Core Post #2 - Madison Lorenz

Madison Lorenz
CTCS 412
February 21, 2018

This week's topic of femininity was interesting to read about, especially when comparing and contrasting it with last week's topic of masculinity. There are a lot of similarities between the images of male and female stars. The studio system put in a lot of effort when it came to sculpting certain images and stereotypes of specific stars. For example, we learned that John Wayne was made into the rugged, strong cowboy that he was known to be. This persona was not his natural being, but a stereotype that they maintained in order to attract viewers and helped him gain popularity. This week, specifically in Thomas Harris' reading titled "The Building of Popular Images: Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe," we learn about the sculpting of female stars and the traits they take on, on and off the screen.
It seems that the industry has a interest in playing into the desires of all audiences. When it comes to female stars, like Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe, both actresses embodied traits that women looked up to and men desired. The article explains that aside from portraying certain qualities in their films, they also made sure to maintain these images in their day to day lives. Although their qualities were quite different, they were both able to attain great popularity. Grace Kelly was the more wholesome woman. She played roles that represented the more respectable type of woman. They enhanced these qualities by emphasizing her good home life and childhood and by also having her co-stars talk about their admiration for her "lady-like" manners off the set (Harris, 43). Her qualities were that of what every woman strives to be in their home life. On the other hand, Marilyn Monroe represented a woman a bit more on the wild, provocative side. This side most likely catered more to men. Her physical qualities, her breathy voice, and her mannerisms had men crazy for her and women most likely envious. However, some could see her image as a figure that encouraged women to embrace their sexuality and feminism. Monroe, like Kelly, brought her onscreen persona to her outside life by living a more unconventional and scandalous lifestyle.
The most interesting point in this article is the fact that these women gained so much popularity and recognition, both gracing the covers of magazines and gaining the admiration of their viewers but that they are two completely different women. Just like Cary Grant and John Wayne were equally popular but embodied two different types of men, Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe have accomplished this same idea.