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Marilyn Monroe and the Rest Cure!
An interesting examination between Marilyn Monroe and the degrading and dehumanizing procedure, promising to “cure” women of all “irrationalities” in the Victorian era. Was Monroe a victim by the hands of others or did she participate?! First official research paper by Heather L. Lawton!
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In Ellen L. Bassuk's, The Rest Cure: Repetitions or Resolution of Victorian Women's
Conflicts?, it gives a chilling view of a doctor's treatment and remedy for the "irrational" victorian woman. The rest cure, described by Bassuk, entailed that (the doctor[S. Weir Mitchell, a Philadelphia neurologist] promised the patient a "positive cure� provided that she relinquished control to the physician and "concerned herself with nothing but following directions.� He [Mitchell] made it clear to his patients that he was in total control and that their feelings, questions, and concerns must be disregarded, Bassuk, p. 82). (Mitchell believed women were fundamentally inferior to men..., Bassuk, p. 86) and (implied that women developed illnesses precisely because of their unfeminine strivings, Bassuk, p.87). While cogitating about the rest cure, I reflect on the many women in Hollywood I have grown to admire and respect who unknowingly abided by the rules of the rest cure. I have observed the lives of women with strength, character, and success, along with the powerless, dishonorable and fruitless. Among these women, no one seemed to have as many riveting and uncommonly known facets to their personality as the legendary Marilyn Monroe.! !
Black female Jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald was denied access to perform in a California
nightclub--at a time when Blacks were not allowed to eat and drink in certain establishments, let alone perform. A woman makes a phone call to the owner of the club and promises to sit at a front table every night for a week if he would allow Ella to sing. He[the owner] concedes, and the singer is allowed to perform. According to Gloria Steinem's, Outrageous Acts and Everyday
Rebellions, the dealmaker was the late actor Marilyn Monroe. Even the "dumb blonde," as she was often referred to being, felt there was something inhumane about degrading someone because of the color of their skin. My mother once told me the story of her first glimpse of the actor--Marilyn was the first white woman she saw on television, go into an urban neighborhood, and touch and kiss the face of a little black child--of course, growing up in the tumultuous south, this was impressive to her[mother] as it was to me. But for those who are not touched in any capacity or may have believed that Marilyn was overstepping her boundaries as a “starlet," I pose this question, "Was being pro-civil rights an irrational feeling for women in that era?" In one of her very last interviews, Marilyn had to beg a journalist to not delete the intelligent parts of her interview(Outrageous Acts, p. 259). Was this part of the journalists' remedy for curing or maintaining her irrationalism? In a segment of Outrageous Acts, titled, Five Women: Marilyn Monroe: The Woman Who Died Too Soon, Gloria Steinem gives an invigorating, compassionate and sympathetic view of the actor describing her as an insecure and childlike figure. The essay is a strong introduction to an enthralling and even more provocative side to Marilyn(if you can imagine that) the public did not quite get a chance to become acquainted with during her life. In a full-blown biography titled, Marilyn, also written by Steinem, includes excerpts from Marilyn's unfinished autobiography. Marilyn speaks about her child rape early in her career and when revealing these horrific circumstances to her guardian as a child, she was disbelieved(Marilyn, Steinem p. 31)--which served as another blow to her already traumatic adolescence. But even throughout all of her anguish, Monroe still found the juncture to want to appear less gossamer to her public and to those around her. In, Outrageous Acts, Steinem shows the fictitious indoctrination of Monroe--unsophisticated, unworldly, and girlish--this is where the baby voice comes in--she maintained this image to keep others happy and to flourish her career while
suppressing a woman with real depth and pain. She gave up all of her sexual power to numerous men in the industry in exchange for work(Marilyn, Steinem, p. 64) the way (Victorian women in the rest cure who regressed to a more infantile position that was primarily aimed at being taken care of, in order to avoid their own sexual feelings and conflicts. p. 89) and probably had to be void of all emotions to steer clear of any dissenting memories brought on by her prior rape. She[Marilyn] also worked more diligently than ever before at her craft and later became a part of The Acting Studio, lead by Lee Strasberg. Upon arrival, she was exposed to a great and unnecessary deal of rudeness, humiliation, and isolation from her contemporaries and Strasberg himself at the studio, (Outrageous Acts, Steinem, p. 257) in order to possess the acting dexterity needed to portray a psychotic and diabolical being in the early 1950s films such, Don't Bother to Knock, and Niagara(Marilyn, Steinem, p. 75) which showcased her talent in a way she had never been seen before--this was what she had been longing for; this was her outlet to being taken seriously as an actor. But, did she master the ability to separate her authentic from her spurious self?! !
