Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Television Start Thinking About Your Favorite Tv Series

Start thinking about your favorite Tv series. You are used to watch it every Saturday at 8.15pm, but sometimes it isn t possible because you’ve already planned something different. Some years ago, it would have been quite annoying, because you didn t have the possibility to watch it another time. But these days, you can search for this certain episode online on Netflix or just watch it next day, because you recorded it with your DVR. Sounds practical, but which impacts does this have on television? Is there a demand for it, when you can watch everything whenever you want anyway, or is it dying step by step? Below, I want to make clear that television isn t dead but still alive today, by defining television, explaining the differences†¦show more content†¦Then, to find out if television is already dead or still alive, it’s necessary to figure out the changes, which television has made during the last decades. In the late 40s, most people watched television in public, because it was too expensive to buy a TV. But then, a few years later, television became something personal and homelike, because it moved into the living rooms of the people (Gerbarg 2009, p.116). These days, television is also watched in homes though, but it became really commercial, too (Turner and Tay 2009, p. 1). There are so many platforms of delivery and chances to have access to television like Online Platforms (e.g. YouTube), Pay-TV and Video-on-Demand (e.g. Netflix) (Kaufmanns, Siegenheim and Sjurts 2008, p. 431). Furthermore, when there were screens everywhere in the 70s, they are now quite smaller and more privatized (Turner and Tay 2009, p. 1) - you can recognize this especially when everybody is staring at their own phones and watching short clips or similar things online. Also the channels have changed, because there were only the common ones in the past like ABC and now you have a channel for each topic, so that it could be hard to decide what to watch. But with introducing remote controls, you already had more control of TV and the different channels and could change them more often anyway. As a

Bollywood and Gender Free Essays

Research Proposal Aim: To study and compare the role of women in some of the women centric Hindi films released between 1980 to 1990 and 2000 and 2010. Objective: To study the issues of gender, caste, development that were perceived in Indian cinema then and now in women centric films. A comparative study about the representation of women in Indian cinema then and now in women centric films. We will write a custom essay sample on Bollywood and Gender or any similar topic only for you Order Now Scope: There are a numerous women centric films that are created in diverse languages around the world. When we focus even on one specific type, we get to know about the culture and thought process of that specific region. Also, a strong statement emerges out of the analysis which is a reflection of the prevailing ideologies in the society. This paper will be mark a statement on the thought process, beliefs of the people especially for the women. These beliefs systems and ideologies will be compared through women centric Bollywood movies that were released between 1980’s to 1990’s and 2000 to 2010. The scope can be extended to many women centric movies made in various languages other than Hindi. One can also include the earliest of the eras for a detailed comparison and in-depth study. Not only a comparison on the issues like gender and caste but also a comparison on other issues like lifestyle, costumes, movie posters etc can be done. Limitations: This paper is limited only to Bollywood films because of the language constraints. Also, only two decades have been chosen since the comparison and study would be possible with a limited number of films to study. Also, from each decade four women centric films are chosen and then studied thoroughly. Followed by is a detailed analysis of the movie based on the issues of Gender, caste, development, ideologies. Research Question: