The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene Read Free Book Online Page B

girdle, which ated her infamous walk, a walk that was hardly natural but offered a strange gave her an unfair mix of innocence and sex.
    advantage by making
    everyone fall in love
    Over the next few years, Marilyn taught herself through trial and er withthe wearer. "Very ror how to heighten the effect she had on men. Her voice had always been well" said Aphrodite
    attractive—it was the voice of a little girl. But on film it had limitations un spitefully. " I will, on til someone finally taught her to lower it, giving it the deep, breathy tones condition that you remove
    your helmet — you look
    that became her seductive trademark, a mix of the little girl and the vixen. hideous without it. " • Before appearing on set, or even at a party, Marilyn would spend hours be "Now, if you please, 1 fore the mirror. Most people assumed this was vanity—she was in love with must judge you one at
    a time" announced
    her image. The truth was that image took hours to create. Marilyn spent Paris. . . . Come here,
    years studying and practicing the art of makeup. The voice, the walk, the Divine Hera! Will you
    face and look were all constructions, an act. At the height of her fame, she other two goddesses be good
    enough to leave us for a
    would get a thrill by going into bars in New York City without her makeup while?" • "Examine me
    or glamorous clothes and passing unnoticed.
    conscientiously," said Hera,
    Success finally came, but with it came something deeply annoying to turning slowly around, and
    displaying her magnificent
    her: the studios would only cast her as the blond bombshell. She wanted se figure, "and remember that rious roles, but no one took her seriously for those parts, no matter how if you judge me the fairest,
    hard she downplayed the siren qualities she had built up. One day, while she 1 will make you lord of all was rehearsing a scene from The Cherry Orchard, her acting instructor, Mi Asia, and the richest man alive. " • " I am not to be
    chael Chekhov, asked her, "Were you thinking of sex while we played the bribed my Lady . . . Very
    scene?" When she said no, he continued, "All through our playing of the well, thank you. Now I
    scene I kept receiving sex vibrations from you. As if you were a woman in have seen all that I need to
    see. Come, Divine
    the grip of passion. . . . I understand your problem with your studio now, Athene!" • "Here I am,"
    Marilyn. You are a woman who gives off sex vibrations—no matter what said Athene, striding
    you are doing or thinking. The whole world has already responded to those purposefully forward.
    "Listen, Paris, if you have
    vibrations. They come off the movie screens when you are on them." enough common sense to
    award me the prize, I will
    Marilyn Monroe loved the effect her body could have on the male libido. make you victorious in
    all your battles, as well
    She tuned her physical presence like an instrument, making herself reek of as the handsomest and
    sex and gaining a glamorous, larger-than-life appearance. Other women wisest man in the world."
    knew just as many tricks for heightening their sexual appeal, but what sepa• " I am a humble rated Marilyn from them was an unconscious element. Her background
    The Siren • 11
    had deprived her of something critical: affection. Her deepest need was to herdsman , not a soldier," feel loved and desired, which made her seem constantly vulnerable, like a said Paris. . . . "But I promise to consider fairly
    little girl craving protection. She emanated this need for love before the your claim to the apple. camera; it was effortless, coming from somewhere real and deep inside. A Now you are at liberty to look or gesture that she did not intend to arouse desire would do so doubly put on your clothes and powerfully just because it was unintended—its innocence was precisely helmet again. Is Aphrodite ready?" • Aphrodite sidled
    what excited a man.
    up to him, and Paris
    The Sex Siren has a more urgent and immediate effect