her films. It is interesting to note the dramatic shift in outlook on Monroe; she used to shock and surprise the public with her overt sexuality, now the public admires her for it. Additionally, the iconic pictures that were taken of her are sprawled across pop culture, making her iconic status even more influential. In Heavenly Bodies, Dyer mentioned the events in Monroe’s life that may have led to a life of pain and sadness for her and I think that people today may recognize this and feel sorry that she had to suffer. Therefore, they may appreciate her for doing what she wanted to do and enjoying life.
I also found the fact that Monroe liked being looked at and liked being sexual to be very interesting. Even though Dyer said that Monroe didn’t want to be viewed as a “thing,” he mentions the contradiction of this statement. Whether she meant to contradict herself or not, I found it notable that she recognized her place as a sex symbol, and yet still enjoyed and aspired to maintain that level of status. I think that few female stars today would openly say they enjoy being a sex symbol because they would be called too loose sexually or “whores” or “sluts.” I think that over the past few years, sex has become less sacred and more public than it ever was before. This may have to do with Hollywood and the increasing number of suggestive pictures and/or scenes in films that have been produced by it, making sex look more like an activity or a hobby, something that should be flaunted rather than concealed. Also, I think female stars today use their sexuality to sell themselves and in turn become too overt in their sexuality. Monroe did not set out to use her sexuality to sell herself, the media created that persona for her and she adapted to it. She found her sexuality to be completely innocent. Her innocence combined with her sexuality can be seen on screen and in interviews and therefore does not come off as being “dirty.” Today, many photographs or sex scenes with female stars can be distasteful because that’s what stars and the media believe will sell.
Today I do not think there is anyone who lives up to the icon that is Marilyn Monroe. There are too many “innocent” young starlets or female movie stars that publicly show their sexuality and are grouped together as so-called sex symbols. At her time, Monroe was the sex symbol. There have been female stars that have been called modern day’s Marilyn Monroe, like Scarlet Johansson, who see their sexuality as natural and do not apologize for their bodies. (Other stars such as Angelina Jolie are equally, if not more, comfortable with their sexuality as well). However, I think that the Monroe/Johansson comparison is also based a lot more on similar physical features: the platinum blond hair (occasionally with Johansson), the curvy figure, the big smile, etc. Johansson, however, has not reconfigured our perspective or view on sex as Monroe did and she does not embody the innocence that Monroe did both on and off screen. Monroe told the world that it was okay to be comfortable within one’s own body and sexuality and that she was going to show off her’s no matter what people thought. It is Monroe’s unfailing naturalness and innocence about her own opinions and sexuality that not only make her an icon today, but have redefined our society’s views and uses of sex in the public domain.
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