Will there be any more iconic legendary people?

RandallFlagg · December 2016

With the mass spew and diarrhoea of moden media exposure being an embedded part of our moden society, will there be any more iconic legendary people?

It seems that the mystique and lack of public exposure was a factor in creating the legendary status of many iconic people, is it possible for modern celebrities to achieve real icon status?

monquixote · December 2016

Yes.

Flink_Poyd · December 2016

No

Iamnobody · December 2016

Maybe.

Alnico · December 2016

Unless they sort out my 'Rider' then no, there's no chance !

Emp_Fab · December 2016

Well, that's that all sorted then.

sev112 · December 2016

Are there any at the moment ?

are we talking about someone like Adele, say who is clearly talented singer and songwriter, deviates from the media norm of what young women should look like, swears like a trouper,and has a massive worldwide appeal which has generated major success at a young age ?
or maybe

or Grayson Perry or someone like that?

or maybe it's an oxymoron, because if there were, most of us would t know who they are L

RandallFlagg · December 2016

I'm talking John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Charles Chaplin, Marlon Brando etc. Or in music bands like The Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, David Bowie etc.

The only more modern people and bands I view that are anywhere near that kind of iconic status are Prince and Michael Jackson. Personally, for me, Joe Strummer, Paul Weller, Sid Vicious all carry a level of icon status as well.

Who are the modern icons good or bad that carry that mystique, notoriety and status? Or is it an age thing, my view of what is iconic is different to someone 30 years younger?

breakstuff · December 2016

Kim Kardashian innit?

monquixote · December 2016

There are plenty.

Amy winehouse is a good example of a modern tragic icon.

A good rule is if you think that "x isn't like your day" then it probably is but you've got old.

p90fool · December 2016

No, simply because there is no longer any mystique and there is so much fame available that nobody can dominate their particular field any more.

A big deal was made a while ago about how One Direction (or someone equally inconsequential, I forget) had outsold The Beatles in just a couple of years, but all that proves is how big the market now is.

The Beatles changed the industry forever for almost all generations, not just their immediate teenage fans. Their cultural impact was immeasurable and still resonates today, you can even plot their early 60s rise in the rapidly-multiplying production numbers of the big US guitar factories.

The media world is such a vast, well-organised juggernaut now that I can't imagine any single artist in any genre turning the world on its head any more the way someone like Elvis did.
No matter how talented or successful anyone is now most non-fans can still just ignore them, there's just so much other stuff.

thecolourbox · December 2016

I'll probably ferry disapproving looks and general argumentative disagreement here but for my generation I'd say people like Winehouse, Doherty are in the same sort of vain in music (albeit not necessarily for their musical output), someone like Johnny Depp is definitely in that category for movie stars, they are around but there are just so many others as well they might not be so ubiquitous therefore the assumption is that because they are contemporary they are therefore rubbish and shallow

CabbageCat · December 2016

There are plenty of iconic, legendary people at the moment so why assume there won't be any more. It's just that in our heads an icon looks like Michael Jackson or Nelson Mandela and, sure, they ain't coming back, but to believe that there won't be any more is just a failure of imagination not a Symptom of Modern Times.

p90fool · December 2016

thecolourbox said:

the assumption is that because they are contemporary they are therefore rubbish and shallow

Absolutely, it's the impact which is diluted nowadays, not the talent. The OP mentioned James Dean, definitely iconic because of his time and place, but he had no discernible talent, if he lived now he'd just be Peter Andre.

It wasn't "better in my day", it was just that very few people scaled the heights of fame and we hung on their every word, even if that word was just "Que?".

Bygone_Tones · December 2016

You dont become iconic just by being successful or famous. Its about being a pioneer in your field or doing something amazing and unique, and yes it helps if you die (or a significant band member dies) whilst you are still at the top of your game.

However I do believe the number of people with that kind of drive and passion to achieve greatness is only a very small percentage of the population. Most people are being held back by their own limiting beliefs that they can't acheive great things.

snakemanStoo · December 2016

I think there will be, it's just that recognising them now will be difficult, be in the future people will look back and wonder why we didn't worship the ground that ______ walked on.

TheBlueWolf · December 2016

This generation has the internet at their disposal so while it's easier to get noticed there's a good chance the crap will make it through as well. Even if you do "make it" it means a hell of a lot of work/touring involved.

Axe_meister · December 2016

I think the next icons are going to be in the field of Science.
Hawkins is one such icon, whoever cracks k
fusion will be an icon, and the first person on Mars.
Also in the fields on IT there are and will be a great number of Icons.

mudslide73 · December 2016

No - there'll never be anyone up there with the Churchills or Brunels imo.

Winny_Pooh · December 2016

The modern world is too complex for simple mass appeal as in the past.

p90fool · December 2016

Winny_Pooh said:

The modern world is too complex for simple mass appeal as in the past.

Exactly. I grew up in a time where a third of the population watched the same mildly amusing light entertainment show on a Saturday night, giving rise to a shared experience which is hard to reproduce in the world of entertainment now.

You can still do it with space exploration or presidential assassinations perhaps, but not with two blokes doing a northern music hall act.

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Will there be any more iconic legendary people?

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