Contemporary Icons of Pop Culture

I chose Hello Kitty, Cabbage Patch Kids and Legos to represent the three contemporary icons of pop culture. These icons represent different eras and continue to play a  major role in pop culture.  I chose these icons because out of all my toys, Hello Kitty and Cabbage Patch are the two I distinctly remember being fascinated by. I chose Legos because my 9 year old son has a mad Lego collection and we are constantly searching for the older ones from back in the day.

Hello Kitty, whose real name is Kitty White, was born in Japan in 1974. Two years later she was introduced to the United States where she was greeted with open arms. Hello Kitty has made her mark globally and has been widely accepted even today. Kitty's face has been attached to everything from coin purses to cars. Although her target audience was to young girls, Kitty has been embraced by women of all ages. In addition to movies and television programs, Hello Kitty's success has brought about two amusement parks called Harmonyland and Sanrio Puroland.

Cabbage Patch Kids, originally called Little People Originals, was crafted in 1976 by an art student named, Xavier Roberts. Xavier handmade the dolls and sold them at craft shows charging a $40 adoption fee. From there, the dolls became a worldwide phenomenon. In 1983, Cabbage Patch dolls had set the record as the most successful doll in the history of toys. Xavier has not only brought the joy of adopting these dolls but has also contributed to various charities with the proceeds. Celebrity dolls were made and sold on eBay to raise money for different charities. Like Hello Kitty, Cabbage Patch Kids are featured in movies, caroons, backpacks and toys.

In 1947 the Lego Company, who previously made wooden toys, started producing plastic interlocking bricks that were inspired by a toy called Automatic Binding Bricks. At first, creator Ole Christiansen's attempt to market these toys failed. Several years later, after changing the design and material, the modern Lego blocks were patented and began to catch on as a creative toy. Today, Lego has liscensed not only toys, but also video games, movies, theme sets including Star Wars, Halo, Harry Potter. Today, you can see Legos on clothing, school supplies and board games. The infamous Legoland is a dream come true for all kids.