The rest cure convinces me that there is no remedy offered through their procedure for
the journey of "finding one's self,� let alone an authentic one. If anything, The cure speaks of losing one's self : from adult to baby. (Under the control of a male physician, the Victorian woman regressed physically and emotionally. Isolated from her family and children and her usual responsibilities; she was put to bed and taught complete submission. . .Every orifice was invaded. . .Then she was told what to think and how to express herself, p. 88) How is that treatment for someone who was already encouraged to be childlike by society and/or by their spouse; perhaps even locked into it due to severe mental pain by nurture or self- inflicted trauma?
The cure, according to Bassuk, failed to help writer, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, of The Yellow Wallpaper. It was not until she[Gilman] began working again that she recovered.! !
Monroe’s liberal platitudes made no headlines. Journalists ignored the indisputable fact
that Marilyn thought a great deal about race relations, the destitute, and other social issues. But why was it almost a cahoots action of various groups--journalists, studio heads, directors and producers--taking place to conceal Marilyn's, "Intellectual I.D?” How would her trying to draw attention to world debacles, mishaps and wrong doings be so terribly wrong when so many men(including some in the entertainment industry) were doing the same thing? She displayed a quantum of passion for orphans--presumably because she was once one--and walked into an orphanage in Mexico and wrote a check for ten thousand dollars. On a routine dose of sleeping pills, Marilyn said she didn't need any at all that night(Marilyn, Steinem, p. 42). The “cure,” that night, at least for her sleeping ailments, was humanitarianism.! !
Aside from stressful activity, a.k.a., meaningful activity, being deemed one of the
Victorian woman's colossal illnesses as problematic, another discovery derived from the rest cure was that unlike men, women's body parts were not considered equal [The Rest Cure, Bussak, p. 87]. I have often thought of the overwhelming fact that everyone enters the world through a vagina, but yet women seem to always be considered "less than". Now, if men only saw other men's body parts as equal, then what was their contribution to that theory? Were they[men] having sex with each other to prove their point or was their theory selective--women's organs and body parts become worthy for male pleasure? Marilyn, through gestures and exploitation, was not only being told that her opinions were unworthy of public attention, but her body parts were valueless as well, unless a man was able to benefit--out of the numerous nude shots Marilyn had
taken, it was only after her superstardom, a single photo was bought for five hundred dollars by up and coming editor, Hugh Hefner, which increased the success of his first issue of Playboy. However, after her death, her body parts became increasingly popular, and Mr. Hefner, once again, was able to capitalize enormously off the same body that was once merely christened as a cheap pin-up girl[Marilyn, Steinem, p. 97]. A woman having to fight to be taken seriously, especially by intellectuals, was also used by the same well-read and scholarly men for their popularity gain--Drew Pearson, the most powerful Washington columnist at that time, got Marilyn to write a guest column in 1954(which I'm almost certain was heavily edited); Edward R. Murrow, american journalist, and television/radio figure, chose her for one of his prized televised "Person to Person" interviews(I wonder if her lines were scripted); and Lee Strasberg, acting guru, compared her performance ability to Marlon Brando's(I hope he was genuine) [Marilyn, Steinem, p. 99]. It would have been nice if at least one or all of these men came to her rescue-- from herself as well as other men. Instead, they capitalized off of the very same attribute(particularly Strasberg in the beginning of her career)on which they used to misjudge her--sexuality. Her two failed marriages to baseball player, Joe DiMaggio, and playwright, Arthur Miller, make me wonder about their agendas. Were they in on the popularity quest as well? Miller spoke glowingly about his wife, once saying that "she draws out of the male animal his essential qualities[Marilyn, Steinem, p. 102].� But why did he feel it necessary to keep a diary on her, which upon discovery, devastated her[Outrageous Acts, Steinem, p. 259]? Was that behavior one of the essential male qualities he was referring to, or was it once again, to establish financial profit and popularity to feed the fundamentals of the male ego? ! !
