The photo I chose to edit is the iconic image of Marilyn Monroe’s “flying skirt” shot by photographer Sam Shaw during the filming of The Seven Years Itch. Marilyn Monroe’s original name was Norma Jeane Mortenson. Regarded as a legendary sex symbol in American pop culture since the 1950s, Norma Jeane was famous for her irresistible “combination of creamy beauty, sexual allure, and playfulness” that she conveyed so naturally.
The photo was taken in when Norma Jeane stood over a vent that blew her skirts up. The men standing behind her were smiling and taking photos of her, which uncomfortably reminded me of the male gaze and how Norma Jeane was perceived as an object:a body that men long for. Therefore, I blocked their eyes with rectangles to express that Norma Jeane’s value should not be defined by men.
I made this image a cover of Bitch by adding the magazine title and the bar code. I chose Bitch because it is a magazine that empowers women and approaches pop culture in a feminist way, serving as a platform for me to challenge the male gaze and gender hierarchy.
I utilized bold colors such as bright yellow and red to emphasize that Norma Jeane has no need to hide her beauty and personality and should be able to take ownership of herself instead of being viewed as a body that pleases men. I changed her quote “I just want to be wonderful” to “I am wonderful” because I want to empower her and all other women by conveying that we are already wonderful enough and we should love and respect ourselves regardless of how men view us. I deliberately chose to use her original name to give her the agency to present herself in a genuine way, instead of the Marilyn Monroe that people see.
Ally's Wonderland 