Marilyn Monroe is known to everyone as one of the most beautiful women in the world and the ultimate sex symbol. She lived her life in the spotlight, trying to be everyone woman’s jealousy and every man’s fantasy. “Norma Jean Mortenson began modeling in 1944 when she was only 18 years old and in 1946 signed a sort-term contract with 20th Century Fox where she was then given her screen name Marilyn Monroe. She appeared in numerous films from 1946 until around 1961 when she was diagnosed with depression. She lived a rather erotic life and fell in and out of love often” (Marilyn). She spent a great deal of her life in the in the public eye where everyone either criticized or admired her. She was known as the actress who would often show up to …show more content…
It is a very difficult life living in the public eye. Paparazzi constantly following you trying to get the details of your private life, news reporters telling lies about you to get a story, everyone constantly watching and judging every move you make, all of these are the reason why some people either try and cope with the difficulties with alcohol or drugs or end their lives because they can’t take it anymore. “Marilyn Monroe was seen as a sex symbol, which is why she never really felt loved. She was married and divorced numerous times and there were several rumors about her having affairs with men” (Marilyn). All of the pressure of being the perfect sexual bombshell caused her to have severe depression which then caused her to commit suicide. “Trying to live up to this image killed her,” one woman told CBS 2’s Roseanne Tellez. “I don’t know what message they are trying to convey with the statue but I would have liked to see a more serious image of a woman instead of with her skirt blowing and everyone looking up her dress” (Marilyn Monroe Sculpture). The “Forever Marilyn” statue shows Monroe as the sex symbol that the world saw her as, the exact reason that lead to her depression. If Johnson would have made the statue smaller so tourists couldn’t look up her dress than it might be alright, but the fact that the world can look up her skirt …show more content…
Taking pictures with a statue and admiring the art is one thing, but when its Marilyn Monroe and you can look up her dress, the nature of the pictures become a lot more provocative. “An observational study was done on labor day weekend to see how different ages, genders, and people reacted to the statue. The observational team watched tourist interact with the art work and recorded the results. Some men stood directly behind Marilyn’s right leg with their hands cupped pretending to hold up her rear end. Another man stood in front of her with hands cupped pretending to hold her breasts. Some men kissed her leg. So did some boys. Several women posed leaning against her legs some even looking up her dress, children were seen climbing on her high heels and grasping her legs, even wedding parties stopped to have a photo session with Johnson’s work” (Anthony). “Over the labor day weekend the observational team also interviewed about 216 individuals on what their reaction to the sculpture was, whether they loved it or hated it. The team concluded that about 33.8% of those interviewed said they absolutely hate the statue. Of those 33.8% of people who said they hated it, 39% were woman and 25% were men. They also discovered that the age group that seemed to be offended the most by the statue were between the ages