Intelligence vs. Icon

The article this week is about how Marilyn Monroe could have possibly been hiding her intelligence in order to remain popular in 20th century America. A popular beauty icon, Monroe was often cited as being beyond her expected intelligence and even "poetic" by some. This does seem entirely possible based on the expectations for women at the time. In the 1960s, Women were still expected to be subservient to men in society and carry more domestic roles. If Monroe had exposed her alleged intelligence, this could have compromised her image in society as a stereotypical hot blonde. The article talks about how Monroe was often seen reading on set or having books in her possession. Now this hardly makes her a genius, but her yen to acquire knowledge and appreciation for the arts does lead to the possibility that she could posses some type of valuable intellect outside what many believed her to be. The article does, however, say that Monroe possessed an IQ of 163, putting her within the range of genius standards, which requires a score of 160+. This more than explains her climb to the top of the pup culture ladder, which included alleged affairs with the president of the US. It is likely that Monroe was not the first woman ever to hide her intelligence, and she certainly would not be the last. A more contemporary example is found with pop icon Lady Gaga. Owning an alleged IQ of 166, Lady Gaga is a self made pop culture sensation. After studying Britney Spears, Lady Gaga was able to make herself into an icon using her angelic singing voice and outlandish fashion sense. Her image is not something she is afraid of, however, as she has stated that she attempts to "scare boys rather than arouse them." It works well for her. Her sense of female empowerment has driven her to fame, almost entirely on her own. She is aware of everything about her displays, even having her own guild of workers who work with her on costume designs and intricately plan out the symbolism of her display. There is certainly more than meets the eye with Lady Gaga.