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Episode 7: "The Marilyn Monroe Effect"

Written for Ken Mendoza

COLD OPEN
EXT. SAN FRANCISCO CITY HALL - MORNING

STAN, KYLE, KENNY, and CARTMAN are setting up photography equipment on the City Hall steps. A BRIDE in an elaborate white gown poses dramatically on the stairs, while her NERVOUS GROOM fidgets nearby.

STAN
Okay, we need to get these shots quick. The next wedding party arrives in thirty minutes.
KYLE
(adjusting lighting)
This bride specifically requested to recreate classic Hollywood glamour shots. Apparently she's really into vintage photography.
CARTMAN
As long as she pays our premium "artistic vision" rate, she can pretend to be whoever she wants.

The BRIDE suddenly strikes a pose with her arms outstretched, as if wind is blowing her dress.

BRIDE
(in a breathy, Monroe-like voice)
Darling, can you capture the wind? I need to feel that iconic moment... just like when I married Joe right here on these very steps!
NERVOUS GROOM
Honey, your name is Jennifer, and you've never been married before. Also, there's no wind today.
BRIDE
(still in Monroe voice)
Don't be silly, Joe! You know how much this place means to us! January 14th, 1954 - the happiest day of my life!
KYLE
(confused)
Wait... did she just say 1954? And did she call him Joe?
STAN
I think she's just really into method acting or something. Let's just take the photos.
KENNY
(muffled)
Mmph mmmph mm mmmph! (Translation: This chick is totally crazy!)

The Bride continues posing, her movements becoming increasingly erratic and vintage-Hollywood dramatic.

BRIDE
Boys, you simply must capture my essence! The camera loves me, and I love the camera! Happy birthday, Mr. President!
NERVOUS GROOM
(to the boys, whispering)
She's been acting like this all week. I don't know what's gotten into her.
CARTMAN
(taking photos)
Lady, as long as your check clears, you can pretend to be the Queen of England for all I care.

BUTTERS runs up, carrying extra equipment.

BUTTERS
Fellas! I brought the wind machine like you requested! Oh golly, is that bride doing the Marilyn Monroe pose?
BRIDE
(spinning around)
Finally! Someone who recognizes true glamour! Yes, darling, give me that subway grate wind! Let my dress dance!

Butters turns on the wind machine. The Bride's dress billows up dramatically as she laughs with delight.

BRIDE
Yes! YES! This is it! This is the shot that will make me immortal!

Kenny, trying to get the perfect angle, climbs onto the railing of the City Hall steps with his camera.

KENNY
(muffled)
Mmph mmmph mmmph! (Translation: I'll get the perfect shot from up here!)

As Kenny leans out to photograph the billowing dress, he loses his balance and falls directly into the wind machine's blades.

KENNY
(muffled scream)
MMMMMPPPPHHHHH! (Translation: OH SHIIIIIIT!)

Kenny is shredded by the wind machine, his orange parka pieces flying everywhere like confetti.

STAN
Oh my God! They killed Kenny!
KYLE
You bastards!
BRIDE
(completely unfazed)
How wonderfully dramatic! Death and beauty, together at last! Just like my final scene!
NERVOUS GROOM
Jennifer, a person just died! Maybe we should call 911?
BRIDE
Don't call me Jennifer! I'm Marilyn! And the show must go on!

The Bride continues posing dramatically while Kenny's remains are scattered around the steps.

FADE TO:

THE MARILYN MONROE EFFECT

ACT ONE
INT. SAN FRANCISCO CITY HALL - ROTUNDA - LATER

The boys are reviewing the photos on Kyle's camera while the BRIDE continues to pose dramatically around the rotunda. Kenny is somehow alive again, dusting off his parka.

KYLE
(looking at camera screen)
Guys, you need to see these photos. There's something really weird about them.
STAN
Weird how?
KYLE
Look at this shot of the bride. There's this strange glow around her, and... is that another face superimposed over hers?

