In the reading it states that Russell Baker complains over the current overuse of the term ‘icon’. We casually assign great leaders, celebrities, characters, and companies as appropriate icons. Are these not icons? In most respects these ‘icons’ cannot be symbols because there is no deeper meaning. They stand for something, and they only gain greater significance when juxtaposed. The reading further states that the oldest association with the word ‘icon’ is religion. Well religion has expanded a thousand fold since the days of old. Is Michael Jordan and Nike not religious symbols to those who wear them? I still remember the day I saw a bumper sticker that was part Nike swoosh, part angel Moroni. Was this stating, ‘Just be religious’, or does it say I like Mormons and Nike? The space of acceptable icons has expanded because we firmly believe in individualizing popular culture, in a commercial world.
When I am in my car I hate being stuck behind someone who does not know how to drive. When I approach a stop light in a two-lane road with one car in front of me in each lane I make a visual choice. Who will go faster? I trust the Honda will go faster than the Buick. I trust the two-door sedan will go faster than the minivan. I trust that the vehicle with a Utah license plate will go faster than the one from Montana. I use icons to help me make the potentially better choice. I use icons to classify people and my surroundings.
Popular culture is a fairly horrible word. Rather it is a matter of finding classification in a manufactured world. What may be popular differs from personal interest in sports, politics, video games, foods, movies, comics, tv, music, cars, pets, and ect. Some may argue that true popular culture defies its typical audience, but then it also looses its sense of heritage.
If there is anything that I feel truly defines an entire civil culture it is technology. The current ability of technology directly affects the way in which we interact and express emotion. In a way all stories are becoming science fiction bound. How do characters have serious mortal problems when they have technology that solves such problems? Too often screenplays refuse to address the advent of technology. Character has a cell phone? Don’t worry; they have no reception or their battery died. Now your story might as well be set in 1993. Our problems have changed, but they haven’t gone away. I want to allow my stories to address this.
-Nephi Hepworth
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