Some iconic images turn up again and again in media. You probably already know them, even if you've never seen the original.
Contrast with
Pietà Plagiarism,
Sistine Steal and
Art Imitates Art. In those cases, the idea is not bring back the original to our minds, but to impress us with the ideas they convey.
Examples:
Visual Art
Comics
Film
- The cover of Scarface
- Marilyn Monroe over the steam vent, from The Seven Year Itch. The male variant is such a common parody that it could probably classify as a trope on its own.
- The American Beauty "apparently naked woman covered in rose petals" shot. Homaged by both genders with a variety of substances- most recently Sophie Ellis-Bextor with what Americans call sprinkles for The Children's Society, a British charity. This one is an example of the sexy-versus-squicky kind.
- The poster
◊ for Jaws.
- Riding the Bomb, from Dr. Strangelove.
Music
- The cover of The Beatles' Abbey Road is now its own trope.
- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band◊ also has lots of pricey ripoffs (as it deals with several agreements from people unwilling to have their faces plastered over an LP filled with "stoner's music").
- The cover of With The Beatles, with the band's half-shaded faces, also gets copied often.
- Annie Lebovitz's photo of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, taken hours before his assassination.
- For a brief period of time, the album cover for Whipped Cream and Other Delights by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.
- The cover of Elvis Presley's ... has an iconic font, which has been replicated or made fun of in several album covers, including Tom Waits's Rain Dogs, The Clash's London Calling and quite a few others.
- Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction Cross and Skulls cover. Two great tastes that go together, and emulated by countless tattoo artists.
Tabletop Games
Politics
- The world-famous red and black print of Che Guevara.
- John F. Kennedy in his convertible motorcade, seconds before his assassination.
- Barack Obama's red, white and blue "hope" image.
- Rosie the Riveter's "We Can Do It!" poster.
- Uncle Sam Wants You
- Richard Nixon at the door of Marine One, throwing the "Peace" signs with both hands.
Events
Other
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