What is the most universally recognized image in the world?

Reading somewhere recently that many experts (of what discipline I have no idea) believe that the Mona Lisa is the most recognized painting in the world. I have to question if that's the "Western" world, or the entire world, but that's not really my question.

What do you SG people think is the most universally recognized image to the human race? It can be a painting or a photograph, or, hell, a graph or pie chart for all I care. But what do you folks think is the singular most recognized visual image to all the people throughout the entire world?

To give you an example of my line of thought, when the question formed I immediately thought of Neil Armstrong on the moon, since its widely considered to be the greatest scientific achievement of humanity. But I'm curious what others would think or possibly suggest.

So are we arguing that general visual symbolic concepts do not qualify? I guess I'm asking whether the Cross or the Star of David or the Crescent or the visage of Buddha or something would be in the running or whether we are only considering actual specific images.

I'm going to say anything and post this

The Great Pyramid

I'd prefer specific images, for the purposes of this discussion, but I see your point. Maybe suggest both if you can think of them?

If we're going that route, I'd either agree with this post or say McDonald's.

-TM

Good one.

I'd actually prefer we didn't go this route. I mean, I asked an open-ended question, so its a bit out of my hands, but I was really looking more towards images, not advertising, I understand they aren't mutually exclusive, but I'd hope that there's plenty of really recognizable images floating around out there that aren't pushing carbohydrates & high fructose corn syrup on people. Just my take.

lil_tuffy said:

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

Bitter?

Not really. In America, yes, but I don't think it's really universal, any more than the British two-finger version.

Muslim Crescent.

and in Iran isn't it a thumb up?

$

The golden arches.

Fucking mcdonalds.

coca-cola or tits.


I'd wager that most everybody who recognizes the arches would also recognize coke, assuming coke is served/advertised in mcdonald's worldwide. But I bet there's coke in lots of places where there aren't mcdonalds.

I wonder how universal the skull and cross bones symbolizing poison is?

The universal "man/woman" pictograms for restrooms.

Bob Dobbs.