Marilyn Monroe and Elevators

Have you ever noticed where Marilyn stood in elevators? Several photos of the late star in an elevator show her standing in a corner rather than along a wall.

Results of a 2001 study examining human behavior in elevators showed that there are four places people usually stand when they are alone in an elevator: (1) Against the back wall close to the center, (2) Facing the front, up against the door, (3) To the left front, or (4) To the right front. The study further found that, "A very small percentage will stand in one of the back corners, but not consistently, only sporadically."

It's not known if Marilyn was alone in the elevators in the pictures above. Nonetheless, it's interesting to note her position in the elevators, along with the projected appearance of vulnerability and perhaps even entrapment. Did her self placement in elevators have some sort of meaning or symbolism, either metaphorically or subconsciously? Could Marilyn being "cornered" in an elevator have represented how she felt in life...cornered by the studio and executives, cornered by husbands, forever pigeonholed into the dumb blonde role and never being taken seriously as an actress? Maybe. Or, perhaps she simply moved to the corner of the elevator in these images just to have her photo taken. We'll never know. Still, it's interesting to ponder.

Where do you stand when you're in an elevator?

To see the full results of the study on elevator psychology, click here.