In Palm Springs, California, the centenary of the birth of Marilyn Monroe was celebrated with a gathering built around one of the most recognizable images of American cinema: the white dress raised by the air in the scene of When the wife is on holiday, the 1955 film that more than others fixed the actress in the popular imagination. On the weekend, more than a thousand people arrived from different countries dressed up as Marilyn and gathered in the center of the city, which for years has cultivated a very close relationship with her figure. The result was also a record: according to Guinness World Records, the Sosia present were 1.037, many more than 254 recorded in Australia in 2020, which held the previous record.
The gathering wasn’t just a costume party. For the record to be recognized, participants had to comply with precise rules. Those who signed up paid a price of 75 dollars and received a kit designed to make the group as uniform as possible: white pleated dress, blonde wig platinum, cat-eye glasses, red lipstick and a glass from Martini. Women and men participated in the same way, passing through a registration with QR code and the control of the Guinness judges.
The center of the celebration was Downtown Park, where Forever Marilyn is located, the large statue tall more than seven meters that reproduces the scene of the white dress. For three days Palm Springs has built a small festival dedicated to Monroe, with projections, live music shows and themed initiatives. The interesting thing is that Marilyn continues to work as an icon even when it is reduced to her most immediate signs: platinum blonde, lipstick, white dress, pose. It’s a simplification, of course, but it also says how her image has been readable for different generations, even for people who have never really seen her films.
L’articolo Marilyn Monroe’s sosy record rally proviene da IlNewyorkese.
