Assignment 2-2- Contemporary Icons

My name is Derick Faust and for assignment 2-2 we were required to write a paper in regards to contemporary icons that we believe to be important in current popular culture and what it means to use individually. I am going to be posting this on my blog page as well for viewers to see. The three icons that I will be discussing about are as follows: Rocky Balboa, Wolverine, and Dan Marino.

The first portion of this paper requires the student to actually scribe the three icons that we chose. I would first like to define popular culture because these are popular iconic figures to me. According to page one of our text popular culture is defined as the system of attitudes, behavior patterns, customs, tastes, and beliefs (Browne, 2005).It also states that it is the entertainment, diversions, icons, rituals, and actions that shape a society’s everyday world (Browne, 2005).  The first icon that I choose was Rocky Balboa. This is because his character and films show that the determination and fight of an individual always overcomes the adversities that are thrown your way in life. That is my own personal interpretation of the films and character, so to me it is iconic for those reasons.

The other iconic figure that I chose was Wolverine. Although he is a comic character I find him iconic because he represents many of the same things that the Rocky character portrays as well. He shows no remorse for his actions and puts fear into everything he comes across. This is an iconic symbol of fear and power, both which grasps my attention.  Finally, the third iconic figure that I chose was Dan Marino who was a quarterback of the Miami Dolphins from 1984-2000. He was the face of that franchise and he is still the iconic symbol of that franchise. He also showed no fear and did what he did to perfection. As one could tell, I respect people who are not afraid and wont quite as well as being a leader, because quite simply those iconic images portray me in a way.

These icons show a sense of path and direction for me. I put myself in their shoes (although some may seem unrealistic, you just have to go into a certain state of mind) and believe that if they can do well then so can I. These icons show me not to fear things like most normal people do and to never give up. I see these things as a source of inspiration believe it or not. Rocky Balboa showed me to never give up even when the chances were slim and to always get back up. Wolverine showed that there is no need to have fear and to channel your anger in a means that is best for you. Dan Marino showed me how to simply never give up on anything and leadership as well. To me, these are the three main fundamentals to have in order to be successful in life.