The majority of commercials for beauty supplies or a clothing line include a beautiful, thin young woman modeling the product. As a result, teenage girls start to believe that they have to be a toothpick to be beautiful or model like. However, this was not true in the 50s. The 50s hit sensation Marilyn Monroe was considered one of the most beautiful women in that time period, yet she did not try lose weight. Marilyn Monroe was definitely one of the most influential women of the 20th century because of her views on body image, her unique fashion statements, and her impact on pop culture.
“To all the girls that think you’re fat because you’re not a size zero, you’re the beautiful one, its society who’s ugly.” This is the message Marilyn Monroe sent to the young girls of the 50s. Many of today’s celebrities admit to suffering an eating disorder at some point during their fame. Marilyn Monroe wore a size 12 dress (about a size 8 today), and there is no record of her ever having an eating disorder (Examiner). Believe it or not, young people are greatly influenced by celebrities. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), 69% of girls in grades 5 through 12 said that pictures in magazines influenced their idea of a perfect body shape. 47% of girls in these grades also said that magazine pictures make them want to look weight (ANAD). Why is this? The average model is 5’11″ and 117 pounds (Beauty Refined). Theoretically, that is considered underweight. Although Marilyn Monroe usually weighed 118 pounds, she was considered healthy because she was only 5’5”.
Marilyn Monroe made a huge impact on the fashion world. In the 50s, clothes were not very revealing. Women usually wore knee length ...
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... the song, Minaj incorporated many of Monroe’s quotes. Needless to say, Marilyn Monroe has inspired many of the stars today.
She might have not been someone as powerful as the president or as famous as the Beatles or Justin Bieber, but she made an impact just as great. Not everyone was born to be a model or movie star; not everyone has a “perfect” body. She told the world that was perfectly fine and that beauty is not about having a tiny waist. She went outside the box and did things that were not quite normal for that time period, such as wearing very revealing clothing. She is a huge part of pop culture, proven by the countless Monroe references in movies, songs, and artwork. Although she is no longer alive, what she taught the world has not died with her. This year will mark 52 years Marilyn Monroe has been gone, but her ideas and influence still surround us.
The 1960’s changed the world in an explosion of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, for the first time women and men where declaring freedom and free love. The sexual revolution of the 1960’s saw changes in the way the world saw its self, and the way we saw each other. It changed what we wanted to buy, how we bought it and how we sold it to each other. Artistic free thinkers began to push boundaries everywhere they could. This is reflected in the music of the times, the notable events and the fashion.
While beauty pageants, Barbie, and icons such as Marilyn Monroe present a more provocative and sexual image than standard 1950s sitcoms, such as Leave It to Beaver or I Love Lucy, they do still fit into a prescribed gender stereotype. Most significantly, do not challenge the overarching notion that women are to be feminine and aim to sexually please males (Meyerowitz 16). Rather, they present and support the culturally-defined understanding of the ideal woman, physically. 1950s beauty pageant contestants, Barbie, and Marilyn Monroe all embodied the ‘perfect women.’ These women, icons, and toys were voluptuous, but petite. They were small in frame, had larger breasts, full hips, and a tiny waist. Their hair was done in a very feminine style
“According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, about 70 percent of girls grades five through 12 said magazine images influence their ideals of a perfect body, a fact that’s plain to see in the online world of teenage ‘thinspiration’” (Krupnick 1). This quote explains that girls in grades five to 12 are more likely to have a lower self esteem because of the idea of a perfect body beinging spread through social media. Models enjoy sharing their work with their fans their instagram and twitter accounts, which isn’t wrong. However, sometimes the pictures they post are exposed subtly, this causes for the pictures to get under someone's skin before they notice. These models, like Kylie and Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, are idealized but billions of people and have millions of followers on social media but all they do is post pictures of them living the luxury life that everyone watches. These posts could either help influence teens to work harder or cause them to try to achieve what they want in a harmful way. Having weight and height limits will lower the self esteem of others because they put out an image that most people think they must look
To conclude, Marilyn Monroe’s character and experiences shows the great effect of one’s self-development in the advancement of an individual’s life, towards their set-goal or success. The legacy also shows how one can fall from their spotlight upon reaching it. This goes to show that self-development does not end once you reach the peak, your goal or “success” and that it is always on-going.
Marilyn Monroe created a legendary image and was one of the most beautiful women of her time. Today, Kate Upton is almost the same size and some refer to her as “fat.” The ideal image fifty years ago was much more attainable than today’s standard extremely tall and thin models. What has changed in society to make us think this way? Modeling has changed drastically from an image that was curvy and healthy to an image that is very thin and hard to achieve.
Marilyn Monroe (Monroe) was an image of fashion and beauty in the 20th century. Overcoming a traumatic childhood to become one of the most confident women. Making bold provocative, but, fashionable statements about how women should be confident about their own body image. Without the help of others, she would not have become the person she is known as today. Marilyn Monroe, a famous actress, who has influenced the rest of the world.
Marilyn Monroe, Norma Jeane Mortenson. A devious soul but a pure heart, a black past, but a bright future; she became one of the most idolized figures in society. Norma was definitely not born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and she never sugar coated her life to the media. She was straight forward which made her heavily known for her quotes such as “I learned to walk as a baby and I haven’t had a lesson since.” (Marilyn Monroe). This was the beginning to her life story as a hero. This may not seem inspiring or heroic to many by the lack of knowledge a person may have on Norma. In the depths of her quotes lay a deep, heartfelt life though. For this quote may seem sensational and comical to the ear, but Marilyn was transferred to many foster homes not really having a parent that would show her the way. What a good role model would do though, and what Norma courageously has shown society, is that when life knocks you down, get up and hit life back twice as hard. Norma Jeane Mortenson, married Jim Dougherty, and started working. Soon she created the character Marilyn Monroe, she dyed her hair blonde, wore short dresses, and she became the momentous and inspirational character that everyone saw through television, newspapers, and photos. She was one of the greatest actors, singers, and models of the nineteen forties and fifties. But like every hero they suffer and create their own demise. Jeane, Marilyn Monroe, is a shakespearean tragic hero, because like every hero she must fall.
