America's greatest cultural icon

A fairly spurious international poll aimed to coincide with Billy Shakes' 450th birthday has revealed that Shakespeare himself is the UK’s greatest cultural icon.

#No shit

(We should probably ignore the fact that the Queen and David Beckham rounded off the top three)

But this got me thinking – what are other nations' greatest (or most identifiable) cultural icons? Which US cultural figure stands head and shoulders above everyone else?

April 23rd, 2014

I think Benjamin Franklin is the quintessential American. He was an inventor, a statesman, a writer, very concerned with industry and how to live a moral life. His rags-to-riches story is still echoed in other iterations and reincarnations of the American dream that says this is the land of opportunity filled with people willing to make their own destiny. To be American means adapting to survive and putting aside the inheritance of European fatalism, and that’s the way I see Franklin. The face of our highest denomination of currency, he’s the symbol of American enterprise, capitalism, and greed. Even though he probably wouldn’t even call himself an American, he was part of the nation’s creation and stands at the intersection of the young Republic and its rich colonial history that was so valuable in defining American culture.

This is a tough question to answer for the US. I think there are so many defining characteristics that we have (compared to other nations, especially from the outside looking in), and it’s tempting to point to Franklin as the American icon because he fits so many of these Americanisms. Of course that neglects our unparalleled diversity in favor of a dead white man, but I can’t think of a better single person to call our “greatest cultural icon.”

April 23rd, 2014

jfk
abe lincoln
lena dunham
george washington carver (cause i eat pbj like every day)
gw bush (because he probably represents a large portion of actual americans)
ke$ha (because she is beautiful)
ronald McDonald
superman

April 23rd, 2014

Sorry, I’m officially changing my answer to Ke$ha.

April 23rd, 2014
April 23rd, 2014

My answer for 4/22/13 is Young Thug.

My answer for 1776-4/22/13 is Thomas Edison. Do I hate Edison? Sure. But he is America to a t: persistent, genius, individualistic, an intrusive immoral capitalist, but somebody whose contributions to society so greatly outweigh the aforementioned trait.

That being said, one more Young Thugga Mane LaFlare or Black Portland and Thugger Thugger wins forever.

April 23rd, 2014

HE MADE A SONG WHERE THE HOOK SOUNDS LIKE “I want your syphilis / your syphilis, bro, I want your syphilis”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLLJr9Dl0zM

April 23rd, 2014
April 23rd, 2014

Andrew Carnegie.

April 23rd, 2014

@MoMilli He truly is America. A murderous, venal sociopath who gets to clear his name by putting some of his money towards charitable/educational causes

April 23rd, 2014

@dalmo Insanely strong shout on Franklin. Not least ‘cause it reminded me of that Office episode where they think they’ve hired a stripper but actually its a Ben Franklin enthusiast.

I’m not American, but am lazily assuming that most of you are, so its really interesting to see which figures you’ve gone for. I guess I was thinking we’d see the usual literary suspects – Twain, Melville, Fitzgerald etc – but the broader scope is far more interesting.

@Andyou Not sure I agree with Ke$ha, but Superman is surely a serious contender?

April 23rd, 2014

@TheScrivener I like The Godfather idea (unless you meant Don Corleone himself?) – the US’s most recognisable cultural export is probably Hollywood, so it makes sense that one its greatest creations should rank here.

No love for Ayn Rand, anyone…?

April 23rd, 2014

@JalfredPeacock I got love for Ayn, but I can’t say she’s a representative American cultural icon, unless by American you mean my capitalist, reactionary, anarchocapitalist fantasies.

April 23rd, 2014

Jack Donaghy, maybe. But seriously, I think it would actually be Ben Franklin. My reasoning isn’t as deep as @dalmo’s, but I choose him because he was a brilliant scientist, a shrewd politician, and a good writer.

April 23rd, 2014
April 23rd, 2014

It sort of depends whether you ask Americans or everyone else, but if it’s everyone else, I gotta argue for one of these 3:

  1. Michael Jordan
  2. Muhammad Ali
  3. American cowboy

Obviously the 3rd one is sort of vague, but I think that over the last century, the American cowboy has been the greatest cultural stereotype everyone has of us, whether it’s John Wayne or Clint Eastwood.

April 23rd, 2014