Nodeshell? I'm not sure of her exact clothing size in today's (American) terms, but Marilyn Monroe was certainly of proportions that wouldn't allow her into Hollywood anymore. Would she be a sex symbol if she were around today? If Drew Barrymore, Alicia Silverstone and Kate Winslet get called pudgy by the media, Marilyn would be practically diagnosed as obese.

In reality, curves like hers don't come with size 4--at least not without extensive enlarging surgery on not only the breasts, but also the hips and butt.

The idea that Marilyn's size would be currently unacceptable and thus reflects our emphasis on thinness is frequently cited by feminists as an example of the media sending stupid messages to girls as to the nature of beauty and sexuality. And they're right, but the frequently accompanying idea that men have set the current standards isn't really true, in my opinion. Most men worth speaking to would prefer Marilyn or Drew over Calista Flockhart any day.

QUOTE: "I'd kill myself if I looked that fat." -- Elizabeth Hurley in Allure magazine, January, 2000