Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin were two charismatic figures of popular entertainment whose images, biographies, and associations still resonate with audiences today. Monroe and Chaplin appealed to millions of fans and admirers with their charm, attractiveness, and magnetism. However, these projected auras were not completely natural, but rather constructions of semi-mythic personae by the charismatic and exploited through the media. The nature of their charismatic appeal can be understood in the context of a creative response to traumatic childhood experiences. Both Monroe and Chaplin endured instable childhoods, which created a weakness within them. They struggled to overcome these weaknesses by transforming them into creative motivations; they used the media as a creative outlet to reconstruct their identities. Not having belonged to a secure home, Monroe and Chaplin found a sense of belonging in the public, becoming public beings; thereby, they created a ‘prosthetic relationship’ through which they hoped to replace the void in their lives with the love that they never received in private life. In forming a union with a mass audience, Monroe and Chaplin bandaged their previous feelings of neglect with the public’s love and admiration. Evidently, the aura of public availability that surrounded each star, which they cultivated, formed the foundation of their charismatic appeal.
Marilyn Monroe: The Sex Goddess
With an unparalleled radiance that mesmerized the world, Marilyn Monroe was the quintessence of Hollywood glamour. Marilyn Monroe was a nonconformist woman in a conformist era; whose star-image portrayed the ideas of sexuality and morality of her time. The first indication of Monroe’s charisma and of her later scre...
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They did not challenge gender norms or ideals. Nor did they aim to usurp the position of the man. Rather, they supported the overarching mentality that women were to be submissive, strive to fulfill the needs and wants of men, and aim to please their male counterparts. (Kallen) Importantly, none of these women or representations of women exhibited any physical attributes that the dominant culture would view as masculine. Instead, they all displayed quintessential feminine characteristics and traits. Moreover, they were not valued for their brains or accomplishments; they were judged solely based on the degree to which they conformed to the male-dictated status quo. Marilyn Monroe and other sex icons of the 1950s were portrayed as dim-witted, naïve, childlike, and vulnerable, which was the polar opposite of society’s picture of the strong, smart, witty, and brave male. There was nothing about these women that challenged male superiority or threatened the overarching worldview that it was a ‘man’s world’ and women’s purpose was to make this world more enjoyable for the men who ruled it. (Meyerowitz
When comparing Helen of (Sparta) Troy and Marilyn Monroe they have many parallels and differences. Mutually both of these women had a coarse childhood with many hardships. Both women had a turning point when they did something that caused people to change their opinion of them. Helen and Monroe’s Beauty has luminously inspired artist for decades. When comparing Helen of troy and Marilyn Monroe, one can see many similarities between both historic individuals.
Arthur Miller’s experiences with women are depicted through their roles in his plays. He is quoted as saying “I like the company of women. Life is boring without them”. This is fitting because he married one of the most interesting women in American history. Marilyn Monroe is a notorious sex symbol because she was objectified during her time as an actress. Her blond hair and pretty face easil...
Marilyn Monroe was liked by many, society liked her for the sheer fact that she never portrayed herself as famous, but as a human. She was the epiphany of Hollywoods misguided. She created this noble character that people admired, they also admired her f...
Humanity has been allured by extraordinary beauty for centuries. Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, is a perfect example. This enchanting mythical figure wore a girdle with magical powers: forcing anyone to be in her presence to immediately fall in love with her. Though married to the blacksmith god Hephaestus, Aphrodite was known to have many affairs with both other gods and humans. Like Aphrodite, Marilyn Monroe seemed to enchant people wherever she went. The stunning blonde never settled down, and had affairs with multiple men. Sam Shaw, iconic Hollywood photographer, described her as, “’...always joyful, witty, fun loving and serious about acting—with a terrific desire to learn, to know about the arts, the theater, her craft, to read good books, to read poetry and to try to reach the ecstasy of poetic thoughts’” (French). Amazingly, both Aphrodite and Marilyn Monroe are major sex symbols, were quite unsure of their biological fathers, and had love relations with a pair of brothers.
The image has a huge effect in society. A celebrity’s image can characterize, shape and circulate societal myths in Hollywood. Marilyn Monroe was an American actress, singer, and model. People think her figure and beauty make her become a popular icon and sex symbol in the 1950s. When people talk about the name of Marilyn Monroe, a blonde beautiful sexy female's image will appear in people's minds. What has the beauty standard shown us through Marilyn Monroe in the mid-20th century? Besides the beauty what other things did she need in order for her to be famous at that time? Marilyn Monroe's status as a sex symbol has influenced many artists since her time, even though the beauty standard has been different since then. If we look at the celebrities today, we can find many imitators of Marilyn Monroe: Madonna, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and even Lady Gaga. They do this not only because of marketing and media needs, but also because people today still “worship” the image Monroe created. A half-century has passed since Marilyn Monroe's death, so why is she still relevant today? As time has passed, Marilyn Monroe's image is becoming even more meaningful and valuable. Think about the image she has created, the main point I want to study is: how does a woman who passed away at thirty-six years old, after starring in only a handful of movies, has such on the impact on women, especially young women, in the 21st century? To find the answer of how she has an impact on young women today will also show how some of the young celebrities today became successful.