What is the difference in the representation of women portrayed earlier (1980-1990) and that which is shown now (2000-2010)? †¢ What are the factors that have affected the change in the representation of women in Hindi cinema esp. between the 1980- 1990 and 2000-2010? And how is the transition identified? †¢ Was the image of women shown in the movies of 1980-1990 stronger, bolder than tho se shown now (2000-2010)? Introduction: Confirming Aristotle’s view of art as an imitation of life, gender discrimination in the Hindi film industry does indeed reflect the bias that exists in Indian society. The gender ratio in India is heavily skewed in the favor of males (1. 08 male(s)/female) (from CIA’s publication). Thus, Indian moviegoers are presumed to be mostly men—roughly between the age of 15 to 34 years. These moviegoers, according to an all-India survey by a research organization, enjoy mindless comedies. Such thinking dominates cinematic expression in one of the world’s largest centers of film production. The Indian entertainment industry stands at $10 billion today and is expected to grow at 18 percent per annum compounded annually over the next two years (Economic Times). An average Indian spends approximately 4. 6 percent of disposable income on movie watching in theaters. And because issue-based films are not a favorite with the masses, a producer opts for subjects with more appeal so that he or she can recuperate the huge investments involved in film production. Even female filmmakers do not risk funding for their films by focusing on women-centric subjects. At New York’s iView Film Festival held in 2009, which explored gender and sexuality issues, filmmakers and actors on the panel were asked to comment on the presentation of social issues through Indian films. Zoya Akhtar, the filmmaker of  Luck By Chance (2009), and a panel member commented on the female protagonist in her film saying that, â€Å"The character could have been any; the fact that she is a woman is a coincidence. † But because the film ends up centering on the story of a woman, the director struggled for six years to make the film—apparently because numerous male actors turned down the costarring role. She had a difficult time despite her insider status in the industry as the daughter of renowned Indian scriptwriters, Javed Akhtar and the sister of an accomplished film director, actor, producer and singer, Farhan Akhtar. The absence of female centric scripts in main stream Hindi cinema is partially to be blamed because of its commercial viability. Also, commercially super-hit films like Jab We Met(2007) and Paa(2009) are termed as female centric films, but on observing closely, we realize that both the female characters in the end need their male counterpart to overcome their grief or are heavily relied on them to ensure a happy ending to their story. Hindi cinema is divided into ‘trends’ or ‘eras’. Starting from the silent ra in 1920s, Hindi cinema has evolved tremendously in terms of technique, story telling and the stories that were told. The period from late 1940s till 1960s is considered as the ‘Golden era’ of Indian cinema. Bollywood witnessed a new wave in form of content, where earlier movies focused mainly on mythological stories, after independence, their focus shifted on development issues (Do Bigha Zameen- in 1953), gender (Bandini-in 1963), caste di scrimination (Sujata-in 1959), etc. In the early years of Indian cinema, it was Bimal Roy who made a host of films in which his heroines had the lead part to play. Commercial cinema then had female centric scripts and Nutan, Meenakumari, Madhubala and Waheeda Rehman have portrayed some of the most powerful female characters in Hindi cinema and delivered super-hit films. The role played by Zeenat Amaan in the movie (Qurbani-in 1980) was much ahead of its time. It was bold and headstrong unlike of the characters that we seen in the movies of late 90’s. One of the outstabding commercial hits Seeta aur Geeta concentrated more on the heroines rather than the two heroes. Besides such mirrored plots, some movis have focused exclusively on the heroine