The boys crowd around the camera screen. In the photo, there's clearly a translucent second face overlaying the bride's features.

CARTMAN
That's just double exposure or some camera glitch. Happens all the time with cheap equipment.
STAN
But we're using digital cameras, fatass. Double exposure isn't really a thing anymore.
KENNY
(muffled)
Mmph mmmph mm mmmph mmmph! (Translation: That bride is definitely possessed or something!)

The BRIDE approaches them, still speaking in her breathy Monroe voice.

BRIDE
Boys, I simply must see the photos! I want to make sure you captured my good side. Though really, darling, all my sides are good sides!
KYLE
(showing her the camera)
Actually, can you explain this? There seems to be... another face in the photo with you.

The Bride looks at the photo and gasps dramatically.

BRIDE
Oh my! How marvelous! You can see both of us! Jennifer was always such a plain little thing, but I've made her so much more glamorous!
STAN
Both of you? What do you mean both of you?
BRIDE
Well, I'm Marilyn, obviously! And she's Jennifer, the boring little bride who was getting married in MY dress, at MY special place! I simply couldn't allow such a travesty!
BUTTERS
Oh hamburgers! Are you saying you're possessed by Marilyn Monroe's ghost?
BRIDE
Possessed is such an ugly word, sweetie. I prefer "glamorously enhanced!"

RANDY suddenly appears, carrying a camera covered in crystals and celebrity magazine clippings.

RANDY
Boys! I felt a massive celebrity ghost energy disturbance coming from City Hall! My fame-detector camera has been going crazy!
STAN
Dad, what the hell is a fame-detector camera?
RANDY
It detects residual celebrity energy! Famous people leave psychic imprints in places where they had emotionally significant moments! And City Hall is like celebrity ghost central!

Randy points his camera at the Bride. It starts beeping rapidly and flashing.

RANDY
OH MY GOD! This woman is radiating massive celebrity energy! Like, A-list, iconic status energy!
CARTMAN
(eyes lighting up)
Celebrity energy? You mean she's actually possessed by Marilyn Monroe? Do you know how much money people would pay to see that?
KYLE
Cartman, you can't monetize a supernatural possession!
CARTMAN
The hell I can't! "Meet the Real Marilyn Monroe at City Hall!" We could charge $100 per photo session!
BRIDE
(pleased)
Oh, you're a smart boy! I always did love my fans! And publicity, of course!

PC PRINCIPAL appears, wearing a clipboard and looking stern.

PC PRINCIPAL
Hold up, bros! I'm the new City Hall Supernatural Phenomena Coordinator! Any ghost interactions need to follow proper cultural sensitivity protocols!
STAN
There's a City Hall Supernatural Phenomena Coordinator?
PC PRINCIPAL
As of this morning, bro! Can't have people exploiting historic spirits without proper consent and representation guidelines!
BRIDE
Consent? Darling, I'm Marilyn Monroe! I invented consent! Well, except for that whole thing with the President, but that's different!
PC PRINCIPAL
We need to ensure that any supernatural documentation respects the cultural impact and legacy issues surrounding deceased celebrities!
CARTMAN
Look, PC Principal, as long as the ghost wants to be photographed, what's the problem?

The GHOST OF DIANE FEINSTEIN suddenly materializes next to them.

GHOST OF DIANE FEINSTEIN
There's a big problem! Marilyn Monroe's spirit isn't supposed to be here!
BRIDE
(turning to face the ghost)
Oh, hello Diane! Still haunting City Hall, I see? How quaint!
GHOST OF DIANE FEINSTEIN
Marilyn, you need to return to wherever celebrity ghosts are supposed to be! City Hall has its own spiritual ecosystem!
BRIDE
But Diane, darling, this place holds such wonderful memories! Joe and I were so happy here, even if it didn't last!
KYLE
Wait, Marilyn Monroe really did get married here? That's not just the possession talking?
GHOST OF DIANE FEINSTEIN
Oh yes, January 14th, 1954. She married Joe DiMaggio right here at City Hall. It was quite the event!
RANDY
That explains the celebrity energy buildup! The dome is 42 feet taller than the U.S. Capitol dome because it channels and amplifies emotional imprints from significant life events!
STAN
So the dome made her ghost stronger?
RANDY
Exactly! All that celebrity marriage energy has been building up for 70 years! And now it's reached critical mass!

