marilyn monroe
...t the camera loved. She was the most photographed motion picture star... and she loved being photographed. A thorough professional, she thought of herself in the third person and studied her image with objectivity -- knowing precisely what pose and which expression transformed Norma Jean into the luminous presence that was Marilyn Monroe. Her image imprints itself in a person's mind like a trademark: the name Marilyn Monroe becomes a proper noun and is categorized to the same group with Donald Duck and Coca Cola. Marilyn Monroe's popularity is international, but is based on her pure American features. With her full figure, “pepsodent” smile and shiny blonde curls she is the embodiment of the All-American Dreamgirl. These features are the elements of the American Dream: wealth, abundance, freedom, open-mindedness, fertility, happiness and endless opportunities. Very soon after Marilyn's death, the sexual revolution and the women's movement gave a new pespective on her. In the late 1960s, Hollywood and the rest of society began adopting a more open attitude toward sex. Everybody became more like Marilyn had seemed to be. Overnight, virtually all of Mari...