Three Icons of Contemporary Pop Culture

There is no shortage of icons of contemporary pop culture today. Douglas Holt (2004, p. 1) describes icons as “anchors of meaning continually referenced in entertainment, journalism, politics and advertising.” As we embark into the second decade of the 21st century, three symbols considered important and representative of our American society’s ideals and values are President Barack Obama, the Toyota Prius automobile, and the Harley-Davidson Sportster motorcycle. Each is therefore an icon of popular culture, venerated and put on a pedestal with almost sacred status.


In the 2008 Presidential Election, more than half our country, almost 67 million Americans, believed that Barack Obama was a symbol of hope and change. They became emotionally attached to the man and his rhetoric. What the “symbol” of President Obama means to me is validation that American society has evolved from a nation of slaves and segregation, to a culture that is for the most part “colorblind” to the shade of one’s skin. He is affirmation that no longer should people of color use past wrongs as an excuse for decisions they make about how to live their lives. Agree with him or not, President Obama, as the leader of my country, is a symbol of democracy, freewill and opportunity.


The Toyota Prius too is an icon of American popular culture. As the world’s best-selling hybrid car, the Prius represents society’s desire to find lower-cost, greener alternatives to the gas-guzzling automobiles they prefer to drive. It turns out it was not a symbol of society’s commitment to making a positive ecological impact on the environment through natural resource conservation, but more a respite from $4 a gallon gasoline prices. For me, the Prius is an icon of how the automobile industry adapts to governmental constraints and develops a product that meets the stringent CAFE standards placed on them, even when it is not commercially feasible. It is a symbol of ingenuity and inventiveness.


My third example of a contemporary popular culture icon is the Harley-Davidson Sportster. In continuous production for 44 years, it is one of the world’s most popular motorcycles. To me the Sportster represents a toy for affluent baby boomers to get back in touch with their more youthful wild years. The Sportster delivers a sense of adventure and daring. It plays to the rebel in all of us, the James Dean in our souls. It is a way for us to connect with nature with nothing between the rider and the road except a 500 pound machine between their legs. To me it personifies a free spirit and a yearning to be unhindered.

References:

Holt, D. B. (2004). How brands become icons: The principles of cultural branding. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press