POP ICON

A 'pop icon' is a celebrity whose fame in pop culture constitutes a defining characteristic of a given society or era. Although there is no single definitive test for establishing "pop icon" status, such status 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.^[1]

Contents

Longevity

Ubiquity

Distinction

Contrasts

Notable pop icons

See also

Notes and references

Longevity

Usually, the pop icon status of a celebrity is contingent upon longevity of notoriety.^[2][3] 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.^[4]

Ubiquity

A common element of pop icon status is the ubiquity of imagery and allusions to the iconic figure.^[5] It is common for the figure to be recognized and even celebrated in areas outside the original source of celebrity status.^[6] 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.^[7]

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. Einstein, for example, is routinely associated with genius and ingenuity. Marilyn Monroe is associated with sex appeal.
A number of pop icons are distinguished for having died at a young age. These include James Dean, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Bruce Lee, Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Kurt Cobain and Marilyn Monroe, among others. Other deceased celebrities cemented their status as pop icons by virtue of their role in captivating the ethos of their era, as is the case with Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy. Many still-living celebrities also attain the status of "pop icon": Cher, Madonna and Michael Jackson. Furthermore, some pop icons, such as Mickey Mouse, Mario, Lara Croft, Winnie the Pooh, Bugs Bunny, Shrek, Pikachu and Spider-Man, are fictional characters. Even inanimate objects have been recognized as pop icons.^[8][9][10]
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.^[11]

Contrasts

Throughout the history of popular culture, many popular music stars have been held as pop idols. The pop idol, however, is a broader definition than this, and acceleration of media has made Pop idols out of celebrities of many types.

Notable pop icons

★ ABBA^[12]

★ Aerosmith^[13]

★ Muhammad Ali^[14]

★ Louis Armstrong^[15]

★ The Beatles

★ Humphrey Bogart

★ Jon Bon Jovi^[16]

★ Marlon Brando

★ James Brown

★ David Bowie

★ Mariah Carey

★ Johnny Cash

★ Cher

★ Kurt Cobain

★ Bing Crosby

★ James Dean

★ Bob Dylan

★ Albert Einstein^[17]

★ Greta Garbo

★ Jerry Garcia

★ Judy Garland

★ Che Guevara

★ Deborah Harry

★ Ernest Hemingway

★ Jimi Hendrix

★ Audrey Hepburn

★ Michael Jackson

★ Janet Jackson

★ Elton John

★ Janis Joplin

★ Michael Jordan

★ Led Zeppelin

★ Bruce Lee^[18]

★ John Lennon

★ Bob Marley

★ Freddie Mercury

★ Liza Minnelli

★ Kylie Minogue

★ Marilyn Monroe

★ Jim Morrison

★ Ozzy Osbourne

★ Pele

★ Edith Piaf^[19]

★ Elvis Presley

★ Pablo Picasso

★ The Rolling Stones

★ Babe Ruth

★ Frank Sinatra

★ Britney Spears^[20]

★ Andy Warhol^[21]


★ Oprah Winfrey^{[22] [23]}

See also

★ Cult icon

★ Gay icon

★ Popular culture

★ Sex symbol

★ Sobriquet

★ Teen idol

Notes and references

1. Note, however, that some historic figures are recognized as having reached "pop icon" status during their era, and such status may continue into the present. (See e.g., Benjamin Franklin: The First Scientific American: Benjamin Franklin and the Pursuit of Genius, , Joyce, Chaplin, Basic Books, 2006, ISBN 0465009557 , Mozart: Heartland Excursions: Ethnomusicological Reflections on Schools of Music, , Bruno, Nettl, University of Illinois Press, 1995, ISBN 0252064682 )
2. Mailer: A Biography, , Mary V., Dearborn, Houghton Mifflin Books, 1999, ISBN 0618154604
3. Violence in America: An Encyclopedia, , Ronald Gottesman, Richard Maxwell Brown, Simon and Schuster, 1999, ISBN 0684804875

4. Jazz: Jazz: A Critic's Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings, , Ben, Ratcliff, Times Books, 2002, ISBN 0805070680
5. (Kaku, p. 11)
6. (see e.g., Kaku, Chaplin, et al.)
7. Einstein's Cosmos: How Albert Einstein's Vision Transformed Our Understanding of Space and Time, , Michio, Kaku, W. W. Norton & Company, _year_, ISBN 039305165X
8. The Hammond Organ: Beauty in the B, , Mark, Vail, Backbeat Books, 2002, ISBN 0879307056 (See also: Palm PDA)

9. Iconic status of Mario: Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children, , David, Sheff, Random House, 1991, ISBN-13: 978-0679404699
10. The Liberty Bell: From Obscurity to Icon
11. Out of Order: Arrogance, Corruption and Incompetence on the Bench, , Max, Boot, Basic Books, 1998, ISBN 0465053750

12. The Rough Guide to Gay & Lesbian Australia By Neal Drinnan, ISBN 1858288320
13. MTV Icons: [1]
14. The Greatest: Muhammad Ali by Walter Dean Myers ISBN 0590543431
15. Beatles named 'icons of century' BBC News [2]
16. High Beam: [3]
17. Einstein: Visionary Scientist by John B. Severance ISBN 0395931002
18. Bruce Lee by Linda Tagliaferro ISBN 0822596881
19. Piaf, the woman behind the icon [4]
20. The Greatest: 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons[5]
21. Andy Warhol: Prince of Pop by Jan Greenberg ISBN 038573056X
22. High Beam: [6]
23. High Beam: [7]