Icons

I feel like the day of icons is gone somewhat..now you have little minor celebrities with big followings ... I think... I don't know I don't follow 'it'...I guess what I'm saying is there use to be huge celebrities who wouldnt be too personal...left a bit of mystery...and I think that's been replaced by minor celebs...who leave nothing to the imagination... Ie Kim Kardashian etc ..if that makes sense...??? I guess the reality is that icons were not ones to follow...but..how can I explain...I don't think most people wanted to be Elvis or Marlin Monroe...but there was an attraction to these people in masses and the fact that they didn't share too much unlike now with 'minor' icons was a good thing.. imo. They created a sweet commandery with fans..

When I Google icon...actual em cartoonish pictures appear...when I think of icon.. I think Elivis...Marilyn Monroe...

Anyway...icons were never to be taken that seriously...but I suppose because it was almost their lack of sharing themselves that was their intrigue...and I guess people related to them more because they could fill in their own gaps...

So real icons of the past ...or present?

Small mention to Madonna...who was doing it right...and ironically used the Marylin Monroe image to propel herself as an icon yet has somehow fallen flat as she's aged following the herd as we say... that bathroom thing she did....stop Madonna...please stop lol.. anyway...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6p-lDYPR2P8

AckwelFoley

Ronaldo in football, his ability and longevity is second to none. Best was a drunk that effectively retired at 28, yet so many get a hard on about him

Michael Jordan.

Mike Tyson. People are still intrigued by the man

Tupac Shakur died 25 years ago but he still influences music and sells records today

Despite the weirdness of the individual Michael Jackson is extremely influential to music and dance.

igCorcaigh

Perhaps those icons were of a time when something like a TV, or even radio (back in the early 20C), were new to most people; as well as the newly formed mass media in terms of music and film, which these technologies helped bring about.

It was always an illusion, of course; maybe we can't reclaim that innocence. So much scandals have happened to the big names too in recent times.

buried

'Aphex Twin' still to this day doing this sort of craic worldwide

Everyone is their own icon these days..

AckwelFoley

Facekicker he was a boards icon of the late 00s

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990447#Comment_117990447

Unfortunately I think you're right...we can't reclaim that time....only recently I was talking with my mam and saying how we use enjoy the soap operas every night....it was a must see...now ??? Would barely know the characters....

But I don't think it's a good thing now...I think it was a family thing...to watch the soaps....that's gone or going...

Maybe the Mormons are right ....lol ..

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iXcj8dFOd1E

Strumms

Thing is in the past the media and icons filtered icons... icons were generally worthy of that title, be it cinema icons, music icons, sporting icons... there was also a mystery about them...

society and the media has changed where the mystery is blown open, there is little curiosity... it pays people to be in the public eye... as in cash... eating a bowl of cornflakes on social media with your dog looking at you is considered praiseworthy and an achievable goal to set yourself with which to reach out to people... used to have to write a brilliant song or record a brilliant album etc... now if you have a top ten single and a dog who barks at a parrot who tells it to fûck off back.... you are an icon to people..

Duh...^^^my point of the thread....

buried

This talk of how great things were so much better 'in the past' is absolute wollix. There are plenty of great modern music artists who have legitimate 'Icon' status already in todays world, but the likes of RTE Radio 1/2 or Today FM will never showcase any of their work, so, if your current music feed is basically only RTE1/2/TodayFM or any of that sort of mess, you basically have no right of opinion towards any sort of modern music because you aren't bothered to investigate any of it yourself. RTE maybe itself was better in the past, but that doesn't mean the actual creative output of music and musical artists ceased to be any better once the likes of RTE stopped giving a $hit about it.

..............

Mmmmm...stopped listening at 'wollox'....

buried

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990923#Comment_117990923

I think you stopped listening a long time ago Olivia. A real music fan would have kept listening.

Lol...

riclad

I think we know so much about celebrity's, with them being on social media, twitter an icon is someone with great talent who makes unique art, music.

Kim kardashian is very famous her talent is just being on reality TV she may be forgotten about in 20 years I think blonde is a icon she made great music and one of the first pop, rap songs so also is joni Mitchell a great singer songwriter each of of her songs tells a short story

Most pop singers now just sing songs written by other singwriters

If you appear on tv you can be very famous eg Paris Hilton you don't need alot of talent apart from looking good and a team of stylists makeup artists I think lady gaga is an icon as she has her own style and writes songs and is a great singer I think it takes 10 years at least to become an icon. I think alot of modern actors are very bland they look good they can act they don't have much personality they just appear in marvel or action movies

There's no new rock groups with the creative power of the beatles rolling stones led zeppelin will pop songs from the aughties be remembered like the music from the 80s, 90s I wonder modern music seems to be more bland or maybe its all just created on laptops so it does not have the same melodic range diversity of older pop, rock songs

Gregor Samsa

@riclad Most pop singers now just sing songs written by other singwriters

You can count the number of songs written by Frank Sinatra on one hand, but no-one would say he's not an icon. Elvis too.

Wibbs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990882#Comment_117990882

The old icons of the past in Hollywood were also fodder for the gossip columns and magazines which were very popular. Their image was curated by the studios for the most part. Just like today. The difference is today we've got more apparent access to such people and they're more likely to talk directly without going through a publicist(though usually do). Social media weaponised attention across the board, from the guy on the bus beside you to film stars and music stars, but the latter need to feed that beast more often to keep the attention going.

As for music; the charts have always been filled with dross and popular dross with it. The passage of time and nostalgia can make us forget that. What also helped in the past was that music was creating genres that didn't exist before so lots of stuff was very novel. Choice was a lot more limited too. Fewer record companies, radio and TV stations. The Beatles brought Indian music into the mainstream and that was a revelation to listeners back then. Today nobody would bat an eyelid because we've heard it before.

Film was also chock full of dross. For every masterpiece there were hundreds of crap flics. Hollywood was churning them out like sausages. Make 300 flics a year and one or two are bound to be good. These days Hollywood tends to do far fewer movies and is aimed more towards the blockbuster, the simplistic safe sure thing rollercoaster ride with a big budget and hope of a similarly big return. Marvel, Star Wars, Jimmy Bond etc. On the other hand we have TV where we've never had it so good(tm).

riclad

Yes there has always been bad movies, TV shows, made. Most of which are now forgotten. I think it takes 10 years to know is this person a great actor, a great singer. I think Adele is an icon as she has made great music since she was 19, she is now 30, millions buy her albums. David Bowie is an icon people still listen to his music. Alot of movies are now being made for Netflix and streaming services. Alot of action movies and marvel movies are being made , the big hit comedy movie seems to be in decline. There seems to be more scifi action movies tv shows made as technology is so advanced with 3d cgi digital effects getting better every year

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117990914#Comment_117990914

Debbie harry and Stevie Nicks - aint none of the 'current crop' can hold a candle to those two!!!