Marilyn Monroe has had quite a long journey from trailblazing icon to tired cliché. It’s probably a good thing for Marilyn that she hasn’t been around to see it, because she surely wouldn’t have been pleased to see what her Hollywood descendants have done to her.

 

Look, we all go through identity crises. Listening to music your parents hate and buying a car you neither need nor can afford are part of the circle of life. If you and I do it, why can’t those who are famous and/or filthy rich do it? They have as much of a right to indulge themselves as you or your teenager do.

 

But most of us finally discover our true character and priorities through trial and error. Not the women of Tinsletown. More and more of them seem to know their results when they begin the journey. Instead of developing their unique traits, they all bet on the tried and true: the Marilyn Monroe look.

 

Women from Madonna, who donned the look during her Material Girl days to Anna Nicole Smith, have imitated the glamour icon. Jessica Simpson’s curvaceous figure, bleach blonde hair and figure hugging get ups channel the actress. Lindsay Lohan has admitted that her controversial transition from gorgeous flaming redhead to platinum blonde was in large part caused by her admiration of Marilyn.   

 

Yet the imitations of these queens of Hollywood’s new guard pale in comparison to Christina Aguilera’s attempt to become the ultimate embodiment of Marilyn Monroe. She has not released an album since her infamous Dirrty days, and the change in her appearance may be an attempt at a preview for a change of sound.

 

Leaving leather chaps behind, Aguilera arrived at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards sporting plump lips painted with blood red gloss, platinum locks and a glittery dress that emphasized her cleavage (which increased several sizes over the past 3 years). She completed the look by blowing kisses over her shoulder at the paparazzi.  This came several days after a cover story interview for GQ magazine with a photo layout mimicking one of Marilyn’s.

 

There is no denying that Marilyn may be the ultimate symbol of sexuality and glamour in the Western world.  Like fashion designers, celebrities have copied her look on innumerable occasions.

 

While it may get immediate media attention, its shock value has worn off. Instead of retaining her place as a classic in the American cinema tradition, Marilyn has become the patron saint for bleach blonde playmate wannabes. That may have been the formula for making it in the entertainment business at one point in time, today it serves as proof that the celebrity’s stylist has run out off creative juices.

 

There is nothing wrong with playing with your look, but the point of experimentation is to set yourself apart from your peers. Kirsten Dunst has her quirky creative style, Keira Knightley emphasizes her perfect bone structure, and Jennifer Aniston has made her sun-kissed California look her trademark.

 

The craving for attention and spotlight is as natural among entertainers as it is among the rest of us. Seeing their mistakes may be good insight for those of us looking for a new identity or icon.

 

Individual style is by definition a reflection of the owner and creator. It is just not the same when four replicas walk the same red carpet on the same night.  This should give us a hint that before we criticize the clones on tabloid covers, we should look at who it is we are trying to imitate.  Are we buying a car because everyone else at work has a similar model?  Running out to purchase a pair of wedges like the ones the girl in the front row wears? 

 

As Marilyn proves, it is only the originals that make a true mark. And while a parade of Hollywood copycats may have turned the Marilyn look into a cliché, an original will always be just that.