Not Dumb
Her legacy as the dumb blonde character is not founded in truth. Monroe researcher Sarah Churchwell wrote of the actress "The biggest myth is that she was dumb. The second is that she was fragile. The third is that she couldn't act. She was far from dumb, although she was not formally educated, and she was very sensitive about that. But she was very smart indeed—and very tough."
Marilynn Today
Her memory lives on in ways young Norma Jean could have never anticipated. According to The Guide to United States Popular Culture, "as an icon of American popular culture, Monroe's few rivals in popularity include Elvis Presley and Mickey Mouse ... no other star has ever inspired such a wide range of emotions—from lust to pity, from envy to remorse."
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