Assignment 2-2 Icons (This is what I get for not reading the assignments ahead!!)

Pop Culture Icons (Round Deux!!)

So I should have read ahead in my assignments, but I like to get one completely done before moving onto the next one. Because of this, I chose to focus on an icon in my first blog, since it is something we discussed on our key points. So I will choose three other icons and why they are important icons to pop culture (I think I can handle that!!)

Like I said in my first blog, icons are an extremely important part of pop culture. According to the key notes an icon can be a picture, personal, thing.. basically anything that is held at a higher level and something that is culturally relevant. An icon has certain criteria that makes it an icon. It must be something that people have an emotional attachment even borderline obsession with, cannot be touched (either literally or figuratively) and something or someone that people are impressed with.

The very first thing that comes to my mind when I think of an icon as an object is Apple. By Apple I don't mean the delicious fruit I can't get enough of, but the technology empire that the world cannot get enough of. Apple is an icon because it is something that is cross cultural, and both literally and figuratively untouchable. Starting years ago, Apple has always been cutting edge, always thinking of things before anyone else. Apple will always be a part of pop culture, always thinking of something new different and expensive. And people will continue to wait in line and pay ridiculous amounts of money to be the first one to have their newest product. They are all 3 things, untouchable, impressive, and people absolutely have an emotional attachment to their products, maybe too attached!!!

I wanted to do icons from all different realms of pop culture. Another icon that came to mind comes from the movies. I chose The Wizard of Oz as my next pop culture icon. I think this speaks for itself. This movie came out probably before anyone in this class was born, yet we all have seen it (if you haven't you are not human) and loved it either as a child, adult of both. This movie was cutting edge at the time-- being one of the first to have color a long with black and white. The actor's became movie stars, and this movie is one of the most watched and most loved movies of all time. It is something that is untouchable-- no remake, Broadway play, television show, book or anything else that has tried to recreate The Wizard of Oz will ever compare to the original. People have an emotional attachment to this movie, there is usually a good childhood memory associated with it, and a great life lesson taught in the film. There are memorabilia collectors and people all over the world that love this movie. Lastly, this movie is impressive in many ways. At the time, it was technologically impressive. Now-- it is still impressing all of those who love this movie, and to capture that timeless magic is nothing less then impressive!

Lastly, I chose an icon of pop culture from magazines, or more specifically comic books. Comic books are a classic in American pop culture. So I chose my favorite comic icon: Superman! Now I was an extremely girly girl, so although I never read any comic books-- I still know Superman and love him! He is someone that kids and adults idolize, are impressed with and have an extreme emotional connection with. People are also likely to make a real life connection to their own "superman" whoever that may be. Superman is someone who is untouchable and his image and what he stands for is something that is timeless.

To me these icons symbolize what pop culture means. Icons embody a lot of popular culture, but elevated on another level. Icons are timeless and are something that most people can both identify and identify with. These icons bring up good memories, great messages and wonderful symbols of American pop culture.