The Bride suddenly staggers, her voice shifting between Monroe's breathy tone and a normal voice.

BRIDE
(normal voice)
Help me! I'm Jennifer! She won't let me...
BRIDE
(Monroe voice again)
Hush now, darling! We're having such a lovely photo session!
NERVOUS GROOM
Jennifer! Baby, fight it! Come back to me!
CUT TO:
ACT TWO
INT. CITY HALL - CITY HISTORIAN'S OFFICE - LATER

Stan and Kyle are meeting with the CITY HISTORIAN, an elderly woman surrounded by books and historical documents. The office walls are covered with photos of City Hall through the decades.

CITY HISTORIAN
So you're telling me that Marilyn Monroe's ghost has possessed a bride during her wedding photoshoot?
KYLE
I know it sounds crazy, but we have photographic evidence, and multiple witnesses.
STAN
Is there anything in the city records about supernatural activity related to Monroe's wedding here?
CITY HISTORIAN
(pulling out a thick file)
Funny you should ask. There have been reports over the years. Brides acting strangely, photographers capturing unusual images, security guards hearing singing late at night...

She opens the file, revealing decades of incident reports and strange photographs.

CITY HISTORIAN
Look at this photo from 1984. A bride insisted on recreating Monroe's poses, and you can clearly see a second figure in the image.
KYLE
This has been happening for thirty years?
CITY HISTORIAN
Longer than that. The earliest report was from 1962, just a few months after Monroe's death. A bride claimed she felt "guided" during her photoshoot.
STAN
So Monroe's ghost has been haunting wedding photography here for decades?
CITY HISTORIAN
It seems that way. But this is the first time we've had such a complete possession. Usually, it's just... influences.
INT. CITY HALL - ROTUNDA - SAME TIME

Meanwhile, Cartman has set up a booth with a sign reading "MEET THE REAL MARILYN MONROE - PHOTOS $50!" A long line of TOURISTS has formed. The possessed Bride is posing with visitors while Kenny (alive again) takes photos.

CARTMAN
(collecting money)
Step right up! Get your photo with the authentic ghost of Marilyn Monroe! No refunds, no touching, cash only!
TOURIST 1
Is she really possessed by Marilyn Monroe?
BRIDE
(in full Monroe voice)
Of course, darling! Who else could look this fabulous while being dead for sixty years?

Kenny is trying to recreate the iconic subway grate photo, positioning a small wind machine under a grate in the floor.

KENNY
(muffled)
Mmph mmmph mmmph mmm! (Translation: I'll get the perfect wind-blown dress shot!)

Kenny positions himself directly under the grate to get the upward angle. He turns on the wind machine just as the Bride poses above.

BRIDE
Oh, this is wonderful! Just like the subway in New York!

The wind machine malfunctions, shooting a powerful blast of air upward. Kenny is launched through the grate and flies directly into the dome ceiling.

KENNY
(muffled scream)
MMMMMPPPHHHHH! (Translation: NOT AGAAAAAAIN!)

Kenny splats against the dome and slides down the curved surface, leaving a orange-and-red streak.

TOURIST 2
Oh my God! They killed Kenny!
CARTMAN
You bastards! And you'll pay extra for the death photos!
BRIDE
(delighted)
How thrilling! Death and glamour, together again! Just like my movies!

PC PRINCIPAL approaches with his clipboard.

PC PRINCIPAL
This whole operation is highly problematic! You're exploiting both a deceased celebrity AND a possessed living person without proper consent protocols!
CARTMAN
She's consenting! The ghost is consenting! What more do you want?
PC PRINCIPAL
But what about the rights of the original bride? Has Jennifer consented to being possessed?

