Cultural Icons

Influence of many of the modern cultural icons can be traced back to ancient works which have served as an inspiration to creation of new icons. Popular cultural icons, whether it is modern or ancient, exhibit fundamental values shared by the society it was created in. The painting Oath of Horatii for example, exhibits the patriotic duty and allegiance of the people to the state prior to the revolution. The way human body is depicted in paintings or sculptures shows us how the society viewed people. The Greeks for example, celebrated nudity, and that view can be seen in their sculptures which are for the most part completely nude.

This paper will discuss numerous works of arts that have contributed to the development of cultural icons including comics, movies, ancient sculptures, and paintings. Discussions include how comics led to development of a generation of new cultural icons, and how these icons (superheroes) themselves were influenced by works of past artists such as Michelangelo and other. We will also discuss how the depiction of these icons represented the values of the society they were created it in. Other discussions include how commercials incorporate ancient works and modern popular icons to sell their products to the masses, and how this development leads to development of new cultural icons.

Some of the works of that have an unprecedented reputation of assisting the development of cultural icons are superhero comics and illustrations. These works have led to large scale creation of cultural icons that any American or for the matter any individual from around the world would be more than familiar with. Superheroes like Superman, Spiderman, Captain America, and Batman are household names throughout the world. These cultural icons have spawned numerous video games, TV shows, movies, art galleries, and have influenced people in an unprecedented way. In fact all of these developments further strengthened their position as the ultimate cultural icons. If one were look at the staple of movies that are being produced, an overwhelming number of these movies tend to be based on superheroes. For example, some of the most popular and anticipated upcoming movies for the current year include Iron Man, The Hulk, Hell Boy 2, Batman, and Speed Racer. All of these movies owe their origins to comics.

The way heroes are depicted reflects our cultural ideals and state of mind. The prevalence of so many hero icons could be attributed to a state of uncertainty in the current society. The post 9/11 world made many people insecure, and as such people look to these characters for refuge. The hero icons provide a sense of security, justice, and confidence to a world wrecked by war, economic insecurity, and constant threat to personal safety. Heroes such as Batman or Superman in their comics, TV shows, or movies battle an evil villain, rescue people from criminals, and fight for the downtrodden, which gives consumers a sense of balance in a ever changing and conflicting world. One could say that the current society longs for heroes to rescue them from their ordeals, and that there is a strong sense of hero worship or emphasis on having qualities that embodies these heroes. The fact that all of these heroes have a normal life besides being a superhero makes it easier for viewers to relate to them, and give them a sense of hope that they too could become a hero or achieve the ideals of heroism.

If one were to look at the images of Superman, Batman, or Hulk, you would notice that there is an over-emphasis on masculinity of these heroes. They are larger than life, and possess super strength, bulging arms and chests, and a body that no ordinary man could hope to achieve. The exaggeration of the male body is a common theme in all the comic books, movies, and TV shows, and in fact, in order to be considered as a hero, one has to have a large body parts or features. This exaggeration of human body can also be seen in past ancient works as well, especially in sculpture David by Michelangelo, and the painting of Napoleon at the Great St. Bernard Pass by Jacques Louis David. It could say that these works have inspired comic illustrators, and the current perception of what a superhero looks like.

When one looks at the sculpture of David, you would notice that his upper body and arms are larger than the rest of the body. This exaggeration of upper body and arms can readily be seen in illustrations of Superman and Batman, where both heroes have huge chests and bulging arms. The sculpture of David like Superman, glorifies the male body, and ideals of heroism. As a sculpture, David embodied the optimism of Europe as it discovered its past, and celebrated revitalization of its civilization. The sculpture was revolutionary in many ways as it realized the anatomy of the human body, even though it exaggerated certain body parts. The sculpture of David was seen as the ultimate male ideal and a hero, and was also one of the most historically well known icons. It's quite possible that it had large influence on comic illustrators to see their Heroes in the image of David, as both David and comic heroes have exaggerated body parts.

One of the major differences between Superman and David was that unlike the current hero icons, the sculpture of David was nude and was celebrated for its nudity. The nude body was seen as a male ideal of perfection. One could nonetheless argue that Superman and Batman wore such tight clothes that they were for all practical purposes nude, as one could easily see the veins and definition even with the clothes on, and that the covering of their body parts was merely to placate conservative sections of the society.

Another classical painting that might be seen as having a significant influence on how heroes are depicted is Napoleon at the Great St. Bernard Pass. Jacques Louis David depicted Napoleon, a man of small stature in real life to be larger than life in his painting. In the painting, Napoleon is seen riding a horse and commanding troops relatively smaller than him. This exaggeration of heroes, especially making them larger than life can clearly be seen in comic illustrations. The painting is also revolutionary in many ways, as it first reinterprets history. For example, Napoleon is seen riding a horse, when in fact he rode a donkey to cross the Alps. What can be interpreted from the painting is that French society during that era placed a great emphasis on heroes, and saw them as God-like and larger than life as does the current society.

