Introduction
While Marilyn Monroe remains an icon in celebrity culture, her life echoes a broader societal concern that should merit consideration. However, what is ubiquitous in this issue is the concern about sexualizing women in the media. To illuminate this issue, this essay makes a significant effort to examine how the media has portrayed women from a highly restricted and cliche point of view. In addition, studies have turned it into one of the most critical factors worth attention.
Soni (2020) contends that in television advertisements, women tend to be portrayed primarily as sexual objects, with assessments rooted in physical attractiveness rather than the depth of their character. Despite the underlying challenges that such stereotypes towards women have showcased to societal expectations towards females, the problem seems to persist. Nonetheless, analyzing Marilyn Monroe’s path within the Hollywood landscape will pave the way to see how societal norms perpetuate unrealistic expectations towards women for appropriate intervention to take place. Thus, this analysis insists that advocating for a more respectful and authentic representation of women in the entertainment industry could be the ultimate strategy to save women from underlying nightmares of stereotypes and convince men to refrain from objectifying women.
Marilyn Monroe’s Sexualization
Marilyn Monroe is iconic in popular culture as a symbol of sensuality, and various media representations have cemented her image. For instance, Netflix’s film called “Blonde” focuses on Monroe as a sex symbol, highlighting the star-sex worker association that was prevalent in the 1950s (Singh, 2022). However, in the film, Monroe is portrayed as a victim of Hollywood’s powerful men, furthering the image of her being that ubiquitous ‘blonde bombshell.’ Still, her connection to this category had links with societal prejudices, especially those about gendered roles and sexuality in society at large.
In addition, Wagner (2022) shows that this was a significant setback that led to the severe sexualization of her attributes. To make this point clear, Singh (2022) insists that the underlying perception driven by the film industry reduced Monroe to a fetishistic desire for the public. This makes sense, considering how she was set to showcase sexually appealing appearances and even alter her voice to depict unrealistic expectations. Furthermore, by not taking apart Monroe’s sexualized reflection, Hollywood continues to propagate the idea that women in entertainment are essentially vulnerable prey for powerful men. Yet, this is a significant issue as the portrayal of Monroe as being much too easy to sway by male influences perpetuates the idea that her strengths and weaknesses were entirely defined by forces outside herself, more especially related to her sexuality.
Monroe’s sexualization is even apparent as she tries to overcome the issues associated with the problem, aiming to bring a sense of normalcy when she realizes the impact of societal judgment on her body. According to Bogutskaya (2022), her willingness to escape the ‘dumb blonde’ characters typical of her earliest performances is evident in how uncomfortable she became with being a sex symbol. She initially married Joe DiMaggio, who tried to tone down her image.
Nonetheless, Monroe returned to acting classes with Lee Strasberg to improve and negotiate more interesting roles (Bogutskaya, 2022). The article presented by Wagner (2022) even identifies Monroe’s filmography, such as ‘The Seven Year Itch’ and ‘Bus Stop,’ where she fought against the limitations of what she had already become known for in search of more complex roles. These instances highlight Monroe’s agency in fighting back against her sexualized characterization and looking for roles that allowed her to demonstrate more acting skill than being a mere sex icon.
Moreover, Monroe’s public persona, which influenced all of her professional decisions, also impacted her mental health. According to Englund (2023), the public’s image of Monroe as an enormous sex symbol shaped an entire generation’s perception of femininity. In addition, the constant objectification, depersonalization, and even being locked inside the outline of an innocent-sexy woman with no personality but only sexuality led to Monroe’s poor state of health.
Englund (2023) goes deep into Monroe’s mental struggle with anxiety, depression, and the struggles that she faced due to what people expected of her. The relationship between sexualized portrayals of Monroe in the public sphere and their effect on her mental health is also a highly relevant lesson for individuals. Such a case demonstrates how easily media representation can distort even otherwise allegedly independent individuals who come across such pervasive stereotypes.
Impact on Men’s Perception
Since the sexualization of female characters in films, such as Marylyn Monroe, men’s attitudes have changed. Harrison (2023) signifies that there are people who form false concepts of women based on TV shows and wish to look very sexually attractive without considering their strengths. Harrison (2023) backs this argument that the media platforms have also misrepresented images of women and present seemingly perfect faces and bodies, which have mostly been photo-shopped to tone up their looks. This can also foster a kind of false beauty that is now leading to discontent with the bodies of women for men as they contrast real people and images they encounter in the media.
