3 Contemporary Icons or Why Fix What Isn't Broke?

At first James Bond, Captain Kirk, and the Joker have little in common other than being iconic fictional characters. A smooth talking and womanizing member of her majesty’s secret service, James Bond is a symbol of high fashion, cool cars and promiscuity. Captain James Tiberius Kirk is also a ladies man, but he does not discriminate by planet. Kirk is a symbol of manliness, leadership and duty. On the opposite side of the spectrum lies the Joker. This iconic character is a whimsical yet insane villain that can keep a smile on his face, and has his own sense of style.

The reason these three characters have been lumped together is because all three have seen a recent revival. They have been re-imagined or re-invented, creating a whole new pop culture fan base mirroring our current trends and times. James Bond’s character has always been clever, suave and had little to no backstory. Recent Bond movie Skyfall has reinvented the character into an aging agent, with flaws and a bit of history. Daniel Craig’s Bond is more gritty and dark. Captain Kirk has also recently been re-invented in his youth with J.J Abrams’ Star Trek. This revival shows old and new fans the backstory and a more realistic Kirk finding the leader within him. Lastly, the Joker has seen a recent revival. Always one of comic’s most iconic villains, recent events have re-imagined the Jokers signature smile as a result of having his face carved off by another villain. No longer the whimsical character played by Cesar Romero or the villain created by Jerry Robinson; the new Joker is a sadistic serial killer that revels in carnage.

  

All three of these characters have changed to a grittier or more “realistic” feel, which seems to be the current trend. These characters always stood out to me in my childhood, but in a more innocent way. From Sean Connery, to Roger Moore, James Bond’s amazing gadgets, gorgeous cars (and gorgeous women) always displayed a sophisticated adventurer I always admired. He showed politeness in any situation, even while looking at certain death. This was much what I admired in Captain Kirk from the television show Star Trek. He put his crew first and faced many adversaries with a great speech and the occasional karate chop. In between this action, he would always have time to crack a joke, and at times spend some quality alone time with a blue-skinned beauty. While the Joker was not known for the same smoothness or any type of values, his iconic look made him such a strong villain for me. The Joker had that constant grin, maniacal laughter, and the green hair. Even the purple suit always seemed fun, while having a sense of danger behind it. Sure he was always going to be captured and sent to jail by Batman, but he would have a bit of fun first. 

 

While these characters have stood the test of time, to the point that I write about them today, the current variations of these pop culture characters are much darker and grittier. Will children today view these pop culture icons as the aging, flawed, troubled heroes or villains they are currently?  Hopefully the new “darker” way that these characters are shown will highlight the strong values, leadership and at times slight evil fun, that their past selves have for all these years.  

Pop Culture

Charles Bowen has been quoted as saying, "More students have a better knowledge of pop culture than of the constitution." I believe this to be true. Most young adults could tell you who was eliminated from American Idol, before correctly answering who is the new Secretary of State. 
According to Dictionary.com, pop culture is a noun meaning, "cultural activities or commercial products reflecting, suited to, 
or aimed at the tastes of the general masses of people.” I break this down simply as pop culture is what people discuss at the water cooler. Pop culture has become the “Did you see” or “Did you hear” conversation starters. These discussions of pop culture have replaced the age old “How is the weather?” conversation starter.

Having knowledge of pop culture in the business world today is very important. Pop culture is the easiest way to talk to the people. When in retail sales or marketing, reaching your customer base is extremely important. The easiest and quickest way to reach a diverse group of consumers, is speaking to them in popular culture terms. What is relevant and on peoples’ minds? A popular symbol or saying can change how people view a product. Many times a marketing symbol becomes pop culture and an entity in itself.

Who knew that four wrinkled grapes singing Motown would become as popular as it did. Starting as an ad for the California Raisin Advisory Board, these singing raisins soon had their own video games, television specials, comic books, and toy line. In the 1980s the California Raisins became pop culture icons, forever changing the meaning of Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.” Oh, and they sold a few raisins in the process too.