United States of Kennedy

Film of the Month: Blonde (2022)

Episode Date: March 2, 2026
Hosts: George Civeris & Julia Claire
Guest: Esther Zuckerman (Entertainment Reporter & Film Critic)

Overview

This episode of United States of Kennedy examines the controversial 2022 Netflix film Blonde, a fictionalized account of Marilyn Monroe’s life directed by Andrew Dominik and starring Ana de Armas. Inspired by Joyce Carol Oates' sprawling novel, Blonde blurs fact and fiction surrounding Monroe and prominently features her (in)famous connection to the Kennedy family. Hosts George and Julia, joined by critic Esther Zuckerman, dig into the film’s artistic ambitions, factual liberties, cultural reception, depiction of women, and the meta-story it tells about Hollywood and exploitation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction: Context and Justification

• Blonde is framed as an "infamous" film, controversial for its blend of fact and fiction, especially in its treatment of Monroe and intersection with the Kennedys.
• The film is based on Joyce Carol Oates’ 700+ page novel, which serves as a fictionalized take on Marilyn Monroe’s life ([03:30]).

Fact vs. Fiction – Disorienting Blends

• The film notoriously mixes truths from Monroe’s life with wild fabrications (e.g., a throuple with Edward G. Robinson Jr. and Charlie Chaplin Jr., and fantasy sequences like a CGI baby conversing with Monroe) ([03:30]-[04:03])
• "JFK, or a fictionalized JFK, is only featured in a very small portion of the film, but, boy, does he make an impact." – Julia Claire ([04:09])

Critical Reception and Notable Reviews

• The film was divisive among top critics.
  • Richard Brody (New Yorker): called it "The Passion of the Christ for Marilyn Monroe” and criticized it for “cheap sentiment, brazen tastelessness and sexual exploitation.” ([05:04]-[05:37])
  • Manohla Dargis (NYT): “It is a relief that she did not have to suffer through the vulgarities of Blonde, the latest necrophiliac entertainment to exploit her.” – cited with much agreement ([05:37]-[06:25])

Esther Zuckerman’s Take on Watching Blonde

• Esther reveals she couldn’t rewatch the entire film for the episode, claiming, “I hate this film so much that I didn't do it the honor of like re-watching it in full” ([07:14]).
• She notes, “It's very beautiful to look at, but I find it a very cruel form of beauty and very cruel to its subject matter” ([08:25]).

Joyce Carol Oates and Her View

• Oates publicly praised the film as “a brilliant work of cinematic art,” and was surprised that its “stark exposure of sexual predation” was interpreted as exploitation ([11:21]).
• Hosts and guest agree that Dominik’s intention may have been sincere, but the film "revels in that punishment" and becomes complicit in Monroe’s exploitation ([11:54]-[13:06]).

Ana de Armas’ Performance

• Universally praised even by the film’s detractors: “Ana de Armas is giving kind of a crazy good performance despite the things that she is forced to do and say” – George ([18:06]).
• Her accent, which caused pre-release controversy, ends up being a minor issue compared to deeper problems in the film ([14:25]-[14:29]).

The Film’s Artistic Choices and Exploitation

• The movie’s meta-narrative is heavily critiqued: it “both recreates and aestheticizes the exploitation that it's attempting to critique” ([18:06]).
• The suffering and abuse Monroe endures overwhelms the audience; “There’s not even glimmers of the ambitious Marilyn... We just see the pleading. Like she says daddy so much. And I'm like, that can't be accurate. But again, anytime you ask that question, you're like, oh yeah, well, it's a fictionalization.” – Julia ([20:10]-[21:32]).

Erasure of Monroe’s Agency and Work

• The hosts lament that Blonde shows none of Monroe’s ambition, comedic brilliance, or moments of empowerment.
  • “This movie gives her like absolutely zero agency ever. It also just doesn't make for a very good movie to get into” – Esther ([30:26]).
• Discussion about Monroe’s real-life agency, founding her own production company, standing up for herself financially—entirely missing from Blonde ([29:33]-[30:26]).

Marilyn Monroe’s Real Legacy vs. the Film’s Depiction

• Esther contextualizes Monroe’s innovative comedic Persona and irreplaceable role in the evolution of the rom-com ([24:09]-[26:57]).
• The film “doesn't give her any credit for, like, how good she was on screen... she knew where the laugh lines were” ([23:06]-[23:31]).
• “It basically makes you think that she wasn't in on the joke, which is the opposite of how she was.” – Julia ([23:08]).

