Sacred and profane icon-work: Jane Fonda and Elvis Presley
***Bent Sørensen
Renvall Institute Guest Lecture, April 23, 2005
Approaches
• Cultural studies
• Cultural texts
• Cultural iconology
• Cultural texts
Icon-work
Adversarial: • negative manipulation• propaganda• iconoclasm
Collaborative: • fandom• worship• cult
Iconicity: two modes of representation
• Stylised (simplified, reduced to essentials)
• Sacralised (holy, elaborate, full of significant details)
Origins of the word “icon”
• Religious sphere (Catholic Orthodox images of worship)
• Semiotics/Informatics (Pictograms and ideograms)
Marilyn Monroe
Andy Warhol’s Marilyn
Marilyn in Playboy
Iconicity
• Familiarity (fame, recognition)
• Transcendence (extra-ordinary, uncommon)
• Transgression (beyond normality, taboo)
Our position opposite icons
• Passive: we watch
• Active: we imitate, impersonate
Bob Dylan as Angry Young Man
Our relationship to icons
• Worshippers (voyeurs, fans - we idolize the icons) - we desire communication
• Consumers (buyers of icon products, we use them (up)) - we desire communion
Icons and history
• Icons are almost immortal
• Icons are always historically specific
The world’s most famous man, 1921
Rudolph Valentino
ELVIS
• Sacralised iconicity dominates
• Fetishistic, partially sadistic
• Body-fixated
• Fans have an oral relationship with Elvis
• Worship and collaborative icon-work dominate
Jane Fonda
• Stylised iconicity dominates
• Body-fixated (legs, buttocks, genitals)
• Fetishised
• Sadistic
• Fans have a genital relationship with her
• Adversarial icon-work dominates
Elvis personalities
• Elvis-the-Pelvis
• Rebel Elvis
• Army Elvis
• Hollywood Elvis
• Leather Elvis
• Vegas Elvis
• Hawaii Elvis
• Elvis of the giant Jumpsuits
• Burger Elvis
• Post Elvis
Elvis the Rebel
Elvis’ first album, 1956
Elvis gets G.I. Joe haircut
Hollywood Elvis
Elvis’ torso
Leather Elvis
Vegas Elvis
Jumpsuit Elvis
Jumpsuit patriotism
Hawaii Elvis “In the Ghetto”
Dead Elvis
Sacred Heart of Elvis
Stations of the Cross of Elvis
Presleyburgers, anyone?
US Stamp design A
US Stamp Design B
Postal election ballot
The Winner is...
Christopher Rywalt’s Elvis Icon
Elvis fiction
The trademark grin
Elvis Detective Fiction
Elvis meets Nixon in the White House
Elvis’ letter to the
President
Handshake: Let’s fight drugs together
A match made in Heaven
Jane Fonda’s 2nd Oscar winning performance
“Hanoi Jane”
Fonda personalities
• Little girl Jane• Barbarella• Hanoi Jane• Oscar Jane• Workout Jane• High Society Jane• Born Again Jane
Innocent Jane
Leggy Jane
Sunday in N.Y. publicity photo
Jane goes West
Jane goes French
Wonder Woman
Is that a…?
Barbarella Psychedella
Cover of Life Magazine
With Tom Hayden, 2nd husband
Jane the activist
Busted!
Girl Powerr!
Pointy things again
Workout Jane
Split
Original workout video
With Ted Turner,
3rd husband Owner of the Atlanta Braves, CNN and Turner Movies
Patriot Jane
Hanoi Jane hate material
Jane the activist
Hate material caused by Iraq War opposition
Hate material used in art
Jane with John Kerry - photo taken at Anti-Vietnam War-rally,
1971