"To put it bluntly, I seem to have a whole superstructure with no foundation. But I'm working on the foundation"
About this Quote
The bluntness matters. She’s not asking for pity or offering a tragic flourish; she’s naming a structural problem. In an industry that rewarded her for being an image, she frames herself as a worksite. The subtext is about power: a “superstructure” can be built by others, erected quickly, sold hard. A foundation is slower, private, and harder to monetize. It suggests education, therapy, craft, boundaries - the internal scaffolding that lets a person say no, choose roles, outlast the next publicity cycle.
Context sharpens the line into something almost political. Monroe was famous for being underestimated: the “dumb blonde” persona, the studio machinery, the men who treated her as a projection. This quote quietly flips that hierarchy. She recognizes the construction around her and insists on agency: “I’m working on the foundation.” It’s a promise, but also a critique of a culture that will happily raise a monument to you while neglecting the ground you’re expected to stand on.
Quote Details
| Topic | Self-Improvement |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Monroe, Marilyn. (2026, January 17). To put it bluntly, I seem to have a whole superstructure with no foundation. But I'm working on the foundation. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/to-put-it-bluntly-i-seem-to-have-a-whole-81836/
Chicago Style
Monroe, Marilyn. "To put it bluntly, I seem to have a whole superstructure with no foundation. But I'm working on the foundation." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/to-put-it-bluntly-i-seem-to-have-a-whole-81836/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"To put it bluntly, I seem to have a whole superstructure with no foundation. But I'm working on the foundation." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/to-put-it-bluntly-i-seem-to-have-a-whole-81836/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.