and woven the script around a central female character. In such films, the woman has no prototype. Jaya Bhaduri’s Guddi was one of the early hits where the innocent girl next door image of a star struck teenager became representative of each school going girl for years to come. In other films like Aandhi, an educated wife changes course midway from a happily married woman to a leading politician. When we compare those films with the films produced during 1990s and later, we can see stark contrast in the way female leads were being portrayed. Not only in their portrayal of the character, but also in the way the content of the movie that was generated. At times or rather most of the times, they were meant to accomplishments to their male counterparts. Shridevi in Lamhe(1991), Madhuri Dixit in Hum Aapke Hain Koun-(1994), Karishma Kapoor in Dil to Paagal Hain-(1997), Fiza-(2000) ,Kajol in Dushman-(1998) and Aishwarya Rai in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam-(1999), Taal-(1999) and Guzaarish-(2010) were some of the most popular leading ladies during this era. Though they were brilliant performers, they hardly were part of a movie where they were not shown adhered to the wishes of the male lead, society and family. It becomes mandatory to ultimately create an image of an ‘ideal’ girl/woman for the audience (here consumers) because that’s how our society works and secondly it becomes easy for that the idea to sell; hence increase in numbers and popularity. Films like â€Å"Dor† (2006), â€Å"Silsilay† (2005), â€Å"Tehzeeb† (2003), â€Å"Pinjar† (2003), â€Å"Chameli† (2003), â€Å"Satta† (2003), â€Å"Filhaal† (2002), â€Å"Zubeidaa† (2001) â€Å"Lajja† (2001), â€Å"Chandni Bar† (2001) and â€Å"Fiza† (2000) brought the woman into the spotlight – all these films got critical acclaim, but they didn’t turn out to be a commercial hit. Surprisingly, in recent times, No One Killed Jessica was the only ‘women centric film’ that sort of worked at the box office. All said and done, it shows that we lack on ideas. We as audience are treading backward as we choose to accept only a specific image of woman being shown. Hence, I would focus on a comparative study of two different bollywood era. This will not only comment on the techniques and style of film making, but it will also comment on the kind of cinema accepted by the masses then and now. It will clearly showcase the image of a girl or a woman being shown by the film makers and its acceptance by the audience. It will talk about how issues of gender, caste, development were perceived in Indian cinema then and now. Hence, it will become a cultural comparative study of two different decades from Indian history and will help us understand that how the term ‘Indian Culture’ has evolved over a period of time. A Tentative Bibliography: †¢ Criticisicm and Truth by Roland Barthes |   | |Television commercials and rural women as audience in India by Ila Patel | | | | | |Ways of Seeing by John Berger | | | | | |About Looking by John Berger | | | | | |Women and Art contested Territory by ChicagoJudy | | | | | |Bollywood in Posters by Ausaja. S. M. M. | | | | | |A Thinking Eye by Paul Klee | | Reference Links: www. indianetzone. com www. indianlink. com www. altlawforum. org www. expressindia. com www. semionaut. com www. sebsteph. com www. slideshare. net Heta Vyas MAJ 0310 How to cite Bollywood and Gender, Papers

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Krispy Kreme Essay Example

Krispy Kreme Essay Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. FIN Professor XXX XXXX Month xx, xxxx History Krispy Kreme was founded by Vernon Rudolph after he purchased the famous secret recipe of yeast-raised doughnuts in 1937 from a French chef in New Orleans. Rudolph began to sell these doughnuts wholesale to supermarkets. The demand for his doughnuts grew quickly, and by cutting a hole in the wall of the factory to sell directly to customers the concept of Krispy Kreme retail stores was born. The retail concept for Krispy Kreme doughnuts allowed Rudolph to grow his factory stores to 29 shops in 12 states by the late 1950’s. When Rudolph