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Course:CSIS200/2024/'You Look Like Marilyn Monroe': The Assignment of Sexual Currency to Hollywood Sex Symbols

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Definitions

Term Definition
Sex Symbol A term generally used to describe a female celebrity that is considered to 'exude sex'
Sexual Currency An assignment of worth based on ones attractiveness on a societal level
Bombshell Slang term used to describe a very attractive woman, especially one with blonde hair; a blonde bombsell
Phantasy Varient spelling of 'fantasy'; restricted to archaic uses or in modern uses, to the fields of psychology or psychaitry
Male Gaze Coined by Laura Mulvey; used to describe the projection of male phantasy on to the female figure in response to a psychological need
Body Dysmorphia Body dysmorphic disorder, also known in some contexts as body dysmorphia, is a mental disorder defined by an overwhelming preoccupation with a perceived flaw in one's physical appearance

Introduction

The concept of a sex symbol has been thrown around for decades, spanning from Theda Bara[1] in 1915 to Sydney Sweeney who many consider to be 2020's latest one ever since her role in the 2019 drama, Euphoria. It's fair to say that many of these women who achieved groundbreaking success in Hollywood never aimed to become the next sex symbol— as the title isn't something that is asked for, it's something that is assigned, and it's assigned by those in power of the industry. By looking at three generations of sex symbols, Marilyn Monroe of the 50s, Pamela Anderson of the 90s, and Megan Fox of the 2000s— finding the connection between the assignment of sexual currency, and its correlation to those named a sex symbol can be further analyzed and we can gain a further look into the power dynamics of Hollywood's 'invisible' hierarchy.

Sex Symbols and Sexual Currency

Marilyn Monroe posing over a vent with a gust of wind blowing through her skirt.
Marilyn Monroe's most iconic photo taken during the filming of The Seven Year Itch.

When thinking of female sexuality, Marilyn Monroe continues to be who many think of [2]. Her legacy as a Hollywood bombshell has been ever lasting, as the famous photo of her taken during filming of The Seven Year Itch where her dress was blown by a gust of air continues to be nothing less than iconic, and continues to drag out her status of a prominent sex symbol of Hollywood even decades after her death [3]. However, even with the title of 'sex symbol' being a notion continuously thrown around in media, it still presents to be an imprecise term [2]. Generally used to describe erotically charged actresses as early as the 1910s, the sex symbol title exists on the line between celebrity and their sexuality— both notoriously hard to define in a culture as vast and wide as that of the entertainment industry [2]. Using this iconic photo, we can explore how it encapsulates the idea of a sex symbol and how we can further examine how the title comes to be through the assignment of sexual currency— a topic with limited literature written by the academic world, but a term used widely in the activism community [4]. By using this term that is used to describe a persons level of attractiveness, we can inspect its correlation with the title of sex symbol.

The Male Gaze

Originally coined and launched by Laura Mulvey in 1975, the phrase "the male gaze" has made its way throughout cultural conversations throughout film and media [5]. The term originally used to describe the projection of male phantasy on to the female figure in response to a psychological need in the academic world has now evolved into its use in almost every aspect [6]. The male gaze has pioneered spaces in the sex work industry, with one of the most prolific curations being Playboy Magazine, founded by Hugh Hefner 1953 [7]. This magazine that commercialized sex and introduced the concept of nudity as a form of acceptable entertainment pushed the male gaze into an industry that enforced the assignment of sexual currency in entertainment [7].

Playboy Magazine

Hugh Hefner and Playboy Bunnies standing in a line on stage at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009
Hugh Hefner and Playboy Bunnies at TIFF 2009

