How do Icons die? how do stars fade and cease to be?

[Pickman's model]

...and John Wayne is Big Leggy, isn't he?

I thought you knew the 'no real names' rule

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I hardly ever see them mentioned tbh - maybe I move in the wrong circles

I'd think On the Waterfront is the most iconic - it has the speech 'I could have been a contender...' that people know even not having watched it. That causes enduring, I think.

 

[krtek a houby]

I hardly ever see them mentioned tbh - maybe I move in the wrong circles

I coulda been a contender!
Stella!!
And of course from Tango: I can't believe it's not butter!

 

[Reno]

Bette Davis

With the gays at least.

 

[Sea Star]

If we're talking about possible future icons - Debbie Harry and Patti Smith. Is Lou Reed an icon yet?

 

[krtek a houby]

With the gays at least.

My mom made me watch Now, Voyager as a kid.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

If we're talking about possible future icons - Debbie Harry and Patti Smith. Is Lou Reed an icon yet?

Ah are we killing people off now?

I think it's massively hard to say about people who are still alive. Reckon Blondie will endure. Lou Reed will certainly endure among some, but how many, I don't know.

 

[Reno]

My mom made me watch Now, Voyager as a kid.

I did an animated parody of that when I studied film.

 

[Pickman's model]

If we're talking about possible future icons - Debbie Harry and Patti Smith. Is Lou Reed an icon yet?

Fairly certain dh has been an icon for some time now

 

[krtek a houby]

Ah are we killing people off now?

I think it's massively hard to say about people who are still alive. Reckon Blondie will endure. Lou Reed will certainly endure among some, but how many, I don't know.

Pretty sure icons can be living people, as well. I certainly remember Lou Reed being referred to as an icon within his lifetime...

 

[weltweit]

I think when Hollywood remakes a film it is a sure sign they think the first stars are on the wane. How many would today think of Wilder as Willy Wonka when they have only seen Depp.

 

[Sea Star]

Ah are we killing people off now?

I think it's massively hard to say about people who are still alive. Reckon Blondie will endure. Lou Reed will certainly endure among some, but how many, I don't know.

I still think it's fun to speculate.

No. Not killing. It just seems to happen

 

[Sirena]

Useful word here....

Catasterise

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I still think it's fun to speculate.

No. Not killing. It just seems to happen

Yeah. Going back to Bowie, I was somewhat surprised by the size of the reaction to his death. Don't think I would have guessed that.

 

[Sea Star]

Pretty sure icons can be living people, as well. I certainly remember Lou Reed being referred to as an icon within his lifetime...

Yeah it's possible. But being dead does make s difference. It elevates some and buries others

 

[Pickman's model]

I still think it's fun to speculate.

No. Not killing. It just seems to happen

Death at one's elbow

 

[Sea Star]

Yeah. Going back to Bowie, I was somewhat surprised by the size of the reaction to his death. Don't think I would have guessed that.

I always felt fairly alone in my worship of the man so yeah, was really surprised how widely he was revered.

 

[krtek a houby]

I think when Hollywood remakes a film it is a sure sign they think the first stars are on the wane. How many would today think of Wilder as Willy Wonka when they have only seen Depp.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I always felt fairly alone in my worship of the man so yeah, was really surprised how widely he was revered.

Well since we're killing people off here, I don't think there will be quite the same reaction to Paul Mac's demise. I'm not sure how widespread the feeling was when Lennon died, but I even have the feeling that Lennon is fading somewhat now.

Having iconic images of you knocking around ( the Che effect) surely helps - Marylin, Bowie certainly had heaps of those.

 

[krtek a houby]

I always felt fairly alone in my worship of the man so yeah, was really surprised how widely he was revered.

Wasn't surprised myself. Grew up reading so many people citing him as an influence. And when Ashes to Ashes came out; it sounded like nothing I'd heard before.

 

[Reno]

Well since we're killing people off here, I don't think there will be quite the same reaction to Paul Mac's demise. I'm not sure how widespread the feeling was when Lennon died, but I even have the feeling that Lennon is fading somewhat now.

Having iconic images of you knocking around ( the Che effect) surely helps - Marylin, Bowie certainly had heaps of those.

I think you are right there, great photos have a lot to do with turning stars into lasting icons

 

[Sirena]

Yeah. Going back to Bowie, I was somewhat surprised by the size of the reaction to his death. Don't think I would have guessed that.

I think that was a Facebook generation thing to a great extent.

Everyone got to take their mawkish platform, almost as if they knew the man or were there at his gigs.

Imagine if Facebook had been around when Princess Di died. The resultant tide of public tears........

 

[ska invita]

I think we're moving to a post icon world... Old film stars became iconic because of the way they stood out of the general cultural landscape which was pretty bland and empty on the whole... Their lives seemed remote and above the norm....

I don't think people are as impressed anywhere near as much as they used to be, by anything or anyone

 

[krtek a houby]

I think that was a Facebook generation thing to a great extent.

Everyone got to take their mawkish platform, almost as if they knew the man or were there at his gigs.

Imagine if Facebook had been around when Princess Di died. The resultant tide of public tears........

I didn't know the man but I was in awe of his work. And in awe of my wife who went to 2 Bowie gigs!

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I think we're moving to a post icon world... Old film stars became iconic because of the way they stood out of the general cultural landscape which was pretty bland and empty on the whole... Their lives seemed remote and above the norm....

I don't think people are as impressed anywhere near as much as they used to be, by anything or anyone

I agree about the old film stars.

However, Bowie's surely going to qualify. Scanning my brain for current film stars, none jumps out. Johnny Depp, perhaps, but he seems to be fading a bit while still alive. Possibly needed to die a few years ago to make it as an enduring icon. If de Niro had died in the 1980s, he'd be a huge icon now, I think.

 

[Reno]

I think we're moving to a post icon world... Old film stars became iconic because of the way they stood out of the general cultural landscape which was pretty bland and empty on the whole... Their lives seemed remote and above the norm....

I don't think people are as impressed anywhere near as much as they used to be, by anything or anyone

That's true. We have moved beyond the Warhol fifteen minutes of fame prediction. Now we have celebrities who get replaced fast, everybody is their own star on social media and not even film is that reliant on movie stars anymore. The real stars are the superheroes actors play in blockbuster and with every "reboot" comes a new actor.

 

[krtek a houby]

Bruce Lee

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I think that was a Facebook generation thing to a great extent.

Everyone got to take their mawkish platform, almost as if they knew the man or were there at his gigs.

Imagine if Facebook had been around when Princess Di died. The resultant tide of public tears........

Maybe. But he got a pretty special treatment still.

re Diana, I had to turn off all media for a fortnight when she died. It was ubiquitous even without the internet.

 

[krtek a houby]

Maybe. But he got a pretty special treatment still.

re Diana, I had to turn off all media for a fortnight when she died. It was ubiquitous even without the internet.

Are British people embarrassed over the outpouring of grief? I'm not a fan of the monarchy but she did seem to be very popular with a lot of people in this country....

 

[Reno]

I agree about the old film stars.

However, Bowie's surely going to qualify. Scanning my brain for current film stars, none jumps out. Johnny Depp, perhaps, but he seems to be fading a bit while still alive. Possibly needed to die a few years ago to make it as an enduring icon. If de Niro had died in the 1980s, he'd be a huge icon now, I think.

I don't think De Niro would be more famous had he died. The 70s was the first decade that was anti-star and when actors played down the gala our and looked looked like real people.

Bruce Lee

Just listing random star names is getting boring. At least say why do you think they are more likely to last than the many equally famous stars of the period.