died in 973 Beatrice Foods bought his company and expanded it to more than 100 locations and expanded the menu to include soups and sandwiches. Beatrice tried to reduce costs by changing the appearance of the stores and using cheaper ingredients. This negatively affected the company and Beatrice sold the company to a group of franchise owners. This group of owners was led by Joseph McAleer, who was the first Krispy Kreme franchisee. The leveraged buyout was completed for $24 million in 1982. The new group brought back the original recipe and logo. By 1989 the group was almost debt free and they were beginning to expand. The company CEO, Scott Livengood, took the company public in April of 2000. The share price after the first day was $40. 63. Holes in Doughnut Accounting Practices In May of 2004 Krispy Kreme announced to its investors that they should expect earnings to be 10% lower than predicted. It was at this time that the low-carb diet had taken the U. S by storm, and Krispy Kreme blamed this low-carb diet for their low wholesale and retail sales. We will write a custom essay sample on Krispy Kreme specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Krispy Kreme specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Krispy Kreme specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer They also announced the sales of a the Montana Mills bakery chain of 28 bakery cafe’s that had been acquired in January of 2003 for $40 million in stock. Krispy Kreme also announced that the Hot Doughnut and Coffee Shops were falling short of expectations and three of them were closing at a cost of $7 to $8 million. Krispy Kreme (KKD) stock price closed down 30% that day. Shortly after on May 25th, 2004 when the Wall Street Journal published a story about how Krispy Kreme handled is accounting for franchise acquisitions. According to the article Krispy Kreme recorded the interest paid by the franchisee as interest income for immediate profit, except that Krispy Kreme booked the purchase cost of the franchise as an intangible asset and did not amortize it. In the repurchase agreement of the 7 stores in Michigan, they allowed one of the franchises top executives to stay on with the company after the repurchase. This executive left the company shortly after closing the deal, and had to pay him $5 million in severance which Krispy Kreme also rolled into the unamortized-asset category. Krispy Kreme claimed it followed GAAP standards and had done nothing wrong. The final shoe to drop as on July 29th, 2004 when Krispy Kreme announced that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had launched an informal investigation related to â€Å"franchise reacquisitions and the company’s previously announced reduction in earning guidance†. Krispy Kreme (KK) shares fell another 15%. The revelations about the companies accounting practices and showing interest as immediate income and not amortizing the repurchased franchises but rather showing them as intangible assets alone could justify the devaluation of their stock price by approx. 45%. Couple their earnings decline and the announcement of store closings and it easily can be justified. Couple that with the fear of the unknown. If Krispy Kreme was treating their interest and reacquired franchises as they were which seems to be blatantly wrong, what else might the SEC find during their investigation? This fear would certainly drive investors away and their share price down. The facts along with its ratings being dropped by 50% of analysts to â€Å"Hold† from â€Å"buy† a few months earlier. Krispy Kreme Deep Fried and Possible Deeper Issues Krispy Kreme grew incredibly quickly in the years leading up to the nvestigation (as shown in the chart below) and then may have tried to meet Wall Street expectations through some questionable practices such as shipping more product or pulling ahead product orders, then allowing the orders to be returned shortly after for credit. â€Å"Testimony by a former sales manager at a Krispy Kreme outlet in Ohio, said a regi onal manager ordered that retail store customers be sent double orders on the last Friday and Saturday of the 2004 fiscal year, explaining that Krispy Kreme wanted to boost the sales for the fiscal year in order to meet Wall Street projections. The witness said the manager explained that the doughnuts would be returned for credit the following week once fiscal 2005 was under way† (Chin, 2005). It seems pretty clear that Krispy Kreme was using questionable methods to inflate profits. Investors also later found out that Scott Livengood (CEO), the former COO John W. Tate, and the former CFO Randy Casstevens, â€Å"unloaded more than 475,000 shares of Krispy Kreme stock for proceeds of $19. 