Assignment 2-2, Contemporary Icons

For my three contemporary icons, I chose people with a knack for marketing - themselves.
Madonna, my first choice, is iconic for the many different personalities she has shared. She started as a tough Italian girl, was once an 'English Rose' and now at almost 50, once again, a sex kitten that most women in their 20's can't rival.
Donald Trump is my second choice for a contemporary icon. He has done and outdone himself numerous times. Every project he takes on seems to 'trump' his last. Once he made a name for himself as a real-estate tycoon, he moved over to television to prove that he can conquer any platform.
My third choice for a contemporary icon is none other than Martha Stewart. She embodies the American spirit with her business know-how and resiliency. She took a small catering business and made it into a billion dollar industry. She even used her time in jail to plan for her next big endeavor - a live TV show on Fine Living Network.
As I said, all three of my choices are great at marketing themselves. They all have worked hard to pursue their own American dream and know how to present that face to America.

Assignment 1-2

Popular culture describes the lifestyle of the masses. It changes as the trends change. This can be proved by showing almost anyone in the U.S. a picture of Brittany Spears. They will at least claim that they know the face, if not the name.

Having an understanding of pop culture is essential in business today because it embraces all of what America is today, right or wrong. If there is no understanding, then there can be no connection made with a client or co-worker.

An example of a pop culture artifact could be a DVR or digital video recorder. This is a good example because it illustrates how Americans expect to have the world. They even expect that TV will wait for them. Also, the DVR can pause live TV, so that no one has to miss the crowning of the new American Idol!