Andrew Dominik as Director

• Known for The Assassination of Jesse James…, Dominik’s work is described as ambitious and male-focused, making Blonde a thematic swerve ([35:38]-[37:50]).
• Dominik’s divisive approach puts Blonde in the camp of films like Darren Aronofsky’s Mother!—stylish, shocking, and confounding ([37:52]-[38:28]).
• “He set out to make people uncomfortable. He set out to implicate his audience in Marilyn's torture... It is a wrong-headed way to go about telling this story” – Esther ([40:15]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I find it very punishing and I find it very cruel. It's very beautiful to look at, but I find it a very cruel form of beauty and very cruel to its subject matter.” – Esther Zuckerman ([08:25])
• "This is a movie that is made by a man, certainly." – Julia Claire, on the anti-choice visualizations of abortion ([55:13])
• “[Blonde] did win Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay at the Razzies… There were accusations that it has kind of pro-life elements, which I would love to hear both of your takes on.” – George ([52:38])
• “The suffering and abuse Monroe endures overwhelms the audience... she is just a plaything for everyone and then she died again.” – George ([30:26])
• “They were marketing it as like a feminist movie, which is cuckoo to me because it's like again, it is like such a nightmare.” – Julia ([42:01])
• “[Dominik:] If the audience doesn't like it, that's the fucking audience's problem. I'm not running for public office.” – recounted by George from a Variety interview ([41:03])
• “It's as though she is a child and as though she genuinely doesn't understand how, like, pregnancy works.” – George ([56:59])
• "Where is the feminism?" – Julia ([61:47])

Timestamps and Segment Highlights

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |--------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | [02:58] | Hosts introduce the film, guest Esther Zuckerman | | [03:30] | Film foundations: fact, fiction, and "disorienting" elements | | [04:52] | Review excerpts (Brody & Dargis); exploitation theme | | [06:25] | Introduction + guest background on Esther Zuckerman | | [08:25] | Esther’s personal/critical perspective as a critic | | [11:05] | Joyce Carol Oates’ support, Twitter posting, and her response | | [13:06] | Film’s cruelty: depictions of abuse and overwhelming suffering | | [18:06] | Ana de Armas’ performance: strengths despite challenges | | [20:10] | Erasure of Monroe’s ambition, the “wounded bird” depiction | | [23:31] | Reclaiming the real Marilyn: her agency, comedic chops, legacy | | [30:26] | Critique of film’s total lack of agency for its protagonist | | [35:38] | Andrew Dominik as director: cult status, film style, reputation | | [41:03] | Dominik’s polarizing persona and his defense of the film | | [52:38] | The NC-17 controversy, pro-life accusations, screenwriting issues | | [55:13] | CGI fetus, abortion scenes, and inadvertent pro-life messaging | | [58:19] | Rape, violence, objectification – relentless trauma in Blonde | | [59:22] | The Kennedy/"blowjob" scene: depiction & implications | | [62:27] | Is there a legacy for Blonde or is it “memory-holed”? |

Deep Dive: The Kennedy Scene

Blonde’s controversial depiction of JFK features:

• Marilyn being carried by Secret Service agents to JFK’s bedroom ([59:22])
• Explicit oral sex while JFK is on the phone, directing Marilyn while being scolded for his infidelities ([59:22]-[59:33])
• The climax of the encounter synced with a sci-fi movie explosion on TV ([59:31])
• Later implication of rape and utter disregard for Monroe’s agency ([60:28])
• Consensus: This is perhaps the most damning portrayal of a Kennedy in pop culture, blending fact and cruel fantasy, serving the film's thesis of Monroe's total powerlessness ([60:09]-[61:14])

Final Thoughts & Legacy

• On its cultural resonance:
  Blonde is described as “memory-holed,” representative both of Netflix’s ephemeral ecosystem and the pandemic era’s strange cinematic releases ([62:27], [63:20]).
• On its artistic merit:
  While visually and technically ambitious, the film is deemed more a "nightmare" than a revelation, a work that “succeeds at what it sets out to do,” but whose aims are themselves deeply flawed ([40:14], [41:03]).
• On Monroe’s Representation:
  The panel concludes that the film is "punishing and cruel," stripping Monroe of agency, joy, humor, and control—qualities that defined her real-life persona ([30:26], [28:54]).
• On the point of feminist revision:
  The hosts and guest share disbelief at the film’s self-conception as feminist, viewing it as a reflection and perpetration of the exploitation it attempts to criticize ([42:01], [61:47]).
• On the endurance of Blonde:
  The only lasting legacy may be a warning: Even with good intentions and artistry, telling the story of a real woman—especially one as mythologized as Marilyn Monroe—can perpetuate the same harms if not handled with care, nuance, and context ([63:20]).

Closing

Esther: “I do think it is a work of art worth reckoning with because of what it's attempting to do… But because of streaming, they sort of don't exist.” ([62:27])
George: “Well, memory-holed both for sad and for correct reasons.” ([63:48])
Julia: “Where is the feminism?” ([61:47])

For fans of film history, pop culture, and all things Kennedy, this pulpy, provocative episode stands as a pointed critique of Blonde—both what it set out to do, and what it inadvertently says about celebrity, trauma, and who gets to own a woman’s story.