Sexualization of Girls in Advertisements Essay Example for Free

Sexualization of Girls in Advertisements Essay In April 21, 2005, a movie that mirrors what was going on in our society today in regards to racism and stereotyping was released. That interesting movie, to say the least, have moved, shocked and stricken the soul of its viewers by the amazing twists and turns of the story. The acclaimed movie has also received rave reviews from average viewers. Roger Ebert even called it the best movie of 2005 (Ebert, In Defense). That movie was Paul Haggis Oscar-winning Crash, which screenplay was written by Bobby Moresco and Haggis himself. Needless to say, Crash is about the collision of cars, it actually begins and ends with a car crash. But the notion of Crash in the film has a much broader meaning. It is more than just the collision of cars; it is also the interpersonal collisions between people from different ethnic groups, classes, ideologies, and even gender and age groups. The movie presumes that assumptions and prejudice are what caused these collisions. It also depicts that everyone has racism in them, but everyone can still be a good person (Goyette). Crash is a crime drama film about the racial and social tensions and its effects on various people in Los Angeles, California. It depicts the racial and stereotypical prejudices that every ethnicity and race experience in everyday life. A self-described â€Å"passion-piece† for Haggis, Crash is inspired by a real-life incident in which his Porsche was carjacked outside a video store while walking with his wife (Crash (2)). He also claimed that the movie was initially supposed to be a movie about fearing stranger, but turned into a movie about race (Goyette). The movie has proven even more that it is worth-watching after winning three Academy Awards, including the Best Picture, which made the movie controversial after beating the critically favored Brokeback Mountain (Crash (2)). In the introduction of Crash, Detective Graham voice-over and says, â€Å"It’s the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past  people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We’re always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much that we crash into each other just so we can feel something† (Crash (1)). These lines are full of weight, just like the movie itself which tackles some weighty issues that made it stand out. The word crash refers to the collision of worlds of people while the touch pertains to people’s connection. The introduction tells us that people are gradually losing the connection to one another because of the barriers built around them, built by assumptions, prejudgment and stereotyping, which made them doubtful about trusting others. Collision of worlds seems to be the only way to reach out and empathize with each other. It seems to be the only way to understand where the other p erson is coming from and to have the connection back again. The movie Crash gives an impression that everyone is a racist. It shows that people make assumptions on people they don’t know. It illustrates how people jump to conclusion based on race, class, appearance, name, etc. Pointing finger at everyone in regards to racism, Joshua Tyler states that there is no one without spot her (Tyler). Everyone is infected. Jean (character played by Sandra Bullock) showed that she is a racist when she held her husband’s arm and squeezed it tight as they walk by two black guys. In that scene, she is not overtly racist, but she is, subconsciously. Another example from the movie is Officer Tom Hansen who hated was his racist partner was doing. He even asked to be reassigned because he can’t stand him anymore. But at the end of the movie, we discovered that he is a racist as well. He killed a black guy because he assumed that he carries a gun. But before he killed the black guy, he looked at him starting from his shoes up to his ripped jacket as if calculating him, figuring out what kind of person he is. That is when he started to distrust him. Then the gunshot happened. These scenarios demonstrate that we are all racist at some point in our lives. No one is exempted. People are racist in one level or another, even those who think that they are tolerant, enlightened and fair-minded. Officer Ryan told his former partner, â€Å"You think you know who you are? You have no idea.† This line is actually intended for the audience, for everybody. In the movie, an Iranian-American visited a gun store for a purchase with  his daughter. But he was sent out by the Caucasian clerk who was prejudiced against Arabs. The clerk thought that he is an Arab based on his appearance and his language, Farsi, which sounds a lot like Arabic. The clerk even called him â€Å"Osama†, who was known to be the founder of Al Qaeda terrorist group that is responsible for the September 11 attacks in the United States that have killed thousands of Americans. This scene has clearly shown that people are paranoid of other groups. They treat strangers as potential enemies or combatants (Brusette). Addressing the assumptions that has been one of the issues presented in the movie, Ebert states, â€Å"One thing that happens again and again [in the film], is that people’s assumptions prevent them from seeing the actual person standing before them† (Ebert, Crash Movie Review). An example scenario from the film is when Jean made an assumption that Daniel, the Latino locksmith, was a gang member and would be back with his â€Å"homies† to attack them based on his appearance—shaved head, pants