The Bride suddenly staggers again, switching voices.

BRIDE
(Jennifer's voice)
No! I didn't consent to any of this! I just wanted normal wedding photos!
BRIDE
(Monroe voice)
Oh, hush! Normal is so boring! I'm making you fabulous!
NERVOUS GROOM
Jennifer, please! Our families are here! Our wedding is ruined!

Randy appears with his celebrity detector camera, which is now smoking and sparking.

RANDY
The celebrity energy is off the charts! My camera can't handle this much fame! The dome is amplifying her star power exponentially!
BUTTERS
Maybe we should get an exorcist or something? This doesn't seem healthy for Jennifer!
CARTMAN
Are you crazy? This is the best business opportunity we've ever had! We're making more money in one day than we usually make in a month!

The Ghost of Diane Feinstein reappears, looking concerned.

GHOST OF DIANE FEINSTEIN
Boys, you need to stop this immediately. Marilyn's spirit is getting stronger by the hour. Soon, she'll completely overpower Jennifer's consciousness!
BRIDE
(Monroe voice, more confident)
And what would be wrong with that, Diane? I'm much more interesting than some suburban bride!
GHOST OF DIANE FEINSTEIN
Because it's not your body, Marilyn! You need to move on!
BRIDE
But I'm having so much fun! And the cameras love me! They always have!

Stan and Kyle return from the historian's office, running urgently.

STAN
Guys! We found out how to stop this!
KYLE
According to the city historian, Monroe's ghost only appears when someone tries to recreate her wedding photography! If we stop taking photos, she should lose power!
CARTMAN
Stop taking photos? Are you insane? We've got a line of customers around the block!
CUT TO:
ACT THREE
INT. CITY HALL - ROTUNDA - CONTINUOUS

The crowd of tourists is getting larger and more excited. The possessed Bride is becoming increasingly theatrical, while Kenny (alive again) continues trying to get the perfect Monroe-style photo.

KYLE
We have to shut this down! Jennifer is disappearing more each time Monroe takes control!
CARTMAN
But think of the money! We could franchise this! "Monroe's Ghost Tours" in every major city!
STAN
Cartman, a woman's soul is being stolen by a celebrity ghost!
CARTMAN
And people are paying $50 to see it! Supply and demand, Stan!

Kenny has set up an elaborate wind machine system to recreate the subway grate photo. He's wearing a helmet this time.

KENNY
(muffled)
Mmph mmmph mmmph mmmph! (Translation: This time I'll get the perfect shot!)

The Bride poses over the grate as Kenny turns on the wind machines. The dress billows perfectly, but Kenny gets caught in the updraft and is blown through a window.

KENNY
(muffled, as he flies away)
MMMMMPPPPHHHHHH! (Translation: WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?!)

Kenny crashes into a hot dog cart outside, causing an explosion.

TOURIST 3
Oh my God! They killed Kenny again!
BRIDE
(Monroe voice, delighted)
Marvelous! Such dedication to the art of photography! That boy really knows how to make an exit!

PC Principal tries to intervene with his clipboard.

PC PRINCIPAL
This is getting out of hand! We need to implement immediate safety protocols for supernatural photography sessions!
RANDY
(camera now shooting sparks)
The celebrity energy is reaching critical mass! The dome can't contain this much fame! It's going to create a feedback loop!

The dome above them begins to glow with an eerie light, and photographs start materializing in the air - images of Monroe from throughout her career.

KYLE
Look! The dome is projecting Monroe's life through photography!
GHOST OF DIANE FEINSTEIN
The dome is trying to help! It's showing Marilyn her complete story - including the end!

The floating photographs show Monroe's career, marriages, struggles, and finally, her tragic death.

