And I, too, have used Marilyn Monroe for my own literary ambitions. Then along came Hollywood (read: Netflix) with Andrew Dominik’s film adaptation of Blonde to further distort the memory and biography of Marilyn.īut does that matter? It’s entertainment after all, storytelling. Her fictionalized Marilyn in no way resembled the Marilyn I had come to know through my research and writing-Oates had realized a version of Norma Jeane Baker, and of Marilyn Monroe, and eventually of a third identity, “the Blonde,” into her own created character. This time, I saw Oates’s characterization as playing into and with stereotype. One that-in my second, more-informed reading-I liked less. Her Blonde is much more than “a radically distilled ‘life’ in the form of fiction.” Oates took the rough contours of Marilyn’s life and fictionalized an entirely other character and story. So, this time reading Blonde, I saw how far Oates strayed from the biography of Marilyn Monroe. Concerned with celebrity culture in America, I’d chosen this enduring icon as the star of my thesis and what would become the collection An Insomniac’s Slumber Party with Marilyn Monroe and then Marilyn: Essays & Poems. I was in the midst of my MFA thesis, a collection of poems in conversation with Marilyn Monroe. At the time, I worked for a large talent agency, a business that emerged to counter the studios’ control over talent. I knew nothing about her, and after reading Blonde, what remained with me was Oates’s description of the power dynamic between the old Hollywood studio system and their stars. I was living in LA, just one street over from where Marilyn had lived and died.
I first read Blonde soon after it was published. In her Author’s Note, Oates writes, “ Blonde is a radically distilled ‘life’ in the form of fiction, and, for all its length, synecdoche is the principle of appropriation.” The same could be said of Oates’s Blonde. But any resemblance to the actual life of Marilyn Monroe is nonexistent in this adaptation of Joyce Carol Oates’s epic novel Blonde (2000). In particular, Ana de Armas is arresting in the lead role as she easily slips between the dueling personas of Marilyn and Norma Jeane Baker, just as Marilyn did in real life. To be fair, the reviews (rightfully) applaud the casting and performances.
What went so very wrong in this depiction of Marilyn Monroe? It’s quickly become the top streaming film on Netflix, despite mixed reviews and headline-grabbing controversy that mostly centers on Dominik’s directing. 1.It’s hard to avoid Blonde-the Andrew Dominik directed film that debuted last week on Netflix and in a limited theater release. What funny movies would they have starred in, or what music would they be putting out today? It’s an impossible question to answer for sure, but the world would certainly be better off with these 17 ‘90s stars still in it today. Reflecting on the lives of ‘90s stars we lost too soon, it can be painful to imagine how pop culture would be different if they hadn’t passed away so young. The life of a celebrity might seem blessed, but fame comes with notable risks: obsessive fans, the stresses of public scrutiny, and, often, easier access to dangerous and addictive substances. Many of you likely distinctly remember when you first heard that one of the below icons had passed, and how shocked and saddened you likely were. No matter the cause, though, there's no question that the late '90s stars below are missed by many, and that their work in Hollywood still looms large today. Sadly, though, there are a few ‘90s stars passed away far too soon, giving fans who return to their favorite entertainment from that decade a sad answer when they wonder, “whatever happened to her?” Over the years, there have been quite a few high profile deaths of ‘90s stars, from big celebrities to far too young ones to those who passed away from mysterious and/or dramatic causes of death.
#Dead blonde celebrities tv#
As nostalgia fans are well aware, the majority of 1990s music, movie, and TV stars are still with us today, many of them still working and making public appearances, though there are also those who have retired from the public spotlight.
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