I soooo wish I could love this show. I really enjoy the past work of all the actors in the cast, plus the show is based on their attempts at portraying, in a Broadway play, one of my favorite ladies of all time, Marilyn. I adore Debra Messing, Jack Davenport and Anjelica Houston, the fact that they're in the cast is a huge part of my attraction to this show. Anjelica alone would draw me to anything.
That being said I find the show irritating at a molecular level - yes, I am biased. And flagrantly so! I've been a devoted fan of Marilyn Monroe since I was 12 years old (so 26 years... you do the math). I've read dozens of books, hundreds of articles, watched every documentary and movie ever produced, viewed every YouTube clip of our dear girl's appearances on the Jack Benny Show, Person to Person, etc. I wouldn't presume to call myself a expert level scholar about Marilyn, but ask me anything and I bet I'll be able to provide you with an accurate response.
So, here I go, sharing selfishly, my unabashedly biased opinion of this show - I loathe their use of Marilyn. The word 'use' is key... this show could be about the behind-the scenes production of any Broadway play, yet some asshat producer (who smells opportunity and dollar signs) thought 'Hey, let's ride the wave of the resurgence of Marilyn's popularity and make a TV show based on some Broadway producers...' blah blah blah...
Here's how I see this show playing out...the blonde chick (Ivy) is going to die, or disappear, under mysterious circumstances, just like Marilyn (eyes rolling). Katherine McPhee's character (who'll probably be the understudy) will have taken over the role, get rave reviews... yada yada yada.
Ivy's fate will play out in one of any trite predictable ways:
1. She'll wind up pregnant (having screwed the director) and he'll be an insensitive bastard about it. Ivy will have to make a difficult decision and possibly choose to have an abortion. BUT... we'll never know for sure. We'll see Ivy going through some terse, pensive moments, then walking away (perhaps in an ode to the movie 'Niagara' - shot from behind, wearing a light blue suit, mimicking Marilyn's walk) and disappearing. No one will know what really happened to her (Ah ha! Season cliffhanger!).
Or...
2. Ivy, being kind of well known in the Broadway circuit, won't be able to go to a professional, safe place to have the abortion for fear of being recognized (and the unfortunate stigma attached to a woman making that choice). She'll wind up going to some seedy, filthy place, get sick and die. Leaving everyone she knows wondering 'How did she die?'. There'll be pill bottles (sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, amphetamine-type pills, anti-biotics, etc.) found in her apartment (see the link here?) - there'll be the inevitable tragic suppositions about her state of mind... blah blah blah. The audience will know that she had been taking all those pills because she's sick and injured from the botched abortion, but no one in her world will know - except the insensitive bastard director. And probably Karen, in whom Ivy will confide... then Karen will have her own torturous moments dealing with the insensitive bastard director, knowing full well what Ivy went through and how the director is involved. (Ah ha! Season 2 storyline)
Or...
3. She'll confront the director, insist on having the baby and/or will threaten to divulge their present predicament to the public and producers who have invested and already spent millions. He'll get in contact with some 'friends in high places' and poof! No more Ivy. There'll be a death scene (probably staged by the 'friends') with the obligatory pill bottles on the night stand, phone in hand, nude on the bed... (see another link here? and yet another possible storyline for Season 2 - and yet another way to draw in more fair-weather fans?). Yyyyyyaaaaaaaawwwwwwwnnnnn.
I yawn because I can see any of these scenarios coming from 40 miles across the desert during a sand storm!
And now for my tirade about why I am so biased and regard this show with such disdain...
I hate the way Marilyn is used in this show and portrayed in 'play scenes' - one scene in particular is the 'baseball number'. Christ! It took every ounce of restraint in me not to throw the remote control through the TV during that scene. I am not a conservative person and am not easily offended, but that was disgusting - the choreography, salacious lyrics and slovenly, bouncy, over-sexed-tramp presentation of Marilyn baiting her hook for Joe just about made me vomit. Yes, it's a Broadway interpretation and presentation of a personality and an 'occurance' in her life, but this is revolting! Hey, 'Smash' researcher - READ A BOOK!!! Read all of them and you'll see this scene is WROOOOOOOOONNNGGGG!!! That's not how their relationship started, she didn't bait any hooks - he pursued her. This is not just insulting on an intellectual level, it's insulting to Marilyn and anyone of the zillions of her deeply devoted fans who were lured by her name being linked to this show (Yes, I'm one of them). Okay, this is some, glittery, super fun, flitty Broadway dance scene but really????!?!?!?! - YEEESH!!!
YOU production, idea, writer person, should live the life Marilyn did, walk in her shoes and try to live a 'normal' life under the unforgivable microscope of 'celebrity' existence - maybe you'd think twice about this "brilliant" idea and the consequences of the tabloid portrayals (i.e. headline-grabbing, and salaciously misinterpreted events of your own life) of who you are and the way you choose to live and focus the 'play' on something/one else. But Marilyn's too easy and attractive a subject, am I right? Easy to attract viewers, fans and fair-weather-friends (of Marilyn's) to the show that's only about a Broadway play and it's producers and cast. I see right through your nonsense and I am calling BULLSHIT!
Marilyn was beautiful yes. She knew (through years training and education) how to make the most of it, yes. She was never flagrant or overtly over-the-top (i.e. in your face - to use a modern euphamisim) with her innate gifts. It is so tiresome and trite to see her portrayed as some lascivious, wanton, man-trap who sought no greater pleasure than getting the attention of a man, any and every man. She was who she was, and looked how she looked. It was always up to the viewer to process their own feelings and reactions to what they saw and learned about the person they were viewing. Good, bad or in-between NO ONE should be judged for their outward appearance. And one should thoughtfully consider and interpret their own reactions to what they see portrayed on a show such as 'Smash' or any of the other marginally well produced shows/movies/etc. based on or involved with our dear girl.
