A Guide to the Best and Worst of Marilyn Monroe in the Culture
Marilyn Monroe would have turned 100 on June 1, and institutions worldwide are marking her centennial with exhibitions. The National Portrait Gallery in London opens “Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait” on June 4, featuring works by Andy Warhol, Cecil Beaton, and Richard Avedon alongside her personal effects. The Academy Museum in Los Angeles presents hundreds of posters, photographs, letters, and costumes, while the Cinémathèque Française in Paris runs a film retrospective through June 12. The article also surveys the best and worst cultural works Monroe inspired, including Joyce Carol Oates’s novel *Blonde*, Gloria Steinem’s *Marilyn Monroe*, and Warhol’s iconic “Marilyn” series.