The recurring theme of heroes being larger than life with exaggerated features shows that human society celebrates hero worship. I think these larger than life images have affected the way people perceive heroes to be. The illustrations of Batman and Superman can clearly be seen as an example of how we see our heroes - heavily masculine with exaggerated body features. Such emphasis makes it seem like women can't be heroes as they are not masculine, and makes them feel inferior. The hero ideals of our society makes men seem superior to women, both physically and mentally. This idea is further strengthened if one was to look at female heroes, and you will quickly notice that female heroes are always masculine. A quick look at illustrations of Wonder Woman, Cat Woman, and Batgirl would confirm these findings. Not only are these girls masculine, they are also made to appear as sexual objects. Cat Woman for example, carries a whip with leather outfitting, while Wonder Woman wears what appears to be a swim suit with an overemphasis on her breasts. It appears that even as heroes, women are seen as nothing more than sexual objects, and whose sole role is to quench men's sexual desires.

Just as high arts represented the cultural values of the world they were created in, commercials also exhibit values of the current society. Modern commercials incorporate numerous ancient arts as an inspiration, which enables them to sell products to masses. Styling new commercials on a popular past sculpture or paining enables it to reach a wider audience as the consumers are most likely aware of historical icons, and as such an ad would create an instant familiarity with the target audience. This tactic ensures that the newly created brands or icons are linked with historical icons, helping them to become popular cultural icons, and thereby enabling firms to associate their products with these icons and sell them to the masses.

As mentioned earlier, commercials routinely employ familiar historical settings to sell their products. Familiarity ensures that commercials are personal, and the audience experiences the storyline that's progressing in the commercial rather than being just a mute spectator. One of the most memorable commercial that I recall is a Pepsi ad, set in Rome inside a Coliseum . The ad featured 3 scantily clad female gladiators, with an emperor overseeing their duels. Pepsi used numerous ploys to make these ads immediately personal to viewers, and have them experience the "commodity" - Pepsi drink. For starters, the ad was set in the Coliseum, which is well know on its own, and had familiarity with the audience. What made it even more personal was that the ad was created in post "Gladiator" movie environment. Gladiator was a movie released in 2000, set in Rome featuring a slave general as a gladiator. The movie was phenomenally successful, and became an icon, spawning numerous imitations, and as such, people were very much familiar with the story, and were personally invested in it. Another tactic Pepsi used was that it employed 4 highly famous celebrities to participate in the story line. The three scantily clad women were Britney Spears, Beyonce Knowles, and Pink, while the Emperor, who oversaw the battles, was Enrique Iglesias. All 4 celebrities were popular cultural icons, whom millions adored, worshipped, and easily identified with. All celebrities represented a particular music genre, and were the top icons in their respective fields. The use of such celebrities, with whom the audience developed a high degree of personal attachment, assured that consumers would find the commercial highly relevant to them. The third tactic that Pepsi used in the commercial was the background music. The song, "We Will Rock You" is still quite popular and very much identifiable. In fact, if one were to go to Detroit Pistons games, it is highly likely that one would hear the said song. The song was also used in many movies and songs by individual artists as such increasing its familiarity and popularity. These 3 strategies together ensured that the audience was very much personally invested in the commercial, and the addition of numerous icons assured that the commercial would be popular. The commercial and the setting it was in exhibited numerous American cultural ideals and values. The historical setting took place in a Coliseum, where gladiators fought to death. The profession of gladiators signified bravery, determination, excellence, and heroism - ideals very much dear to American culture. In the movie, a slave rose to challenge a tyrant, a context many Americans would be familiar with, especially in regards to America's independence from Britain, and American ideals of spreading freedom and democracy throughout the world. The ad also featured 3 female gladiators who were scantily clad and very attractive while the Emperor and the spectators (mostly men) surveyed the women in the battle arena. A similar setting can also be seen in the paining of Gerome's "The Slave Market". In the Slave Market, women are being marketed to men and are portrayed as sexual beings, and whose sole purpose was to please the men who are spectators to their beauty. The painting could be seen as an inspiration for later works, where women were also placed in similar function. One could infer that the ad and the painting exhibited male dominance and portrayed women as sexual objects, and that in order for the commercial or the painting to successfully connect with the audience; sex or eroticism has to be commoditized so that it could readily be absorbed by the consumers.

As we have discussed, modern cultural icons incorporate numerous ancient and class works as an inspiration. Many of the popular icons that we see today have been influenced by past works, whether intentionally or not. The sculpture of David, painting of Napoleon at the Great St. Bernard Pas, superhero comics of Superman and Batman, gave birth to new icons and shaped our perception of heroes. The depiction of women in comics and commercials showed us how women were and are still seen as sexual objects in our society. Also, modern commercials can be seen as a collection of numerous arts that are packaged together to sell it to the masses. On a personal note, one of the most important things that I have learned in the class is that many visual images that we see today are in some way influenced by past works, and that the depiction of women as sexual objects is not a modern phenomenon but rather an inherited practice of ancient works.