Marilyn Monroe – The Modern Day Version of Aphrodite

Idols are a person or a thing that a person greatly admires, loves, or looks up to. Today, idols are very common. Some people might have had an idol from a very young age. In the past, an idol might have been a god or goddess; whereas today, an idol might be a famous person or celebrity. Someone I have always looked up to for reasons different from most is Marilyn Monroe. I believe that she is an excellent modern day version of Aphrodite.

The Enduring Legacy: the Life of Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe died at the young age of 37, but has remained a role model for several decades. Marilyn Monroe was a fashion icon who represented love, beauty, and femininity. The Greek Goddess, Aphrodite, was the goddess of sexual love and beauty. When Marilyn Monroe was alive, she more so symbolized for sex. Rumors have it that the Greek goddess, Aphrodite, had several lovers. To this day, many people believe that Marilyn Monroe also had many different sexual partners. Both Aphrodite and Marilyn Monroe were adored and admired by men of all ages, all over the world.

Aphrodite and Marilyn Monroe are both known as incredibly beautiful woman who remain iconic even today. They both have several symbols that make them unique and stand out from other women and or goddesses. Marilyn Monroe was known for many things, such as: platinum blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, cherry red lipstick, and her angelic white dress. She is well known for her hour glass figure which became a standard for the beauty community still to this day. Marilyn had a roughly early life and used her looks as a way to get back on her feet. She used her looks, body, and seduction as a way to give men what they wanted in hopes that they would then give her what she needed which was love, respect, and safety. Marilyn loved being admired by men as it gave her a sense of worth, validation, and security. Many women were jealous and envied her over the admiration she received from men.

Aphrodite was very beautiful, elegant, young, and desirable. She was very passionate, unfaithful, and sometimes weak. Similarly to Marilyn Monroe, Aphrodite had many symbols as well. Some of her symbols are the dolphin, rose, scallop shell, mirror, dove, sparrow, swan, and girdle. Aphrodite was the epitome of beauty. Aphrodite had a giant scallop shell that carried her to the island of Cyprus where her reign began. The symbol of the rose is what represented beauty. The pomegranate represented the loss of female virginity and was a symbol of sex. Aphrodite’s skin was said to be whiter than ivory, which many men loved and admired. The girdle that Aphrodite possessed was the power of inspiring passionate love.

Just like all humans, Marilyn Monroe and Aphrodite probably had their fair share of imperfections. Due to their confidence and self-image, those flaws were often overlooked. Both women embraced their imperfections and acknowledged their faults. They lived their life without any regrets. They both knew that beauty came from within which is why they became such a powerful image for beauty.

Both women constructed many different images and standards of beauty that are still very relevant in today’s world. Self-image and approval are still something that women crave from men and women to this day. If another woman is jealous, they often become envious and try to tear someone down based off looks instead of empowering each other. Women are still often degraded for the number of sexual partners they have; whereas a man might be praised for it. In today’s society, women are trying to construct a new image of beauty that all body types are loved and welcomed. The idea of having an hourglass figure has been around for centuries, so I personally believe it will still remain as the main “body goal”.

As previously stated, I look up to Marilyn Monroe and Aphrodite for reasons that may differ from most. I love how they expressed themselves. They embraced every aspect of themselves, even the ones that one might consider to be a flaw. They had so much self confidence that it drew the attention of others around them in. Regardless of it being good or bad attention, they are still being talked about in the 21st century and remain an idol for many people.