Marilyn Monroe continues to inspire new generations of fans. However, thanks to the internet, that inspiration may not actually be from her. In the last few years it’s become fashionable to stick fabricated quotes on a photo of Marilyn. Here’s the most popular fake Marilyn quotes, and why they’re a problem.
How Do We Know She Didn’t Say It?
But You Weren’t There! You Don’t Know Everything She Said!
It’s not necessary to have a stenographer tailing Marilyn recording every utterance to know what she did not say. Some quotes attributed to her were actually said by other people. Some quotes attributed to her use language and phrases that were not used in her era. Some quotes are wildly out of character for what we know of her personality. Most importantly, Marilyn’s genuine quotes all have sources. If she said something to the press, it was recorded by the press. If she wrote something down, that document exists. If she said something to a friend or colleague, that person becomes the source. You don’t have to have been there to know that if she really said it, it’s recorded somewhere. If the first documented time a quote appears is in a meme, chances are she didn’t really say it.
What’s The Harm In Fake Quotes If They Inspire Someone?
While some may think it’s harmless to assign fake quotes to Marilyn Monroe, it does a great disservice to her fans and to her potential fans. Putting words in her mouth that she didn’t say, that may be completely contrary to who she was and what she believed in, distorts Marilyn in such a way that the real woman will be lost and instead be turned into a caricature of what people want her to be instead of who she really was. Not only that, Marilyn herself spoke quite candidly about how she disliked having things she didn’t really say or write attached to her name:”If I’m going to have that kind of influence, I want to be sure it’s because of something I’ve actually said or written,” she said in 1956. Continuing to attach fake quotes to her directly disrespects her wishes.
This was said by Bette Midler.
This is attributed to Elizabeth Taylor, but she didn’t actually say it either. Versions of this expression appeared in print as far back as 1889.
This was said by Timothy Leary.
This was said by Edith Head.
This was said by Andre Gide.
This was said by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.
This was said by Kurt Cobain.
This is a line from a song in Mary Poppins.
This was said by Clara Bow (about Marilyn).
This is paraphrased from a quote by Alona Kimhi.
This is often attached to the end of the paraphrased quote by Alona Kimhi.
This is paraphrased from an episode of How I Met Your Mother.
This is a paraphrased line from the film Insignificance.
Size Zero Didn’t Exist Until Four Years After She Died.
Misquote
In a telegram dated June 13, 1962, Marilyn declined an invitation to a party, writing:
“Unfortunately, I am involved in a freedom ride protesting the loss of the minority rights belonging to the few remaining earthbound stars. All we
demanded was our right to twinkle.
Unsourced, Out Of Character, and Too Modern
The following quotes have no source at all and only appeared on the internet in the last decade. They do not appear anywhere at all during Marilyn’s lifetime.
Many of these are completely out of character for Marilyn. She was not catty or mean spirited. She would not have called herself selfish or impatient. She grew up with a schizophrenic mother and feared mental illness, she would not have said ‘madness is genius.’ And does anyone really think that people were saying ‘avoid the drama’ in the 1950s?
For more detailed explanations of why the following quotes are fake, please read Misquoting Marilyn on http://www.immortalmarilyn.com/
How bad has it gotten? This bad.
Yes, someone really thought Marilyn Monroe said this.
Please respect Marilyn’s wishes to be quoted accurately.
Marilyn Monroe was a remarkable woman, more intelligent, sensitive, and inspiring than she is given credit for. Her genuine quotes reflect that.
If you’re interested in learning more about which Marilyn quotes are authentic and which are fake, the following page has a team of researchers sourcing Marilyn Monroe quotes.
https://www.facebook.com/ImmortalMarilynQuoteUnQuote
By Marijane Gray