The interception of self- advancement for Marilyn by the hands of men seemingly goes
on and on. Later in her career, still desperately trying to shed the image of the "dumb blonde,�
she was being considered for the part in a movie portraying a patient of Sigmund Freud. Dr. Ralph Greenson, a Freudian and analyst of Marilyn Monroe in the last months of her life, advised against it. He said, Freud's daughter disapproved of the film and implied that it was not in Marilyn's best interest to be asked to act out the mental deterioration she feared was her fate in real life. Greenson also went on to state that to perform as the patient of a man whose belief in female submission may have been part of the reason she received very little mental assistance[Marilyn, Steinem, p. 102]. Who is to say that she[Marilyn] would not have been emotionally mature enough to make her own decision or find vindication and salvation through this particular career choice? But, maybe Marilyn set the tone. Perhaps this is what happens when a woman initiates the giving up of her power and control over her body, mind and soul.! !
It could be debated for an eternity about the choices women of the rest cure and Marilyn
Monroe had or didn't have, which is a valid point. We as individuals do not have to remain victims of our historical circumstances. It is necessary to point out that the rest cure worked for some women and did not for others, but that is still not to say this was some outstanding breakthrough medicament for the "irrational" woman. It simply means that some women may have decided for themselves what was irrational--which is the way it should be. And some women made it work for them because they felt they had something to live for--which is what Marilyn should have done. Not that she didn't put up a fight, but she didn't fight hard enough. I do not believe a person and their harmful past have to be inextricably linked forever. But I consider it truthful that Marilyn did. Succumbing to sexual advances, feeling unworthy unless being hailed as worthy by men, not putting the child to sleep, but instead, repressing adulthood and strength for male and sometimes career satisfaction are all daunting facets of the female who has no concept of how liberating it would be to arise as one's own doctor, if you will, who finds a
remedy for "curing" herself of life's ailments. But as I condemn Marilyn for her sometimes feebleness, I praise her for her profound contributions to society, for it is not what you accomplish, but the change you try to bring about which makes you a survivor as a "woman of life's rest cure". You see, to many biographers who have covered her, Marilyn's beauty was as significant to their story as forests seemed to have been to Hawthorne. However, the beauty was just the icing on the cake, she was a woman of great substance who just happened to be beautiful--pro-civil rights, traces of feminism, and a dedication to her craft--these are all luminary qualities that should define her legacy. ! !
Websters Dictionary gives three definitions of the word, diva--a famous female singer
who has enjoyed great popular success; an admired, glamorous and distinguished woman; and lastly--a haughty, spoiled woman. As glamorous and popular as she was, I believe, based on her actions, Marilyn Monroe saw herself as the greek mythology interpretation of a diva--a woman who is the lowest form of divinity(answers.com). Many would like to believe that because of her fame and fortune, she had access to so much more than her victorian predecessors who were patients of the infamous rest cure. Some may argue that she was independent, more so than the average woman of her time. Even she[Marilyn] was known for openly priding herself on the fact that she was never a "kept" woman[Marilyn, p. 64]. But if she was bedding men in the industry in exchange for work in her craft, no matter how demanding or status quo it may have been, was she not being "kept"? Was she as independent as most feminists would probably like to believe? Every time I show characteristics of great strength and independence; when I feel I am at the zenith of my success and life as a whole, I think of Marilyn Monroe and it gives me a feeling of momento mori. To be reminded that strength does not immortalize you is a good thing. Nothing does. !
