A reading room for the study of Hollywood beauty as a system.
Research-based notes, annotated reviews, and archival findings on glamour, femininity, celebrity, and visual culture.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Featured Reading Note
I Wanna Be Loved By You: Marilyn Monroe, A Life in 100 Takes
Examines Monroe though 100 snippets of her life to show her as she really was rather than the imagined woman she’s made out to be.
Latest Substack
Marilyn Monroe Deserves to Rest
Wonders why we are still glued to the idea that Monroe deserves to rest while continuing to consume her image and sacrificing her real identity.
Current Research Theme
Marilyn Monroe
For her 100th birthday, nothing seems more fitting than examining Monroe from both a glamour standpoint and as well as an attempt to humanize her. Weekly Substacks for the month of June focusing on Monroe while this month’s book review focuses on Andrew Wilson’s new book, I Wanna Be Loved By You: Marilyn Monroe, A Life in 100 Takes.
Recent Additions
5.17.26 – The Beauty Butcher Pt. 2
5.10.26 – The Beauty Butcher Pt. 1
5.10.26 – The Weird History of Enameling