Marilyn in the news

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Marilyn Unquoted

There are so many quotes floating around the internet attributed to Marilyn it makes me wonder if she really said them.  Some I have heard from her own lips but others almost seem to be based on legend.  It gets published once and then copied over the years until we just all accept it.  I mean just because you read it on Wikipedia does not make it true.  In the past it really wasn't a huge deal but these days people are getting these quotes TATTOOED on their bodies.  I guess if you love the quote and it wouldn't upset you if Marilyn never really said it than more power to you.  But if it was me I'd want to make sure it was a true Marilynism.

I've placed a warning on the tattoo page of my site.  I've always posted all tattoos that are submitted even if I've questioned whether it is really a Marilyn quote.  I don't want people to think that I am standing behind everything posted there.  I am far from an expert on Marilyn quotes but I think people need to be warned that there is no guarantee unless you hear her say it in an interview.

For example, here is a quote that is often attributed to Marilyn.  Well behaved Women Rarely Make History.  Unfortunately, I have not come across any evidence that Marilyn ever said this.  In fact, this quote was coined years after her death by American writer Laurel Ulrich in 1976. 

Maybe people could post in the comments below often heard quotes that you know are 100% Marilyn and what you have used for a source.  If you have any information to debunk some of them please post that as well.

I'll start with one I know I have heard her say....

"I'm not interested in money.  I just want to be wonderful."

4 comments:

  1. Amy (aka audreyfan1)October 10, 2009 at 10:41 AM

    Some of the most famous, thought-provoking and some of my favourite 100% authentic Marilyn quotes, like "If fame goes by, so long, I've had you, fame. If it goes by, I've always known it was fickle" and "It stirs up envy, fame does. People you run into feel that, well, who does she think she is, Marilyn Monroe?" all come from her last interview in 1962 for a Life Magazine article.

    *The exact wording of those two quotes might be a little off, so I apologize if they aren't exactly right*

    One Marilyn-attributed quote I've always wondered about is this one: "Husbands are chiefly good as lovers when they're betraying their wives"

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  2. "Well, if I am a star the people made me a star. There was no studio, no person. The people made me a star"

    I love this quote and it is 100 % Marilyn.

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  3. I've also heard her say this one (wording may not be exact)....

    "I thought symbols were those things you clash together."

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