I grew up admiring old black-and-white images from the silver screen era, often captivated by the timeless allure of icons like Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. Monroe, in particular, fascinated me—not just for her beauty, but for the way she embodied both vulnerability and strength beneath the surface. One of her most unforgettable moments came in 1955’s The Seven Year Itch, when she stood above a Lexington Avenue subway grate at 63rd Street, her white halter dress famously billowing in the breeze—a scene that became one of the most enduring images in pop culture history.

In my piece, titled “A-Bombshell”, I pay homage to Monroe while adding a literal twist to her nickname, the “blonde bombshell.” Instead of her head, I’ve placed an atomic bomb’s mushroom cloud, merging symbols of power, danger, and allure. It’s a nod to how Monroe’s explosive impact on American culture was both dazzling and destructive, shaping ideals of femininity, fame, and vulnerability in ways that still reverberate today.

Interestingly, Monroe was not only a film star but also a symbol of Cold War America—she visited troops in Korea, became a staple of USO tours, and was even reportedly under FBI surveillance due to her associations. Like the atomic age she lived through, her life reflected both glamour and volatility, beauty and fallout.