Talk:Marilyn Monroe#rfctag

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)

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Which image should be used for the infobox of the article, after previous multiple discussions at Talk:Marilyn Monroe/Archive 5#Infobox image, Talk:Marilyn Monroe/Archive 7#Lead image replacement and Talk:Marilyn Monroe/Archive 8#Time for a wikibox image change?. Absolutiva (talk) 05:51, 19 June 2025 (UTC)

File:Monroe 1953 publicity.jpg|A

File:Monroecirca1953.jpg|B (current)

File:Monroe in Niagara (1953 publicity photo).jpg|C

File:Marilyn Monroe in How to Marry a Millionaire.jpg|D

Absolutiva (talk) 05:51, 19 June 2025 (UTC)

• 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)

• B. Rcarter555 (talk) 16:14, 19 June 2025 (UTC)

• B - not a glamor shot, just a photo of a person, as in other WP articles. Netherzone (talk) 18:02, 19 June 2025 (UTC)

• {{sbb}} 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 rap} 22:58, 19 June 2025 (UTC)

::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)

:::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)

::::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 rap} 00:10, 20 June 2025 (UTC)

:::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. {{pb}} 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 rap} 00:10, 20 June 2025 (UTC)

• 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)