Cultural icon
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A cultural icon can be a symbol, logo, picture, name, face, person, building, or other image. It is easily recognized and generally represents an object or idea with great cultural significance to a wide cultural group. It has a special status as representing, or important to, or loved by, a particular group of people, a place, or a period in history.
In the media, many well-known examples of popular culture have been called "iconic". Some writers say that the word is overused.[1][2][3]
Icons and persons
[change | change source]According to Times of India:
Che Guevara, Madonna, Jim Morrison, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Bob Marley, Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain, the Beatles, Elizabeth Taylor, Walt Disney — these are names that refuse to fade out. No generation gap can lower their popularity. They will always remain a symbol of youth.
— Times of India, July 1, 2009, [4]
Icons and brands
[change | change source]Brands can show social values and changes, but many people have become tired of them.[5] Many brands want to be cultural icons, but fail. Cultural icons are often timeless, imprinted in our consciousness. They can go through several stages, from "rumblings, undercurrents" via "catharsis, explosion" and "mass acceptance, ripple effect" to "glorification, representative value". While brands are rational and driven by features, cultural icons are emotional, free, driven by feeling, and creating emotional bonds. An example of "branding" might include the wearing of a consistent fashion look by such music stars as Michael Jackson or Elvis Presley, making them instantly recognizable. Royal or church clothing could also be understood as a form of emotional iconography.
Examples include: Andy Warhol, Budweiser, BMW, Chanel, Coca-Cola, Guinness, Harley-Davidson, LEGO, Martha Stewart, Nike, Norman Rockwell, Vuitton, Škoda Auto...
Definition
[change | change source]Cultural icons may be national, regional or about a city. And they can be symbols for a nation, or can show the values held by that state. For example, France uses Marianne as a symbol of the French Revolution. Bruce Lee is a symbol for the martial arts and philosophical culture of insight and knowledge in the entire world.[6][7][8] Charlie Chaplin symbolises comical action while Clint Eastwood is a symbol for strength and masculinity. Jackie Chan is a global icon of comical stunts and martial arts based action.[9] Salvador Dalí is the worldwide icon for the bizarre and eccentric.
Media overuse
[change | change source]Some writers say that the terms "icon" and "iconic" have been overused. A writer in Liverpool Daily Post calls "iconic" "a word that makes my flesh creep", a word "pressed into service to describe almost anything".[1] The Christian Examiner added "iconic" and "amazing" to its list of overused words. It found over 18,000 "iconic" references in news stories alone, with another 30,000 for "icon", including use of it for SpongeBob SquarePants.[2]
Icons by selected countries
[change | change source]Argentina
[change | change source]Australia
[change | change source]Austria
[change | change source]Brazil
[change | change source]Belgium
[change | change source]Canada
[change | change source]-
Lacrosse
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Canada Goose Jackets
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The northern lights
China
[change | change source]-
Eight Tigers
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Bruce Lee Statue at the Avenue of Stars
Colombia
[change | change source]Cuba
[change | change source]-
Cuban Sandwich
Czech Republic
[change | change source]Denmark
[change | change source]Ecuador
[change | change source]Egypt
[change | change source]-
Ptolemy XIII
France
[change | change source]-
French Empire & French language
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Hermes
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Balmain
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Givenchy
Germany
[change | change source]-
Lederhosen: traditional Bavarian clothing
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Knights Teutonic
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Walther firearms
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Smart Automobile
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Procession of Princes mural
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Berlin's Victory Column
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Pariser Platz
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Landeck Castle
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Trabant cars: icon of former communist East Germany
Greece
[change | change source]Hungary
[change | change source]India
[change | change source]-
Indian Freedom Fighters: Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, Sukhdev Thapar
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Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh
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Chandra Shekhar Azad
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Ram Prasad Bismil
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Ashfaqullah Khan
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Durgawati Devi (Durga Bhabi)
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Shaheed-i-Azam Udham Singh
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Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
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Anti-imperialism
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Gandhi Family
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Indian Spices
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Indian Clothing
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Lion Capital of Ashoka
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Buddhism (historical Birthplace)
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Dalai Lama (refugee in India)
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Jainism (historical Birthplace)
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Field Hockey
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Indian Cricket Team & Cricket
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Yuvraj Singh
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Holi (festival)
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Royal Enfield Motorcycles
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Indian Classical Music
Ireland
[change | change source]Israel
[change | change source]Italy
[change | change source]-
Leonardo da Vinci
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Beretta & Beretta 92
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Fendi
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Salvatore Ferragamo
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Max Mara
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Moschino
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Bulgari
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Diesel
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Papal Guard
Jamaica
[change | change source]Japan
[change | change source]-
Infiniti
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Isuzu
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Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto
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Todaiji Temple in Nara
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Great Buddha at the Todaiji Temple in Nara
Korea
[change | change source]-
Korean peninsula
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Flag of South Korea
