Gentlemen Prefer Blondes was made in 1953. By all accounts it should read as a sexist film about gorgeous women only wanting handsome men and beautiful diamonds. But when you place a filter of satire over it it completely transforms into a feminist and progressive take on female ambition, ingenuity and sexual agency.
The leads, Lorelie and Dorothy, are never the butt of the joke, they’re too witty to fall for that. They’re clever and direct and never apologize for it. Lorelei (Played perfectly by Marilyn Monroe) knows she’s being objectified and as she sees it, why shouldn’t she get some financial gain out of it? Her beauty seems to be a commodity to exchange under patriarchal capitalism. A concept she has accepted and is using to her advantage.
These liberated women asserted themselves from the beginning and were able to get what they wanted in the end. All due to their resourcefulness and beauty. A complete feminist and progressive ending. This photoshoot was inspired by this movie.
