In Week 1, As I read ‘The Building of Popular Images’ by Thomas Harris, I learned about something known as the star system. In this fantastic article, it talks about how stars come to the spotlight, growing popularity through publicity stunts to gain leverage for their next role. In Hollywood, producers work with studio executives including in-office publicists to put out personal information, meaning stereotypes, likable features, gossip, relationship facts, etc., about a potential star through magazines, newspapers, radio, and television. The producers do this to have fans gain a connection to the celebrity, making the celebrity relatable, then implement the same qualities in their character’s role in a film. Harris writes, “The successful stars have been those whose appeal can be cataloged into a series of such traits, associations, and mannerisms.” (Harris, 40), Harris is acknowledging that stars who have relatable information in the press have success with their films as fans want to feel a personal connection between the person they see on the screen and the person they know is real. This feeling of connection is what sells tickets, which is what Hollywood likes.
We go into this theory a little deeper in the week one panopto recordings, where Mr. Rigoletto talks about stardom as a phenomenon of consumption. Meaning, that stars would not become stars if they did not have fans which is driven by the publicity that Hollywood produces. The star system began in the early 20th century when actress Florence Lawrence was falsely claimed dead in the St Louis Post Dispatch. The Newspaper claimed she had died in a streetcar accident. The day following, IMP, who managed Florence Lawrence at the time, put out another article claiming she was alive and had a new film coming soon. From then on, the publicity system got far more complicated. In the 1950’s, Hollywood took advantage of this star system implementing publicity studios. The studios were meant to help build up films using advertising, exploitation, insider interviews, and many other publicity stunts.
Up until the 1950’s Hollywood had made it a trend to cast family friendly church going figures in order to give them a good look. Of course, there were always gonna be some that contested that image. People like Marlene Dietrich who kissed a woman in her film Morocco (1930) which I’m assuming didn’t go over well with many people of that time. Although, no one impacted Hollywood like a woman by the name of Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn Monroe was characterized as a dumb blonde with all the features that suited her for a male audience. As I watched her film, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” (1953), I got to see how Marilyn Monroe was casted in Hollywood and it helped me understand the stereotypes that are created by Hollywood. After reading Dyer, I learned that Monroe’s first starring roles came in 1953 which is the same year Monroe appeared on the cover of Playboy Magazine. From then on, she was seen by a majority of the public as a sex symbol. Monroe went on to be quite successful using her body to her advantage. Hollywood casted her as the sexy ‘playmate’. Due to this, Monroe lives on in history far beyond her success on screen.
Many see Marilyn Monroe as a positive influence in terms of confidence in body image. Which I can see as true, Monroe taught many young women of her generation to feel comfortable in their own skin. More importantly changed the viewpoint of women in Hollywood for generations to come. Monroe was also one of the first people to break the awkwardness of sexuality, talking and creating a more comfortable image around sex. Monroe was a ‘natural’ when it came to her sexual appeal as many would say. In the Dyer Chapter 1, ‘Monroe and Sexuality’, He writes, “Jayne Mansfield when asked to appear nude at a nudist colony in Rio de Janeiro, rufused, reportedly saying: ‘It’s too bad I’m not Marilyn Monroe. She’s a naturalist. But I would not feel right.’ (Dyer, 30)’, Mansfield went on to acknowledge she does not have the same baggage to offer as Monroe. Monroe died on August 4th, 1962, after overdosing on barbiturates. Marilyn was only 36 years old and still active in the film industry when she died. Dyer wrote about a final interview,”‘…Monroe said herself in her last interview: ‘I think that sexuality is only attractive when it is natural and spontaneous.’”, (Dyer, 30). Monroe being the very sexual star she was, she always knew that there would be people who don’t agree but she was her own authentic self. Monroe became one of the most successful actresses of her time, and she is known to this day, for all her accomplishments on and off the screen.
