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On August 5, 1962, she was found dead in her home. Since then, her life and death, her roles, novels and diagnoses have been studied almost under a magnifying glass. But the main mystery is still not solved: why exactly does Marilyn remain the number one sex symbol, becoming only more popular over the years?
Her image is tried on by all the stars who claim to be called sex symbols, from Madonna to Lady Gaga. Her things go from auctions for a lot of money. This year, the film “Seven Days and Nights with Marilyn” * was among the finalists of the American “Oscar” and the British BAFTA. And the 65th Cannes Film Festival chose Marilyn Monroe as its symbol – despite the fact that simple melodramas and comedies with her participation never had a chance to get to the most prestigious film screening in the world. But that’s not even the point: to find a person who would not have heard about Marilyn is possible only in the corners of the planet untouched by civilization.
At the same time, many people have not even seen her films, they are only familiar with the image of Monroe. We are talking about the image – despite the fact that he is very far from the real Marilyn. She was not a great actress. Experienced serious difficulties in sexual life. Communicating with her was sometimes extremely difficult. Finally, she and the blonde is not real! Nevertheless, the image of the blond sexual goddess seems to be already imprinted in our collective unconscious – next to the heroes of biblical tales and ancient myths. How did this amazing neighborhood come about?
Tragic fate
It is worth starting from the end – with the tragic death of Marilyn. Suicide, an absurd accident or a deliberate murder, which could be organized by both mafia bosses and intelligence agencies, allegedly seeking to hide Monroe’s love affair with President Kennedy? There is no exact answer to this question, which still serves as an additional source of interest – who will be left indifferent by a detective intrigue? For contemporaries of Monroe, her death was a shock. People refused to believe what had happened, fantastic versions of the tragedy and even more fantastic rumors that Marilyn was actually still alive arose every day. “Death denial is the natural and earliest reaction to loss,” explains Jungian analyst Tatyana Rebeko. – Further in the process of mourning arise anger, depression and finally acceptance. In the event of the death of an idol, acceptance of his death does not occur, because his life itself is largely mythologized. Therefore, the process of mourning “gets stuck” at the first stage – the denial of the fact of death and the increasing idealization of the deceased.
As cynical as it sounds, Monroe’s tragic death contributed greatly to her posthumous fame. However, it must also be admitted that the sad ending was, in a sense, a natural end to the not-too-joyful life of the actress. Mental illness of the mother and childhood in orphanages, three unsuccessful marriages and many abortions, nervous breakdown and painful self-doubt even at the peak of fame – such a fate can hardly be called happy. But the misfortunes of the great and famous make them even more popular in the eyes of their fans. And even more so the fans: you must admit, among women, the beautiful, rich and successful heartbreaker Monroe caused at least no less envy than admiration. But the unfortunate and suffering Monroe is a completely different matter. “Envy always provokes the strongest internal conflict,” explains Tatyana Rebeko. – Righteous anger, contempt, gloating and slander help to pacify envy. Pity is the most humanized reaction in this series. And the more understandable the misfortunes that befell the star, the more we regret it. Anyone who pities the “rich and beautiful” gets a great opportunity: to unconsciously identify not only with her misfortunes, but also with her successes, without experiencing a destructive feeling of envy.
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earth girl
The identification mechanism is generally very important for understanding popularity. It is easier for us to love those in whose place we, at least theoretically, are able to put ourselves. Perhaps for this reason, outstanding scientists or, for example, chess players, as a rule, do not become stars – we cannot even imagine the work of their mind. It’s easier with actors or singers. And in the case of Monroe, it is doubly easy. She was the epitome of the next-door girl type, and her first major role in Love Nest** is still considered a classic incarnation of this type.
