The Magnifique Podcast
Hi guys! Welcome to Magnifique, your favorite fashion lovers podcast.
My names Gabrielle and I’m a fashion industry newb, though I’ve loved playing dress up for as long as I can remember. The fashion industry is an intimidating space, filled with elitist know-it-alls, it's hard to feel invited to learn about the rich history behind modern-day fashion.
I started this podcast because time after time, I've tried to find podcasts to learn more about hmm: how Gilded Age fashion influences modern-day attire, or Marc Jacobs being the reason for Louis Vuittons ready-to-wear line, OR how Levi Strauss pioneered Western Denim…and I'm met with a graveyard of results. I can't find anything! So I guess if I want something in this niche, I must do it myself. I invite you to join me as I expand my knowledge of the fashion space. Together we'll kinda be geniuses of fashion.
The Magnifique Podcast
Episode 19 - Inside the Life and Legacy of Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe, a name synonymous with glamour and allure, was a woman of extraordinary resilience and complexity. Ever wondered about the real story behind the icon? On this episode of Magnifique, we promise to uncover the intricate layers of Marilyn's life—from her tough upbringing as Norma Jean Mortensen in foster care to her tumultuous relationships and her influence on fashion and culture.
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Hi, divas, and welcome to Magnifique, your favorite fashion history podcast. I'm your host, gabrielle, and today we do a little deep dive on Marilyn Monroe. She is an old Hollywood icon whose influence is cemented in modern-day glamour. This topic specifically called out to me because I had concepts of who Marilyn Monroe was. You know, a blonde bombshell who ruled Hollywood and is known for her speculated affair with JFK. But who is she? Who's this girl, who's this woman? I'd like to know. And what about her for structured the beauty standard?
Speaker 1:Now, initially I just came here to learn about her influence, while maybe picking up a few things along the way about her personal life, um, but throughout my research I have grown very fond of marilyn and I cried a couple of times. Uh. So to understand her power, we must first understand her and where she came from. So we're going to be doing a deep dive. Trick or warning, we will be lightly glazing past her relationships with men, purely because it is the least interesting part about her. Yet every single piece of media that I consumed loved to harp and harp and harp on the details. So obviously we'll absorb details where necessary, but feel free to use my provided sources to learn more about her interpersonal relationships. Marilyn Monroe is a fighter, a dreamer and an inspiration. She fought through countless trials and tribulations for her life to come to an abrupt ending in her Brentwood, california home. So let's deep dive and start to understand why she's still so influential 61 years later.
Speaker 1:So Norma Jean Mortensen was born in Los Angeles, california, on June 1st 1926. The identity of her father remains undetermined, but her mother, gladys Baker, was a film cutter at RKO Studios. She had some psychological problems that prevented her from keeping the job. One memory that Marilyn would maintain and speak on is that her earliest memory of her mother was her trying to smother her in her crib with a pillow. So that is so awesome and not tragic at all. Norma Jean was later baptized as Norma Jean Baker and in high school she dropped the E from her middle name and just lost her last name altogether. So she's now Norma Jean.
Speaker 1:Norma Jean's mother was confined in an asylum for most of her life. Therefore, norma spent most of her childhood in foster care and homes and orphanages until 1937. This is when she moved in with a family friend, grace McKee Goddard, who's paid $25 a week by Marilyn's mother. This family was deeply religious and followed fundamentalist doctrines which meant prohibited activities for Ms Norma Jean. She wasn't allowed to go to the movies, although she adored the movies. A quote says that before bedtime she would stare wistfully out the window at the tall RKO studio signs just two blocks away and think my mother used to work there. Someday I'll be a star there. And that quote was from the author of Marilyn in Fashion.
Speaker 1:A later archive diary entry surfaced that exposed her feelings toward acting and it said on the stage I will not be punished for it or be whipped, or be threatened or not loved, or be whipped or be threatened or not loved or be sent to hell to burn with bad people feeling that I am also bad, so acting. Going back to Grace McKee Goddard, she and her husband were transferred to the East Coast in 1942 because her husband got a job on the East Coast and they couldn't afford to take a 16-year-old. So trouble for Miss Marilyn. One tidbit that I wasn't too sure where to put because it's kind of like all over the place, but she was reared by 12 successful sets of foster parents during her childhood and during this time it was recorded with varying timestamps that Monroe experienced horrible living standards with these foster homes. She endured sexual assault on various occasions, later saying that she had been raped when she was 11 years old and then dropped out of school when she was 15 years old. So trials and tribulations from the beginning, from jump. Post-goddard family.
