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Carla Quote by Robert Patrick

“I wanted to be a sex goddess. And you can laugh all you want to. The joke is on me, whether you laugh or not. I wanted to be one -- one of them. They used to laugh at Marilyn when she said she didn't want to be a sex-goddess, she wanted to be a human being. And now they laugh at me when I say, "I…” quote by Robert Patrick
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““I wanted to be a sex goddess. And you can laugh all you want to. The joke is on me, whether you laugh or not. I wanted to be one -- one of them. They used to laugh at Marilyn when she said she didn't want to be a sex-goddess, she wanted to be a human being. And now they laugh at me when I say, "I don't want to be a human being; I want to be a sex-goddess." That shows you right there that something has changed, doesn't it? Rita, Ava, Lana, Marlene, Marilyn -- I wanted to be one of them. I remember the morning my friend came in and told us that Marilyn had died. And all the boys were stunned, rigid, literally, as they realized what had left us. I mean, if the world couldn't support Marilyn Monroe, then wasn't something desperately wrong? And we spent the rest of the goddamned sixties finding out what it was. We were all living together, me and these three gay boys that adopted me when I ran away, in this loft on East Fifth Street, before it became dropout heaven -- before anyone ever said "dropout" -- way back when "commune" was still a verb? We were all -- old-movie buffs, sex-mad -- you know, the early sixties. And then my friend, this sweet little queen, he came in and he passed out tranquilizers to everyone, and told us all to sit down, and we thought he was just going to tell us there was a Mae West double feature on somewhere -- and he said -- he said -- "Marilyn Monroe died last" -- and all the boys were stunned -- but I -- I felt something sudden and cold in my solar plexus, and I knew then what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to be the next one. I wanted to be the next one to stand radiant and perfected before the race of man, to shed the luminosity of my beloved countenance over the struggles and aspirations of my pitiful subjects. I wanted to give meaning to my own time, to be the unattainable luring love that drives men on, the angle of light, the golden flower, the best of the universe made womankind, the living sacrifice, the end! Shit!””

Robert Patrick

About This Quote

Source Speech: Interview excerpt, 1960s counterculture, unknown venue

The speaker reflects on idolizing iconic women, feeling societal pressure, and seeking purpose through an idealized, unattainable persona, highlighting the era's gender and identity turmoil.

In simple terms: Desire to become an iconic, idealized figure amid cultural upheaval.

Key Takeaway

Question how idolization shapes self‑identity.

Themes

identity gender culture idealization

Mood

conflicted reflective intense

Type

philosophical critical personal.

When to use this quote

  • artistic expression
  • personal growth
  • social critique
  • mental health
  • gender roles

Key Concepts

celebrity worship self‑construction counterculture

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does it mean to seek meaning through imitation?
  • How can one find authentic purpose beyond cultural icons?
A Different Perspective

The pursuit of an impossible ideal can lead to self‑destruction and loss of authentic self.

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