The Marilyn Moment - Speaking of Icons

No Reason. I just thought it was clever. Things ain't what they used to be. (In fact, they never was.) The Profile (more than you really wanted to know) is here.

For the first ten days of 2009, Thinks Happen will feature the most visited blog pages of the two blogs, Thinks Happen and Lost Gallery. This will be in Letterman style, least-to-most, with the most visited page on January 10. Isn’t that exciting? From February 23, 2007, here's number TWO! The second most popular page is ... Each of these photographs refers to the "Marilyn Moment" somewhere in the image, title or comment. There was some discussion about how the relatively few photographs of the actual event evolved into seemingly endless references. See these... It was only a publicity stunt dreamt up by director Billy Wilder. And so a little scene from the “Seven Year Itch” a movie from 1955, left a lasting impression on the world. More than fifty years later the scene is still quoted or remembered when anything resembling Marilyn Monroe’s blowing skirt is encountered. Great statues or important portraits take us only to a general memory of something or someone, an ideal or an idea. There have been only a scant few visual items that imbed in our memories so deeply that they become our signal reference point at each reminder. Can you look at two parallel smokestacks on a skyline without thinking of the Twin Towers? When you see two people running toward each other do you think of Heathcliff and Catherine from the movie Wuthering Heights? These are unintentional or general stimuli that take your mind to a specific bit of time. Non-visual triggers are fairly common. When the Johann Strauss “Blue Danube Waltz” is heard, who does not think of a space ship docking? Few of us go anywhere else in our mind. If you hear the words “Grassy Knoll”, do you think of the Kennedy Assassination? The “William Tell Overture” means the “Lone Ranger” to us older folks but that’s just a general memory, not a specific moment. In fact, sounds or music will often take our minds to something general. And there are lots of individual, personal hooks we have: “Our” song, mom’s pot roast. Now think of a visual image that takes a majority of people back to a specific event. There are only a few. Pop culture and advertising have given us the orange Tide box, Mickey Mouse, Joe the Camel or Bart Simpson…These are visuals that take you to a GENERAL place, not a specific moment in time. When seeing the delicate petals of a white poppy fluttering in the breeze, a bit of tissue caught on a twig, or a skirt caught in a sudden gust of wind, do you think of this brief publicity stunt from Billy Wilder? Do you think of Norma Jean Baker? Apparently a very broad spectrum of people do. All of these pictures from dear Flickr friends refer to Marilyn Monroe in the title or the comments. Please click through to see their larger versions. And go see this at JeansMusicBlog: On this day 1954 : Marilyn Monroe marries It's a fine blog.

These are the most popular pages: Alison Young Art Pepper Barney Kessel Bettie Page Curl-up-and-dye Edgar Degas and the lost Ginger Nude Ginger Panda Gnat Trap Little Annie Fannie Marilyn Resident Alien Sunday Funnies

Marilyn reincarnation - Wild Animal Park SD originally uploaded by Californie	I'm Losin' It! originally uploaded by Peggy Collins	Marilyn Crow originally uploaded by cassoulet sf
Good Bye Norma Jean originally uploaded by Sierra13	DSCF1419.JPG originally uploaded by barrelvault	Marilyn originally uploaded by LondonGrrl6
Kinema street 1 originally uploaded by bagdadcafe	Yay, DreSSed to ImpreSS originally uploaded by Ania Maciejewska	Marilyn Monroe originally uploaded by xelf75
The Mighty Marilyn (12 June 2005) originally uploaded by alephnaught	Marilyn Monroe – in Butter originally uploaded by Mattifer	Seven year itch originally uploaded by Milk and two sugars
	Marilyn Monroe originally uploaded by fiverofthedown1978
Homeless Man and Marilyn Monroe Keeping Warm on a Steam Vent in Washington, DC originally uploaded by Bill A	Lupita Monroe II originally uploaded by Isidora.M	The Marilyn Monroe, Shorter Skirt though... originally uploaded by bandanamomaz
Matilija Poppy originally uploaded by graphicgreg	The Monroe Effect originally uploaded by Raminder pal Singh	Marilyn Monroe originally uploaded by Sandra Mora
Marilyn Monroe aka Minh originally uploaded by missmos	Marilyn Monroe style originally uploaded by Nathan Gibbs	IMGP2603 originally uploaded by jsong38
marilyn monroe originally uploaded by casewiggle	Is this how Marilyn did it? originally uploaded by scots001	Marilyn Monroe originally uploaded by billerickson
The Famous Betty Boop from an old calendar.	Nice Legs originally uploaded by Cat Man!	Medusa Marilyn All Dressed Up originally uploaded by elizabeth star
Maryland Merlot originally uploaded by globalglenn	posters... originally uploaded by Quelle night...	Marilyn Merlot originally uploaded by Miss Lane