Icon Analysis

Michael Jackson was a pop/rock singer all his life.  He started singing with his brothers at an early age and they formed the group, Jackson Five. Michael eventually went solo in the early 70s and continued performing until he passed away in 2009. Michael Jackson was not just a singer but he was a performer.  He set the precedence for future music performers with his Billboard-topping songs, such as Beat It and Black or White; flashy music videos in the 80s; and moon walking skills. He was, and still is, known as the “King of Pop”.  I chose Michael as my icon because of his musical talents and what impact they had on pop culture. It does not matter if you were born in the 80s or early 2000s, when a Michael Jackson song is played, you most likely recognize it and want to sing along to it, if not dance to it. His songs never get old or outdated. Even though Michael was this talented performer, he did not go without controversy. Controversy followed him every step of the way, from supposedly bleaching his skin lighter, multiple plastic surgeries on his nose, child abuse allegations, prescription drug use, extravagant spending, and the events surrounding his death. However, even with all those controversies surrounding his life, his music was, and always will be, at the forefront of his name. Hits he had back in the 80s are still hits today, even if you did not grow up in that decade. He truly was an icon. Michael Jackson to me is my childhood. One of my fondest childhood memories with my dad, who was a huge rock n’ roll fan, was him and I singing and dancing to Beat It and Thriller in the family room. When my husband and I married, we had several of Michael’s earlier hits on our dance play list. That was 20 years later, which just goes to show that his music will always be a part of pop culture no matter how old you are or what year it is.

Michael J Fox is an actor and activist. Michael is well-known for leading roles in the Back to the Future movies, as well as the television shows, Spin City and Family Ties. In addition to his acting roles, he is equally well-known for his support of, and struggles with, Parkinson’s disease. I chose Michael J Fox as one of my icons for a couple of reasons. For one, I had a crush on him as a little girl when he stared in Family Ties but also, he is an inspiration. Not only did he star in one of the most well-known 80s movie, Back to the Future, but he has raised millions of dollars for this disease and has given it awareness through his own struggles with it. Because he is this well-known childhood actor, it is hard to see him today on television so vulnerable. I personally feel he is more of an icon for what he has done with his disease, specifically by bringing awareness to it, than he is for his acting career. As an icon, he represents courage and strength. I remember watching a story on him a few years ago and in that story, it mentioned a prior interview he had done where he admitted to not taking his prescription meds prior to it. He said he did this in order to bring more awareness to the disease and show everyone what type of control it actually has over the human body. That was inspirational and had to be both humiliating and humbling to him all at the same time. 

  

Oprah Winfrey was a daytime talk show host for 30 years on CBS, hosting The Oprah Winfrey Show (or Oprah) from 1986-2011. She was one of the first African-American women to host her own television show, and during her 30-year run, she created a multi-million dollar empire with her brand. Her empire includes her own production company, Harpo Productions; her own television network, OWN; and a magazine, The Oprah Magazine. With that said, she is ultimately best known for the Oprah show. I chose Oprah as one of my icons because she is considered one of the most powerful and influential women in pop culture. To illustrate her influence on pop culture, she was a well-known supporter of Barack Obama during the 2008 election (so much so, that it is believed to have brought in one million votes in support of him) and has also been known to launch a few careers during her Oprah days, including: designer, Nate Burkus; her best friend, Gail King; psychologist, Dr. Phil; and Dr. Oz. They all started off as regular guests on her show that no one knew much about and now they have their own well-known talk shows. Additionally, she has held exclusive interviews with celebrities and politicians on her talk show that daytime hosts may not have been able to book.  Oprah is another example of my childhood. I can remember coming home everyday after school and turning her show on at 4pm. I liked her show, compared to all the other daytime hosts (i.e. Maury, Jenny Jones, Ricki Lake, etc.) because her content was real and powerful. Her interviews were often tear-jerking and inspirational.  She talked about political issues, raised awareness on various diseases and charities, interviewed people fallen on hard times but rose to the top, and brought light to other social issues. Additionally, she, herself, was somewhat of an inspiration. She began her career during a time when it was a male-dominated workforce and outshined her competitors. Not to mention, she came from little and is now one of the wealthiest in the world.