The transformation in the vision of Icons

New images, resources, and perspectives for new people.

It is no secret that the technological boom at the beginning of the new millennium has been driving the transformation of all sectors and aspects of human life, completely changing how we contemplate the world and its people, through an unprecedented and seemingly limitless audiovisual display.

The “Centennials” or Generation Z, demographic range which are framed as those born between the late 90s and the first decade and a half of the 2000s, as expected, quickly knew how to adapt to make the most of so many resources and capacity for interaction, giving us an unprecedented transformation of stereotypes that has made possible the construction of a new universal pop culture towards the consumption of entertainment, entertainment, media, and film in general, ah! And of course ... of the icons!

From the multifaceted to the multidimensional.

For the older generations who could only access the great figures of the screen, through television programs, films and the occasional news that they were allowed to filter of their iconic performers, the construction in the collective imagination of the idealization of a public referent, was subject almost strictly to three basic standards: physical beauty (like Marilyn Monroe and Tom Cruise), the professional quality with which he would have marked his career (like Meryl Streep and Marlon Brando), and the extent of his acting repertoire (like Sandra Bullock and Robin Williams), while the most multifaceted actors usually predominated on the stage and the red carpet, through the one-dimensional public image of his performance and the number of awards he would have accumulated throughout his life, so earning the title of being an icon for a past generation was a matter of much effort and time, which left little room for the idealization of younger figures - particularly in film - which, for reasons I'll talk about later, the margin for those who managed to continue on their path to stardom was even narrower as they progressed.

But for Generation Z, the tough behind-the-scenes professional struggle that only allowed for what in today's terms could be called "viralization" of their images, progressively came to an end as public figures in film, and now all other media, increased their margin of visibility, not only professionally but also personally, self-consecrating themselves as multidimensional figures, who enjoy the freedom of public sharing through social networks and streaming platforms that facilitate the development of an increasingly close, authentic and human relationship between those dedicated to the cinematic arts, and the public that watches them, as Jenna Ortega and Steven Yeun take advantage of doing. This phenomenon, in turn, has also allowed the dismantling of the reduced honor roll of idealizations in which only a few could fit.

Diversity and inclusion at the forefront.

The inherent transformation of social values with which this new media freedom has globalized humanity also in terms of equality and inclusion has expanded the horizon of opportunities for the emergence of new iconic celebrities under all styles, trends, and personal tastes, being that Generation Z is much clearer about the difference between the person and the character, identifying with the most human aspects that most appeal to them and with an extraordinarily wider variety of icons to turn to and follow.

This multidimensional admiration of the celebrity, in addition to providing a more authentic sense of closeness between the viewer and his or her iconic referent, increasing the power of influence over the masses, has also allowed for the active participation of the public in the celebrity's own life, for a bidirectional exchange of influences that allow the relationship between both parties to last much longer - as long as the icon does not disappoint them - and in which the repertoire to be shared becomes so broad that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish whether the greatest attribute for which they follow the celebrity is as an actor, instructor or salesperson.

Transforming the youthful way of doing things.

Wandering on this idea, the personal image of idols, by itself, has always played a determining pattern in the fashion impulse, however, there are huge differences between the passive influence of public figures who in the past used to assume a personal style little mutable through time, adopting styles and brands, which for the most part profited only the manufacturers of the big houses that ran the fashion industry and defined the standards of luxury, with little or no benefits for the celebrity, who in turn had to share profits with the indispensable team that had absolute control over his or her artistic and personal life; and the active and direct influence of Generation Z icons, most of whom choose to complement their acting careers with entrepreneurial facets, as Zendaya and Florence Pugh do, offering the products of their own brands for business development with even more prosperous results than their film careers.

These changes for celebrities, from an exploitative system that saw them as the product, to an autonomy that allows them to become the manufacturers of styles, trends, and content, is a hard blow to the bowels of the film industry and the high prices that many past celebrities had to pay for the fame achieved, especially with the psychological and moral repercussions caused in the youth idols of the preceding generations, such as the much-cited cases of the Olsen twins (Ashley and Mary-Kate) and Macaulay Culkin, or with the imminent need to withdraw from everything to safeguard their integrity, as in the case of the Hispanic “Fey”, an example that I take as proof that this phenomenon did not distinguish between celebrities or sectors of the artistic world.

End of the war against transculturation Asia becomes part of the world.

As a complement to all these benefits that commercial and communicational globalization has brought to the icons of Generation Z, I cannot fail to mention the impact that has produced - perhaps the most important of all - the expansion of the very niches in which film productions used to be pigeonholed, seeing now as completely normal and healthy the cultural exchange between nations and people, something that has undoubtedly made things easier for celebrities to be adopted as universal icons, without the cultural barriers of the past.

Clear evidence of this can be seen with the phenomenon of Kpop expansion, Doramas and Asian films, popularizing celebrities such as Kim Soo-Hyun, Yang Yang, and Simu Liu; or with the increasingly widespread acceptance of Bollywood films, where its most representative icon in the eyes of the Western world is the very diversity of colors, themes, resources and characters that India is capable of imprinting in the same work, with celebrities who are increasingly appreciated for their contributions to the no longer only American Hollywood cinema; and also with the growing incorporation of Latin American icons such as Isabela Merced, Tenoch Huerta and Melissa Barrera, representing for new and future generations a symbol of evolution and transcendence of cinema as a universal art, beyond any border.

✨ I hope you liked my article and, especially, that it has given you a lot to think about what these times represent for the Generation Z Idols, and their new way of relating to the public. If this has been the case, remember to support it with your Like 👍, to allow me to continue presenting you deep contents from my Neurodivergent perspective.

Let me know in your comments if you also think that Generation Z idols are more free and prosperous, and if you are a fan of any of these new stars, their products, or trends.

To learn a little more about my analysis and the vision I have about cinema, as well as the relationship I am building between this art and neurodivergence, I recommend my next articles:

✔️ Cuando la muerte te lleva “De la calle a Harvard”

✔️ Conociendo a "Inga Lindström"

✔️ Genialidad disléxica en el silencio