In our local newspaper there recently appeared an obituary headline that read "U. theater icon Robert Wilson dies." This called my attention to a use of "icon" that I have recently noticed in other headlines and in other places; that is, the use of the word to label people that have distinguished themselves in one way or another like "pop icon," "Hollywood icon." "Senate icon," etc. Have you observed this usage, and what do you think of it? I think it's quite silly and deserves to be laughed out of the language if possible. ( This is is no way a disparagement of Robert Wilson. I think he deserves a more meaningful label than the one the headline writer used.)