3 Contemporary Icons
My three contemporary icons are Snoopy, The Simpsons, and Barbie Dolls. I have chosen these three for a specific reason - childhood memories. I remember growing up with those icons (watching those cartoons and playing with barbies) and I know everyone can relate to not how popular these once were, but are still remembered and recognized today.
I chose Snoopy because
he was my favorite cartoon character growing up. Snoopy was introduced in 1950
by Charles Schulz to eight newspapers. From his carefree days lying on his
doghouse, his escapades fighting the Red Baron, to taunting Lucy, Snoopy lived
in his own fantasy world; cool, calm, confident, and in charge. He doesn’t
speak; but he really doesn’t need to. His actions speak for themselves and
reflect all we need to see and know. Nothing much has changed about Snoopy
other than the characters he portrays. Snoopy has been around since I was a
child and now as an Aunt, I watch as my niece becomes a part of Snoopy’s world.
I make sure each holiday when the traditional Charlie Brown cartoons come on,
to make sure my niece is watching them as well to keep the tradition going. After
all of these years, the Peanuts carton and Snoopy has become a favorite of many
generations (young and old) who continue to love the antics he gets into.
The Simpsons were my
favorite television show. The show has been in the public eye for over two
decades. The Simpsons debuted in 1987 as a short on The Tracey Ullman
Show. After a three season run it became a prime time show. Over
the years the Simpsons has garnered many awards. It is the longest
running American sitcom, the longest running American animated program, and the
longest running American prime time scripted television series. I remember
watching that show religiously while growing up and if I ever missed an
episode, I always had it recorded (on VCR back then). I still have VCR tapes of
all the old episodes and want to keep these so I can not only share with my
niece, but eventually when I have children. I want to share the memories and
fun times of the show. It was so comical to me and loved every minute of it!
Barbie dolls are
another icon that most people would recognize all over the world. Barbie has
been manufactured since 1959 and they have produced enough Barbie dolls to go
around the earth approximately 3 times. It wasn’t until 1980 according to
fashion-guide.com that the first black Barbie doll was introduced again
demonstrating the societal changes in time through popular belief acceptance.
The script Barbie print and the ponytail doll in the black and white striped
bathing suit is widely known. Whenever I
see a Barbie doll, it takes me back to my favorite childhood memories of
playing with my Barbies with my sister. There were only two of us, but there
were a lot of Barbie dolls and accessories in our home. Barbie also reminds me
of the holiday, Christmas. I always got Barbie’s around Christmas time and it
brings back the feelings of joy, excitement, and love of having another doll.
Mattel, Inc. (2013). Barbie. Retrieved on July 10, 2013, from http://www.barbie.com.
Peanuts. (2013). Characters - Snoopy. Retrieved on July 10, 2013, from http://www.peanuts.com.
Petracca, M. & Sorapure, M. (2009). Common culture: Reading and writing about American popular culture. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
The Simpsons. (2013). About. Retrieved on July 10, 2013, from http://www.thesimpsons.com.
References
Browne, R.B. (2005). Profiles of popular culture: A reader. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press.Peanuts. (2013). Characters - Snoopy. Retrieved on July 10, 2013, from http://www.peanuts.com.
Petracca, M. & Sorapure, M. (2009). Common culture: Reading and writing about American popular culture. (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
The Simpsons. (2013). About. Retrieved on July 10, 2013, from http://www.thesimpsons.com.
Barbie made a huge impact on my life and is one of the icons of mine. I loved Barbie when I was a child because you could dress her up and it was fun playing with others. This was a good choice for an icon.
ReplyDeleteThe Simpsons is a great example of an icon. I myself do not watch the show but I do know a lot of people that do. It's hard to believe it the longest running show on television, or at least I think so.
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