The resemblances are uncanny. It really doesn’t take much effort to see that the doomed blondes of pop culture have a lot in common. The perfect archetype representing the “tragic damsel” was Marilyn Monroe, although there was much more to the actress than this, of course. It seems that the famous actress, who died in 1962, was one of the main inspirations for Laura Palmer’s character in Twin Peaks.
Twin Peaks is the fascinating American murder drama series created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. Widely regarded as one of the greatest TV shows of all time, Twin Peaks’ game-changing plot and quirky characters appealed to many.
Despite declining ratings, which ultimately resulted in the show’s demise after the second season, Twin Peaks remains a cult favorite. It was followed by a film, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, and last month a limited series returned to television, this time on the Showtime network.
As the story goes, our hero, FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan), investigates the gruesome murder of a small town’s homecoming queen, Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee). Everyone in the quaint town is shocked and grieving, but as the plot progresses, many of the characters’ secrets are slowly unveiled; it turns out that “the owls are not what they seem.”
The story seizes the essence of the crime drama setting, spiced up with a dark, surreal tone and an array of relateable, melodramatic characters. But, it’s much more than just a campy soap opera with supernatural overtones, as Lynch adds his own bizarre elements to it, along with the exceptional writing of Mark Frost.
Apparently, the universe of Twin Peaks was actually inspired by Marilyn Monroe and her tragic life. At the time, Frost and Lynch were working on Goddess, a biopic about the life of the famous actress and model.
Sadly, they couldn’t get the rights. Ultimately, they decided to combine the life and times of Marilyn with the mysteries of her alleged murder, adding a surreal soap opera. What they got was the plot for one of the greatest TV shows.
Typically for Lynch, he softly denies the theories, stating: “You know, there are many, many different girls in the world,” defending the integrity of the fictional character. “We all do love Marilyn Monroe though, that’s for sure. It’s not about Marilyn Monroe, but she’s one that will make you dream.”
It’s true that some fans may think it is pure coincidence, but still, the fictional homecoming queen and the prominent sex icon share many similarities.
Both emit a radiant beauty of the typical blonde, both are lovable, both suffered horrible tragedies, and both of them are layered with personal secrets. So it is, we think, highly likely that Monroe’s life was no doubt the inspiration, if not a writer’s tool, for the creation of the ill-fated Laura Palmer of Twin Peaks.
The untimely death of both blondes and the fact that they keep a diary which unlocks their deep, dark secrets is surely evidence enough. What’s more, the shock waves of the terrible news from both instances cause a ripple which triggers even more horrible events.
Another long-shot hunch which further strengthens the claims is that Marilyn Monroe’s real name, Norma Jeane, is oddly similar to another character on the Twin Peaks quirky roster. The town’s “Double R Diner” with its infamous cherry pies, delicious doughnuts, and the almighty “damn good” cuppa joes, is owned and run by none other than Norma Jennings.
Theories aside, the show has proven its relevance and its enormous mob of ever faithful fans with the continuation of the series this year, staying faithful to Laura Palmer’s words “…see you in 25 years.” Fresh new characters appear alongside the original cast members who have returned to reveal the mystery, picking up from the cliff-hangers left at the end of Season Two.