marilyns life and her influence through the years

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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