Here's how I see this show playing out...the blonde chick (Ivy) is going to die, or disappear, under mysterious circumstances, just like Marilyn (eyes rolling). Katherine McPhee's character (who'll probably be the understudy) will have taken over the role, get rave reviews... yada yada yada.
Ivy's fate will play out in one of any trite predictable ways:
1. She'll wind up pregnant (having screwed the director) and he'll be an insensitive bastard about it. Ivy will have to make a difficult decision and possibly choose to have an abortion. BUT... we'll never know for sure. We'll see Ivy going through some terse, pensive moments, then walking away (perhaps in an ode to the movie 'Niagara' - shot from behind, wearing a light blue suit, mimicking Marilyn's walk) and disappearing. No one will know what really happened to her (Ah ha! Season cliffhanger!).
Or...
2. Ivy, being kind of well known in the Broadway circuit, won't be able to go to a professional, safe place to have the abortion for fear of being recognized (and the unfortunate stigma attached to a woman making that choice). She'll wind up going to some seedy, filthy place, get sick and die. Leaving everyone she knows wondering 'How did she die?'. There'll be pill bottles (sleeping pills, muscle relaxers, amphetamine-type pills, anti-biotics, etc.) found in her apartment (see the link here?) - there'll be the inevitable tragic suppositions about her state of mind... blah blah blah. The audience will know that she had been taking all those pills because she's sick and injured from the botched abortion, but no one in her world will know - except the insensitive bastard director. And probably Karen, in whom Ivy will confide... then Karen will have her own torturous moments dealing with the insensitive bastard director, knowing full well what Ivy went through and how the director is involved. (Ah ha! Season 2 storyline)
Or...
3. She'll confront the director, insist on having the baby and/or will threaten to divulge their present predicament to the public and producers who have invested and already spent millions. He'll get in contact with some 'friends in high places' and poof! No more Ivy. There'll be a death scene (probably staged by the 'friends') with the obligatory pill bottles on the night stand, phone in hand, nude on the bed... (see another link here? and yet another possible storyline for Season 2 - and yet another way to draw in more fair-weather fans?). Yyyyyyaaaaaaaawwwwwwwnnnnn.
I yawn because I can see any of these scenarios coming from 40 miles across the desert during a sand storm!
And now for my tirade about why I am so biased and regard this show with such disdain...
I hate the way Marilyn is used in this show and portrayed in 'play scenes' - one scene in particular is the 'baseball number'. Christ! It took every ounce of restraint in me not to throw the remote control through the TV during that scene. I am not a conservative person and am not easily offended, but that was disgusting - the choreography, salacious lyrics and slovenly, bouncy, over-sexed-tramp presentation of Marilyn baiting her hook for Joe just about made me vomit. Yes, it's a Broadway interpretation and presentation of a personality and an 'occurance' in her life, but this is revolting! Hey, 'Smash' researcher - READ A BOOK!!! Read all of them and you'll see this scene is WROOOOOOOOONNNGGGG!!! That's not how their relationship started, she didn't bait any hooks - he pursued her. This is not just insulting on an intellectual level, it's insulting to Marilyn and anyone of the zillions of her deeply devoted fans who were lured by her name being linked to this show (Yes, I'm one of them). Okay, this is some, glittery, super fun, flitty Broadway dance scene but really????!?!?!?! - YEEESH!!!
YOU production, idea, writer person, should live the life Marilyn did, walk in her shoes and try to live a 'normal' life under the unforgivable microscope of 'celebrity' existence - maybe you'd think twice about this "brilliant" idea and the consequences of the tabloid portrayals (i.e. headline-grabbing, and salaciously misinterpreted events of your own life) of who you are and the way you choose to live and focus the 'play' on something/one else. But Marilyn's too easy and attractive a subject, am I right? Easy to attract viewers, fans and fair-weather-friends (of Marilyn's) to the show that's only about a Broadway play and it's producers and cast. I see right through your nonsense and I am calling BULLSHIT!
Marilyn was beautiful yes. She knew (through years training and education) how to make the most of it, yes. She was never flagrant or overtly over-the-top (i.e. in your face - to use a modern euphamisim) with her innate gifts. It is so tiresome and trite to see her portrayed as some lascivious, wanton, man-trap who sought no greater pleasure than getting the attention of a man, any and every man. She was who she was, and looked how she looked. It was always up to the viewer to process their own feelings and reactions to what they saw and learned about the person they were viewing. Good, bad or in-between NO ONE should be judged for their outward appearance. And one should thoughtfully consider and interpret their own reactions to what they see portrayed on a show such as 'Smash' or any of the other marginally well produced shows/movies/etc. based on or involved with our dear girl.
I realize I've gone off into a tangent about Marilyn and my deep respect for and devotion to the person, fellow woman/human being behind the glamorous facade. It's possible that anyone who shares shoes like mine, who has done the research, read the books, seen the movies/documentaries, etc. about Marilyn might react to this show in a similar way. They might not - I don't know. These are my reactions, interpretations and feelings. It's as simple as that and luckily there's a place like this for me to divulge what I feel and what I'm thinking about this situation. It's healthy and cathartic and perhaps helpful for me to be able to just unleash my thoughts into the ether and perhaps influence another to approach a subject for which they feel as much passion with as much respect and thought as I do my dear girl Marilyn.
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