Speaker 1:Monroe only had two paths for the future return to the system or get married. Which one did she choose, guys? Which one did she choose, guys? Which one did she choose? She chose to get married. On June 19th 1942, she married her 21 year old neighbor, jimmy Doherty, whom she'd been dating for six months. For some reason, I feel like June 19th is like a special day. I don't. Oh, it is, it is, it's Juneteenth. Okay, I'm here, I'm with it.
Speaker 1:So Jimmy suggested that he could marry Monroe so that she wasn't sent to an orphanage or another foster home, citing she was sweet, generous and a religious girl. Jimmy said she liked to be cuddled. I'm not loving that he's 21 and she's 16, but it was different times. It was different times. I'm not loving that he's 21 and she's 16, but it was different times. It was different times.
Speaker 1:By all accounts, norma Jean loved Jimmy and they were happy together until he joined the merchant marines. From her diary archive she says I was greatly attracted to him as one of the few men I had no sexual repulsion for, besides which, it gave me a false sense of security to feel that he was endowed with more overwhelming qualities which I did not possess. On paper it all began to sound terribly logical, but the secret midnight meetings, the fugitive glance stolen in others' company, of the sharing of the ocean, moon and stars in an air of loneliness made it a romantic adventure which a young, rather shy girl who didn't always give that impression because her desire to belong and develop, can thrive on. I had always felt a need to live up to that expectation of my elders. Okay, queen, that was awful During Marilyn's life. She speaks on the memory of that marriage and it revolves around the fear that Doherty preferred a former girlfriend, possibly Doris Ingram, a Santa Barbara beauty queen, which did trigger Marilyn's sense of unworthiness.
Speaker 1:After Jimmy left for the Merchant Marines, norma Jean took a job on the assembly line at the Radio Plane Munitions Factory in Burbank At the age of 19,. Monroe was working for $35 a week, pop off, and she was spotted by photographer David Conover. The photographer spent weeks snapping photos of Norma Jean, helping launch her career in that aspect. He's quoted, saying she's a photographer's dream. Within two years she was a reputable model with many popular magazine covers to her credit. And during this time pre-Jimmy's return she began studying the work of legendary actresses Jean Harlow and Lana Turner and enrolled in drama classes. With dreams of stardom. She's living her dream and when Jimmy came back in 1946, it meant Norma Jean had to choose. She had to choose marriage or her career, and this is the 40s. So what do you think she chose? Moment of silence for the Jeopardy music. What do you think she chose? She chose her career.
Speaker 1:Monroe's career began to take off and she sought a quickie divorce with Jimmy in June of 1946 and signed her first studio contract with 20th Century Fox on August 26, 1946, earning $125 a week. Now, with this she also got a stylist. Emmeline Snively of the Blue Book Agency became her first stylist. Now Emmeline is considered the mother of beauty post-World War II. She taught her clients how to walk and talk and even sent them to get new hair or plastic surgery. Get new hair or plastic surgery, whatever they needed to fit post-war glamour. She was also overseeing Jane Mainsfield, if you know her.
Speaker 1:Emmeline realized that Norma Jean had a bigger opportunity at hand than just some small-time modeling. She helped her refine her image so that we could all come to love Miss Marilyn Monroe. So Norma Jean dyed her brown hair blonde and changed her name again, calling herself Marilyn Monroe. Monroe was her grandmother's last name and, little fun fact, did you know that the signature blonde that Miss Marilyn is known for is called Pillowcase White, and she had root touch-ups every three weeks? Sources say that she used Q-tips with a peroxide solution to be as precise as possible on the roots.
Speaker 1:During her early days she was also nude photographed on a calendar which brought her the role in film Scooter who, scooter hey, in 1948, which followed other minor roles. But because of her nude photograph shoot she got a lot of pushback and criticism from the public. It was 1946. Sorry, 1948. What did you expect? But she deflected this criticism by saying she had to take the job. I was hungry, she said, and the public forgave her as they should.
Speaker 1:During this time she was met with a string of forgettable roles, but landing a spot in John Huston's thriller the Asphalt Jungle of 1950. Now this is a sign to follow your dreams, ladies. If you have to choose between a man and your dreams, always the dream. Hopefully your man is the dream so you can follow both. Anyway, during the prim 50s, monroe's bombshell image was honestly a bit repulsive and offensive to some women who viewed her breathy voice, skimpy outfits and blatant sexuality as improper. But she was feeding to the male gaze. She was doing what had to be done. She was an employee and she was going to get her check. She was an employee and she was going to get her check.