Established in December of 1953 by Hugh Hefner who came from a background of restrictive rural values and a particular interest in with Marilyn Monroe on their very first cover, Playboy Magazine started their reign of the adult entertainment industry by including unlicensed nude photos of Monroe, selling out its 50,000-plus copies— creating a new kind of American dream, one where the nude women at their disposal was apart of the modern masculine lifestyle [7]. As the empire grew, expanding from magazines to merchandise, famous actresses and entertainers who appeared in the magazine began viewing it as a way to promote their brands as celebrities, rather a sort of hinderance in their careers [8]. Instead of seeing However, it's important to note that though Playboy was no longer considered something that could hurt ones career later in their growing empire, those who appear had the title of sex symbol swirling around their names. Drew Barrymore, who posed for the January 1995 issue of Playboy, had the title circling her name from the time she was a teenager up until she did a public rebrand of herself [9]. Though she later regretted it for more personal reasons, the title had already been endowed— further pushed by the magazine which had a very 'male gaze' heavy lens. The magazine made for men by men and so heavily watched by the media and consumers of Hollywood had and has a large impact on those who pose for Playboy. The sexual nature of the magazine, and the power held by the male gaze in a patriarchal society causes one party to have significant influence and power over the other— causing the assignment of sexual currency to an individual, which in turn attributes the title of sex symbol to them as well.

The Assignment of Sexual Currency to the Creation of Sex Symbols

The 1950s: Marilyn Monroe's Rise and Reign

After being discovered by a photographer while working in a munitions factory, Monroe— then known as Norma Jeane —began build her acting career, appearing in films like The Shocking Miss Pilgrim and Asphalt Jungle [10]. It was then, when she was being groomed to fit into the perfect Hollywood starlet that a photo from her past was to be used in a fashion that could threaten her career and without her consent [11]. When a Chicago publisher put a photo she had taken in the nude during a time where she felt as though she didn't have another choice into a 1952 calendar, it was clear that Monroe had no say in the matter [11]. The photo was taken when Monroe was unemployed, and feeling as though she needed a way out, she agreed to pose nude for a Los Angeles photographer, Tom Kelley, under the condition that nobody should know that it was her as she required him to take photos in a way that would make her unrecognizable [11]. During her rise in the film industry, it was clear that the release of the photo could put her career in jeopardy, and she was warned not to admit that it was her— as her bosses at Fox thought it would be the end of the line for their new star, however, Monroe decided to go public and admit it, forever branding her public image as a sex symbol [11]. Her image was taken and used in ways she did not consent to in two separate occasions, once in 1952, and the other in 1953 when Playboy Magazine put out their first issue with the image of Monroe, which Hugh Hefner bought from Kelley for $500 [7] [11]. In both situations, Monroe was not given the opportunity to create or sustain her own public persona, but determined by those of higher power. Monroe's identity was now burnished with the title of a sex symbol with the publication of nude photographs, the identity was not a choice, but something she was given to deal with as the sexual perception of her and her body certainly did not end with those pages of the calendar, nor the pages of Playboy [12]. However, she made the best of her situation, becoming one of the biggest stars in Hollywood at the time, achieving a level of fame and timelessness only some even bother aspiring to, but ultimately, her untimely death denied her the opportunity to move past her main identity as a sex symbol [2]. Marilyn Monroe, as iconic as she is, will be forever frozen as an icon of female beauty, sexuality, and a 'pure' sex symbol— solidifying the concept of women as objects for male visual pleasure at the very least [2].

The 1990s: Pamela Anderson's Hollywood Legacy

Pamela Anderson's name on a plaque embedded into Canada's Walk of Fame
Pamela Anderson's star on Canada's Walk of Fame