Among the large array of sex symbols that our country has been introduced to, Marilyn Monroe has remained as the most prominent provocative figure of the twentieth century. Born Norma Jean, the aspiring movie star, singer and actress lead an evasive life, one which author Fred Lawrence Guiles demystifies in his biography Legend: The Life and Death of Marilyn Monroe. The author takes his audience through the struggles and successes that Monroe faced, beginning with her early years and up until her final years filled with havoc, and ultimately death. Guiles especially depicts Marilyn’s dependence on others, as well as her inability to be alone throughout her life and as she reaches the height of her fame during the 1950’s and 60’s. Although flawed, this portrayal offers insight into the life of a very troubled yet unique woman.
The media can impact people’s lives in many ways, whether it’s fashion, movies, literature, or hobbies. One of the impacts is how women view their bodies. Movie stars and models feel pressured to catch attention and to look good in order to have a good career in their respective field. People tend to judge how someone looks based on their body composition. The result of this “judgment” is that Hollywood is getting skinny. Since models and actresses serve as role models for people, people tend to want to look like them. The result of this seemingly harmless model of behavior is in an increase in eating disorders.
Think about the obstacles of a woman to become successful in the 1950s. I want to find an answer whether it was the media, which created Monroe’s sexy image or Monroe, whom herself used her sexy image to become famous. I am going to study the background of the time period, and learn if the current events such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Cold War, had any impact on Monroe's life, or whether Monroe herself had any influences politics in mid-20th century. I will also explore on how Monroe’s image influenced and redefined the feminism in the 21st century. I believe Marilyn Monroe was a clever, confident, and independent woman who was very brave and smart. Her spirit is what the girls in the new century needed. I also would like to study why Marilyn Monroe is still relevant and even famous in the 21st century to show the power of female charisma.
Paragraph 1- Girls can become victims of eating disorders because of society's promotion of an ideal thin female body. Models and stars shown in the fashion industry, magazines, movies, and other forms of media often appear very thin. These models are not a true reflection of the average female. Many are unnaturally thin, unhealthy or airbrushed. One former Victoria Secret model was shocked by the waiflike models that were shown on the runway during designer shows. A study referenced in the the article “Do Thin Models Warp Girls Body Image” describes how studies of girls as young as first grade think the culture is telling them to model themselves after celebrities who are svelte and beautiful. The same studies showed girls exposed to fashion magazines were most likely to suffer from poor body images. Psychologist and eating disorder experts agree the fashion industry has gone too far in showing dangerously thin images that women and young girls may try to emulate. The use of super slim models and stars, is sending the wrong message to young impressionable girls. These harsh influences lead us to think that thin is ideal body size. Seeing super thin models in the media plays a role in anorexia. Society’s promotion of a thin female body contributes to eating disorders for females striving to achieve this ideal bod...
Madonna has been a powerful woman that changed cultural, fashion, and social trends. She just may be the most iconic and influential woman the world has seen. She manipulated her position as a leading celebrity and proved women can be beautiful, sexual, and in complete control of their lives. Her opinions and attitudes on sexuality and feminism changed the way the traditional standards of beauty worked. There are no standards of beauty but what an individual finds beautiful. Madonna helped classify a modern woman as an independent and sexual being. She fought to give women more choices and freedom and become more confident about themselves. Madonna made it possible for a woman to be in complete charge of her sexuality and womanhood. Today, a woman is not defined by her beauty but by her attitude and style.
A tall, glamorous runway model is every girl’s dream. Long beautiful legs, lean body, and beautiful shiny hair is what an average young woman views as an ideal image for a female. If you don’t resemble the images of those stunning Victoria Secret models and Fashion Week models, you suddenly become ashamed of your own body. It is a great life to have with the high pay, fame, drinking champagne on a yacht with famous celebrities and even being on the Vogue cover page. Fashion Modeling Industry has been the most influential source in our young women’s lives. Young girls and young women are seen eating as little as they can, even starving themselves at times to resemble those models. What they don’t realize is that they are contributing to the 2.7 percentage of 13- 18 year olds suffering from anorexia and bulimia. Susan Albers, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic said exposure to thin models is a great trigger in maintaining an eating disorder. When watching America’s Next Top Model or flipping through a Fashion magazine, these young women don’t apprehend that those models are either naturally slim or they are suffering from an eating disorder themselves, in other words, hostages in the dark hell hid behind those runway curtains. The growing number of young anorexia and bulimia patients, and the number of websites such as thinspiration, where girls put up pictures of their thin bodies clearly suggest that the fashion modeling industry do not at all bear any responsibility in providing healthy, realistic physical role models for young women.
“Marilyn Monroe.” The Grolier Library of North American Biographies. Danbury: Grolier Educational Corporation, 1994. 170-171.
Fashion industry skinny trend seems to poison young women’s attitude towards their appearance. In addition, the startling deaths of the “three very underweight models” (Rosemary 2007) has become the last straw that makes it impossible to accept the eating disorders anymore. These have added to the controversy over the use of extremely thin models in the fashion industry because not only does it reduce the self-esteem of those who do not have ideal bodies but it also naturally forces them to become anorexic to look exactly like catwalk models which has been proven to cause “drastic weight loss and premature ageing” (Cooke 2000, pp. 1). 3) Having a severe condition.