Seeing Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was a really lovely girl. I know that might seem like a strangely obvious thing to say, but truthfully when was the last time you really LOOKED at her? Everyone refers to her as the golden goddess of Hollywood, but it's a little bit sad the way she has become a caricature of herself—the sleepy eyes, the pouty smile, the iconic pale blonde hair and of course the white dress blowing up around her as the subway passes. In fact, I think I see more illustrations of her than actual photos. It's so bizarre the way things work: the more famous she gets, the less "real" she becomes. I stumbled upon a photo of her recently where she was grinning and you could see a sprinkling of little freckles on her nose, and I thought "Wow, she's totally adorable. Look at that smile!" She seemed so real. Not an icon. Just a girl with a dream and stars in her eyes.