Speaker 1:In 1953, she wins the award for best new actress of Photo Play magazine. And this was at 27 years old. And she was undeniably the best love blonde bombshell in Hollywood. She was seen in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and how to Marry a Millionaire, both released in 1953. And I'll say it, I'll say it 1953, she was popping off. She was an A-list celebrity of Hollywood. She was Hollywood. Going back to Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, you may recognize Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, the Fuchsia Pink dress soaked in diamond jewels. This is also the role that she propelled the dumb blonde trope in Hollywood. So here we are, january 14th 1954.
Speaker 1:Marilyn Monroe marries baseball superstar Joe DiMaggio at San Francisco's City Hall. They had been a couple for two years after Joe asked his agent to arrange a dinner date. The attendance for the ceremony was enormous. It was a star-studded event, apparently, but turmoil DiMaggio was notoriously uncomfortable with his new wife's sexy public image and her wild popularity. During their Tokyo honeymoon, marilyn took the time to perform for the servicemen stationed in Korea. Her presence caused a near-riot among the boys, their men. But Joe was uncomfortable with thousands of men ogling at his new bride. Hey, fair enough. But also it's Marilyn Monroe.
Speaker 1:Marilyn's fame and sexual image became a theme that haunted their merit. And nine months later, on October 27th 1954, marilyn and Joe got a divorce, and it was attributed to conflict of careers. Details of the true breaking point is unknown, but they were just going separate paths. It's giving, he's jealous of her. If you can't handle a baddie, don't marry a baddie. It's here, it's now, it's true. But post-Maryland's death, dimaggio famously had red roses delivered to her crypt for the next 20 years. Also speaking of her death, no, I'll get hurt. To her death when she dies, hold on.
Speaker 1:In 1955, post-divorce, she was ready to shed her shallow blonde image. Two-time divorcee it's time to have a little rebrand. So in the mid-1950s, marilyn Monroe grew tired of the dumb blonde trope and she sought to elevate her acting career. So she moves to New York City to study under the renowned acting teacher, lee Strasberg, at the Actors Studio. Despite her fame, monroe was a humble student. She also slipped into class unnoticed, hiding her hair her iconic hair and trying to avoid any necessary attention. She was known for her soft-spoken nature and reluctance to draw attention to herself. After Monroe's death, her personal belongings, including her archive of honestly everything but her diary entries, were left to Lee Strasberg. And then, when Lee Strasberg died in 1982, leaving his third wife in charge of her Maryland's archives. So in 1999, miss Girl sold them for $13.4 million, and the main beneficiary of this money is the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute. But let's talk about why he earned that right.
Speaker 1:Under Strasberg's guidance, monroe delved into method acting, a technique that emphasized emotional recall and personal experience. This training, combined with Strasberg's mentorship, transformed Monroe into a more serious and respected actress. Strasberg's influence on Monroe was so significant. He provided both support and a certain level of control, shaping her career and personal life. Their relationship was complex, marked by both admiration and dependency. So, moving on, he was kind of like a parental figure to her. But 1956, marilyn starts her own motion picture company, marilyn Monroe Productions, and they produced Bus Stop and the Prince and the Showgirls. The two films allowed her to demonstrate her new talents and versatility as an actress. That helped her land some more serious roles but further recognition for 1959's Some Like it Hot, winning a Golden Globe for Best Actress in Comedy. So she's really showing her versatility. Now We've got another marriage on our hands. June 29th 1956, marilyn Wedds.
Speaker 1:Playwright Arthur Miller you may recognize him from the Crucible Maybe. Friends reported that Arthur made her feel giddy, made her feel like a schoolgirl. Now I have beef with this relationship because it makes me cry and I'm emotional and I'm so sad for her. Now I have beef with this relationship because it makes me cry and I'm emotional and I'm so sad for her. And if I start crying again it's not my fault, it's the patriarchy's fault. So Marilyn and Arthur meet for the first time in 1950 at a party and later began exchanging sneaky little letters. They met when Monroe moved to New York in 1955 and began an affair while she was still married to DiMaggio Um, but which is not good, but um. They wed in a civil ceremony on June 29th. After having Marilyn converted to Judaism Two days later, lee Strasberg acted as her father, giving the bride away in an intimate Jewish ceremony.
Speaker 1:A diary prompt from her archive about her feelings toward Arthur reads she loves this man, but he is the only person that I trust as much as myself because I do trust myself, I do fully. She loves this man. Think about that. Hold that. Hold that thought she loves this man so much.
