Scandal Center
In 1949, Monroe posed nude for some modeling shots, but scandal broke when those photos were released in a calendar. Monroe said that those pictures were taken when she was struggling for money, which was not true. Nevertheless, the public believed her and took pity on the young starlet. Her reputation has never been better.
Sex Symbol
Monroe was at a standstill. Men saw her as a sex symbol, while women empathized with her struggle. However, neither group was seeing her as a serious actor. She wanted to show off the skills she had been working on and demonstrate her acting range. She even took mime classes to learn facial expressions better.