Wikipedia's neutrality policies are Swiss cheese at this point, for reasons anyone could have predicted. Still, it's style guide does raise some interesting topic. One is the matter of puffery, which they also call "peacock terms." There are words and phrases whose only conceivable purpose is to insist on the greatness of their subject, bypassing the reader's or listener's judgment.
Case in point: Before about 2015, I can't remember anyone using the word "iconic." Oh, sure, the word existed, but it was basically left in the box. Then at some point everything became iconic this and iconic that, adding exactly nothing to most of the sentences affected.
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It's interesting you linked to Wikipedia's 'style guide' with the comment its neutrality policies are Swiss cheese nowadays. Of course you're right. Maybe you read the interview Chris Rufo did with Larry Sanger last spring where they discussed, among other things, Katherine Maher who'd recently resigned as CEO of Wikipedia to take on the leadership of NPR To say the least she's not one of Trump's favorite people.
https://christopherrufo.com/p/larry-sanger-speaks-out
Having seen so much hyperbole in recent years it's got to the point it's largely become as meaningless as the propaganda of used car salesmen.
To call an episode of a TV show 'iconic' misses the point entirely. The word should be saved for very unique, famous and important things that represent a particular point in time. Jackie Kennedy’s pillbox hats were iconic, because thousands copied her, whereas last year's red carpet fashions have already been forgotten.
"Fun" fact about Katherine Maher: In addition to leading NPR she's also on the board of the Signal Foundation. It looks like she may be leading the charge to get Pete Hegseth out of the Pentagon, where he'd likely be replaced by someone more amenable to war with Iran. So I guess the lesson here is to be careful whom you trust.
When you go in to test drive a used car--or a new one for that matter--you expect a certain level of spiel. Being exposed to it every minute of your waking life is wearing, though.
Along with being hyperbole, "iconic" also strikes me as being wishful thinking. If you want this year's red carpet fashions to have the same impact as Jackie Kennedy's pillbox hats just keep telling your audience they already are and maybe enough will believe you to move the needle.
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