Was Marilyn Monroe really a victim of the patriarchy?
Marilyn..Diana..just another victim?
In one of my favourite books, The Case Against The Sexual Revolution, the author starts by giving a summary of the late movie icon, Marilyn Monroe. Louise Perry writes about the life of Marilyn and that when she died, her body was a mess because of multiple abortions and substance abuse. To paraphrase Louise’s words, even in death, Marilyn could not be left alone by men. The former Playboy founder Hugh Hefner whose magazine featured many nude and topless photo shoots of women, including Marilyn, ensured that he would be buried next to her body.
Louise also makes the point of comparing Marilyn Monroe with another famous blonde, Britney Spears. She writes,
“Spears has since suffered a protracted and very public nervous breakdown, just like the countless other Monroes – some of whom we will meet over the course of this book – who have been destroyed in much the same way as the original icon.”
Including the 2022 movie about Marilyn Monroe, Blonde starring Ana de Armas, the narrative remains that Marilyn was a victim of the patriarchy and men’s exploitation of women. It is alleged that Marilyn, the movie star with a wide smile and an angelic yet ensnaring presence, had too much sexual appeal. Predatory men just couldn’t keep away from her and couldn’t not exploit her.
The narrative is pretty similar with regard to Britney Spears, in that she too was exploited and from a young age. Britney soon became a sex symbol but one who lost her stereotypical Hollywood looks and suffered a mental breakdown. The always infamous Madonna sang about the perils of Hollywood, “How could it hurt you when it looks so good?” So, the conclusion is that Hollywood hurt Marilyn and the music industry hurt Britney. Specially, male predators in Hollywood and music hurt these two poor women.
My push back on this narrative comes from a criticism of female victim mentality. How helpless was Marilyn actually? How helpless was Britney? I am not invalidating their experiences and I’m aware that those attracted to powerful managerial positions in many industries are bullies and that there have been countless documentaries about predators working with children and young stars.
My question about Marilyn is not new as many criticised the movie, Blonde, for focusing on the narrative of Marilyn as a victim. That she was vivacious and bright was not focused on enough. It is also worth noting that how we talk about female stars differs to male stars. The late actor James Dean could just as easily be portrayed as a victim but compared to Marilyn Monroe, he was seen more as someone burned by the industry and who suffered from his own nature. How about Marilyn? Was she constantly chased after by men or did she like “Jimmy” Dean also create a persona that appealed to a specific audience?
Those who commit crimes must be held accountable and there is a justice system for that, but we often conflate inappropriate behaviour with criminal activity. In doing so we also infantilise women and diminish their autonomy. Marilyn Monroe cultivated her image and went into the industry against the rumours she’d heard about casting directors. She also chose her relationships, including one with the former American President, JF Kennedy. As unfashionable as it is to say, Marilyn did what many women still participate in; transactional exchanges, using beauty and status to gain access to power and fame. That Marilyn got burned is not to say that she must be remembered as a victim. One can have sympathy for her and also not disempower her.
Louise Perry, who wrote briefly about Marilyn Monroe in her book, The Case Against The Sexual Revolution is an intelligent and formidable woman. I have no interest in, “debunking,” her work but I have to agree with a criticism I’ve heard. Louise does revisit history through a significantly feminist lens. I am here for the counterpoint to that, as provided by other academics like Janice Fiamengo and at times, Camille Paglia.
I still say that The Case Against The Sexual Revolution is one of my favourite books because it is beautifully written and is a much needed tonic to modern attitudes. Louise argues for women to take responsibility for themselves, to not deny our biology and differences to men. Women aren’t inferior, we just tend to have different priorities and mindsets.
Rather than disempowering women by focusing on a patriarchy and telling our daughters that they must constantly defend themselves against males, it is a lot healthier and nuanced to know that we all, male and female, make foolish errors and even reckless mistakes. The power lies in learning from them and where appropriate being held accountable for them. Marilyn Monroe made her choices and mistakes. She also got burned as did many adult women, wrongly seen as victims of the patriarchy.
https://time.com/4962361/hugh-hefner-marilyn-monore-grave/
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/59852733
https://news.yahoo.com/photos/britney-s-pre-conservatorship-breakdown-1347479172-slideshow.html
https://genius.com/Madonna-hollywood-lyrics
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Dean