Let's Talk About Marilyn Monroe's Jean Louis Dress
“Fucking rich people,” - Grace, Ready or Not (2019)
The TGIF Post varies during these no longer unprecedented times— only without the celebrity worship culture and more along with critique pieces on the pop culture, social mores, and more. Get into it below.
This year’s MET was quite underwhelming with aesthetic-driven looks and a comprehensive misunderstanding of the year’s theme— gilded glamour, as most only went for gilded. One that comes to mind is the confused and obtuse decision to greenlight Kim Kardashian wearing Marilyn Monroe’s original 1962 Jean Louis gown. Dividing and causing a social media uproar as the Kardashian clan does, Kim’s need and desire to make this dress her only choice to prove something to herself isn’t the power move she thinks it is.
The Bob Mackie sketch come to life symbolizes much more than a stunning one-of-a-kind creation solely for Marilyn Monroe; it’s about how Jean Louis created the dress only for Marilyn— the misunderstood and exploited woman at the hands of the patriarchy and the women who support it. Claiming to care about legacy is yet another set of hollow words from someone with such a zest about clout and ‘breaking the internet.’ Except all Kim accomplished was ruining the historical artifact for perhaps Vogue’s least impressive MET ball that Karlie Kloss’ assumed camp look was more entertaining.
Kim and her team refused a replica to wear the dress exclusively after losing sixteen pounds and covering the now-damaged back with a white fur coat. The entitlement to ruin an archival textile garment just for vanity is quite extraordinarily selfish yet unsurprising from a family that values money and peddling anything to impressionable people to get them there. It’s not a commitment to fashion no matter how that story tries to be told or convinced— “To me, it was like, ‘OK, Christian Bale can do it for a movie role, and that is acceptable. Even Renée Zellweger gained weight for a role. It’s all the same to me.” What role is Kim playing that she extends this much delusion to her Hulu-centric taped reality? Marilyn is more than the overplayed sex kitten Kardashian praises or esteems herself as— “it was such a challenge. It was like a [movie] role. I was determined to fit [into] it. I haven’t had carbs or sugar in about three weeks. We’re having a pizza and donut party back at the hotel,” Kardashian stated to People. The unprecedented damage this could set off with celebrities throwing their money at designers and costume historians— forgetting that those textiles and stunning fabrics may no longer exist, like the silk souffle. Rich people that refuse to care about cultural-defining moments and artifacts for their triviality, personal leisure, and odd collection of curiosities (the hair bit provided by Ripley’s Believe It or Not)— are groundbreaking.
Kim wanted to desperately wear this dress to prove a point and failed to see the irony. The patriarchy commodified and exploited Marilyn, but her presence and charisma were unmatched. Kim is willingly commodified as she gets up and works for her momager and family business as they push the capitalist narrative of rising and grinding— forgetting that she got a helping hand in life with a hefty silver spoonful of nepotism through her well-established father and step-father.
The ongoing mistreatment and misunderstandings of the lovely and dynamic Marilyn Monroe are proving more frustrating. Marilyn’s enigmatic, and that’s why her complexity is beloved; she wanted to be taken seriously— not just as an actor or performer but as a cunning intellect and valued human with a beautifully creative soul and a devilish zest. Yet her likeness was usurped by one of the most photographed women fascinated by channeling only her sex appeal simply because of similarities— and solely for red-carpet clout. Caring about Marilyn’s legacy should extend to respecting the dearly departed’s belongings and artifacts, but that’s just me.
As our over-saturated social media feeds show endless amounts of news and opinions from all vantage points, taking time to escape from mindless pop culture can help combat our influx of emotions as we live during times such as these— healthy escapism is very real and well-deserved so for those that love to not mind their business, even for just a bit, here’s the pop culture round-up we can’t get away— or enough of, seemingly.
