The Sexiest Symbol: Marilyn Monroe

This essay is a rhetorical analysis that reviews the concept of “ideographs” as it relates to verbal and visual rhetoric. I suggest that there is another form of ideograph—the “embodied ideograph.” I define the embodied ideograph as people who embody a particular ideology and are recognized by a mass group of people, whether consciously or subconsciously, throughout history. The famous American icon, Marilyn Monroe, exemplifies this concept and is used to demonstrate how an embodied ideograph is created. This essay investigates how Marilyn Monroe is considered a sex symbol, both during her time and in today’s society. This leads me to believe she is an embodied ideograph that represents sexuality, both from a male gaze and a female empowerment perspective. Additionally I make reference to public memory found especially within U.S. discourse. Lastly the essay explores the ways that embodied ideographs, like Marilyn Monroe, can be frozen in time with no control over their public personas.