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Flag of North Korea
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Hanbok (female and male)
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Taekwondo, Korean martial arts
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Gyeonghoeru (Royal Banquet Hall) at Gyeongbokgung Palace, Seoul
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BTS (Kpop group) boy band
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Korean Kimchi
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Korean Metal Chopsticks
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Hyangwonjeong (Winter, 2013) - Korean snowy winters
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Chosŏn'gŭl/Hangul, Korean native alphabet
Malaysia
[change | change source]Mexico
[change | change source]Nepal
[change | change source]-
Gorkha Regiment
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Khukri Knife
Netherlands
[change | change source]North Macedonia
[change | change source]Norway
[change | change source]New Zealand
[change | change source]-
Lake Tekapo
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Southern Lights
Pakistan
[change | change source]Portugal
[change | change source]Russia
[change | change source]-
Narodnaya Volya
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MIG
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Samovar
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Vodka
Saudi Arabia
[change | change source]-
Zamzam Well
Serbia
[change | change source]South Africa
[change | change source]Spain
[change | change source]-
Cervantes and Don Quijote
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Balenciaga
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Zara
Sweden
[change | change source]-
Polestar
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Pewdiepie, video game commentator
Switzerland
[change | change source]-
Matterhorn Mountain
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Swiss Banking System
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Moleson peak
Turkey
[change | change source]-
Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque)
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Galata Tower
United Kingdom
[change | change source]-
British East India Company & British Raj
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Cucumber sandwiches with Tea
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Sunday Roast
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Yeoman Warder/Beefeater
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Queen's Guard
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Frederick Abberline
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Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
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Suits & Formal Wear
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MINI
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Triumph Motorcycles
United States
[change | change source]Further information: Americana
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Jim Beam & Kentucky Bourbon
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Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey
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Cowboy boots & Stetson hat
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Bald eagle (national bird)
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Willys Jeep & Jeep
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Lucid Motors
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Rivian
-
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Gun culture
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Colt Firearms
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Tommy Gun (Tompson Submachine Gun)
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Micheal Kors
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Marc Jacobs
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Diversity, Melting Pot culture of fusion & Assimilation
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Opportunity & Economic Growth
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Military adventurism
Vietnam
[change | change source]-
Flag of Vietnam (Unified Vietnam, unified by North Vietnam)
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Previous flag of South Vietnam, now known as Freedom and Heritage Flag
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Áo Dài, Vietnamese garment
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Beef noodle soup, Phở
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Vietnamese pork roll, Bánh Mì Thịt Nguội
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Emblem of Việt Cộng
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Imperial City, Huế
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Terraced rice fields in Sa Pa
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Vietnamese Latin alphabet with historic Chu Nom
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Ho Chi Minh, 1946 (born Nguyễn Sinh Cung)
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Lotus flower from the Mekong Delta, Vietnam
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Vovinam (aka Võ Việt Nam) or Việt Võ Đạo is Vietnamese native martial arts. Võ means martial arts.
Related pages
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Let's hear it for the Queen's English Archived 2014-06-11 at the Wayback Machine, Liverpool Daily Post
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Modern word usage amazingly leaves us yearning for gay, old times Archived 2013-02-26 at the Wayback Machine, Christian Examiner
- ↑ Heard about the famous icon? We have - far too often Archived 2012-10-26 at the Wayback Machine, The Independent (London), January 27, 2007
- ↑ The Past Beckons
- ↑ "Lessons from Cultural Icons - How to Create an Iconic Brand" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-09-15. Retrieved 2013-02-14.
- ↑ Stein, Joel (14 June 1999). "Bruce Lee: With nothing but his hands, feet and a lot of attitude, he turned the little guy into a tough guy". The Time 100. New York: Time Inc. Archived from the original on 5 June 2010. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
- ↑ "From Icon to Lifestyle, the Marketing of Bruce Lee". nytimes.com. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
- ↑ "Dragon's Heart: A kungfu master's living legacy". chinadaily.com. 5 January 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
- ↑ "Stuntman to Martial Arts Superstar Jackie Chan reveals the man behind the camera on CNN's Talk Asia". CNN-Asia Pacific. 9 April 2008. Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
- ↑ "American food: The 50 greatest dishes". CNN Travel. 12 July 2017.
- ↑ Cambridge University Press (2011). "Definition of "as American as apple pie"". Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus.
- ↑ "Popular Apple Sayings". U.S. Apple Association. Archived from the original on 1 July 2011.
- ↑ How the Reagan White House shaped ‘80s style
- ↑ 4 U.S.C. § 41 ("The seal heretofore used by the United States in Congress assembled is declared to be the seal of the United States.").
- ↑ National Bison Legacy Act, Pub. L. 114-152, 130 Stat. 373 (approved May 9, 2016), § 3(a) ("The mammal commonly known as the 'North American bison' is adopted as the national mammal of the United States.")
- ↑ "15 Facts About Our National Mammal: The American Bison". United States Department of the Interior. May 9, 2016. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
- ↑ Harris, Gardiner (May 9, 2016). "Obama Signs Law Making Bison the First National Mammal". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2016.