Two movies come to mind while writing this article, Clueless and Legally Blonde. They both were a great depiction of how beautiful women that are seemingly ditsy or “bimboish” actually end up proving to be pretty smart chicks. However, I am writing this article because I was watching the bio of Marilyn Monroe with my mother one day only to realize that she is actually really smart. It’s something I always felt from reading her 
quotes but after watching the bio I now have a new outlook on her. I am actually now intrigued by women who build an empire off of being a bimbo. Well, our assumption of them being a bimbo. Though, we have to keep in mind that Marilyn was an actress. She also knew how to work people physiologically. She was going to be who she needed to be, at any given time, to survive. Today, she is an icon for a reason and people share her quotes because they are profound. People who are unintelligent do not have worthwhile things to say. Heck, I have a few of her quotes on my Facebook profile right now. She possessed not only a beautiful smile, face and body but she definitely had a beautiful brain to match her aesthetics too.
In my world, people are shocked that I am actually quite intelligent. It blows people away when they find out I work on computers. I have had people actually say “You mean to tell me that YOU can actually fix a computer?” But I know women prettier than me that have even graduated from Havard. It seems as though society has made it almost like a known fact that if a woman is pretty, especially in a sensual way, she is automatically dumb. To top it off, if we say or do anything clumsy or flighty we might as well just be a rock with lips.
Just in case Marilyn Monroe wasn’t a good enough example, I have a couple more…
Well, that’s what everyone thinks. Or maybe it’s what she wants people to think as a profitable personality. Most people don’t see a woman that seemingly spends most of their time being the “party girl” getting drunk, starting bar brawls, as the model scholar. Let’s be real here, while watching the show I didn’t think she was that smart nor a woman of much substance either. She plays her “Snooki” character quite well. However, in her real life as opposed to her reality life, I believe “Nicole” is quite intelligent. She, like Marilyn Monroe, has profited off of her bimbo portrayal. Not only that, she has taken her Jersey Girl stereotype and created a trend with the hairstyles, a tanning lotion for the over exaggerated Jersey tan look, and now has a book out about her life. She is smart enough to realize that being a reality star is very short lived; therefore, she must build her empire outside of her entertainment life. There are a lot of reality stars that most people don’t know, but if someone mentions “Snooki” there are a lot of people that even if they haven’t seen the show know exactly who she is and what she is known for. I had never seen not even one episode but I definitely knew who she was before being forced to watch it one day. Needless to say, though I think she looks like her name should be “Cookie” that she is a “smart cookie”.
Now on to my next example…
I think it’s now safe to say that Jessica is simply just legally blonde that had a clueless moment on her reality show with Nick Lachey. If you think about it there are many of us that have had those “blonde moments” we wish we could erase. But what we probably wish more is that we could have capitalized on it like she did. I would bet that in the moment she said what is now her famous phrase, “Is chicken of the sea, fish or chicken?” she probably knew the answer as it was coming out of her mouth. And if not, I can’t sit here and say I haven’t said dingbat stuff in my lifetime because I have; however, this also doesn’t constitute an unintelligent individual. Similarly, it also doesn’t make her an unintelligent individual either. She has proved that by building a number of empires, one now being worth reportedly about $1 billion. She was smart enough to know that a singing career rarely lasts as long as let’s say Janet Jackson’s has and that she is no Meryl Streep either. I personally don’t even remember what song she is known for, at least not off the top of my head. Do you? All I can say is that she definitely is an amazing business woman, and to be that successful it takes not only tenacity but also ingenuity.
If you are still not convinced then think back when Miss South Carolina, Lauren Caitlin Upton, answered her pageant question saying such as and like with a bunch of ramblings which basically put her on the dumb list; unlike then, today people are not talking about her and she definitely hasn’t capitalized on that moment like she could have. Just like Jessica, she made a mistake but if she was smart she could turn that mistake into profits. After all, footage of that very moment went past a million views and she also was on national television; therefore, people know who she is so she has the opportunity to flip the way people know her into something more positive. But she hasn’t. Why? Because it simply is not easy otherwise everyone would be doing the same thing these ladies have done. It takes wit!
Perhaps Caitlin will figure it all out!
Makes me wonder though…
Are Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton actually smart??? After all, they did capitalize off their own sex tapes. 
Great post. Great examples. Well articulated. Good job Marika!
Awww thank you Frank! xo
That's the trouble with "reality" shows and being in the limelight. Most people who are constantly in the public eye get remembered for the moment that they make a stupid statement or a mistake and are immediately remembered as though that's their persona. As you said, everyone's had a moment where they may not come off as intelligently as they'd like…but it's what happens after that and how they capitalize on that opportunity of being in the limelight that matters.
Yeah… EXACTLY. Man, I really could capitalize weekly on some of the things I say. Only if I was at the right place and at the right time. ha.