Nonetheless, there is more to this significant shift in how people see beauty and women’s strengths. In light of these provisions, Monroe’s heightened focus on her physical attributes, often depicted as the essence of female attractiveness, has played a crucial role in shaping men’s perceptions of women’s appearance and conduct. In addition, the increased emphasis on external appearances has, in actuality, reinforced this unattainable ideal that women are made to live up to if they want to be considered pretty or virtuous.
Monroe’s sexualized image, as presented in various media representations, including photographs and films, has contributed to the objectification of women in the eyes of men. In this light, people often reduce Monroe to her physical features, with a particular emphasis on the hourglass figure and breathy bedroom voice, which have divorced her from other identities (James, 2021).
For instance, the fact that Monroe has been linked with the ‘blonde bombshell’ stereotype seen in movies, such as Some Like It Hot (1959), has contributed to the establishment of a society where women are mostly appreciated for their assumed sexual appeal over what they do or say (Bogutskaya, 2022). This has an impact on men’s perception, which is reflected in a society where physical appearance is placed above intellect, shaping traditional gender roles that hinder progress towards establishing equality between genders.
Women’s Insecurity
The sexualization of icons such as Marilyn Monroe in the media played a crucial role in women developing society’s expectations and pressures for beauty that affect them even today. This is even more apparent now that women think it takes physical beauty to be accepted in society. According to Singh (2022), Monroe became the embodiment of a certain kind of womanliness, where overt sexuality was coupled with vulnerability and innocence. However, the societal pressures that came from her sexualized image were firmly grounded in prevailing ideologies of the 1950s, which embraced the nuclear family and traditional gender roles as a way to build an orderly society. Thus, women were expected to be an incarnation of a delicate balance between sexuality, vulnerability, and innocence to fit into this pre-determined narrative.
Rosaria and Wijaya (2023) even highlight that Monroe’s vulnerability and controllable need for protection, as depicted in her movie characters, asserted a particular version of femininity acceptable by the dominant ideologies. In turn, women internalized these presumptions and experienced a feeling of ineptitude if they failed to meet the narrowly defined criteria set by Monroe’s sexual image (Rosaria & Wijaya, 2023). This ideal became not only a measure of personal value. It has now developed to be an indicator of societal approval, which has made many women feel insecure about their sexuality.
Furthermore, the consequences for women’s self-esteem, brought about by such sexually depicted representations, had an impact not only on the process of movie-making itself but also outside the cinema. Such a construct of Monroe’s image and similar depictions featuring female celebrities have made their way into mainstream culture, shaping societal norms and influencing interpersonal dynamics. If they do not resemble the sexualized archetype, women risk social ostracism and discrimination (James, 2021). However, strengthening these rather narrow standards does not only impact individual self-esteem. It has also helped create a harmful cycle in which the value of women is primarily defined by physical attractiveness.
In addition, there is a significant pressure on society to conform to the sexualized ideal of Monroe. Yet, this has formed enduring insecurities that women have had about their sexuality, whereby they tend to care more for how others perceive them rather than personal agency. In essence, the sexualization of Monroe and similar presentations turned into a formidable force that determined how people perceive societal expectations on what is regarded as appropriate behavior from women. Furthermore, it contributed to an atmosphere in which every woman fears her body might not be sufficient to meet the beauty standards set by movie stars and media personalities.
Exploitation of Actresses
Objectification of women actresses, such as Marilyn Monroe’s enduring legacy, often comes with perils in their careers and personal lives and perpetuates the propagation of negative stereotypes. The road of Monroe, from pinup model to iconic actress, highlights the struggles she had on her way to establishing herself in the film industry. Although undoubtedly talented and possessed a breathy voice that was so appealing to the audience, Monroe is inseparable from the “sex symbol” image (Singh, 2022). In addition, the exploitation started with the revelation of scanty nude photoshoots that were found by the studio, which, instead of fully appreciating her several talents, only saw Monroe in stereotypes of “dumb blonde” characters and sex appeal roles.
Actresses who portray objectified women are not only being abused onscreen. However, this is one big issue that accompanies them in their real lives, something Monroe grappled with throughout her life. Singh (2022) also pointed out Monroe’s insecurity and depression due to the pressure of behaving based on societal norms that made women appear as sexy beings. Nevertheless, the sale of such a picture through various media, such as commodifying and marketing her face on products, has led to the perception that she is simply something created by American celebrity culture. This commercialization of body image affects the actress as a person while also not letting them escape from stereotypical roles and different opportunities in entertainment.
