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How Hollywood creates and stages its own mythology
Hollywood and the American Dream
Since the 1930s, Hollywood has been more than just a film industry, it has become a myth-making machine. Built on the idea of success, beauty, and glamour, it also helped define the American Dream according to which anyone, regardless of their origins, can become rich and famous through hard work.
In the early days, the studio system controlled everything : actors’ lives, film content, and public image. Studios didn’t just make movies ; they built legends. They created stories on screen, and off screen that made stars seem larger than life.
This mythology shaped how people all over the world imagined America. Hollywood offered escapism, but also a model of inspiration, where beauty, wealth, and fame were the ultimate goals. It invented icons, like the “perfect” man or woman, and presented the U.S. as a land of magic possibilities.
Over time, however, audiences started to question this dream. Who gets to live it ? What happens behind the scenes ? Today, Hollywood still sells dreams but it also starts to question them, showing new faces, voices, and realities.
From studio legends to modern icons
In the 1930s and 40s, the studio system created stars like Clark Gable (1901-1960), known as “The King of Hollywood,” and Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962), the ultimate blonde icon. Their careers were carefully managed. Their public lives were polished, idealized, and sometimes entirely fabricated to fit the image the studio wanted to sell.
For example, Marilyn Monroe was portrayed as the sweet, innocent “dumb blonde,” but in reality, she was a complex, intelligent woman who struggled with fame and identity. Her myth became bigger than her real self. Hollywood made her both a star and a symbol of beauty, tragedy, and desire.
Today, Hollywood continues to stage itself, often through films that reveal its inner workings, like La La Land (2016) or Babylon (2022). It also expands the dream, including more diverse voices and global stories, though not without challenges.
The Hollywood myth has changed, but its power to shape dreams and culture remains strong. Whether as a golden fantasy or a critical mirror, Hollywood still plays a key role in how people imagine success, identity, and America.
