Over the course of her life, Marilyn Monroe was the victim of near-constant exploitation. She was exploited by movie moguls and casting directors with grabby hands and loose ethics, by filmmakers eager to profit off her ripe sexuality while ignoring her personal problems, and by any number of boyfriends, lovers, and hook-ups, including the occasional president. The exploitation of Marilyn Monroe only picked up with her tragic death from an all-too-predictable drug overdose. Along with fellow kitsch icons James Dean and Elvis Presley, Monroe’s image—sexy, vacant, ineffably sad—is among the most ubiquitous in pop culture. She peers down at us from the walls of diners and frat houses, teenaged girls’ rooms and run-down movie theaters.
Now, roughly a half-century after Monroe ended a life filled with depression, addiction, and dysfunctional relationships, the actress-turned-icon is being exploited in a new and innovative fashion. Variety reports that the actress will live anew as animated character “Mini Marilyn,” a product of China’s DMG Teams, Authentic Brands Group, and mankind’s regrettable unwillingness to let a well-known, lucrative brand lie fallow, no matter how inappropriate it might be to resurrect it.
According to the article, DMG and what we can only imagine is the ironically named Authentic Brands intend to use the character in film, TV, videogames, and live-venue attractions. “Mini Marilyn will serve as the engine for licensing, retail and other brand opportunities,” reads a statement from both companies. In an even more ghoulish statement, CEO and Chairman of ABG oozed smarmily, “Imagined from one of Hollywood’s most enduring legends, Mini Marilyn has an irresistible charm that shares much with her inspiration (Marilyn Monroe) including her unique blend of beauty, talent, and humor. Our partnership with DMG positions Mini Marilyn firmly on the entertainment map worldwide.”
So, you see, ABG wants audiences to focus on Monroe’s charm, beauty, talent, and humor, and not the almost unbearably sad life she lived, or all the sinister parasites who crassly exploited her charm, beauty, talent, and humor with no regards for her humanity or her complicated emotions. Mini Marilyn continues the process of transforming Monroe from a troubled and needy human being into a one-dimensional cartoon character.
DMG already has some impressive credits to its name. It co-produced Iron Man 3 with Disney and Marvel, and Looper as well. ABG’s “brands” include Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley, and Juicy Couture. Seeing Ali referred to as a “brand” is particularly unnerving, since he’s not only a human being, he’s still alive. But that doesn’t mean his image can’t be exploited in a variety of contexts as DMG and ABG see fit.
Mini Marilyn is being pitched largely to the Asian market. She had a soft launch that, according to the article, inspired “16 million impressions, 300,000 video views and 10,000 comments.” I’m sure if Monroe hadn’t died over a half-century ago in a pit of infinite sadness, she’d have really appreciated all those impressions.