Speaker 1:During their marriage, monroe experiences two miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy. And toward the end of the marriage, marilyn stumbled upon a diary entry of Miller's they're keeping diaries from each other and in which he complained that he was disappointed in her and sometimes even embarrassed by her in front of his friends. Now Marilyn loves this man right, and one of her greatest fears is disappointing those she loved. His betrayal confirmed what she'd been deeply terrified of. She'd been terrified to be someone's wife since I know from life, one cannot love another ever. Really. She doesn't want to just be a wife.
Speaker 1:In a diary entry from her archive after finding this, she says starting tomorrow, tomorrow I will take care of myself, for that's all I really have and, as I see it now, have ever had roxbury. I've tried to imagine spring all winter. It's here and I still feel hopeless. I think I hate it here because there is no love here anymore. So that's really sad. So that's really so, that's really sad, so that's really sad. Hey, that's really sad.
Speaker 1:Um, she just wanted to be loved. She just wanted to love her husband. She just wanted a family. She just wanted to feel safe. And he did none of that. Actually, he betrayed her and he feels embarrassed for her. He feels embarrassed by her Because she's the baddest bitch, and he feels embarrassed by her because she's the baddest bitch and he feels embarrassed for her. Cool, that's so sick, that's so awesome. It's 1960. They're still married and they begin working together on what will be their last film, the misfits. Now, arthur wrote this film and he wrote the part of rosalind tabber, especially for mar Marilyn. On November 11, 1960, marilyn and Arthur's separation was finally announced to the public. They divorced January 20, 1961. Loving that, so awesome.
Speaker 1:1962, the Golden Globes, where Marilyn was named female world film favorite, once again showing that she's not the problem. The men are, and she is dominating worldwide. However, august 4th 1962, 36-year-old Marilyn Monroe dies in her Brentwood home. I did see a few sources say August 5th, august 4th, august 5th. Perhaps it was late at night and they don't know, but she was found with an empty bottle of sleeping pills by her bed. Her death was ruled a probable suicide, and this finding was supported by the actress's history of drug use and previous suicide attempts. August 8th Marilyn's body was laid to rest in the Corridor of Memories, lot 24, out Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, california. She was buried in her green poochie dress that her housekeeper chose for her, which was the epitome of glamour. Of Marilyn's 23 movies she grossed $200 million and her fame surpassed that of any other entertainer at the time.
Speaker 1:Her early image as a dumb and seductive blonde gave way in later years to tragic figures of sensitive and insecure women unable to escape the pressures of Hollywood. Her vulnerability and sensuousness, combined with her needless death, eventually raised her to the status of an American cultural icon. Marilyn wanted to reveal her true self, and in her personal life she favored more sober ensembles. We're about to start talking about her cultural impact, but first, when she wasn't in the press, she preferred more casual yet chic styles Seen in her off-duty looks featuring high-waisted jeans and knotted blouses, has inspired many trends that marry comfort with vintage sex appeal. Fashion influencers and designers continue to draw on this aspect of her wardrobe, promoting a relaxed yet put-together style that appears to the modern woman High-waisted gingham socks and a black turtleneck, like when she's visiting her mother in the institution, or a simple sleek sheath black dress that she wears while attending Actors Studio in New York.
Speaker 1:Several photos were taken of Marilyn in her life, that's for sure, but the ones she especially liked were those of her reading. She loved to read. In another photograph she pulled, she's on a pull-out couch where she's reading poetry of Henrik Hine. Marilyn reveals a young woman for whom writing and poetry were lifelines and books were a refuge and a companion for Marilyn during bouts of insomnia. So she's just a girl. She's just a girl like you and I. And yeah, hollywood did its thing. Let's talk about her fashion influence. Yeah, hollywood did its thing. Let's talk about her fashion influence.
Speaker 1:Marilyn Monroe's influence on fashion is undeniable. Her iconic style, characterized by feminine glamour and seductive allure, continues to inspire designers and fashion enthusiasts today. In the 50s, she emerged as a global sensation. Her hourglass figure, paired with her signature blonde hair and red lips, became the epitome of feminine beauty. She revolutionized red carpet fashion, setting a high standard for elegance and glamour. You may remember the white dress, perhaps her most iconic look from the seven-year itch. Iconic look from the seven-year itch.
Speaker 1:Perhaps you know the photo of her on top of a subway, crate her dress flowing. That's that, or perhaps her sheer gown. The stunning gown that she wore to the how to Marry a Millionaire premiere showcased her ability to combine elegance and sensuality, or her everyday chic, which was her casual attire. She still exuded fashion and style. It was simple yet chic. But even her look in the Misfits helped to popularize Jean for women. So she really is that girl. I love her. So she really is that girl, I love her.