8 Million†, (Chin, 2005) while they were fully aware sales were declining since January of 2003. During this investigation, Scott Livengood, Krispy Kreme’s CEO announced his retirement. It would seem to me that there may be some deeper issues with Krispy Kreme and if I were a shareholder I would want out, or to be certain that Krispy Kreme’s accounting mess was cleaned up. The chart below shows Krispy Kreme’s performance during the years leading up to the investigation. Krispy Kreme Re-made Fresh Today Krispy Kreme’s stock has not fully recovered, (see chart below), but as of the end of 2012 Krispy Kreme seems to have made a comeback. â€Å"Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. Krispy Kreme) is a retailer and wholesaler of doughnuts complementary beverages and treats and packaged sweets. The Company’s principal business is owning and franchising Krispy Kreme stores, at which a variety of doughnuts, including the Company’s Original Glazed doughnut, are sold and distributed together with complementary products, and where a broad array of coffees a nd other beverages are offered. As of January 29, 2012, there were 234 Krispy Kreme stores operated domestically in 38 states and in the District of Columbia, and there were 460 shops in 20 other countries around the world. Of the 694 total stores, 292 were factory stores and 402 were satellites. The Company operates in four segments: Company Stores, domestic franchise stores, international franchise stores, and the KK Supply Chain† (Krispy Kreme Doughnuts). As of close of business on Friday last week KKD traded at $14. 80, way below its heyday when the stock traded in the $40’s but it is double its all-time low. Krispy Kreme doughnuts (KKD as of March 22, 2013 When compared to its competitors Krispy Kreme’s P/E is 49. 33. This is much higher than the others but its P/S is in the middle. Krispy Kreme’s competitors are listed as Dunkin’ Brands Group, Einstein Noah restaurant Group, and Starbuck Corporation. Below is the direct competitor comparison. Direct Competitor Comparison| | | KKD| DNKN| BAGL| SBUX| Industry| Market Cap:| 989. 57M| 3. 94B| 253. 09M| 42. 99B| 384. 28M| Employees:| N/A| 1,104| 6,912| 160,000| 10. 87K| Qtrly Rev Growth (yoy):| 0. 16| -0. 04| -0. 04| 0. 11| 0. 30| Revenue (ttm): | 435. 84M| 658. 18M| 427. 01M| 13. 66B| 453. 84M| Gross Margin (ttm):| 0. 17| 0. 79| 0. 21| 0. 57| 0. 31| EBITDA (ttm):| 47. 93M| 304. 86M| 48. 46M| 2. 46B| 47. 5M| Operating Margin (ttm): | 0. 09| 0. 38| 0. 07| 0. 14| 0. 07| Net Income (ttm):| 20. 78M| 108. 18M| 12. 74M| 1. 43B| N/A| EPS (ttm):| 0. 30| 0. 93| 0. 74| 1. 86| 0. 78| P/E (ttm):| 49. 33| 39. 95| 20. 01| 30. 87| 29. 99| PEG (5 yr expected):| 1. 02| 1. 58| 0. 98| 1. 43| 1. 50| P/S (ttm):| 2. 24| 5. 96| 0. 59| 3. 13| 1. 04| | | | | Suggestions for a Krisp/Klean Future Making Doughnuts I three things I might suggest if I were the CFO for Krispy Kreme doughnuts would be to insure open communication with investors and insure them that internal auditing systems are in place. I’m sure that investors lost all trust in the previous management because of the questionable practices that were followed. Krispy Kreme needs to rebuild that trust by having open lines of communication with its investors. I would take a serious look at closing unprofitable stores, and research other markets to open more stores. Some areas may still be underperforming while others are booming. Concentrate on the areas that show better potential and take advantage of that market while it is supporting growth. Because their competitors seem to offer expanded menus I would concentrate on healthy choices for the lunchtime crowd. Everyone is aware of Krispy Kreme’s doughnuts, but I’m not so sure their other menu items are well known as an option for lunch/brunch. Other than the morning rush for doughnuts, they could make their stores more profitable with being the †go toâ€Å" spot for lunch also. References Chin, N. (2005). Krispy Kreme Dougnuts: Empty calories or empty profits? Retrieved from http://www. corporateconflicts. com/index-sb-cases-kk. html Krispy kreme doughnuts. