Icon Comparisons - Assign 2-2

The three contemporary icons I have chosen are Bill Gates, Hulk Hogan, and The Three Stooges. Bill Gates, as many would know, is the chairman and main advisor of Microsoft Corporation and currently the world’s richest man. Secondly, Terry “Hulk” Hogan is considered an icon and very well known for his professional wrestling career, movies, and his current television show on VH1 title “Hogan Knows Best.” Lastly, I chose the Three Stooges as my last icon. The Three Stooges are one of the first comedy shows ever broadcasted, starting way back in the 1920’s in black and white.

Bill Gates was born and raised in Seattle area where he grew up with his two sisters, his father an attorney, and his mother a schoolteacher. Gates first attended a public elementary school, then a private school, where at the age of 13 he discovered his love for developing software and starting programming computers. In 1973, Bill Gates enrolled into Harvard University where he met up with a future co-worker name Steve Ballmer and began studying a new programming language BASIC for microcomputer programming. In 1975, Gates began Microsoft Corp. and dropped out of Harvard, to begin his vision of software and personal computers development. “Microsoft's mission has been to continually advance and improve software technology, and to make it easier, more cost-effective and more enjoyable for people to use computers.” With the creation of Microsoft, Gates began pushing billions of dollars into the company to continuously develop new software and began developing new ideas that would revolutionize the business world. Beginning in the 80’s and 90’s, Gates continued to work with Microsoft and began writing books: one titled “The Road Ahead” and another title “Business @ the Speed of Thought.” The books were quickly spread around the world and became very well known for uprising business practices. The book proceeds all went to helping spread technology in education. Over the next several years, Gates got married to wife Melinda, had three kids, and began spending a large amount of time trying to find new sponsorships for donating money to. He wanted to make the best education available, help with every type of needy organization, plus continue to pursue his dreams of continuously developing greater products and software. I chose Gates because he represents what one man can do if he puts his mind to something and sticks to it. He believed that software and computers could revolutionize the world. Now 30 years later, I don't know what we'd do without them.
Reference:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/billg/bio.mspx

Terrence Bollea, better know as Terry “Hulk” Hogan, was born in 1953 and is well know as being a professional wrestler and an American actor. Early in life, he was a pitcher for his little league team and played a bass guitar in a rock band. He spent a lot of his time working out at gyms and met pro wrestler Mike Graham and trainer Hiro Matsuda. Bollea first debuted in 1977, when he began his wrestling career in Japan. Although, he didn’t begin gaining great popularity until he joined the WWF in the 1980s, meeting up with Vince McMahon, Sr. who also gave Bollea the last name “Hogan”. He began noting himself as an all-American, working class hero, used the theme music “Eye of the Tiger,” and grew immense popularity always being the “good guy.” Hogan picked up his name “the Hulk” by working with star Lou Ferrigno on the “The Incredible Hulk,” and standing 6ft 5in tall and weighing around 295 pounds. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, Hogan began introducing himself more and more to the public, referring to his fans as “Hulkamaniacs”, introducing his four “demandments” of training, saying your prayers, eating your vitamins, and believing in yourself, and began starring in his several television and movie roles, including: Rocky 3, No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando, Mr. Nanny, and his best roles in Thunder in Paradise I, II, and III. Hogan introduced his new theme song “Real American” and quickly became the face of wrestling, continuing to become champion, time after time after time. From 2000 until present, Hogan began slowing down the amount of wrestling he was performing. He tried other character schemes and introducing new products for purchasing, like Hogan Sports drink, etc. In 2005, Hogan, his wife Linda, daughter Broke, and son Nick, launched a new series called “Hogan Knows Best.” The season is still currently running and focusing around how Hogan runs his family, how his wife loves her pets, how Broke is igniting her music career, and how Nick is starting his car drafting career and trying to stay out of trouble. Also, for future fans of Hogan, he will be hosting a new series of American Gladiators coming in 2008. I chose Hogan because I believe has done as awesome job throughout his life raising his kids, managing his wife, putting his body through such torture just to please his fans, and fulfilling his dream of becoming a legendary wrestler.
Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hulk_Hogan#Television_and_movie_roles

The three stooges were an American series of comedy created in the early 1920s. During this time, the series was best known for its short specials including the three stooges, Moe, Larry and Curly. The original cast included Curly's brother Shemp in his place until 1932, Curly took over Shemp's character. Once again, in 1946, Curly had a stroke that would once again make Shemp the third stooge. Due to Shemp's death in 1955, he was once again replaced by new-comer comedian Joe Besser and soon after Curly-Joe. A couple years later in 1959, the stooges began once again picking up popularity and decided they would go on the road for personal appearance tours. Throughout the 1960s the stooges began creating new full lengths films based for children and over 150 new color animated episodes for television. In late 1969, the stooges began working on a new television series called "Kook's Tour." During the production of the pilot episode, stooge Larry suffered a stroke that would not allow him to act any longer. The show quickly came to a halt, but was slowly available for the public. In 1974, Larry suffered a second stroke followed by a third in 1975, in which he went into a comma and passed away. With the death of Larry came the end of the stooges. He was replaced by actor Emil Sitka, but was never used a replacement for Larry in any movies. Later that year, Moe passed away with lung cancer, marking the end of the original Three Stooges' cast. I chose to pick the Three Stooges as an icon because I believe they are what started comedy television for a great amount of people. Their use of slapstick comedy, with sound effects, and other various types of music, are what made them so comical to view. Ever since they were first introduced, they have been repeatedly introduced to new generations of people and have always been accepted as great entertainment. Today, they still are selling copies of the Three Stooges on dvd, in color, and also still managing a website http://www.threestooges.com/ where you can still view information or purchase memorabilia.

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Stooges