Speaker 1:But Marilyn was not only a renowned actress but also a fashion icon who pushed boundaries of elegance and style in her bold choices and glamorous appearances continue to influence trends today. She defied all royal protocol at the royal command performance by wearing a dazzling gold lame gown. This audacious fashion statement showcased her confidence and fearlessness, because she met the queen in that dress and she's still slight. She looked iconic and, honestly, she was iconic for that. You also may know her for her. Happy birthday, mr President.
Speaker 1:Dress the iconic sheer dress adorned with 2,500 hand-sewn crystals, and it remains the most famous dress in history. Perhaps you saw Ms Kim Kardashian wear it. At the 2022 Met Gala, kim Kardashian was asked what's the most American thing you can think of? And that's Marilyn. For me, the most Marilyn Monroe moment is when she's saying happy birthday, mr President, to JFK, and it was that look. So for the 2022 Met Gala, kim Kardashian wore the dress.
Speaker 1:No opinions, I'm not giving my opinion Actually. Maybe I will. I don't really have an opinion actually, I do think that she stretched out the dress and maybe damaged it. So that is so cool. That is so cool. Really love that some of her influences continue as pioneering kind of classic elegance.
Speaker 1:As I said, she opted for classic silhouettes such as form-fitting dresses with sweetheart necklines or halter dresses, halter necklines. And then her signature look, of course, the flowing blonde hair, the sultry gaze, winged eyeliner all definitions of glamour in the 50s. But she was also a woman of bold color. She loved bold color Reds, pinks, whites, anything that complemented her fair complexion and her platinum blonde hair. Of course, her pillowcase white. She also brought a sense of playful sensuality. Monroe's style was a perfect blend of elegance and playfulness. She often accessorized with statement jewelry for stoles or sunglasses, and she also used makeup as an accessory, with her red lips, again, and her winged eyeliner and her flawless skin, which she took pride in maintaining. Once again, I mention her platinum blonde curls, her pillowcase white. It was everything. It was her look. She did that and anybody who tries to go platinum blonde tries to emulate Marilyn Monroe. I don't care if you're saying no, I don't, yes, you do subconsciously.
Speaker 1:Monroe's impact on fashion and popular culture undeniable. She pioneered body positivity with her celebration of her curves and femininity, challenged traditional beauty standards of the time and paved way for the body positivity movement of modern day. Um, I don't want to say we're slipping backwards, but I fear we're slipping backwards. I see too much ED content on my TikTok and I try actively to not engage with them, but it's a sign of the times, right? Anyway, she has timeless appeal to. Her timeless style continues to inspire designers and celebrities, ie the white halter dress of the seven-year itch. It's continuously emulated and recreated. She's a cultural icon, of course.
Speaker 1:Um, marilyn monroe's image is one of the most recognizable in the world. Like I just said, if you have blonde hair, in some way you have to thank Marilyn Monroe. But her look is more than just her clothes. It was an attitude, it was an allure. It's her confidence. She radiates self-assurance, even if she is faking it till she makes it, of course. Insurance, even if she is faking it till she makes it, of course.
Speaker 1:But whether she's in a glamorous photo shoot, a stunning gown or, quite literally, in jeans and a t-shirt, she emulates, I'm gonna say it, she emulates Riz. Her amount of Riz is wild, and it's how she became so successful. That and, of course, marketing to the male gaze. But even then she was wildly popular among men and women alike. So to that I say thank you, marilyn, love you so much. I'm so sorry that you had such trouble life, but I thank you for being such a cultural icon. So that is Marilyn Monroe and how she ended up being the epitome of Hollywood glamour.
Speaker 1:Like I said, I adore Marilyn Monroe and I thank her for all of her contributions to the fashion space. I don't think, well, one body positivity would be anywhere without her, and two, I don't think we would have had Like I don't know. I feel like she really transcended what it meant to be a modern woman, and for that I leave you with that. Actually, everyone say thank you to Marilyn Monroe, and also I found out that Hugh Hefner bought the lot next to hers, which I think is really weird, because they never met each other, they only talked on the phone. So I find that to be really weird and I just hope that he never experiences joy.
Speaker 1:Okay, thanks for joining. If you prefer to read more about Marilyn Monroe, I'll give you my bibliography. To read more about Marilyn Monroe? I'll give you my bibliography Just because I found her to be super interesting and there's so much more to be uncovered, so I invite you to learn more. But thank you for listening. I hope you found something to be educational and or just enjoyable. I hope you giggled with us and maybe cried, because that was kind of sad, but I hope to see you next time. Bye, guys.
