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Pop icon

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For the British television series, see Pop Idol.

A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in pop culture constitutes a defining characteristic of a given society or era; the categorization is usually associated with elements such as longevity, ubiquity, and distinction. Moreover, "pop icon" status is distinguishable from other kinds of notoriety outside of popular culture, such as with historic figures. Some historic figures are recognized as having reached "pop icon" status during their era, and such status may continue into the present. Pop icons of previous eras include Benjamin Franklin[1] and Mozart.[2]

Longevity

Usually, the pop icon status of a celebrity is contingent upon longevity of notoriety.[3][4] This is in contrast to cult icons, whose notoriety or recognition may be limited to a specific subculture. Some pop icons have left a lasting and indelible mark in the area of their career, and then gone on to attain a lasting place of recognition in society at large.[5]

Ubiquity

A common element of pop icon status is the ubiquity of imagery and allusions to the iconic figure.[note 1] It is common for the figure to be recognized and even celebrated in areas outside the original source of celebrity status.[note 2] An example of this is Albert Einstein, a physicist whose image and legacy have been represented in comic strips, T-shirts, greeting cards and many other contexts.[6]

Distinction

Often pop icon status implies distinguished association with a societal ideal or archetype. It is not uncommon for iconic figures to have a nickname or sobriquet that is used to emphasize this association. Sometimes the very name of such individuals is even used as a synonym for common words or ideas.

A number of pop icons are distinguished for having died at a young age. These include James Dean, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Freddie Mercury, River Phoenix, Jean Harlow, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Bruce Lee, Janis Joplin, Selena, and Marilyn Monroe among others.

Some pop icons, such as Mickey Mouse, Betty Boop, Felix the Cat, Mario, Winnie the Pooh, Bugs Bunny, Shrek, Pikachu, Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, the Simpsons, the Griffins, and even Sherlock Holmes are fictional characters. Even inanimate objects have been recognized as pop icons.[7][8][9]

Some figures attain transitory or context-specific "pop icon" status for particular events that captivate public attention, such as in the case of the O.J. Simpson trial.[10]

Examples

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Kaku,[6] p. 11
  2. ^ See e.g., Kaku,[6] Chaplin,[1] et. al.

References

  1. ^ a b Chaplin, Joyce (2006). The First Scientific American: Benjamin Franklin and the Pursuit of Genius. Basic Books. ISBN 0465009557.
  2. ^ Nettl, Bruno (1995). Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0252064682.)
  3. ^ Dearborn, Mary V. (December 9, 1999). Mailer: A Biography. Houghton Mifflin Books. ISBN 978-0395736555.
  4. ^ Gottesman, Ronald; Brown, Richard Maxwell, eds. (1999). Violence in America: An Encyclopedia. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0684804875.
  5. ^ Ratcliff, Ben (November 6, 2002). The New York Times Essential Library: Jazz: A Critic's Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings. Times Books. ISBN 978-0805070682.
  6. ^ a b c Kaku, Michio (2004). Einstein's Cosmos: How Albert Einstein's Vision Transformed Our Understanding of Space and Time. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-05165-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  7. ^ Vail, Mark (April 1, 2002). The Hammond Organ: Beauty in the B (2nd ed.). Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0879307059.
  8. ^ Sheff, David (April 27, 1993). Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children. Random House. ISBN 978-0679404699.
  9. ^ "The Liberty Bell: From Obscurity to Icon". Teaching with Historic Places. National Park Service. October 16, 2006.
  10. ^ Boot, Max (1998). Out of Order: Arrogance, Corruption and Incompetence on the Bench. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0465053759.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai "Beckham 'greatest pop icon of all time'". BreakingNews.ie. Thomas Crosbie Media. November 12, 2003. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  12. ^ a b c Schmidt, Robert (February 24, 2004). "The 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons". Blue Corn Comics website. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  13. ^ a b "Beatles named 'icons of century'". BBC News. BBC. October 16, 2005. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  14. ^ a b c "Icons of the century". Variety100.com. Variety. 2005, presumably. Retrieved 8 February 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ a b c d Danesi, Marcel (2007). Popular Culture: Introductory Perspectives. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 112–113. ISBN 074255547X.
  16. ^ http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20101126/ENT/311260014/Pop-icon-Cyndi-Lauper-plays-sold-out-Asheville-show
  17. ^ Guha, Rohin (August 28, 2009). "Madonna, Mariah Carey, & Whitney Houston: Why Queens of Pop Will Flop". blackbookmag.com. BlackBook Media.
  18. ^ http://www.moko.mobi/ViewSubmissions.aspx?submissionId=3930026
  19. ^ http://www.vogue.co.uk/15thanniversary/contributors/110104-henry-holland.aspx/itemIndex,8/title,Xtina
  20. ^ The Canadian Press (August 17, 2008). "Pop icon Celine Dion wows her Canadian fans". CTV News. Retrieved February 8, 2010.
  21. ^ Youngs, Ian (August 17, 2005). "Britpop - Where are they now?". BBC News.
  22. ^ {{cite Lady gaga news|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/25/michael-jackson-hospitalized/%7Ctitle=Michael Jackson, 50, Is Dead|last1=Pareles|first1=Jon |last2=Sisario|first2=Ben |last3=Stelter|first3=Brian |last4=Barnes|first4=Brooks |date=June 25, 2009|work=Arts Beat|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=February 8, 2010}}
  23. ^ a b c ""Pop icon" Michael Jackson dead at 50". ECHOROUK Online. 26 June 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  24. ^ "Janet Jackson Music News". popculturemadness.com. Retrieved September 14, 2010.
  25. ^ Tagliaferro, Linda (March 2000). Bruce Lee. Lerner Publications. ISBN 978-0822596882.
  26. ^ "Beyoncé: artist of the decade". The Guardian. London. November 29, 2009.

Further reading

  • Danesi, Marcel (2007). Popular Culture: Introductory Perspectives. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 112–115. ISBN 074255547X.
  • Cullen, Jim, ed (2001). Popular Culture in American History. UK: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-631-21958-7.
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