icon analysis

    

       When thinking of icons there was three that was thought of and they are Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Tom Hanks. These amazing, and talented people are very unique in their own way. Each of them is common, but very different. They all share the spot light in television, or movies in some form. Steven Spielberg makes and produces the movies while Tom Hanks and Oprah played in movies he made or produced. Steven Spielberg is perhaps Hollywood's best known director and one of the wealthiest filmmakers in the world. Oprah Winfrey is known for her television talk show and her movies. Tom Hanks is known for his television series and movies.

       Choosing the right icon to talk about was a little difficult. There are so many wonderful talented icons out there. Choosing Spielberg, Hanks, and Winfrey seemed to blend for the fact they have all worked together. They all have the willingness to keep pushing. Each of these icons started small and kept pushing until they succeeded in what they wanted to accomplish in life. It is amazing how Spielberg never finished college because he saw bigger and better things elsewhere. Oprah grew up in a single family home and put herself through college to become a billionaire. Tom Hanks grew up in a broken home where he spent most of his days with step parents and he moved a lot, but he pushed his way through college and got his first shot in a television series.

      Looking at their lives makes me want to keep pushing. These icons did not start out with a silver spoon in their hand they had to keep working for what they have. People today give up too quickly, and I am sometimes guilty for that too, but I keep pushing. I know some day I will get my degree and keep pushing to succeed. I see that my icons never gave up. I know I do not want to be a movie star or a big shot movie producer, but I would like to live normal and comfortably.

Popular Culture and Management

What is popular culture, and what does it mean to you?

Generally speaking, the collective norms and values in society that constitutes for popular culture, but nowadays I feel popular culture means convenient patterns of behavior led by the government and media.

Why is an understanding of popular culture relevant in a business environment and in your present and future career?

Popular culture is the demands of the people. In a business environment this is relevant as it has a significant impact on what products and services the business will supply. For example, consumers expect the desired product or service to be excellent. If this expectation is not achieved by the business, consumers may not purchase the product and this can cause a loss in profits. Popular culture is important in my present and future career because due to technology, events in the workplace are changing and moving faster. To stay competitive, I must shift directions based on the customer requirements. Additionally, I must be computer savvy, and efficient in Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, and Microsoft Outlook to effectively perform in the workplace

What would you consider to be an example of a pop culture artifact? And why would you choose it?

The artifact that I chose to represent an example of pop culture is People magazine. This magazine incorporates pop culture, by displaying pictures and articles about celebrities. This magazine keeps the media informed of what is going on in tv, movies, music, as well as celebrities personal lives. I chose this magazine because celebrities have a strong influence on the media. They revolutionize how we dress, wear our hair, speak, and even have political influences.