So to a degree a child beauty pageant is the epitome of the ultimate stupid meaningless competition people put themselves through".
In my formative years, Harrison Ford's roguish Han Solo and intrepid Indiana Jones, Mel Gibson's post-apocalyptic survivor "Mad" Max Rockatansky and Kurt Russell's one-man-army Snake Plissken were, to me, the epitome of cool, the ultimate alpha males: ruggedly handsome, rebellious and tough as old boots.
"I have a glorified view of the First Republic, probably because it is what my parents talked about all the time," she admits.Ms Albright handles the 1938 Munich Agreement, the epitome of a small power's ultimate trauma, which inspired the famous outcry "about us, without us", particularly well.
Seduction on a grand scale It's not a question of looks, nor even of technique: for a colourful few, seduction just seems to be something that comes naturally... It's the epitome of wickedness, but also the ultimate affirmation of life.
Still, it is striking that in an election that has so far turned on the idea of change, the ultimate winner could very well be a United States senator, typically the epitome of the Washington elite.
It's one of America's ultimate cultural traits, hence Werner Herzog's thoughts about Los Angeles being the epitome of an "American" city largely uninfluenced by European culture or aesthetics.
It can seem the ultimate goal, the ROI of parenthood, the final gold award and the epitome of a parenting job well done.
Formula 1 cars are supposed to be the epitome of aggressive elegance, masterpieces in combining aesthetics with purpose, the ultimate expression of beauty through performance, right?
"He's the epitome of what the game's about, playing the game the right way and being the ultimate professional," said Chicago White Sox starter Jake Peavy, a former teammate.
