Marilyn Monroe as a Specific Image

In the article, "Stars as Specific Images", Richard Dyer pick apart the aspects of a star in the mass media. The first aspect he talks about is promotion. This is where media texts are deliberately used in order to put out a specific image for a star. "It includes (i) material concerned directly with the star in question...(ii) material promoting the star in a particular film" (pg. 60) The first one deals with things like images in fashion, how they look in public, etc. The second one is more like movie posters, magazines and stuff like that. The second aspect is publicity and this differs from promotion because it's "not deliberate image-making" (pg.61). Publicity is mainly through the press in texts such as gossip columns, radio interviews, and television interviews. Dyer explains that "The only cases where one can be fairly certain of genuine publicity are the scandals" (pg. 61) He also says the "The importance of publicity is that, in its apparent or actual escape from the image that Hollywood is trying to promote, it seems more authentic" (pg. 61) Dyer goes on to talk about film and the idea of the vehicle. This is when a film is built around the star's image, "a situation setting or generic context associated with the star" (pg. 62) The final aspect that Dyer talks about is the criticism and commentaries. "This refers to what was said or written about the star in terms of appreciation or interpretation by critics and writers." (pg. 62) The critics express "a widely held, pre-existing sentiment or view about a star. More frequently, however, they contribute to the shaping of 'public opinion' about a star." (pg. 63)
I think that the majority of stars' images are really defined by these aspects that Dyer talks about but I want to focus on Marilyn Monroe specifically. Marilyn Monroe was promoted as being a sex symbol and this is largely demonstrated by her roles in her films. This demonstrates the idea of the vehicle because a lot of Monroe's characters were based around her image that was always promoted. Monroe also had a wide variety of publicity. She struggled with image problems, depression, as well as drug problems and this was largely publicized and critiqued. When Monroe passed away from a drug overdose, this became a very big publication.