Greatest Pop Culture Icon Ever?

[Dralix]

Originally posted by G-Man
What makes you think so many people around the world even cared about her during her life? I can tell you that in Israel people didn't follow her and a week after her death she was forgotten. And in any case what does her popularity has to do with pop culture?

Do people in Israel have TV? Do you get network television from outside of Israel? Did you know that an estimated 2.5 billion people watched her funeral? (source BBC )

If you don't think that the entire world (excluding Israel of course) following her every move during life and death counts as "popular culture" then what, pray tell, does?

 

[G-Man]

Originally posted by Dralix
Do people in Israel have TV? Do you get network television from outside of Israel? Did you know that an estimated 2.5 billion people watched her funeral? (source BBC )

If you don't think that the entire world (excluding Israel of course) following her every move during life and death counts as "popular culture" then what, pray tell, does?

Her funeral doesn't say much about her life. I don't think so many have followed her during her life, and I certainly can't think of many people assoicating her with pop culture.

 

[china444]

Bah, BB King should be higher than elvis.

All elvis did is took black music (blues) and made it popular.

Just like eminem does these days.

Mariyln Monroe was 6, a good choice...wasnt Michael Jordan 4th?

 

[Dralix]

Originally posted by G-Man
Her funeral doesn't say much about her life. I don't think so many have followed her during her life, and I certainly can't think of many people assoicating her with pop culture.

You are flat out wrong there. Many people followed her during her life, and many people associate her with pop culture. You might not be one of the people who followed her life, and may not give a damn about her (as I don't) but thinking that she wasn't constantly in the public eye and didn't have a large influence is just ignorant of the facts.

 

[china444]

G-Man- Over In England I heard they called her the 'People's Princess' becasue she was so nice and gave back to the community, going to starving children and talking to them.

People enjoyed her in England. Good for them. Pretty much the other 199 people on the list were from the US, so give England 1 icon.

 

[G-Man]

Originally posted by Dralix
You are flat out wrong there. Many people followed her during her life, and many people associate her with pop culture. You might not be one of the people who followed her life, and may not give a damn about her (as I don't) but thinking that she wasn't constantly in the public eye and didn't have a large influence is just ignorant of the facts.

Perhaps in the US and UK many followed her. In the rest of the world people have more important things to do. And I really can't see what association she has/had with pop culture.

 

[G-Man]

Originally posted by china444
G-Man- Over In England I heard they called her the 'People's Princess' becasue she was so nice and gave back to the community, going to starving children and talking to them.

People enjoyed her in England. Good for them. Pretty much the other 199 people on the list were from the US, so give England 1 icon.

There were 4 beatles

 

[china444]

But they were a mega-hit in the US.

 

[Dralix]

Originally posted by G-Man
Perhaps in the US and UK many followed her. In the rest of the world people have more important things to do. And I really can't see what association she has/had with pop culture.

So again, I ask you ... what do you think pop culture means?

 

[G-Man]

Originally posted by Dralix
So again, I ask you ... what do you think pop culture means?

The modern kind of western culture.

 

[Dralix]

Originally posted by G-Man
The modern kind of western culture.

That's not much of an answer is it. You're saying that she isn't an icon of pop culture. I say that she has been in the public eye her entire life and had considerable influence around the world. Everyone knows who she was. You say that doesn't make her an icon of popular culture. So what does make one an icon of pop culture? Rather than just saying "not her" why not try to define what you actually mean? Give some criteria for being an icon of pop culture.

 

[G-Man]

Originally posted by Dralix
That's not much of an answer is it. You're saying that she isn't an icon of pop culture. I say that she has been in the public eye her entire life and had considerable influence around the world. Everyone knows who she was. You say that doesn't make her an icon of popular culture. So what does make one an icon of pop culture? Rather than just saying "not her" why not try to define what you actually mean? Give some criteria for being an icon of pop culture.

As I said, you need to be involved in the modern western culture - as you can see the others there are in modern music, TV, cinema. Diana was well known, but so is Beethoven. Influence? She had some influence in aid but not much historical influence.

 

[highstreet]

I think that list was sponsored by the Harpo Entertainment Group...Oprah may be hot **** and super powerful and rich...but number one? No way!

The whole list is a joke.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

Originally posted by G-Man


There were 4 beatles

The Beatles WERE the 60s. Why are they at number 12?

Look, to turn this thread from a rant about this poor list into something useful, why don't we each rank our own top 10 pop culture icons of the century? Here's mine. In no particular order.

The Beatles
I Love Lucy
Charlie Brown
Bugs Bunny
Marilyn Monroe
Superman
JFK
Charlie Chaplin
Bill Gates
Alfred Hitchcock

 

[highstreet]

Are those your own personal ones, or what you believe the top ones should be for everyone?

If the latter, I don't think you can leave out Elvis.

 

[china444]

Why? all he did was take black music and make it popular.

I dont find that too amazing.

 

[highstreet]

we're not talking about amazing here...we're talking about pop icons...two different things, imho

 

[thestonesfan]

Originally posted by china444 Bah, BB King should be higher than elvis.

All elvis did is took black music (blues) and made it popular.

That assessment is so ignorant it almost makes me cry. Elvis, because he was white, "stole" black music. Yet BB King, who's entire career has been based off of playing the blues, did not "steal" the music because he happens to be black. How racist is that?

Nevermind that Elvis absolutely worshipped the music he made popular. Nevermind that he took every song he sang and gave it every iota of his energy, because he loved it. He devoted so much to his career that it destroyed him.

I guess I didn't realize that you had to be black to legitamately like the blues. I thought I loved the blues, but I guess I really don't. If I started a blues band, I would be "stealing the music". Not because other people wrote it, but because I'm white.

You watch the '68 comeback special, then watch a BB King performance, and then tell me who pours more of himself into the music. Nothing against BB King, I love him, but he just played the blues. Elvis revolutionized the way we see music. To dismiss him is to dismiss everyone who ever played an old song they loved because they loved it, which include pretty much every bluesman who ever lived.

Just like eminem does these days.

Just like Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente stole a white sport? Did Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan steal a white sport as well?

 

[jack merchant]

Who are Katie Couric and Mary Tyler Moore and why are they #39 and #29 on this list ? And why is JFK Jr. a bigger icon than his father ?

 

[thestonesfan]

The world is full of idiots, that's why.

They should have judged people on the impact they had on pop culture, not how well known they are.

The list was too PC for me.