New films claiming to be feminist versions of Marilyn Monroe, such as “Blonde” (2022), continue the myths and harmful stereotypes surrounding her. The movie by Andrew Dominic gives Monroe a look of helplessness, showcasing that this woman was defined by what men want. In addition, the movie contains explicit and unrealistic graphic scenes that make Monroe an object of male desire without paying much attention to her agency or strength as a woman (Singh, 2022). The film’s approach, in not focusing on Monroe’s skills, her desires, and fulfillment from the job, all show that this is a form of mockery by how actresses are used for roles in which they portray objectified women. Nonetheless, this can hurt their legacy because it only serves as an act to propagate sexist stereotypes.
The Need to Stop Sexualization
There is a pressing need to put an end to sexualizing women in media, following what was outlined recently by the release of the “Blonde” film, exploiting Marilyn Monroe’s character rather than celebrating her life and work. Such descriptions do not influence only the individual but also both men and women. Undoubtedly, Monroe’s turbulent life, marred with family problems and violent relationships and being continually regarded as an object of scrutiny because of her body, made it evident what stress a woman had to bear (Ella, 2023).
However, there are consequences beyond their appearance and position in the cultural community. Problematic situations that many real-world women deal with are also represented by Monroe’s stories about sexual assault, abusive relationships she was in, and hungry fans objectifying her. This film, in effect, contributes to regressive gender norms that limit the diversity of roles on offer for women in media by portraying Monroe as a victim without ever mentioning her agency, intelligence, and multifaceted talents.
Moreover, the trend of sexualizing women’s image further affects men in how they perceive and expect women. The explicit themes and animalistic gaze portrayed in “Blonde” promote toxic masculinity and distort the idea of women’s complications (Ella, 2023). However, this is even a significant challenge as it leads to negative interpersonal relationships, upholding destructive gender structures.
Nonetheless, pushing for more realistic and respectful ways of representing women in the media is necessary to break down these detrimental attitudes (Singh, 2022). In addition, it is beneficial for both genders to portray women in the media who are not defined solely by their relationships with men or biological roles, but who share talents and skills. Yet, Monroe’s legacy should prompt a departure from the exploitative use of her image and a cultural shift towards recognizing women for their entirety rather than promoting harmful stereotypes of them.
Conclusion
The essence of Marilyn Monroe’s sexualization in mass media and its implications for society at large are discussed in this essay. In this regard, it claims that Monroe appeared as a sex icon in movies and other mass media, which helped to define the standards of beauty for men by objectifying women. Meanwhile, this representation preserved traditional gender roles.
Furthermore, there is a need to comprehend how Monroe’s sexualization leads to an increase in women’s insecurities and solidifies patriarchal beauty standards; it essentially outlines what society requires from its females. Therefore, a considerable lesson has been learned from this analysis to put an end to the practice of sexualizing women in media so that society can accept women for who they are and not be used as instruments of marketing unhealthy stereotypes.
References
Bogutskaya, A. (2022). Why Marilyn Monroe is the world’s most misunderstood icon. BBC News.
Ella, Y. (2023). Men, please stop exploiting Marilyn Monroe! Scribe Magazine.
Englund, L. (2023). Celebrity myth-making: From Marilyn M. to Kim K. Celebrity Studies, 1–15.
Harrison, R. (2023). Mabel, Marilyn, and me: Writing about Mabel Normand as a feminist film historian. Early Popular Visual Culture, 21(1), 152–172.
James, H. (2021). The sexualization of Marilyn Monroe: Her life and mysterious death. Medium.
Rosaria, M., & Wijaya, A. (2023). Bimbofication to empower: Representation of hyperfemininity on TIKTOK. SUSASTRA: Jurnal Ilmu Susastra Dan Budaya, 11(1), 53–66.
Singh, T. (2022). Netflix’s “blonde” reinforces Marilyn Monroe as a sex-symbol without deconstructing the gaze. Feminism in India.
Soni, P. (2020). The portrayal of women in advertising. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research, 10(4), 20–29.
Wagner, J. M. (2022). Empowerment narratives, Marilyn Monroe, and “diamonds are a girl’s best friend”: A survey. Feminist Media Studies, 23(7), 3483–3497.