With the vile and horrific details and antics around Ezra Miller in Hawaii, the allegations of grooming and kidnapping of a young Sioux Rock Nation member are beyond comprehensible, considering the constant violence towards Indigenous women by non Tribal members. While conservatives are already bastardizing a horrific allegation of grooming to fit their narrative agenda of hate fuel and fear-based tactics towards LGBTQ+ communities. Perhaps it’s not a thread to selectively tug at— considering how one of the most known groomers has such prolific tentacled ties to congress and powerful people and was aided by a well-connected socialite. Almost makes you wonder that purposefully airing the frenzied spectacle of a defamation trial that was the actor of the beloved Pirates of the Caribbean franchise would become kerosene to the world’s patriarchal conditioned hatred towards women. Specifically, when the Republican martyr Kyle Rittenhouse trial aired, the Ghislaine Maxwell trial remained untelevised due to judiciary laws towards federal proceedings. While convenient culture wars ignite, a collective of misunderstandings is misdirected as indifference to differences. Conservatives are obtusely finger-point hypocrisy at the Ezra Miller allegations as they continue to ignorantly push their transphobia and LGBTQ+ fear-mongering claiming to care about the public safety of children— when children continue to be left behind or slaughtered by domestic terrorism that they refuse to acknowledge, but everyone needs a masked boogeyman. It certainly makes it easier for a divided Congress to continue profiting during the media culture wars as polarized people consume and shift blame towards marginalized communities— or even demand accountability from the entertainment industries like Hollywood— rather than pivoting that anger towards the elected officials with actual power and job titles— the status quo should be catching all of the heat.
After firing employees, Netflix has announced the ‘Squid Game’ reality tv show— complete with the biggest cash prize in television history. Missing the dystopian capitalist irony, or maybe entertainment and monopolistic companies are fully embracing the profitable delights of their power. It feeds the corporate greed machine and ego. It keeps the masses happy with said product and those that adhere to the idealogy— ’tis the oversold empty American dream, except we’re already in a simulative dystopian nightmare.
Oh they laid us off so our salaries could be the game show cash prize got it got it https://t.co/CirCGXBBLbBreaking: #Netflix orders a #SquidGame reality show, the "biggest competition series ever," with a record $4.56 million cash prize https://t.co/i5DWt694Pf https://t.co/oqvFDUxPXB
James Hibberd @JamesHibberdCome on, besties, let’s go party— Greta Gerwig’s latest confection for the film 2023 is a must-see. I’m not a Gosling girl, but you’re welcome for those that respectfully observe.
Brad Pitt peddling his $2,000 cashmere shirts as he gushes over ex-girlfriend and Goop creator Gwenyth Paltrow via GQ isn’t at all suspicious— not with his suing his ex-wife over HER shares of Château Miraval and after he still worked with Harvey Weinstein. There’s just something extremely tacky about portraying a supposed good guy/gal image and wanting to publicly shame your ex-person— that will never and should never sit right.
Beyoncé is coming with ‘Renaissance’— the Beyhive isn’t ready.
Ana de Armas as Norma Jeane Baker is interesting; the trailer’s timing could work in the film’s favor considering the angle they’re portraying. Norma Jeane’s stayed with me since my 5th-grade report on a ‘50s icon, and serendipity had me pick Marilyn— but for crying out loud, let the woman get some much-needed respect and peace.
I’ve been toying with the idea of Youthquake’s schedule when unexpected news from a longtime friend I hadn’t heard from stopped me in my tracks— it’s been a helpless feeling I can’t shake to know a friend isn’t doing well, yet you’re in a powerless position. Discerning when you can help and when it’s best to give space isn’t ever easy but knowing that you can’t help them— until they learn to love and help themselves first. Particularly as we continue to see how truly little institutions and bodies of governments do— when in reality, we’re invaluable. I was reminded of this simple fact when reading my bookmarks on Twitter and found this fantastic bit on grief by Andrew Garfield.
So I humbly remind you that not doing well or struggling will happen; some days are just the worst for no reason— which is why being kind and extending grace to ourselves while taking breaks from the media juggernaut and adapting affirmations is crucial. Sure, we all have our things going on, but it’s how we show up for ourselves first that is hard to remember. The emotional payoff is just as important for ourselves as the mandatory physical payoff from our careers and jobs in society, so don’t forget about yourself. Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage. — Brené Brown.
Con Amor,
Naomi x