An icon can be an object, image, person, or symbol that is held with high significance or reverence by a wide range of people, or a particular cultural group. Icons may differ according to religion, culture, geographic location, and traditional background. Today, the term ‘icon’ is so much used that it is starting to lose its original meaning and implication. Not everything can be labeled as ‘iconic’ unless it possesses a significant and lasting influence on a particular people’s way of life. Good examples of contemporary icons include Michael Jackson, Bruce Lee, and the Barbie Doll.
Michael Jackson, or the King of Pop as many label him, was and still remains the best and most successful pop artist of all time. I can say he was and still is the most recognized music figure around the world. Most musicians’ fame and recognition today lies mainly in their cultural groups, but Michael Jackson’s entertainment outreach has defied borders and cultural differences worldwide. His album, “Thriller” holds the record of being the largest selling album worldwide in the history of the recording industry (Bio, n.d). With his music influence spread all over the world, Michael is a music icon to all musicians and fans around the world. I too have always been a huge fan of his music.
The history of martial arts is never mentioned without the name Bruce Lee popping up. He was a renowned martial arts master who invented his own style of fighting called Jeet Kune Do (Biography, n.d). As a child, I grew up loving action movies, and there are no movies that I enjoyed most than Bruce Lee movies. His movies popularized martial arts worldwide, hence making him the most influential martial artist of modern times.
One of the most obvious iconic objects in the American culture is the Barbie doll. It is one of the most famous fashion dolls in the modern world. The doll’s popularity has spread over the years to different parts of the world. My youngest sister used to be a big fan of the dolls when growing up in a small town of Moshi, in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Yes, that shows how far the doll has spread globally. My youngest sister is now 20 years old.
References
Bruce Lee, (n.d). Biography. Retrieved April 9, 2011 from http://www.brucelee.com/downloads/biography.pdf
Michael Jackson, (n.d). Michael Jackson bio. Retrieved April 9, 2011 from http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/bio
Hello,
ReplyDeleteVery good posting. I totally agree with you that Michael Jackson is indeed the King of Pop. He is one the greatest artists if not the greatest artist in the world. He will always be remembered. I love Bruce Lee as well, he made the way for many action actors.