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. google. com/finance? client=obq=NYSE:KKD

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Ranking the Countries of Asia by Area

Ranking the Countries of Asia by Area Asia is the largest continent in the world with a total area of 17,212,000 square miles (44,579,000 sq km) and a 2017 population estimate of 4,504,000,000 people, which is 60 percent of the worlds population, according to the UNs  World Population Prospects, 2017 Revision. Most of Asia is in the northern and eastern hemispheres  and shares its landmass with Europe; together they  make up Eurasia.  The continent covers about 8.6 percent of the Earths surface and represents about one-third of its land mass. Asia has a varied topography that consists of the worlds highest mountains, the Himalayas, as well as some of the lowest elevations on Earth.Asia is made up of 48 different countries, and as such, it is a diverse mix of people, cultures, and governments. The following is a list of the countries of Asia arranged by land area. All land area figures were obtained from the CIA World Factbook.   Asias Countries, From Largest to Smallest Russia: 6,601,668 square miles (17,098,242 sq km)China:  3,705,407 square miles (9,596,960 sq km)India: 1,269,219 square miles (3,287,263 sq km)Kazakhstan:  1,052,090 square miles (2,724,900  sq km)Saudi Arabia:  830,000 square miles (2,149,690  sq km)Indonesia: 735,358 square miles (1,904,569 sq km)Iran: 636,371 square miles (1,648,195 sq km)Mongolia: 603,908 square miles (1,564,116 sq km)Pakistan:  307,374 square miles (796,095 sq km)Turkey: 302,535 square miles (783,562 sq km)Myanmar (Burma):  262,000 square miles (678,578 sq km)Afghanistan: 251,827 square miles (652,230 sq km)Yemen: 203,849 square miles (527,968 sq km)Thailand:  198,117 square miles (513,120  sq km)Turkmenistan: 188,456 square miles (488,100 sq km)Uzbekistan: 172,742 square miles (447,400 sq km)Iraq:  169,235 square miles (438,317  sq km)Japan:  145,914 square miles (377,915  sq km)Vietnam:  127,881 square miles (331,210 sq km)Malaysia:  127,354 square miles (329,847 sq km)Oman:  1 19,499 square miles (309,500  sq km)Philippines: 115,830 square miles (300,000 sq km) Laos: 91,429 square miles (236,800 sq km)  Kyrgyzstan:  77,202 square miles (199,951 sq km)Syria: 71,498 square miles (185,180 sq km)Cambodia:  69,898 square miles (181,035 sq km)Bangladesh:  57,321 square miles (148,460  sq km)Nepal:  56,827 square miles (147,181 sq km)Tajikistan:  55,637 square miles (144,100  sq km)  North Korea: 46,540 square miles (120,538 sq km)South Korea: 38,502 square miles (99,720 sq km)Jordan:  34,495 square miles (89,342  sq km)Azerbaijan: 33,436 square miles (86,600 sq km)United Arab Emirates:  32,278 square miles (83,600  sq km)Georgia: 26,911 square miles (69,700 sq km)Sri Lanka: 25,332 square miles (65,610 sq km)Bhutan:  14,824 square miles (38,394 sq km)Taiwan: 13,891 square miles (35,980 sq km)Armenia:  11,484 square miles (29,743 sq km)Israel: 8,019 square miles (20,770 sq km)Kuwait:  6,880 square miles (17,818  sq km)Qatar:  4,473 square miles (11,586  sq km)Lebanon: 4,015 square miles (10,400 sq km)Brunei:  2,226 square miles (5,765 sq km)Hong Kong: 428 square miles (1,108 sq km) Bahrain: 293 square miles (760 sq km)Singapore: 277.7 square miles (719.2 sq km)Maldi ves: 115 square miles (298 sq km) Note: The total sum of the areas listed above is lower than the figure mentioned in the introductory paragraph because that figure also includes areas that are territories and not countries.