In the 1990s, Pamela Anderson became one of the most recognizable women in the world— from her nude pictorials for Playboy to acting roles, most notably the popular television show Baywatch from 1992 to 1997 [2]. During her prime, Anderson was the embodiment of a hyper-sexualized fantasy woman— from her blonde hair, pouty lips, and curvy figure, Anderson was a type of sexual that seemed unreal [2]. She was the ultimate Playmate, appearing on the cover of Playboy a record of 14 times, appealed to the gaze of California beach goers as she exuded a natural beach babe persona thanks to her time on Baywatch, and was the ultimate blond bombshell— constantly compared to the cornerstone of feminine sexuality, a Marilyn Monroe of her own time [2]. It can be argued that Pamela Anderson could be the exception when it comes to female celebrities aiming to become a sex symbol of sorts, and it does have its merits, as she seems to have a one-dimensional status as sex symbol, and in a career that spans decades— however, being reduced to nothing but mere erotic objects in the most extreme of ways in both her public and private life is still a result of others in power further pushing standards of what it means to be a sex symbol, and changing the rules to get there [2]. Her association with the playmate lifestyle established her eroticized public persona, a side of her that could be profited on while her private life could be one where she had no sex symbol standards to live up to— but in 1997, she was forced into a unprecedented scandal after a homemade sex tape was stolen from her home [2]. Legal action was taken on the basis to block distribution of Anderson, and then husband, Tommy Lee's private materials, however, a judge decided that with Anderson's past and association with Playboy, the contents were ruled in the favour of allowing pornography producers to sell the video [2]. Those with the power to alter rules and interpret the rules assigned Anderson's public persona to be her only identity, using that as a reason to solidify her existence as only a sex symbol by allowing those who only want profit to profit off of Anderson's most private moments— and suddenly, her two separate identities merged into one[2]. Decades later, Anderson aims to take back the identity that was stripped from her, sharing how a real person reduced to a one-dimensional object of a masturbatory fantasy available to the public effected her and how she lives her life now [2].

The 2000s: Megan Fox "a sex symbol of the highest order"

Megan Fox posing for photos on a red carpet with co-star, Shia Labeouf while promoting Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Megan Fox with co-star, Shia LaBeouf at the premiere of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

The world was introduced to Megan Fox on the big screen when she played Mikaela Banes in the 2007 blockbuster film, Transformers. The moment she hit the screens, appealing to the gaze of those who can appreciate a "bad-arse car chick" [13], Fox was immediately called a sex symbol for her ability to "...[ooze] sex..." [14] while not being "...ashamed to do so" [14]. Despite her acting potential, Fox was immediately typecast for roles the only exude sex— expressing frustration when directors only told her to 'just be sexy' when she asked for proper direction during scenes [13]. Chris Lee of the Los Angeles Times went as far as to call her "a sex symbol of the highest order," comparing her to Pamela Anderson at her peak stardom and recognizability in the 90s [14]. Throughout her whole career, she was praised for looking good on camera rather than her acting skills, establishing that her role in the industry was to be seen— not heard, which was seen clearly when she was crucified for speaking out against director, Micheal Bay for over-sexualizing her as a minor, and again when they worked together on Transformers (2007) and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)[13]. The public feud turned the world against Fox, and the roles she were offered or able to get were characters that fell into the sex symbol typecast. Fox portrayed a demon-girl cheerleader who devours her horny high school classmates, the film is one around sex and sexual interest, and Fox is at the centre of it. In light of the public feud, the world never looked at Fox the same, and at the height of her career, any opportunity to move past the box the media and movie-producers put her in was removed. The over-sexualization of Megan Fox has not gone unnoticed by anyone, especially not her, and she states in the podcast Call Her Daddy, hosted by Alex Cooper that she doesn't identify as a sex symbol, and it in fact adds pressure to be that kind of woman— especially since she has body dysmorphia [15]. She also criticizes those who assigned that character to her, using it to torture and demonize that person, that character they assigned to that person— she targets her words to those who enforced the character, stating: "You created her and then you murdered her" [15]. In the podcast, Fox spills it all, taking in depth about the power imbalances in the industry, the personification of sex symbols and much more— adding to her side of the story, and not just those told about her. As Fox continues to navigate her life while being open about the struggles she's had about being objectified and dehumanized [16], recently premiering a new film, announcing a pregnancy and focusing on her private life, she begins trying to cut herself out of the box she's been trapped in her whole career— the character she's been forced to be, and the persona she choses to have are no longer the same.


