In My Story Marilyn states that most male actors are "pansies" because acting is a feminine art. "When a man has to paint his face and pose and strut and pretend emotions, he isn't doing what is normally masculine. He's acting, just like women do in real life." That's the important phrase: "just as women do in real life." Femininity, Marilyn implies, is a masquerade that women put on to conform to society's expectations.