Cultural icon

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A cultural icon is an object or person which is distinctive to, or particularly representative of, a specific culture. An example is the bowler hat, which could be considered an English cultural icon. John Wayne would be an example of an American cultural icon, as would the game of baseball.

The labeling of a person or thing as cultural icon can create controversy. The label may elevate the subject out of the realm of the ordinary and interfere with objective analysis. For example, apple pie is an American cultural icon; this status can lead to the mistaken impression that apple pie is not a characteristic dessert in other countries as well.

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