Conclusion

Marilyn Monroe posing in front of a red and white stripped background, wearing a fur coat for a magazine photoshoot
Marilyn Monroe posing for a 1953 issue of Playboy Magazine

The assignment of sex symbols is done through power, which in the world we live in now— a very patriarchal world where they are the ones who embed thought processes, and ideas so deeply into society that it's hard to untangle them at times, it seems as though those who have that power are not a certain group of people— but society itself. Those who live in a society whose foundation has a system of misogyny and patriarchal values embedded into it, are susceptible to the mindsets that might enforce these practices. It may have been the men in power and the men who had money that established Marilyn Monroe's image as a sex symbol before she had any chance to curate an image of her own [11], but it was the society expectations and system that enabled that kind of thinking— the expectation that it was an okay thing to do because there was profit, because she was a women. This artifact, the most iconic photo of Marilyn Monroe we have, is still only iconic because of the label society and the industry has on her, and continued to enforce onto her despite her tragic passing. It is a system that the world has, assigning worth on an individual based on their appearance whether they're thin or not, dark or pale, blonde or brunette— the beauty standards of the world enforce sexual currency, and sexual currency will always enforce the title of sex symbols on a person. Even in death, Monroe continues to be an icon— a sex symbol of the past, an image forever frozen in the minds of the industry without the chance to move past it and form an identity outside of it— or know that she could. With statues built in her honour, photos distributed at will for the aesthetic and the 'iconic-ness' of it all, and the widespread access we all have from the internet, it's no surprise that Monroe continues to be well known throughout the generations for her sensuality and her ability to send waves across Hollywood during her time.

Author's Bio

Rachel Wu had always been interested in the ways the humans worked— why they thought what they did, why they did what did, and most particularly, she was fascinated by the concept of power. She considered it to be the key to why people did what they did, and acted how they acted— concluding that it was how the world was run and the reason why it continually sustained the hierarchy it built.

Now, she studies and majors in psychology at the University of British Columbia with a minor in law and society, aiming to be a practicing attorney in order to provide some sort of power back to those at the bottom of the hierarchy. She hopes to move the scale of power in a way to continuously break down the harmful hierarchy upheld in Canadian society.

In choosing this following topic, she tackles the concepts of the male gaze, sexual currency, and how its assignment onto women creates the title of 'sex symbol' and it's association with power and the people who hold it. And by analyzing the impact of one of the most iconic sex symbols, and the photo she is essentially remembered for, she dives deeper into the correlations between the assignment of sexual currency and those with the power to 'create' said sex symbols.

References

  1. ↑ "Theda Bara: Topics in Chronicling America". Library of Congress.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Brown, Jeffery A. (29 February 2024). "Pamela Anderson and Marilyn Monroe: sex symbols and the naked truth". Celebrity Studies.
  3. ↑ Englund, Lena (07 February 2023). "Celebrity myth-making: from Marilyn M. to Kim K". Celebrity Studies. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ↑ Love Intersections. (2015, September 15). The Politics of Sexy [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbolA75sqxM&list=PLw6GU9h-FwYTSaXFki0hPx1-TWz-WKutT&index=10
  5. ↑ Bloom, James D. (2017). Reading the Male Gaze in Literature and Culture. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-319-59944-1.
  6. ↑ Mulvey, Laura (1975). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Screen.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Gilbert, Sophie. "How Hugh Hefner Commercialized Sex".
  8. ↑ "Playboy in Popular Culture". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ "Drew Barrymore on Why She Regrets "Chaste" 'Playboy' Photos: "Never Knew There Would Be an Internet"".
  10. ↑ "Marilyn Monroe born".
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 "Marilyn Monroe poses for "red velvet" nude photo session".
  12. ↑ Scheibel, Will. "Marilyn Monroe, 'sex symbol': film performance, gender politics and 1950s Hollywood celebrity". Celebrity Studies.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Cartwright, Lexie. "Why we never see Megan Fox on the big screen anymore".
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Lee, Chris. "Hollywood's outrageous it girl".
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Cooper, A. (Host). (2024, March 20). Megan Fox: Burned at the Stake [Video podcast episode]. In Call Her Daddy. Spotify.
  16. ↑ Glamour Magazine UK. (2022, April 26). Megan Fox On Being A Sex Symbol, Parenting & Blood Drinking Rituals With Machine Gun Kelly [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/Mu_KjHDGBiU?si=hwPIkJ8_FZRFdOXw
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