BRIDE
(Monroe voice, becoming emotional)
Oh... I remember now. The loneliness, the pills, the sadness... I wasn't always happy, was I?
NERVOUS GROOM
(stepping forward)
Jennifer doesn't have to be lonely! She has me, and our families, and a whole life ahead of her!
BRIDE
(Jennifer's voice breaking through)
David? Is that you? I'm so scared... she won't let me go...
BRIDE
(Monroe voice, weaker)
But I just wanted to be loved... to be remembered...
STAN
You are remembered! Everyone knows who you are! But Jennifer deserves her own life!
KYLE
And her own wedding photos! With her own memories!

The dome's light intensifies, showing more recent photos - Jennifer's childhood, her relationship with David, their engagement.

BRIDE
(Jennifer's voice, stronger)
Those are my memories! My life! I want my wedding back!
CARTMAN
(still thinking about money)
Can't you share? Like a timeshare situation? Monroe Mondays, Jennifer Tuesdays?
GHOST OF DIANE FEINSTEIN
Marilyn, you need to let her go. This isn't your second chance - it's stealing someone else's first chance.

Kenny returns (alive again), now wearing a full suit of armor and carrying a camera.

KENNY
(muffled)
Mmph mmmph mmmph mmm! (Translation: I'm getting that photo no matter what!)

Kenny sets up one final, elaborate wind machine array and positions himself in a protective cage.

KENNY
(muffled)
Mmph mmmph mmmph mmmph! (Translation: This time nothing can go wrong!)

As Kenny activates the wind machines, the cage is torn apart by the wind, and Kenny is sucked into the HVAC system, disappearing with a metallic clanging sound.

BUTTERS
Oh hamburgers! Kenny got sucked into the air conditioning!
BRIDE
(both voices overlapping)
I just wanted... / I just wanted... / to be beautiful... / my wedding day...

The dome's light focuses into a single beam, and the Ghost of Diane Feinstein extends her hand toward the Bride.

GHOST OF DIANE FEINSTEIN
Marilyn, come with me. It's time to rest. Let Jennifer have her moment.
CUT TO:
ACT FOUR
INT. CITY HALL - ROTUNDA - CONTINUOUS

The dome's light creates a swirling vortex above them. The possessed Bride stands in the center, torn between two spirits fighting for control.

BRIDE
(Monroe voice, fading)
But the cameras... the glamour... I was so beautiful when I was here with Joe...
NERVOUS GROOM
Jennifer is beautiful too! She doesn't need to be anyone else!
BRIDE
(Jennifer's voice, fighting)
I am beautiful! This is MY wedding day! In MY dress! At MY ceremony!

Randy's camera finally explodes from celebrity energy overload, sending sparks everywhere.

RANDY
The celebrity energy has reached maximum capacity! The dome can't handle this much fame!
KYLE
(to Stan)
We need to do something! She's being torn apart by two different personalities!
STAN
The historian said Monroe only appears during wedding photography. What if we destroy all the cameras?
CARTMAN
Are you insane? Those cameras are worth thousands of dollars!
KYLE
A woman's life is worth more than camera equipment!

Kyle starts smashing cameras while Cartman tries to stop him.

CARTMAN
No! Stop! We can work this out! We can negotiate!

As each camera is destroyed, the Monroe personality gets weaker.

BRIDE
(Monroe voice, weaker)
The cameras... without the cameras, I'm just... a memory...
GHOST OF DIANE FEINSTEIN
And memories are what you should be, Marilyn. Beautiful memories of a beautiful person.

PC Principal finally gets involved constructively.

PC PRINCIPAL
You know what? This situation requires direct action! Nobody should be forced to share their identity!

PC Principal helps Kyle destroy the remaining cameras.

BRIDE
(Jennifer's voice, growing stronger)
I can feel myself coming back! David, is that you?
NERVOUS GROOM
I'm here, Jennifer! Come back to me!

Kenny crashes through the ceiling, having traveled through the entire HVAC system.

KENNY
(muffled, dizzy)
Mmph... mmmph... mmm... (Translation: Did... I... miss... anything?)

