Becoming Marilyn
On the surface, we know everything about her. A much-coveted actress, this sex symbol adulated by all was a total star whose life and career were all perfectly staged, especially by men. But in the twenty-first century, in a time of rereadings and of buried voices that can finally speak up, we can begin to understand how Norma Jeane Baker became the icon we all remember as Marilyn Monroe.
On the surface, we know everything about her. A much-coveted actress, this sex symbol adulated by all was a total star whose life and career were all perfectly staged, especially by men. But in the twenty-first century, in a time of rereadings and of buried voices that can finally speak up, we can begin to understand how Norma Jeane Baker became the icon we all remember as Marilyn Monroe.
Related Articles
View AllPride and Joy: Why Many Gay Men Idolize Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood icon and sex symbol, captivated everyone from her fans to a president. But beneath her incandescent sparkle lay hidden hurt and trauma. Gay men…
Diana Vreeland: Iconic Prophet of High Fashion
Diana Vreeland brought an independent verve to American style starting in 1939 as fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar. Her magazine work gave women permission to create their own…
Tripping with Cary Grant: LSD and Therapy in the 1950s, ’60s . . . and Today
Cary Grant, among the brightest movie stars of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, was also “an apostle of LSD.” His outspoken advocacy for the promise of “psychedelic psychotherapy” spoke…
Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiving Take Reveals the Truth behind the Mythic Old West
Clint Eastwood gained international stardom in a so-called spaghetti western that brought a new sense of drama to a tired genre. But his last “cowboy movie,” Unforgiven, reveals…
Charlie’s Demons: The Scandalous Life and Timeless Artistry of Charles Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin became a movie star thanks to his beloved Tramp character. But his comedy masterpieces and enormous fortune couldn’t calm a torment, grounded in a horrific…
Edgar Rice Burroughs: Inventing Tarzan and the Action Hero Business
Edgar Rice Burroughs created Tarzan, one of the most famous characters in fiction, and earned a fortune from his pen. Though much of his work is now dated, his best stories remain…