Icon Analysis

When I think of icons, I usually think of a person.  The three icons I chose to analyze are Betty White, Marilyn Monroe, and the Simpsons.  All three of these icons have a huge, cult-like following.  They are icons to me because they have had such a big influence on today's culture and have paved the way for others similar to them.

My first icon is Betty White.  She has been of several different television shows and is still currently on television.  She has had roles on many different popular shows, such as the Mary Tyler Moore Show, Golden Girls, and many different game shows like the $100,000 Pyramid and Password.  Even today, at 90 years old, she is still acting on the show Hot in Cleveland.  I believe she paved the way for other female comedians because she was one of the first on television.  Even today, she surprises everyone with the sometimes raunchy jokes she makes! But she is a legend and will be remembered for years to come.

My second icon is Marilyn Monroe.  Marilyn Monroe was an actress, singer, model, show girl, and major sex symbol in the 1950's.  Although she passed away in 1962, she is still a household name.  She was born in 1926 as Norma Jean Mortenson and spent most of her childhood being raised in foster homes.  When she got married, she worked in a factory and was photographed by the Army as part of a promotion to show women on the assembly line, contributing to the war effort.  She was asked by a photographer to take other pictures and by 1945 was known as a "photographer's dream".  She was linked to many famous figures, such as Joe DiMaggio and President Kennedy.  I believe she was most famous for her relationship with President Kennedy and her famous rendition of "Happy Birthday" to him.

My third icon is the Simpsons.  The Simpsons first aired in 1990 and was an instant success.  The show made fun of anything and everything, often offending people.  The show was the first of its kind and is still airing new episodes to this day.  It has given us many catch phrases such as "Doh!", "Eat my shorts", and "Don't have a cow, man".  From the show came movies as well and many awards.  What started as a family-oriented show evolved to one with more crude humor and many celebrity appearances.  It has controversial language and jokes that have made it so popular that it is an iconic show.

These three icons have all been the first in their kind.  Betty White was one of the first female comedians, Marilyn Monroe was one of the first average-sized models that was ok with the way she looked, and the Simpsons was one of the first animated shows with crude humor.  They have all defined and dictated our culture in their own ways and have changed people's views on different issues.