US, controversy over Marilyn statue: it's misogynistic, she was rape and abuse victim

Controversy is brewing in the United States over a sculpture of Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jean Baker; Los Angeles, 1926 - 1962) installed in Palm Springs, California, that depicts the celebrated actress in the most famous scene from the 1955 film When the Wife is on Vacation, the one in which, as she exits a movie theater, the young woman’s skirt is lifted by a shift of air from an air vent as she bends over to avoid too daring uncovering. The eight-foot-tall sculpture is the work of sculptor John Seward Johnson II (New Brunswick, 1930 - Key West, 2020), and was placed near the Palm Springs Art Museum as a tribute.

The sculpture, titled Forever Marilyn, was unveiled last June 20 and was harshly criticized by local feminist associations: in fact, the work was deemed sexist and offensive to the dignity of the actress in particular and women in general. Among the protesting associations are Women’s March L.A., which protested just June 20 at the unveiling ceremony, and the CReMa (Committee to Relocate Marilyn) committee, which has also launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe, a well-known crowdfunding platform, with the goal of finding another location for the work (the money will be used to cover legal fees, publicity and materials to support the cause). For CReMa, the decision to place the giant Marilyn in a transitory location was made in a lack of transparency, without following proper procedures, and without taking into account the fact that it is located in a very impactful landscape spot. “A wrong decision,” they cut it short: and now, the committee is concerned that the statue is there to stay.

For Women’s March, it is a statue that does not recognize dignity to the actress: “everyone knows Marilyn Monroe because she was a famous actress,” said the association, "but she was much more than an actress, and her story is definitely troubled and complex. That’s why we would like Marilyn’s legacy to be better represented than the Forever Marilyn statue does." A group, MeTooMarilyn, has also sprung up, which has launched a petition on change.org to call for the removal of the work, which is deemed misogynistic, and to demand more appropriate ways to honor the actress. The petition has already reached over 40,000 signatures and continues to be signed. “Marilyn Monroe,” the text reads, “is an icon beloved by millions of people around the world. Her life was short and hard. A rape victim at age 11, Norma Jean Baker was sexually abused throughout her life. She entered show business and was forced to change her name and appearance to become a movie star. In the 1950s she bravely spoke out about the abuse she suffered at the hands of studio bosses and others she called ’wolves.’ She warned future actresses to beware of them. Placing a statue of hypersexualized and misogynistic Marilyn at the entrance to the elegant Palm Springs Art Museum sends a message to the community, its visitors (especially innocent young children) and tourists that this somehow represents ’the real Marilyn,’ a Marilyn would have been proud to see celebrated. Well, she isn’t. In fact, it is the opposite. She wanted to be taken seriously as an artist and not just as a sexual icon. We join others in asking the city of Palm Springs to revere, not defile, her memory. We challenge Palm Springs to find more appropriate ways to honor her memory and the true legacy of Marilyn Monroe.”

The idea to install the work came from thecity’s municipal government in collaboration with P.S. Resorts, an association of Palm Springs hotel operators, who intend to boost tourism with this statue (P.S. Resorts purchased the statue in 2020 for the sum of $1 million). The city feels close ties to Marilyn because, the tourism bureau explains, her career is said to have begun through a meeting with Johnny Hyde, a talent scout and vice president of the William Morris agency, who allegedly helped Marilyn Monroe in her early days (the meeting between the two took place in Palm Springs itself). Yet, city and hoteliers seem to be the only ones who like the work, because even all of the last four directors of the Palm Springs Art Museum are against this installation. Although for now it seems that the naysayers are not getting their way.

Pictured: the statue. Photo by Visit Palm Springs

US, controversy over Marilyn statue: it's misogynistic, she was rape and abuse victim

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