The estate of Marilyn Monroe has been sold and the new owners are doing a complete relaunch of Marilyn-themed products.
Gone will be the MM shot glasses and other tacky bits that clutter the shelves of souvenir stores. The re-imagining of her image comes nearly 50 years after her death. They’re going to put out a line of clothing and perhaps something like bedsheets and tasteful home decor, not necessarily emblazoned with the star’s famous face or body. They haven’t decided exactly what kind of fashions they’ll endorse but the spokesperson says that whatever they are, they will be available in all sizes because, “Marilyn was an elegant woman but she wasn’t a pencil.”
Sooooo….that means I can buy a likeness and a bio of someone dead and gone and re-brand it to whatever suits my fancy? Hmmmm… Maybe I could buy John Wayne’s estate and rebrand it to sell Kleenex. (“The Duke had a sensitive side….and a lot of snot!”) Maybe I could buy Elvis’ rights and sell automotive lubricants. (“Where did you think the grease in his hair came from anyway?”).
What ever happened to selling a product based on it’s merits for performing it’s intended task? (Although I’m glad that the new and improved Cottonelle doesn’t stick to a cartoon bear’s ass!)
The best example of that in recent memory is for Buckley’s Cough Syrup. “Tastes Awful. And it Works!” Now THAT’S honest!
You have a “deal”!