The three icons I chose are Hugh Hefner, Kenny Chesney, and Tiffany & Co. These icons represent popular culture in their own, albeit very different ways.
Hugh Hefner has maintained his iconic image well into his 80's and there is a certain je ne sais quoi about him. Many men would kill to have his lifestyle and the ladies still love him. He maintained a successful publishing career and developed the Playboy brand, an icon in itself. There is a status of sexuality, money, and a glamourous lifestyle associated with him and the Playboy franchise. Hugh was even able to parlay all of this into a successful reality series "The Girls Next Door" which made stars out of his playmates that continued despite their recent departure from the show.
Kenny Chesney is a country music icon. I beleive he helped mainstream country music and paved the way for Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, and Sugarland. I have never seen anything like a Kenny Chesney show. There is tailgating before the show, the show itself is usually an all day event filled with numerous acts, and they pull out all the stops when it comes to production. His songs parallel the lines of Jimmy Buffet tunes, bringing listeners to the beach, the islands, or to the party.
Tiffany & Co. is an icon of almost sacred status. There is the infamous Tiffany blue, the Tiffany diamond, and the Tiffany setting. Picture the little blue box with the white ribbon; the perfectly polished, shiny glass cases offering a wealth of silvery charms and glittery gems; and the storefront itself on 5th Avenue in which you can almost picture a perfectly coiffed Audrey Hepburn in her LBD (little black dress) and pearls as Holly Golightly enjoying her "Breakfast at Tiffany's".
Those icons are just a few things I thought of today. Hugh Hefner came to mind as I read about his pregnant ex-playmate/girlfriend Kendra in US Weekly. What does this all mean to me? I just think Hugh is a very savvy business man. He had a million dollar idea and became a famous entrepreneur. I, on the other hand, am still waiting for my million dollar idea and entrepreneurial opportunity. I thought of Kenny Chesney as he was on my radio during my drive home singing about sweet "Summertime" and making me wish I was in Florida already. I used to say "I listen to everything except country", but he made me a fan of the whole country-pop genre and it's now actually my roadtrip soundtrack of choice. And Tiffany & Co.? Well you never forget your first trip to NYC, and that was the first place my best friend and I just had to see. Bagels and coffee in hand, we too had breakfast at Tiffany's and bought ourselves silver charms (the most affordable piece of jewelry in the house) to remember it by. There was this air of sophistication; a customer walks in and feels the presence of the Tiffany & Co. icon; I felt like it somehow embodied Manhattan itself.
The text reminds us that icons are subjective; "just as they rise to great heights as icons in people's hearts and minds, they also fall at varying speeds" (Browne, 2005). I could go on and on about icons; I never realized I was impressed by so many and that they could invoke such feeling.
References:
Browne, R. (2005). Profiles of Popular Culture: A Reader. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press.
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You have really made me want to experience Tiffany & Co. from their New York store. We have one here in Columbus but that would not be the same as going to the original iconic store that everyone knows about. Thanks!
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