Marilyn’s biography also works for this image, but appearance still plays a decisive role. “Look at her face: she is certainly beautiful,” says psychoanalyst Lola Komarova. – But for all the showiness in her beauty there is neither a challenge nor aristocracy. Such an appearance is not honed by generations, like a breed. Every woman is capable of presenting herself as such a beauty. This point of view is shared by the psychologist Sergei Enikolopov. “Think of Monroe’s predecessors,” he suggests. – For example, Marlene Dietrich: she is initially elitist. Her image of the “blue angel” conquered secular salons, but could he conquer the soldier’s barracks? And almost every American soldier had photographs of Monroe. Monroe is a typical “girl from our yard”, and this is very important for unconscious sympathy. You can get to know her, she is available – not in a sexual sense, she is available in principle. Can this be said about modern sex symbols? Imagine Monica Bellucci at a tram stop or Angelina Jolie at a subway diner? Of course no. And Marilyn Monroe is easy, even in diamonds!”
Prefer blondes?
The image of Marilyn embodies both stereotypical ideas about blondes: sexuality and stupidity. Why? Blond hair has been associated with sexuality since ancient times, cultural scientist Victoria Sherrow* recalls. Even priestesses of love in the Roman Empire often painted them white. Golden-haired, as a rule, the biblical Eve is also depicted. For comparison: the immaculate Mother of God always has dark hair. But perhaps it’s not sin. Many girls are born blonde, but less than 25% of women remain blonde. It can be assumed that for men, the owner of blond hair is unconsciously associated with youth, and therefore with health and the maximum possibility of successful conception. And the craving for blondes is a tribute to evolution, the need for procreation.
More difficult with intelligence. Back in 1775, the play Les Curiosités de la Foire came out in Paris, ridiculing the courtesan Rosalie Dute, equally famous for her beauty and stupidity. In this regard, Dute is sometimes called the first “stupid blonde” in history. But modern scientists are more interested in the consequences than in the causes of the stereotype. In 2008, French psychologists conducted a study: before passing a series of intellectual tests, a group of men were shown images of girls. As a result, the subjects who were shown photographs of blondes did the worst on the tasks**. “Probably, faced with the objects of stereotypes, people unconsciously imitate their behavior,” suggests one of the authors of the study, psychologist Thierry Meyer (Thierry Meyer). “And when they see a typical blonde, they themselves behave less intelligently.” If so, then we have another explanation for why blondes literally “drive men crazy” and “deprive them of their minds.”
* V. Sherrow «Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History» (Greenwood, 2006).
** Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2008, vol. 44.
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Andrey Rossokhin, psychoanalyst: “Her sexuality is essentially deceptive”
“According to the memoirs of contemporaries, Monroe literally radiated sexuality – so strong that it was felt almost physically. Although to a lesser extent, it conveys this energy and the screen image of Marilyn. And this is the main irony and paradox of her fate. She really radiated sexuality, but not at all in order to make someone happy or enjoy herself. Monroe was not capable of passionate sexual relations and experienced problems with achieving orgasm – this is a known fact. Sexuality served her as a kind of tool for exploring reality, like a white cane for a blind man. She “felt” with it the world around her in order to understand if danger was imminent, and to escape, barely feeling someone else’s desire, provoked by her. Women of this kind are known among men as “dynamists”, but in general this is a vivid manifestation of the hysterical type of character and his way of protecting himself from sexuality.
I think it is wrong to consider Monroe’s fantastic popularity as a consequence of some of her unique qualities: she was at the right time in the right place. The 50s and early 60s of the last century, which was the peak of her career, is the very beginning of the sexual revolution. If we compare the development of the sexuality of our society to the maturation of one person, then this period is certainly adolescence. Sex was discussed openly, a naked body appeared on the screens of cinemas and the pages of magazines. restrictions and taboos still remained, but weakened every day. Sex, while forbidden, became more and more accessible. This is exactly what happens to teenagers. And they need to embody this all-consuming, simultaneously accessible and forbidden sexuality. They, if we talk about young men, need a fantasy about a woman-icon, the possession of which opens the doors to paradise. In a sense, it can be said that a society that had reached this stage in the development of sexuality needed a symbol for teenage masturbation. Marilyn Monroe became him: both because of her popularity, and because of that very sexuality (albeit deceitful in fact!).
If my guess is correct, then Marilyn Monroe is guaranteed immortality, because our infantile sexual fantasies and dreams remain with us forever. Any man probably remembers his first erotic experiences associated with some films, books, or simply unfamiliar women snatched out in the crowd. These memories forever remain nostalgically sweet and inaccessible. This will remain for the “grown-up” humanity Marilyn Monroe.