Kenny lands directly on the last remaining camera, crushing it completely.

CARTMAN
Kenny! You bastard! That was a $3000 camera!

As the final camera is destroyed, the dome's light fades, and the Bride collapses. When she looks up, she's clearly Jennifer again.

BRIDE
(Jennifer's normal voice)
David? What happened? Why is everyone staring at me? And why do I taste lipstick?
NERVOUS GROOM
(hugging her)
You were possessed by Marilyn Monroe's ghost! But you're back now!
BRIDE
Possessed? That's ridiculous! Although... I do feel like I just had the most amazing dream about being a movie star...

The Ghost of Diane Feinstein appears one more time, alongside a translucent figure of MARILYN MONROE.

GHOST OF MARILYN MONROE
Thank you, boys. I got a little carried away there. Being famous can be... intoxicating.
STAN
Are you going to be okay now?
GHOST OF MARILYN MONROE
I think so. I remember now that my happiness came from being myself, not from trying to possess someone else's life.
KYLE
I've learned something today. Sometimes the most beautiful photographs aren't about recreating the past - they're about capturing genuine moments in the present.
STAN
And celebrity worship can be dangerous when it makes us forget about the real people around us.
CARTMAN
I've learned that next time I have a supernatural money-making opportunity, I should invest in better camera insurance.
KENNY
(muffled)
Mmph mmmph mmmph mmm mmmph! (Translation: And I've learned to avoid wind machines forever!)
BUTTERS
And I learned that possession is really mean! Nobody should steal someone else's wedding day!

The two ghosts begin to fade away.

GHOST OF MARILYN MONROE
Jennifer, darling, I hope your marriage is everything mine wasn't. Be happy, be yourself, and don't let anyone else define your beauty.
BRIDE
Thank you... Marilyn. That's actually really sweet advice.

The ghosts disappear, and the dome returns to its normal lighting.

EXT. SAN FRANCISCO CITY HALL - EVENING

Jennifer and David are finally taking their normal wedding photos on the steps, looking genuinely happy. The boys are using a simple film camera that Butters found in the equipment closet.

BRIDE
You know what? I don't need glamorous Hollywood poses. I just want pictures of us being us.
NERVOUS GROOM
That's all I ever wanted too.
KYLE
These are going to be beautiful photos. Real and honest.
CARTMAN
(calculating)
And we're only charging them half price since their original session was... disrupted.
STAN
That's surprisingly decent of you, Cartman.
CARTMAN
Well, I already made $12,000 from the ghost photos before you guys ruined everything.

Randy approaches with a new camera, this one covered in wedding-related decorations.

RANDY
Boys! I've modified my camera to detect "love energy" instead of celebrity energy! This is going to revolutionize wedding photography!
STAN
Dad, please don't start another supernatural photography incident.
RANDY
Don't worry, Stan! Love energy is much safer than celebrity energy! What could possibly go wrong?

Randy's camera immediately starts smoking when pointed at the happy couple.

RANDY
Okay, maybe love energy is more powerful than I thought...
TAG
INT. KENNY'S HOUSE - KENNY'S ROOM - ONE WEEK LATER

Kenny is in his room, looking at the photos from the Monroe incident. In one photo, both ghosts are clearly visible, waving goodbye.

KENNY
(unmuffled, to himself)
You know, dying multiple times in one day really puts things in perspective. At least ghosts are usually pretty polite about it.

Kenny notices something else in the photo - in the background, there's another translucent figure that looks suspiciously like JOE DiMAGGIO.

KENNY
Oh, come on! Are there MORE celebrity ghosts at City Hall?

Kenny's phone rings. It's Stan.

STAN
(voice, over phone)
Kenny? We just got a call about a groom who thinks he's possessed by Joe DiMaggio's ghost...
KENNY
(sighing)
I'll get my helmet.
FADE OUT.
THE END
EPISODE 7: THE MARILYN MONROE EFFECT
Created for Ken Mendoza - Part of the South Park creative project