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The three contemporary icons that I have chosen are:

·         Wonder Woman

·         Michael Jackson

·         Shrek

Wonder Woman was formed by William Moulton Marston, for DC Comics in 1940. Marston believed women were more trustworthy and reliable than men, and was an advocator for women’s causes. Wonder Woman was created during a time where men superheroes ruled the comics. Her first appearance was in 1941, in All Star Comics #8. Wonder Woman had a mixture of superhuman powers, such as being able to stop bullets with her bracelets, jump far distances, and she carried a magic lasso, which forced the truth out of her captures. A TV series was based on this character and starred Lynda Carter. It ran from 1975-1979.

Michael Jackson hit the music scene at age 11, along with his brothers, as a member of the Jackson 5. In the 80’s, he went solo with hits like “Billie Jean” and “Beat It.  He ultimately inspired pop music all over the world, and because of this is known as the “King of Pop”. Michael Jackson’s album “Thriller” is the highest selling album in the recording history, with  over 70 million sold, along with singles that were released that sold over 100 million copies. In his career, he sold over 750 million albums, had 13 number one hits, won 13 grammys, is in the Guiness Book of World Records for being the most successful entertainer of all time, received the AMA Artist of the Centurty award, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice (Michael jackson bio).

The animated character, Shrek, came to life in 2001, by Dreamworks Animation. His voice is portrayed by actor Mike Myers. He is a big, green ogre who wants to live quietly by himself in his swamp. His friend, Donkey, helps him save Princess Fiona, so that Shrek’s swamp can be saved.  In doing this, he fell in love with the Princess.  In Shrek 2, 2004, he marries the Princess, and goes to visit her family. Prince Charming and the Fairy Godmother attempt trouble at every turn. Shrek the Third came out in 2007. Princess Fiona’s father passes away, and Shrek is set to take over the kingdom, unless he can find Arthur Pendragon, the King’s nephew (Shrek, 2011).

I chose each of these icons because they represent different parts of my life. When I was little, as far back as I can remember, Wonder Woman was my favorite superhero. I wore WW Underroos, and ran around the house, trying to lasso my big brother with my jump rope pretending to be her.  I grew up listening to Michael Jackson’s music, and even dressed like him when I was in fourth grade, with the black leather zipper jacket and the “parachute” pants. Now that I am older with children of my own, Shrek is one of my favorite movies to watch with them. Even though we have seen the movies dozens of time, it just never gets old.  All of these icons hold a special place with me, and in my life, and that is why I chose them.These iconic figures remind me of my childhood, and will continue into my children's lives as I share with them stories of my past.

References

 

Michael jackson bio. (n.d.). Retrieved May 22, 2011, from Michael Jackson: http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/bio.

Shrek. (2011). Retrieved May 22, 2011, from Reel Movie News: http://www.reelmovienews.com/characters/shrek/.

Wonder woman history. (n.d.). Retrieved May 22, 2011, from Vex: http://www.vex.net/~dq711/wonder_woman.htm.