'Spy Conspiracy Theories' Targeting Influential Figures
'Icon of the Century' Marilyn Monroe Also Alleged as Soviet Spy
Documents Suspecting Coco Chanel as Spy Revealed
Marilyn Monroe, Coco Chanel, and Taylor Swift... All are figures who have dominated their respective fields with outstanding talents in acting, fashion, and singing, wielding immense influence. Another commonality is that they have all been embroiled in spy conspiracy theories.
Global pop star Taylor Swift has recently emerged as a key variable in the U.S. presidential election. She has been caught up in a conspiracy theory claiming that she is a secret agent working for the government to help President Joe Biden secure re-election. According to a CNN report, a poll conducted by Monmouth University involving 902 American adults found that 18% of respondents believe the conspiracy theory that Swift is a secret agent. Notably, 32% of Republican party members, the party of Biden’s rival President Donald Trump, believe the conspiracy theory.
The conspiracy theory targeting Swift was actively fueled by former U.S. President Trump. On the 11th, Trump posted on his social media, "She is loyal to the person who made her a lot of money by supporting the most corrupt and worst president in American history, the fraud Joe Biden." Trump’s ardent supporters have also spread the conspiracy theory about Swift and attacked her.
The reason Swift is targeted by conspiracy theories is due to her enormous influence. There are concerns about the repercussions if Swift, who has a massive fan base, openly supports President Biden and the Democratic Party. Swift generated $1 billion (approximately 1.335 trillion KRW) in revenue from her concert tour alone last year. Moreover, wherever her performances take place, large crowds gather, creating tremendous economic effects, leading to the coining of the term "Taylornomics" named after her.
Swift, who has advocated for abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights, supported President Biden during the last election and participated in his campaign, but she has not publicly endorsed any specific candidate in this election.
Marilyn Monroe and Coco Chanel Also Faced Conspiracy Theories
Taylor Swift is not the only figure haunted by 'spy conspiracy theories.' Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe (1926?1962), hailed as an icon of the century, was also the subject of spy conspiracy theories. Famous for her voluminous blonde hair, red lips, and flowing white dress, she starred in films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and The Seven Year Itch (1955). Although she gained popularity with a seemingly naive image, she was actually known to be very contemplative and well-read.
The background to Monroe becoming the subject of spy conspiracy theories lies in the Cold War era when the world was divided between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and her alleged affair with former U.S. President John F. Kennedy. In the early 1960s, the two were involved romantically, and there are suspicions that Monroe, who was a Soviet spy, deliberately approached President Kennedy but fell in love with him sincerely, leading the Soviet government to have her killed. Another theory suggests that U.S. government agencies, worried that Monroe, who was simultaneously involved with high-ranking officials including President Kennedy, might leak secret information, killed her. Although there is no evidence that she was a spy, as an icon who defined an era, numerous rumors and gossip continue even 60 years after her death.
On the 26th of last month, an item once owned by Marilyn Monroe during her lifetime appeared at an auction in Hong Kong. [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]
French world-renowned fashion designer Gabrielle Coco Chanel (1883?1971) was also caught up in Nazi spy allegations. Coco Chanel, the founder of the luxury brand Chanel, was a figure who dominated the Paris fashion scene with her genius talent. She was named one of the "100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century" by the American news magazine Time.
Coco Chanel was an icon of women's liberation who brought revolutionary changes to women's clothing with practical yet sophisticated fashion. Although women began to enter society in earnest after World War I in the 1920s, their clothing remained unchanged. Skirts were so long they dragged on the ground and were heavily decorated, making movement difficult, and a thin waist was considered a symbol of beauty, requiring the wearing of corsets that tightly compressed the chest and abdomen. Coco Chanel differentiated herself by creating skirts 5 to 10 cm below the knee and eliminated corsets by using tweed fabric, which was then used in sportswear, to make women's tweed jackets and skirts. She was suspected of being a German spy during World War II and left the Paris fashion scene but returned in 1954, demonstrating her enduring influence.
However, secret documents suggesting she was a German spy were revealed in March 2016. These documents, disclosed by French historians, were stored in a fortress on the outskirts of Paris. They included detailed reports on Nazi intelligence agents' operations to eliminate Resistance members and documents related to tracking war criminals. One file contained a statement that "Coco Chanel was reported to be the mistress and agent of Baron G?nther von Dinklage, who served as the German embassy attach? in Spain."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
