The rationale behind the request is: "As one of the most well-known people to ever live as well as being very big in pop-culture, Monroe deserves a spoken article".
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Having Marilyn Monroe's religion in the article's Infobox has been discussed on this talk page before in sections at:
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Dear Sir or Madam, Merilyn Monroe was born Norma Jean Baker nit Mortenson, so it would be proper to have it corrected.
With kind regards,
Blazenka Krizan 77.78.225.4 (talk) 15:49, 1 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Again? As before, B, the current image, which of these choices is the most natural and shows Monroe as a person living in the colorful world and not a sexual symbol living in front of posing-backgrounds. Randy Kryn (talk) 14:22, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
(Summoned by bot) I would say that A or D most align with capturing the subject in a manner that most aligns with her public image and the core of the career from which she derived her notability. They also seem to be most technically proficient and sharp of the images, for their given sizes and resolutions. That said, really any of these images is perfectly suitable and fit for purpose. SnowRise let's rap22:58, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
If we go by public image then many initial photographs on Wikipedia would have to be changed, including age-related photos (many actors and actresses, notable for their work while younger, are portrayed here as elders, and others would be portrayed while in costume as in D). In Monroe's case, she was a very good actress who could put on "Marilyn Monroe" at will, but did not live life as her character. Randy Kryn (talk) 23:08, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I also want to mention that if we go by pubic image alone, then C is instantly recognizable to many because of the ubiquity of Andy Warhol's Marilyn Diptych. (Personally I think that image of her makes her look "sleepy".) I understand what Snow Rise is saying, but still think that the natural, human image of B is most appropriate for an encyclopedia article. Randy Kryn makes a good argument for using B. BTW, I was summoned here by Yapperbot. Netherzone (talk) 23:47, 19 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
It's funny (and I mean this sincerely), but I've always felt that, as an impressionistic matter, a more professional portraiture image feels more appropriate to an encyclopedic biography entry. But I don't think there's policy/style guidance on point either way, so I'm just noting that as a "it's funny how two people can look at the aesthetic goal of a particular function in the same way, but come to opposite conclusions about how to achieve it" kind of observation. SnowRise let's rap00:10, 20 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Well, as to the first point, that's an WP:OTHERSTUFF argument. Maybe those articles would also benefit from such adjustments in their lead image selection, or maybe there would be counter-balancing factors. At the moment, having been FRS'd here to choose between these images for this article, I can only tell you which of them calls out "Marilyn Monoroe" (slightly) more paradigmatically to me. And yes, of course she was in reality a person with dimensions beyond her public image. But to represent her as an encyclopedic subject, I see no issue with assigning an image which is somewhat more prototypical of her stage presence and public persona. That said, I must emphasize again that all of these images are suitable, and the differences between them negligible. Honestly, the slightly sharper focus and technical prowess of the first and last image are what stand out to me as the best arguments for using one of them, but if I arrived on this article and saw any of the four in the infobox, I would not take it for anything but a perfectly valid selection. SnowRise let's rap00:10, 20 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
B - For a Featured Article, it seems unnecessary to revisit the image selection in this case. The current photo is already suitable and meets the article's standards, and the proposed alternatives do not offer a significant improvement. - Nemov (talk) 14:30, 20 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
If the article wasn't about Marilyn Monroe, I wouldn't have known those pictures were of Marilyn Monroe since I have never seen one of her films. But I do recognise that famous photo as Marilyn Monroe. She is also a bona fide icon, known for things other than her acting, among those things is that famous photo that has been copied, given homage to and parodied the world over. I know WP:RECOGNIZE is about names, but I wonder if the guideline could apply to photos as well? TurboSuperA+(connect)08:16, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
TurboSuperA+, nice summary, and if the article was solely about her character that would be a good one. That event, the subway wind film shoot, actually was seen by her husband Joe DiMaggio (where'd he go?) who fumed about it and caused a major rift in their marriage as well as a bruise or two, so yes, it is a personal biographical image as well. An interesting lead image idea, and it'd be my second choice among the nominees. Randy Kryn (talk) 12:12, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
I still favor B as "representative of a person who is no longer alive". The subway wind photo is iconic in relation to the film The Seven Year Itch, and I think it should be moved up in that article to the spot now occupied by the image, "Ewell reprised his Broadway role and Monroe replaced Vanessa Brown". Netherzone (talk) 12:27, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
The subway wind photo is iconic in relation to the film The Seven Year Itch
I disagree, I think it has "outgrown" the movie so to speak. This is how Vanity Fair describes it: It's an image everyone has seen: Marilyn Monroe flirtatiously posing over a subway grate, her white dress fluttering in the air. Filmed on a late summer night in Manhattan, this moment from The Seven Year Itch is the most enduring depiction of the blonde icon.[1]TurboSuperA+(connect)13:25, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
level-4 vital article is rated FA-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale.
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