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In some cases, women don't choose to be victims, some are preyed upon. Most of the
women who took part in the rest cure were encouraged by their husbands to be the patients of these doctors and their remedies, but Marilyn's reduction in the value of herself was a combination of things--self-destruction, created by the hands of her child predator, and the absence of the Third Wave. Because you see, even with the latter in play, a great deal of us[women] are just one stone's throw away from living the rest cure.!
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! Full Circle: Addressing the Plastic Surgery Issue!
! ! ! ! ! ! by Heather L. Lawton 
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In ancient Greece, people used the blood of a black ox or calf and boiled it in oil to
transport the darkness of the animal to their grey hairs; an alternative was to capture the black horn of a gazelle(a small deer-like mammal found in Africa and Asia) and make it into an ointment to prevent grey hairs from appearing according to Levity.com. Since the beginning of time, it seems, individuals have been using various methods to support their vanity. Today, many people, especially women(An estimated 2.8 million elective cosmetic procedures were performed in 1998--primarily on women...as claimed by Margo Maines Plastic Surgery essay), are making it an obsession--it sometimes challenges them financially, emotionally, and in extreme cases have deemed threatening to their health--mostly in the interest of male satisfaction. Living beyond one's means is one thing, but mortgaging an old home for a new nose--absurd.
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In the essay, "Plastic Surgery: Self-Improvement or Self-Harm?,� written by Margo
Maine, I was introduced to an alarming trend that is taking place among women--they are putting their finances in jeopardy for vanity purposes. Maine states that a whopping 50% of plastic surgery patients had an income of less than $25,000 annually and have also relied on loans and mortgages to help fund these services. A greater emphasis is being put on physical appearance rather than substance and this is where it becomes problematic--every industry depends on this theory in order to become financially prosperous--the high demand for cosmetic surgery has allowed new businesses ,which specialize in credit programs for certain types of surgeries, to flourish. Billions of dollars depend on women not being totally happy with their physical image-every industry feeds off of women's self-loathing--e.g., magazines: we[the industry]must make you[women]feel as insecure as you can possibly feel by watching these glamorous, tall, nearly emaciated-looking women so that the desire to attain their beauty will make you want to watch
their every move(which requires spending money when buying our magazines); over-thecounter-cosmetics: we[cosmetic industry] train our employees to tell you[women] you could always look better. As soon as a woman walks into a department store, there is sure to be someone waiting at the door to inform her of her beginning stages of crows feet and that she also needs to smell like "this" to attract men(which requires spending money); gym memberships, television, film, advertisement companies--they all fall under the same umbrella. There are many who have to make a decision between paying for necessary healthcare--prescription drugs, doctor visits, etc., and eating--but to compromise livelihood for a tighter derriere has placed an extremely dismal cloud on the self-worthiness of women.! !
I was watching a news program last year, and the journalism exposed that teenage girls
were receiving breast implants as graduation presents from their parents. A lack of self-love and an abundance of the incessant need to be desired overwhelms young girls who evolve into women with self-esteem deficits. My girlfriends were a bit perturbed when I suggested that men are the reason women are addicted to cosmetic surgery. They argue women are their own worst critics. I don't disagree, but they[women]see each other as competition--and competition for who--men. Women want their breasts to be perkier than any other woman around them, yes, but not for other women--for men. Women want to attain ultimate body perfection, of course, but to be envied by other women, because she knows that women will hate her in the view of the fact that men will be attracted to her.! !