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The call of the times
“One of the main features of her image is softness,” says Lola Komarova. – There is no sharpness in it, no sharp corners – as well as a special character. By the way, her heroines do not differ in excess of character either. In a word, Marilyn Monroe does not challenge men. On the contrary, her image is a promise of complete comfort. And the men of that time, as, probably, the present, most of all want to take a break from the challenges and enjoy the comfort.
The phenomenon of Marilyn’s popularity was largely due to the era. Her star rose in the early 50s. By this point, the United States, like many European countries, had managed to recover from the consequences of the war. And the desire to take a break from challenges and enjoy comfort prevailed in the mindset in the West, since the rapid growth of the economy quite allowed this. Perhaps it was in the 50s that the ideals of the consumer society were formed.
“Perhaps the fame of Monroe became a harbinger of a characteristic trend of our time: when the popularity of a person far exceeds his talents and achievements,” continues Lola Komarova. – For such people, there is a very good English word celebrities, which is difficult to translate into Russian accurately. However, recently it has not been translated anymore. Agree, it is difficult to name a celebrity of a great artist – for example, Van Cliburn or Rostropovich. The property of celebrity is mass popularity. Like everything mass produced, it is average and free from overly bright features, from extraordinaryness, from everything excessive, including excessive talent. Monroe perfectly fits these canons. She is not talented, but by no means brilliant. She is pretty, but not dazzlingly beautiful. And even in her sexuality there is no excessive brightness, challenge or aggression. It is no coincidence that one of her most famous nicknames is sexual kitten, sexy kitten. A kitten, not a tigress.”
Media phenomenon
And finally, there is one more circumstance. Marilyn Monroe was probably the first celebrity to be portrayed by the media using every resource imaginable before the advent of the internet. And they did their best. “The American mass media simply do not know equals in the art of “promoting” people, creating fame, building a reputation,” notes Sergey Enikolopov. – And their role in the success of Monroe, of course, is huge. At the same time, her popularity covered absolutely the entire information field. Judge for yourself: her second husband was Joe DiMaggio – the greatest baseball player in history, and the third – intellectual writer Arthur Miller. Thus, any news about Marilyn was of interest to absolutely everyone: from simple hard workers who support baseball with a beer to high-browed aesthetes. The media support this interest even today, perfectly understanding the advertising and propaganda potential of the idols of the past – Marilyn Monroe or, say, Elvis Presley. And they continue to live actively in the media space.”
Lola Komarova points to the role of mass media in the recent nostalgic fashion. “Unfortunately, the modern world seems to lack interesting fresh ideas,” she says. – And in this situation, the media are increasingly turning to the past. The success of retro projects like “Old songs about the main thing” is not at all accidental. And not only because in the old days there were just enough interesting ideas in music, cinema, and fashion. We increasingly perceive the 50s and 60s as a period of idyllic prosperity and romance. And one of their symbols is Marilyn Monroe.”
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However, Sergei Enikolopov believes that the glory of Marilyn is completely manageable without interest in retro. “While Russian culture is primordially oriented toward literature, American culture is cinematic,” he says. – We recognize people close to us by quotes from Pushkin or Brodsky, Ilf and Petrov or Bulgakov. Americans do this with movie quotes. And in this sense, Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction”, woven from quotes, is the same “encyclopedia of American life” as “Eugene Onegin” is an encyclopedia of Russian. Therefore, Monroe’s films have become the flesh of American culture and simply cannot be outdated. And if we take into account the influence of the United States on the mass culture of the whole world, it is clear that Marilyn is hardly destined to go into oblivion in any foreseeable future.
Perhaps Monroe was just lucky to be born with his appearance at the right time and to be at the very center of the most important social trends. Or maybe fate decided to show generosity – and paid off with her loud immortality for all lifetime sorrows. It is unlikely that Marilyn herself would have agreed to such an “exchange”. But who knows – blondes are unpredictable …
* Directed by Simon Curtis, 2011.
** Directed by Joseph Newman, 1951.