Marilyn Monroe died 51 years ago yesterday, but that hasn’t stopped people from attributing entirely erroneous quotes to her name. Pinterest is partially to blame for the weird phenomenon, as pictures of Marilyn Monroe and inspirational quotes are two of the most pin-worthy items. Pairing them together, even if the quote is inaccurately cited, is instant Pinterest gold.
We’re setting the record straight by attributing some of the worst Marilyn Monroe misquotes to the actual speaker…
Lady Gaga is actually responsible for perpetuating this misquote. She tweeted a picture of Marilyn along with the caption when she came under fire for weight gain in 2012. The actual words are her own.
That’s Harvard professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, who originally said this Pinterest-worthy quote. She later wrote a book by the same name. It’s easy to see why people were inclined to attribute this quote to Marilyn Monroe, particularly because Laurel Thatcher Ulrich isn’t as much of a household name.
As you can see, that’s not Marilyn Monroe. The guy pictured above is Timothy Leary, a mid-century writer and major advocate for psychedelic drugs.
Silent film star Clara Bow was a sex symbol long before Marilyn Monroe came along. Although she was likely drawing from personal experience in this quote, she was reportedly talking about Marilyn Monroe after the younger star’s death in 1962.
Last but certainly not least is the most ridiculous Marilyn Monroe misquote. Please, please take note that Marilyn did not say this…
