Albert Einstein in popular culture

Albert Einstein has been the subject of or inspiration for many works of popular culture.

On Einstein's 72nd birthday in 1951, UPI photographer Arthur Sasse was trying to persuade him to smile for the camera, but having smiled for photographers many times that day, Einstein stuck out his tongue instead. [Citation | last = Kupper |first = Hans-Josef | year = 2000 | contribution= Various things about Albert Einstein | contribution-url=http://www.einstein-website.de/z_information/variousthings.html | access-date=2006-10-04 ] This photo became one of the most popular photos ever taken of Einstein and it is well recognized in popular culture, [Cite book|first=John|last=Ingledew|title=Photography|year=2005|publisher=Laurence King Publishing|isbn=1856694321|chapter=The world's best known pictures|pages=p 133] [cite book|title=Great News Photos and the Stories Behind Them|chapter=Einstein's Birthday Joke|pages=p. 108|year=1978|last=Faber|first=John|isbn=0486236676|publisher=Courier Dover Publications] often used in merchandise depicting Einstein in a lighthearted sense.

"Einstein" has become a word used to describe someone extremely intelligent; the name is also applied sarcastically to someone who exhibits a lack of intelligence or insight (e.g., "Way to go, Einstein!").

Albert Einstein has been the subject of or inspiration for many novels, films and plays, such as Yahoo Serious's intentionally inaccurate biography of Einstein as a Tasmanian in the film "Young Einstein", Jean-Claude Carrier's 2005 French novel, "Einstein S'il Vous Plaît" ("Please, Mr Einstein"), Nicolas Roeg's film "Insignificance", Fred Schepisi's film "I.Q." (where he was portrayed by Walter Matthau), Alan Lightman's collection of short stories "Einstein's Dreams", and Steve Martin's comedic play "Picasso at the Lapin Agile". He was the subject of Philip Glass's groundbreaking 1976 opera "Einstein on the Beach" and his humorous side is the subject of Ed Metzger's one-man play "". In the film he was portrayed as a holographic personality called Dr. Know (voiced by Robin Williams). He was also portrayed in the real-time strategy game .

Einstein is a favorite model for depictions of mad scientists and absent-minded professors; his expressive face and distinctive hairstyle have been widely copied and exaggerated. The "Star Wars" character Yoda's eyes were modeled after Einstein's. [cite web|url=http://1001resources.com/hosting/users/cinesecrets/pmMakingYoda1.html|title="The Making of Yoda (part one)."|accessdate=2007-10-03] "Time" magazine's Frederic Golden wrote that Einstein was "a cartoonist's dream come true." [Citation | last =Golden | first =Frederic | title =Person of the Century: Albert Einstein | magazine =Time | date =Jan. 3, 2000 | url =http://www.time.com/time/time100/poc/magazine/albert_einstein5a.html | access-date =2006-02-25 ]

Albert Einstein is one of the celebrities immortalized on the cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. A verse of James Taylor's song "Secret O' Life" mentions Einstein and his special theory of relativity. Kerry Livgren of the progressive rock band Kansas stated that he wrote the song “Portrait (He Knew)” about Einstein. Mariah Carey's most recent album is titled E=MC² after Einstein's celebrated equation.

The scientist is widely mentioned on lists of left-handed people [Some of the many World Wide Web lists of left-handers that include Einstein: [http://www.anythingleft-handed.co.uk/fam_proff.html#scientists] "Famous Left-handers — Professions" Web page at "Anything Left handed" Web site, [Weaver, Warren, Jr., "Washington Talk: The Presidential Campaign; Another Issue for '88: Left-Winged Politics", news feature article, November 27, 1987] but several photographs show him using his right hand to hold pens, chalk and violin bows. [These photographs show Einstein using his right hand: [http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/photos/uncategorized/einstein.jpg] (satirical image based on a photograph), [http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/photos/uncategorized/einstein.jpg] , [http://www.astrosurf.com/luxorion/Images/einstein-late.jpg] , [http://www.cerebromente.org.br/n15/mente/Einstein.jpg] , [http://www.geocities.com/srpsko_dnf/slike_za_korisnike_i_sve_ostal/Einstein-at-blackboard-chalk-in-hand.jpg] , [http://www.soperfi.org.pe/galerias/albums/userpics/10001/einstein%20violin.jpg] .]

Licensing

Einstein bequeathed his estate, as well as the use of his image (see personality rights), to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, [cite web | title=http://aip.org/history/esva/einuse.htm | url=http://aip.org/history/esva/einuse.htm | accessmonthday=21 November | accessyear=2005 ] which from the mid-1980s has sponsored the Einstein Papers Project with the Princeton University Press. Einstein actively supported the university during his life and this support continues with the royalties received from licensing activities. The Roger Richman Agency licences the commercial use of the name "Albert Einstein" and associated imagery and likenesses of Einstein, as agent for the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. As head licensee the agency can control commercial usage of Einstein's name which does not comply with certain standards (e.g., when Einstein's name is used as a trademark, the ™ symbol must be used). [cite web | title=ALBRT EINSTEIN BRAND LOGO|url=http://www.albert-einstein.net/styleguide-readonly/brand.html|accessmonthday=21 November |accessyear=2005 ] As of May, 2005, the Roger Richman Agency was acquired by Corbis.

References