Monday, March 2, 2020

The Black Civil Rights Movement is Back

The Black Civil Rights Movement is Back It has risen to the surface periodically over the last couple of decades, always in the turbulent wake of racist events and violence. It rose when Rodney King was beaten by police on a Los Angeles street in 1991, and when Abner Louima was brutalized by NYPD officers in 1997. It rose again two years later, when the unarmed Amadou Diallo was shot 19 times by NYPD. Then again in 2004, when, following the great flood, the majority-black city of New Orleans was left to fend for itself as police, the National Guard, and vigilantes murdered citizens at will. It rose when it became apparent in the late aughts that NYPD was systemically racially profiling black and brown boys and men with its Stop-N-Frisk policy. More recently, it rose when George Zimmerman murdered 17 year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012, and then got away with it, and when, within two months in 2013, Jonathan Ferrell and Renisha McBride were shot and killed while seeking help after surviving car accidents. There are countless ot her instances that could be included in this list. The Black Civil Rights Movement has never gone anywhere. Despite the legislative gains and the (limited) social progress that followed its peak in 1964, it has continued to exist in the minds, lives, and politics of many; and, in important national institutions like the NAACP, the ACLU, and in research and activist organizations that work tirelessly to track and call attention to systemic and everyday racism. But a mass movement, it has not been since the late 60s. From 1968 until the present, the Black Civil Rights Movement has been in a cycle of what sociologist and social movements expert Verta Taylor refers to as abeyance. Oxford English Dictionary defines abeyance as a state of temporary disuse or suspension. Taylor developed and popularized the sociological use of the term in the late 1980s in her studies of the US womens movement. In 2013, writing with Alison Dahl Crossley, Taylor described social movement abeyance as  a holding pattern in which a social movement manages to sustain itself and mount a challenge to authorities in a hostile political and cultural environment, thereby providing continuity from one stage of mobilization to another. Taylor and Crossley explain, When a movement declines, it does not necessary disappear. Rather, pockets of movement activity may continue to exist and can serve as starting points of a new cycle of the same or a new movement at a later point in time. Sociologist Kevin C. Winstead used the concept of abeyance as developed by Taylor to describe  the Black Civil Rights Movement from the period of 1968 through 2011 (the time of his studys publication). Citing the work of sociologist Douglas McAdam, Winstead details how the passing of Civil Rights legislation and the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. left the mainstream Black Civil Rights Movement without a sense of direction, momentum, or clear objectives. Simultaneously, the more radical members of the movement split off into the Black Power movement. This resulted in a fractured movement with disparate camps aligned with distinct organizations, including the NAACP, the SCLC, and Black Power working with different strategies on different goals (also a marker of a movement in abeyance). Winstead uses historical research to show how following the passage of Civil Rights legislation, and the false believe that racism had been vanquished by it, activists against racism were increasingly framed as criminals and deviants by the mainstream press. The racist caricature of the Reverend Al Shaprton as a lunatic and the racist stereotype of the angry black man/woman are common examples of this trend. But now, things have changed. State sanctioned extra-judicial police and vigilante killings of black people, most of them unarmed, are unifying black people and their allies across the US and around the world. The reemergence of the movement has been building for years, but it would seem that the technological developments that enable social media and widespread adoption of it has proved pivotal. Now, people across the nation know when a black person is unjustly killed anywhere in the US, regardless of the size and location of the crime, thanks to the sharing of news stories and the strategic use of hash tags. Since Michael Brown was killed by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, MO on August 9, 2014, protests have surged across the nation, and have only increased in frequency and grown in size as the killing of unarmed black children and adults has continued since Browns death. The hash tags #BlackLivesMatter and #ICantBreathreferencing the police choke-hold murder of Eric Garnerhave become the slogans and rally cries of the movement. These words and their messages now course through US society, plastered on signs held by protesters in the 60,000 strong Millions March held in NYC on December 13, and in the marches featuring tens of thousands more in Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Boston; San Francisco and Oakland, California; and other cities and towns across the US. The Black Civil Rights Movement thrives now in the solidarity forged by frequent die-ins staged nationwide in public spaces and on college campuses, in the workplace protests of members of Congress and black professional athletes, and in the protest songs recently released by John Legend and Lauryn Hill. It thrives in the scholarly activism of teachers at all levels of the education system who have taught from The Ferguson Syllabus, and in the public promotion of research that proves that racism is real, and that it has deadly consequences. The Black Civil Rights Movement is no longer in abeyance. It is back with righteous passion, commitment, and focus. Though I am devastated by the recent events that have called it out of abeyance, I see hope in its very public and widespread return. I say to all members of the Black Civil Rights Movement, and all black people of the US (paraphrasing Kara Brown of Jezebel): I do not feel this pain the way you feel this pain. I do not fear the way you fear. But I too seethe at the vicious scourge of racism, and I pledge to fight it, always, in whatever ways you deem worthy.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Analysis of Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray or The Importance Research Paper