"Lights! Camera! Action!", the dramatic yet traditional prompt we associate with Hollywood and the pictures. Hollywood appears to be this extraordinary glamorous world, but in reality is it? Many people dream of being in the limelight of Hollywood; where there is an endless amount of money, power, and fame. We fail to see what's behind fame; the dark, twisted, and ugly truths hiding within those very words. Billy Wilder explores and divulges the dark yet unknown harsh realities of fame, following Hollywood's transition from silent pictures to talkies; with his film Sunset Boulevard.
At the end of this attachment, Charlie the comedian started a career in Vaudeville which lastly took him to the United States in 1910 as a special player with the Fred Karno reverse company. Charlie recorded a directly hit with the American audience, essentially with his characterization in a sketch named: “A Night in an English Music Hall” when Karno Squad returned to the United States in the fall of 1912 a “recur tour”, Chaplin was offered a work contract where he finally agreed to appear before the cameras at the end of “Vaudeville” commitments in November 1913. Charlie entered the cinema world and he joined Mack Sennett and the Keystone Film Company where he signed a contract to work in comic movies for $150 per week. This was the beginning for Charley, when he first arrived at keystone and the movie-producing companies started to improve a star system at helping to attract a larger crowd. After all these changes of the marketing movies, he became within a half companionship one of the most famous and rich cinema’s movies star.
After the "Little Tramp," Chaplins next big project was a movie that ridiculed the government of Hitler and Mussolini. Ironically, in 1940 Chaplin produced, directed, and acted in his film, The Great Dictator. During the release of the film the world was at war and peace within one a other was no where to be found, Chaplin took a stand and said "I want to see the return of decency and kindness… I'm just a human being who wants to see this country a real democracy” ("Charlie Chaplin Bio..."). During a time where America was run by fear and uncertainty, Chaplin managed to shed light on the issues and speak for the entire
As a young child, Marilyn had trouble making friends her age. The only friend she had was her dog Tippy. Everyday Tippy would eagerly await her arrival. One day when, Tippy is killed from an accident, Marilyn was startled by his death. This traumatic event affected her so much that she was inconsolable for weeks. This could have lead to Maslow’s safety need for protection. Individuals motivated by this need, include physical security, stability, dependency, protection and freedom from threatening forces (Feist & Feist, 2009). Young Marilyn believed Tippy was murdered by the neighbors, and now they are after her too. Her guardian at the time, found this to be disturbing (Taraborrelli, 2010). This explains why she was always seeking protection and needed to depend on others. This was the beginning of her anxiety. This explains why she was always seeking dependency from others.
At this time Chaplin had become a phenomenon, all of which manifesting from his “Charlie persona” that was beginning to spread throughout America like wild fire, even advertisers began to use Chaplin’s character to sell toys, and create cartoon
The Reasons Why Many People in the Late 20th Century are so Attracted to Celebrities
When a critic examines the silent films of Charles Chaplin a question that arises is whether the comedy he portrayed is a mockery of political and current issues, or a means to bring laughter to viewers. Silent films generated different emotions and thoughts since a spectator was simply watching actions rather than hearing an explanation through words. Information was cleverly construed this way and however the critic analyzed the information presented was an individual responsibility. In fact, Charles Chaplin once said, "..it is not the reality that matters in a film but what the imagination can make of if," to a young critic.[1]
Is the name Norma Jean Baker familiar? Maybe, but due to a suggestion Ben Lyon provided, the name Marilyn Monroe is sure to gain recognition as the 1940’s thespian (Encyclopedia of World Biography). Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jean Baker and grew up to become the sex icon Marilyn Monroe, a singer, actress, and comedienne. She is remembered mainly for her talents and her nude photos from the 1940’s, which helped her to become an icon. One article states, “Legendary film actress Marilyn Monroe will be remembered for her sensuous beauty, her acting talent, and her psychological torment” (DISCovering Biography). Along with her talent she was also known for her declining mental state. She eventually died due to a barbiturate overdose, not too
Charlie Chaplin, who was born Charles Spencer Chaplin on April 16, 1889, London, England, and died on December 25, 1977, Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland, was a British comedian, producer, writer, director, and composer. Chaplin is widely regarded as the greatest comic artist of the screen, and also one of the most important figures in the motion-picture history.