Happy Marilyn May!

Hello there Kittens!

When I came up with the concept of Audrey April last month, I had intended it to be part of a set.  I thought that Audrey April would precede Marilyn May quite nicely.  I started Audrey April late, so of course, Marilyn May is getting off to a rather late start as well.  C'est la vie!  I really enjoyed Audrey April (the third film post is still forthcoming) as it gave me an excuse to watch films that I had always meant to see, but simply never got around to.  I am hoping that Marilyn May to be very much the same in that respect!

If you didn't see the Audrey April post, you may not be familiar with the theory that inspired this concept - that brunettes are drawn to Audrey Hepburn while blondes are drawn to Marilyn Monroe.  It's a theory that my friend Bridget haphazardly mentioned in conversation once and it prompted me to think about these two very iconic ladies.  I realized that I really wasn't nearly as familiar with their films as I thought I should be, so the concept of Audrey April and Marilyn May were born.  Since we have two months starting with the letter A and two months starting with the letter M, perhaps we'll be spending even more time with these ladies than I'd originally intended.  I'm just going to see how things go, but, personally, I'd be more than fine with it.

So, Marilyn...Oh Marilyn.  I've always been drawn to her.  Beyond the fact that she's the most iconic blonde in history (which admittedly makes me a bit biased), there's the fact that she has been the feminine ideal for more than a few generations.  Sex symbol, sure, but what people remember her for is not the fact that she was in the very first issue of Playboy, but the fact that she entranced the world.  She was known for her perfect coiffe and her knockout figure and the breathy way she would speak.  This is the image that most people probably have of Marilyn.

photo credit

Personally, I cannot think of Marilyn and not think of the vulnerability and sadness that lay just beneath the surface.  She had a hard life, was a tragic figure, but still had an innocence about her.  The whole world worshipped her, but all she wanted was to be loved.  At any cost.  And that was ultimately her downfall.

Sadly, Marilyn Monroe was, and remains, largely pigeon-holed as a dumb blonde sex symbol.  While she undeniably had a great deal of sexual magnetism, she was so much more.  Her strength, ambition, and talent have been overshadowed by the image of her in a wiggle dress.  So, I'd like for you to come along with me in discovering her films.  The American Film Institute gave her the sixth spot on the ladies' side of the Top 50 Greatest Film Legends List and we're going to let her films tell us why!

Over this long weekend, why not spend some time with Marilyn?  I've scheduled a bit of Marilyn downtime for myself and I'm very much looking forward to it!

XOXO!!