Radio host, Wendy Williams(who has admitted to breast augmentation) once said, "The
only thing more painful than giving birth is getting breast implants inserted under the muscle."-ouch. The female gender's longing for physical perfection at any cost is too serious to even be
lampooned--television has chosen to make reality television out of some of the painful journeys of women and their cosmetic procedures. I have seen distressing medical tasks performed on women on television that support some of Maine's statements. (According to Margo Maine, The safety of breast implants continue to be contested in courts). There were several explicit and graphic quotes about the barbarous cosmetic procedures that I could have taken from the essay-doesn't this one say enough? The fact that there is lingering doubt about the safety of something being inserted in one's body, but yet women proceed anyway, is more terrifying and more revealing of the woman's self-worth than any other stated medical mishap in the text. Shouldn't dubiety about these products be enough to say, "No, I love myself enough to not want to cause my body any harm.� The endless reports of leaking implants and ruptures are not sufficient for the female gender. Women enter the world of cosmetic surgery the way some enter relationships with men they know to be destructive to others--"nothing will happen to me," is what they tell themselves. Wether excruciating or unnecessary pain, women are often willing to endure both for the sake of beauty.! !
Sometimes, facing the truth about one's self can cause a great deal of trepidation. I have
stated earlier that women put themselves at risk because of men. But the gossamer image women project of themselves has to stop with women. The cycle of poor self-image is full circle--in nearly everything women do to enhance physical appearance comes back to men and what they are looking for physically in a woman, almost as if women's self-assurance and the viewpoints of men are inextricably linked. The buck has to stop with women allowing a strong self-image to permeate throughout society by ceasing the funding of billions of dollars a year to the industries that were once based on the deeply dysfunctional female psyche. This requires women telling themselves they[women] are responsible for what they want their bodies to look like, not men.
Instead of rewarding our young daughters with quick cosmetic fixes, let us indoctrinate in them the appreciation for merely having a body they can depend upon; be grateful for not having the routine hospital visits that so many must endure because of illness. Maybe we cannot save every woman through this method of thinking, but perhaps the burgeoning friendship of self-awareness and self-love is all that is essential for substantial change in a society that is so hard on women.!
! The Ridiculousness of the Big-Butt Phenomenon
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Television personalities, female rappers, and video vixens love lugging around their big derrieres. This trend seems to have grown tremendously, no pun intended, in the last 10 years as rap music and their videos have become more explicit and quite famous for advertising "big-booty" girls. Some women, and especially women of color, have injected and implanted all kinds of liquids, mixtures and blends to add to their “normal” or flat frames, even if it means risking their lives. Male rappers, particularly black male rappers, perhaps ushered in a whole new body image for women that seems to be making it quite difficult for women to opt out of the ass-implant assembly line. Remember rap videos back in the 90's which included MC Lyte, Foxy Brown, even Lil' Kim? They all appeared on stage and in their videos with their well proportion bodies. Shooting ahead to about 15 years later brings us rapper, Nicki Minajincredibly small, Scarlet O’hara waist, and a gigantic ass. If there is ever any doubt about whether Minaj’s bottom half is real, YouTube has before and after pics of her body, showing a drastic in proportion. In Minaj's lyrics for the song, ‘I’m Out,’ in which she collaborated with singer, Ciara, the rapper declares, "I got a big fat ass/ big dicks follow." Is this really what men want or are they trying to make “asses” out of women? The spotlight must be shed on, particularly, black women, for they, and black men, dominate an entire industry that maybe responsible for this phenomenon. Why has having a big derriere become the way we as black women measure our worth, so much so, that in the past 5 years, there have been reports of women dying due to injections to their buttocks, hoping to make it larger. All the most recent cases have been women of color, not to say that white women are oblivious to this craze (according to a 2011 survey conducted by 20/20, white women are 70% of plastic surgery patients), but it is more prevalent among black women to receive botched surgeries or butt injections due to not being able to afford a legitimate doctor. In 2011, a transgender woman was arrested for injecting a woman’s butt with the tire repair agent, Fix-A-Flat. Katie Couric in early 2013 interviewed a black woman who received a bad butt injection, which resulted in the loss of her limbs--both arms and both legs.
Women are taking drastic measures to look the way they believe men want them to look. Women on reality television are starting to become this harmonious and erie booty cutout--an incredibly large and unnatural-looking backside--all in the name of, not beauty, but the narrative in which men may have strategically laid out. If women would just realize that nearly everything is a fucking trend, and wait for it to pass, they may eventually appreciate their physical appearance in its natural form.