Reading Response #3: Nostalgia and Contradicting Images

It was fascinating to read the 1957 article about Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe. At the time, each starlet had acted in a way that contradicted her well-constructed persona. Because of this, the article questions their potential to remain iconic stars and answers that only "time will tell." And now, with time, we can say that they have only become more popular. What I find so interesting about their lasting popularity is that it is the original images that the studio and publicity departments had constructed that remain with us. Grace Kelly is known for her elegance and poise, not as an expatriot; Marilyn Monroe remains America's seductive sex symbol, not the woman who married an intellectual. I think the fact that their constructed images are how they are best remembered is a tribute to both the meticulous planning that created those images as well as the American desire for them. I think that Americans are nostalgic for the simpler past and don't want to tear down the famous stars of 20th century. Instead, they want to celebrate them. And the way to do that is
 to reminisce about them in their heyday—not their complex, controversial reality but their idyllic, constructed image. For me, when reading the posts that critique John Wayne or Marilyn Monroe, something in me rejects what is being said. I like to remember them as capturing all that was perfect in a simpler, better time—of course this isn’t actually the case but it’s so much easier to believe!

I also found it interesting that one of the rules in creating an image was to repeatedly reinforce the image through interviews, comments, and, most importantly, movie roles. Yet now an actress is celebrated if she contradicts her image - beautiful Charlize Theron went grungy in "Monster" and America's sweetheart Julia Roberts played against that role in "Closer." What has changed? Perhaps we know even more about a star’s personal life now so that even when they contradict that image on-screen, we still know the “real” them via interviews and social commentary. What do you think has allowed this contradiction of image and movie role?