Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings.   For today’s blog post, I am writing a reflection on what Marilyn Monroe has always meant to me, on what would have been her 100th birthday!

I honestly cannot remember a time when Marilyn Monroe was not a name, a face, a voice that I know.    Some of my earliest memories are watching old films starring Marilyn Monroe with my mother.   You see, my mother has always loved classic films, so I grew up loving them too.   She would often let me choose which films to watch, and inevitably, I would choose ones with Marilyn above others.   There was just something so enchanting that would magnetize me to wanting to watch Marilyn on screen!

While I also loved other classic film stars, I felt a kinship with Marilyn Monroe in a way I could not understand.   It was a deep empathy for her, beyond the characters that she played.   This never faded, and as I grew older, I began to read everything I could get my hands on about her.   I read every biography, I watched every documentary, and I researched her death, seeking to know her better and seeking answers.   By the time I was a teenager, I had seen all of her films, multiple times.   As a teenager, I continued to study the story of her life.   I wanted so badly to encourage people to remember the depth of who Marilyn Monroe was, of who Norma Jeane was.   I also began collecting Marilyn Monroe memorabilia from a very young age.   I collected dolls, posters, clothing, and accessories that bore her image.   I would get so angry when I would see someone wear something with Marilyn’s image and not be able to answer my excited question, ‘What is your favorite of her films?’   I cannot tell you the number of times someone said they just liked the shirt, but had never watched her films.   This still annoys me, just like when people wear band shirts for the aesthetic, but do not listen to the music.   I just hate the fakeness of that!

So, yes, you can say I have always been very protective of Marilyn, and of her memory.   I have so many fond memories of watching and rewatching her films throughout my life.   She has truly gotten me through some very trying times.   I also have fond memories of talking about her with other fans and of sharing her films with friends, introducing them to her for the first time.   No matter how old I get, I cannot forget how special she was, and still remains as an icon of her era.

In fact, it is because of Marilyn Monroe that I went on to seek out Jean Harlow’s films when I was a young teenager.   Knowing that Harlow had always been Marilyn’s favorite actress, I just had to watch her films.   In that, I found another favorite and beloved film icon.   I have since also read countless Jean Harlow biographies and watched many documentaries.   I have also seen every Jean Harlow film, read the novel she wrote (boy, was that hard to find), and even named my cat Harlow!   However, my love for Jean Harlow is really all thanks to my lifelong love of Marilyn.   After all, had I never read biographies of Marilyn Monroe, I would never have heard of Harlow!

Writing this post has truly reminded me just how impactful the films we love in childhood can be on us.   My formative years saw me spend so much time with Marilyn Monroe, and she is still so important to me.   I am so glad that I could share this with you in celebration of Marilyn’s 100th birthday.   Do you enjoy Marilyn’s films?   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is one of my favorite photos of Marilyn.   I have had the black-and-white version of the same image as a poster on my wall since I was 16!    I found the photo on https://www.holdenluntz.com/magazine/new-arrivals/milton-greene-marilyn-monroe-ballerina-sitting/.        

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