This summer will mark fifty years since the death of Marilyn Monroe, and the iconic blonde actress has already been back in the public eye with shows like Smash and the film My Week With Marilyn for which Michelle Williams earned an Oscar nod as Monroe. And now, there are plans for a reality show aimed at locating the “next Marilyn Monroe”.
Finding Marilyn, according to The Huffington Post is described as a “real life Cinderella story” in which 12 young women will compete for the chance to “emulate Marilyn Monroe’s iconic journey to stardom”, according to Nick Woodhouse, representing Monroe’s estate. Let’s start with the obvious problems, such as the fact that she has been dead for half a century and has yet to be replaced. Then there’s the fact that you can’t really call it a Cinderella story when you win a prize on a reality show. How competing in a talent show is akin to Monroe’s “journey to stardom”, I can’t quite figure out, since Monroe was never handed her position but in fact worked incredibly hard to reach the top.
The project is being developed with the full support of Monroe’s estate, which ranks among the highest-earning estates among dead celebrities. It looks like they are ready to cash in further on the renewed interest in the star brought on by the upcoming fiftieth anniversary of her death in August. I can’t say I am surprised at yet another entry into the reality-talent-competition series market, but even if I wasn’t a big fan of Marilyn, I would have my doubts about this one.
The project doesn’t yet have a network attached, nor have they said what prize the winner will earn. What I can say is that simply being called the next Monroe doesn’t make it so. Just ask every buxom blonde actress who has passed through that label in the last 50-plus years.
