Anna Nicole Was The Smartest 'Dumb Blonde' In History

CLEVELAND - Anna Nicole Smith was widely known and thought of as an opportunistic dumb blonde that slept her way to success and stardom.

I beg to differ.

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of her death from an accidental drug overdose. In the weeks following her death, the media dedicated wall-to-wall coverage and commentary to the event as if she were a major celebrity. She had long been thought of as a stereotypical "dumb blonde" with no discernible talent by the general public, but in my estimation, she was actually a genius.

Say what?

Yes, Anna Nicole, born Vickie Lynn Marshall was far more intelligent and shrewd than she was given credit for. After being picked by legendary publisher Hugh Hefner to appear in his popular Playboy magazine in 1992, Smith steamrolled her way to celebrity status. Using her bountiful curves and sex-symbol looks to her advantage, she wound up doing Hollywood films as well as ads for different companies, most notably Guess jeans. She cultivated her image as a modern day Marilyn Monroe and adopted the late actresses' trademark sex-kitten persona.

By 2002, Smith had earned herself a cable television series, named after her. This came years after her controversial marriage to billionaire industrialist J. Howard Marshall, who was 89 years old at the time he wed then 26-year old Anna. She was labeled a shameless gold-digger with no morality or integrity.

When she died suddenly and tragically in a Florida hotel on February 8, 2007, the world was beyond stunned. I for one felt a sense of real loss, for not only was I a fan of hers, I also recognized her hustle. She was a classic "give-'em-what-they-want" kind of woman. When a reporter told her that she was being exploited on her show, she replied, "I don't mind...as long as I'm gettin' paid."

Makes plenty of sense.

Anna often seemed woefully inept and clueless, but the truth is that no one ascends the Hollywood ladder of success without being brilliant, either outwardly or surreptitiously. Her entire image and "air-headed" demeanor was merely a ruse, and she used it to the nth degree. After an extensive court battle over her remains and inheritance, she was finally buried three long weeks after her death. She even received the red carpet treatment at her funeral in the Bahamas, something typically reserved for dignitaries and other VIP's.

Anna Nicole Smith achieved her dream of fame and riches. If nothing else, we need to tip our hats to her for that.