Analysis of Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray or The Importance of Being Earnest - Research Paper Example Web. A modern review of Lady Bracknell includes interviews with women and men who have played the most formidable character in Earnest. I will use this article to show how Earnest has accumulated meaning over time. Gagnier, Regenia. Idylls of the Marketplace: Oscar Wilde and the Victorian Public. Stanford: University Press Stanford, 1986. Print. This book talks about the 'truth' of Earnest, which will add a different angle to my discussion of expectations both internal and external to the play. It also talks about the popular reaction to Wilde's downfall, shortly after the play opened, which will be of use as my paper will examine not only Earnest but also its playwright. Gillespie, Michael Patrick. Oscar Wilde and the Poetics of Ambiguity. Gainesville: University Press Florida, 1996. Print. Gillespie's book talks about Earnest in terms of expectations: contemporary expectations of Wilde, of young men, and of the play genre. This is something I would like to investigate further, and with this book's help I will show how studied triviality and Wilde's reputation interacted with expectation in Earnest. Kohl, Norbert. Oscar Wilde: The Works of a Conformist Rebel. Trans. David Henry Wilson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. Print. The chapter on Earnest begins by declaring that before its first opening, audiences expected that Wilde's new play â€Å"would offer the very opposite of what was promised by the stolid-sounding title†. I find this interplay between title, content and expectation very interesting – with Earnest, was Wilde subverting expectations or living up to them? Prewitt Brown, Julia. Cosmopolitan Criticism: Oscar Wilde's Philosophy of Art. Virginia: Virginia University Press, 1997. Print. Prewitt Brown argues that Earnest â€Å"reflects the national myth of the century†, that an orphan can achieve great things in spite of uncertain origins. I will use her examples to ask whether Earnest was at all trivial, or if Wilde' s calculated superficiality is little more than a veneer. Sweet, Matthew. Inventing the Victorians. London: Faber & Faber, 2002. Print. Sweet's book offers a comprehensive new look at the Victorian era, and is very useful for subverting our expectations of Wilde's time. I will use this book to help create the background for my paper, placing us in Wilde's world rather than a modern misconception of Victorian Britain. Taylor, George. Players and Performances in the Victorian Theatre. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1989. Print. In this book George Taylor looks at Victorian drama as a whole, examining how actors felt about their art. I hope to use this as a standard of expectation and seriousness by which to compare Earnest. Expectations of, and Undermined Triviality in, The Importance of Being Earnest The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde's last play and penultimate piece of literature before his untimely death in 1900, is pivotal in the life of its playwright because it was first performed in 1895, just a few short months before Wilde was sentenced to two years' hard labor in prison for his homosexual liaisons. The play is part of Wilde's carefully cultivated persona as a dandy, creating a tone of studied triviality which was lapped up by an audience â€Å"engaged in a continuous search for bigger and better thrills†

Sunday, February 2, 2020

The Ballad of the White Horse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Ballad of the White Horse - Essay Example These lines were quoted by leading journals which were carrying war news. The Lady appearing before Alfred tells him that there is nothing much to look forward to, if it is only comfort that he is desiring. Things would only get tougher and man has to keep fighting as evil would only return stronger each time to engulf. Earl Ogier of the Stone and Sling, a General in King Gurthrum's army sings these lines in reply to the sentimental songs sung earlier by another Earl Elf, and Prince Harold before him who sang of the pleasures of this earth. He refutes their songs in which they speak about gods and women. Here he says that when all the pleasures are enjoyed , in life there is only Hate left. Having grown old, men like him and King Guthrum know that there is no such thing as true love. Chesterton with his strong faith in Roman Catholicism writes such lines to underline the state of Hell in side the minds of men of no belief. There is only despair and no faith in God to relieve the despair. This is King Gurthrum's song which express the bleakness of his heart. He sings in reply to the songs of Ogier and Elf before him , that, by now men have grown up to realize that there is no comfort of truth in any of the fanciful tales of gods and youth. The cold truth is that even gods die; even the mightiest kingdoms are raced down.