Originally posted by samhain
Oh yeah but his 'kitsch' fame didn't really happen until the 90's. Look at Betty White, acting for decades, a glittering career (relatively) and been famous for a very long time, yet she only hit her icon status in the last 10-20 years or so, as that sweet old woman who says crazy, funny stuff.
But that is how linear time works. Those are statuses people acheive over time.