Marilyn Monroe – Diamonds are a girl’s best friend
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
An interesting note according to Wikipedia:
Marilyn sang most of the song, but Marni Nixon – who died just yesterday 7/24/16 – was enlisted to sing in two places: the “No’s” at the very beginning, and at the phrase “These rocks don’t lose their shape, diamonds are a girl’s best friend”.
mivenho:
Thanks for that tidbit!
Diamonds are forever
Is the best slogans ever. It’s said to have been casually invented by a secretary at de Beers HQ, but you know how it is with such claims. A slogan which also lasts forever. Everyone understands it, and is still intrigued by the foreverness which beyond our reach. Did that slogan come about soon after this Monroe appearance? A campaign to make diamonds popular.
LocalFluff–
“Diamonds are forever,” that slogan was introduced after WW-2
DeBeers also invented the engagement ring.
“Diamonds are forever”
I like Ron White’s variation: “Diamonds….THAT’LL shut her up”.
@weyne
“DeBeers also invented the engagement ring.”
That too? Which of course must have a decorative stone which lasts, how long did you say, honey? de Beers must’ve had the best marketing people ever. Forever! Just to come up with the thought:
“- If you don’t buy our product, or you won’t have a family!”
And it immediately sticks totally everywhere. Fantastic.
Here’s a nice lecture about Louis XIV in the 17th century who gave new birth and meaning to luxury and fashion. He reigned for 70 years (until 1715), longer than any other king ever, so he had time to realize his visions. He corrupted the good-for-nothing rich noblesse and made them invest most of what they had in the luxury fashion industry, which he turned into France’s totally dominating export industry. Simply by public appearances, he transformed the landowner’s capital into high precision artisan industries which exported high value luxury products to the rest of the known world. Versailles was a profitable investment in trade policy, and psychological world dominance. France!
Does anyone recognize anything of this in the US election process today?
Will we see morning TV broadcasting the rise of the Trump getting dressed “04:30, up before the enemy”, so that he can market his lingerie too? Louis XIV actually did that! He made his dressing and undressing public events in order to “convince” all fashion follower (i.e. all other kings and noblemen in Europe) to buy also this season’s French lingerey. He’d regret himself he didn’t invent that engagement ring idea. Having invented that, then inventing the divorce would multiply the sales! When love is lost, the diamond is still there.
I recommend this lecture about how a king invented fashion in the 17th century. I think it is actually current, or eternal, politics in some way:
https://youtu.be/2oXRapMFpfg?t=427
Fluffman– Yeah, Best Marketing People Ever! On Earth!
DeBeers as well, is perhaps one of the longest-lived Monopolies, ever constructed.
As far as advertising slogans, the best one (in the modern era, in the USA at least) is perhaps, “Does She, or Doesn’t She?”…only her hairdresser knows for sure… if she colors her hair.