Do You Suffer From Marilyn Monroe Syndrome?
Marilyn Monroe Syndrome is defined as being a person that everyone loves, but that no one is trying to get to know in depth. They are the kind of people who are broken because of their loneliness, just like Norma Jean herself was. She was the woman whose eternal role became the “stupid blonde”, but who actually had a much deeper, more reflective and self-demanding side that few people ever had time to see.
We will not go into how this film legend died. Much has already been written on the subject. Books like “Marilyn Monroe: A Case for Murder” by journalists Rirchard Buskin and Jay Margoli can give you more information about her case. What we instead intend to be interested in now is the type of psychological profile that Marilyn herself lived with and had her categorized. The profile with an essence that led to a syndrome of the same name that she herself bore.
In her book “The Marilyn Syndrome”, the doctor Elizabeth Macavoy tells that Marilyn, before she physically died, was already dead because of her emptiness and loneliness. Behind all the glamor, strong headlights and the famous Happy Birthday Mr. President as she boldly sang for John F. Kennedy, there was a woman whose life had long been in ruins. She understood that happiness was what everyone expected to see in Hollywood movies, but in reality it all consisted of selfishness and deception.
Marilyn Monroe syndrome has become very common today. It appears in people as actors, performers and everyone who in general has achieved some social success. These people usually stand out with their uniquely special charm, beauty or skill.
Everyone loves them, adores them and wants to be close to them, a part of them… But in reality , most of these people are used as dolls, as tools for others to climb the social ladder and improve their own image. They just want this “radiance” that the person gives off, not the person himself. Being at the center can be almost addictive. It is comforting and comfortable, especially when you have a fragile, extremely low self-esteem.
In Marilyn’s case, the great attention was cleansing after a traumatic childhood and stressful adolescence that led to early marriage. But little by little she began to realize something. To survive in this world of cameras, producers and film directors, she had to make a role for herself, a role as a very naive woman. Someone carefree and always brilliant. It was the picture that everyone wanted to see, it was the one that sold tickets, it was the one that everyone fell in love with.
Norma Jean created the perfect role, but no one has ever given her an Oscar for her masterful performance as Marilyn Monroe. Not many knew that she had to constantly lower her level of intelligence in order to survive in Hollywood and make naivety the key to her success. She took advantage of her childishly seductive voice that made her the woman she was not.
The danger of creating a role to gain admiration and always be at the center is that your identity eventually begins to fade. Arthur Miller, Marilyn’s last husband, said she was like “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. ” Miller was perhaps one of the few who actually got to know the real Norma Jean. The side of her who was reserved, lonely, reflective and who loved to write poetry.
He said she had “an instinct for poetry” and that she was very good at getting where she wanted to go. But Miller also said she lacked cynicism, that she needed to have both feet on the ground. That may have been true, but what Marilyn really lacked most of all was a good self-esteem.
But it is worth mentioning the times that were not her best. The testosterone and macho culture ruled the film world. Marilyn tried to start a production company (Marilyn Monroe Productions) herself, but was met with severe penalties from those already established. So she quietly went back to her role as the naive woman.
Marilyn Monroe Syndrome tells us that a role you play in surviving and being loved by everyone also comes at a high price. Right now you can stand in the spotlight, feel full of the joy that fills your self-esteem. But you do not feed yourself with love, you feed yourself with poison.
Social acceptance and success do not always give you the happiness you need in life. You will spend a lot of time alone and empty, something that time will wear you out completely.
