Marilyn Monroe/ HBS Cases: Lady Gaga

你也許跟我一樣 看過許多有關馬麗蓮夢露的特別報導
半世紀過去了 她還是一直為人所利用:

Slide Show: Marilyn Monroe

With the 50th anniversary of Ms. Monroe's death approaching, her image is experiencing something of a cultural moment.

Marilyn Monroe, with her charming candor, is said to have once said to Einstein, “We could have a baby together. He would come out beautiful like me and smart like you". To which, the father of relativity, would have replied: "Well, I think he would come out faster with my beauty and your intelligence." Then it was not yet known (the tests were done later), that Marilyn Monroe's IQ was 165, five points above that of "the greatest genius of all time". Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jeane Baker, 1926-1962) was a great reader. She had a library in her house with about a thousand books and spent many hours reading literary works, poetry, theater, philosophy. Her spirit, in addition to a great desire to live, had an immense curiosity and an unbridled hunger for knowledge. These are some of the wonderful quotes of this incredible woman: "One of the best things that happened to me is that I am a woman. All women should feel that way." "Dogs don't bite. People do." "I don't feel like spring. I feel like a hot red autumn." "Laugh when you're sad. Crying is too easy." "No one told me I was beautiful when I was a child. All children should be told they're beautiful, even if they're not." "It's better to be alone than miserable with someone." "Imperfection is beauty and madness is genius. It's better to be ridiculous than to be boring." "Disappointments make you open your eyes and close your heart." "I'm a little girl in a big world trying to find someone to love." "I've never left someone I believed in." "I have never cheated anyone. Sometimes I let men make their own mistakes." "If I had followed all the rules, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere." "It's easier to love a man than to live with him." "Don't hang your head, keep your forehead up and smile, because life is a beautiful thing and you have many reasons to smile."

Marilyn Monroe, often celebrated for her glamour and on-screen charisma, had an unexpected side that few knew about—her deep love for classic literature. Behind the Hollywood star image was someone who found solace, knowledge, and companionship in books. Marilyn once said, “If you’re ignorant, books won’t laugh at you,” revealing her understanding of literature as both a refuge and a source of wisdom. In an industry that often emphasized image over intellect, Marilyn’s private life and passion for reading offered a glimpse into her more introspective side.

Her interest in books wasn’t just a fleeting hobby but a lifelong pursuit. She built an impressive personal library of over 400 books, including works by authors like James Joyce, Leo Tolstoy, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Her shelves held titles spanning philosophy, history, poetry, and drama, reflecting a curiosity that went far beyond popular novels of the time. Marilyn’s love for classic literature and her admiration for authors like Dostoevsky and Whitman underscored her desire to connect with worlds and ideas beyond the silver screen.

As a self-taught reader, Marilyn’s relationship with books became a means of personal growth and self-education. She wasn’t formally schooled in the classics; instead, she pursued her reading as a way to expand her understanding of the world. Books became her teachers, filling the gaps in her education and providing insights that helped her navigate the complexities of fame. This deep engagement with literature challenged the shallow, “dumb blonde” stereotype Hollywood often projected onto her.

Marilyn’s love for reading even influenced her friendships and relationships. She often bonded with others over books and shared her favorites with friends. Her second husband, playwright Arthur Miller, shared her intellectual interests, and their connection grew partly from their shared passion for ideas and literature. During this time, Marilyn’s reading became even more prolific, as she explored works in existential philosophy and American and Russian literature. The relationship between Marilyn and Miller highlighted her need to be understood beyond her beauty, as someone with thoughts and ideas she wished to share.

Monroe’s choice to embrace reading despite her demanding career showed her determination to find depth and meaning in her life. Many accounts from those close to her mention seeing her with a book in hand, even on set. This habit wasn’t for show; books offered Marilyn comfort and companionship, grounding her amid the turbulence of Hollywood. She turned to literature for both an escape and a way to better understand herself and the human condition.

To this day, Marilyn Monroe’s love for classic literature reveals an often-overlooked dimension of her personality. She demonstrated that learning and beauty were not mutually exclusive, and she challenged stereotypes through her personal pursuit of knowledge. Monroe’s story continues to resonate with fans who see in her a reminder that self-education and curiosity can flourish regardless of public expectations. Her legacy as a reader is as profound as her legacy as a star, a testament to the belief that, as she once said, “books won’t laugh at you”—they remain steady friends in an ever-changing world.

--企業管理看個案 Lady Gaga

HBS Cases: Lady Gaga
What goes into creating the world's largest pop star? Before her fame hit, Lady Gaga's manager faced decisions that could have derailed the performer's career. A new case by Associate Professor Anita Elberse examines the strategic marketing choices that instead created a global brand.