around his ass, and those what she called the â€Å"prison tattoos†Ã¢â‚¬â€which we found out later on was not true; he is just a simple struggling family man. This illustrates that people make an assumption and prejudgment on other people without trying to know who they really are. The reason is because people believe that they already know other people based only on their preconceived conclusions on them. But in actuality, people don’t really know other people, neither themselves, and their preconceived conclusions are often wrong which result to a divided society. The characters of Crash were presented as guilty of racism, prejudice and making assumptions on other people. But before the movie ended, we have witnessed how the characters flipped sides and changed ways and became a better person after their lives intertwined and crashed to one another. We saw how Ludacris’ character, who has been complaining about the preconceptions on blacks, but did nothing but keep proving those preconceptions right, looked very proud of himself after setting the Asian slaves free from the white van he carjacked. Jean, who was angry of all the people that don’t meet her demands, came to a realization that it is not the people around her who have an issue, but it is her, saying â€Å"I wake up like this every morning.† She came to a complete realization after she fell on the stairs and nobody helped her but her Latina housekeeper, Maria, who in  the end she called her best friend. Another character is Officer Ryan, the vile and hateful cop who uses a lot of excuses for his misconducts, who victimizes others by exercising his power, became the savior of the same lady she molested. Haggis is telling parables, in which the characters learn the lessons they have earned by their behavior (Ebert, Crash Movie Review). The movie shows that everyone has racism in them, but everyone can still be a good person. Furthermore, the movie contains powerful symbols to bring out its main ideas. â€Å"How far can bullets go?† asked Lara to her father. The bullets represent the assumptions that cause the conflicts between people. Assumptions are just like bullets that whoever was stricken, will get hurt, and they can be fatal too. Another symbol presented in the film is the cloak. The cloak symbolizes faith because it does not exist, it is just imaginary but the little girl still believed in it. Having faith, she becomes the protector of both her father and her father’s assailant. It suggests that if people have faith, they can be protected too. There is also the St. Christopher statuette that is possessed both by Officer Hansen and Peter. The statuettes symbolize people’s values and beliefs, that even two people are of different color, class or group, it is not impossible for them to share common values and beliefs. And lastly, the snow that came down at the end of the movie. The snow symbolizes purification. We saw how the characters learned and were redeemed after what has happened to them. They were awakened and became open-hearted, making them pure again, removing the wrong actions they have done in the past, in the same way snow covers multitude of dirty things whenever it comes down. In conclusion, Paul Haggis had been able to send the message he wants to get across to people through Crash. He expresses that people are one and they are all the same, regardless of different races or groups they came from. They are just blinded by the assumptions and prejudice they create that cause them to distrust one another. Crash demonstrates that people are interconnected to one another, but because of the assumptions and prejudice that are continually perpetuating in our society, people lose this connection. To be able to have the connection back again, people have to  collide to one another, the kind of collision that will hit their heads hard. Violent contact has never been good, but if it is the only way to awaken people and make them realize the reality that we are living in a divided society, which is not good, then I can say that there is still goodness in it. Crash is a movie with moral and it promotes racial awareness. It enables people to experience racism from every angle and make them reflect on themselves. It also allows them to walk in the shoes of other people to be able to understand deeper where they are coming from. Overall, Crash is a fantastic eye-opening movie that will truly change people’s views on society. Works Cited Brusette, Frederick and Mary Ann. â€Å"Film Review: Crash.† Dir. Paul Haggis. Spiritualityandpractice.com. n.d. 18 Oct 2013. â€Å"Crash (1).† The Internet Movie Database. IMDb.com, Inc. n.d. Web. 17 Oct 2013. â€Å"Crash (2).† Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 14 Oct 2013. 16 Oct. 2013. Ebert, Roger. â€Å"In Defense of the Year’s ‘Worst Movie’.† Rev. of Crash. Dir. Paul Haggis. Rogerebert.com. 08 Jan 2006. 16 Oct 2013. . â€Å"Crash Movie Review Film Summary.† Rev. of Crash. Dir. Paul Haggis. Rogerebert.com. 05 May 2005. 16 Oct 2013. Goyette, Tori. â€Å"White Power: An Analysis of Racial Tensions in Crash.† Fresh Ink 13.3 (2011) Tyler, Joshua. â€Å"Crash.† Rev. of Crash. Dir. Paul Haggis. Cinemablend.com. n.d. 17 Oct 2013.

HIV/AIDS Is No Longer a Death Sentence Essay -- Disease/Disorders

I am positive; the simplest statement suddenly carries a huge weight when the words HIV or AIDS are followed right after. In the 1980’s HIV meant AIDS and AIDS meant a rapid and awful death. Death always seemed to be the end result in a world where we did not understand the disease that seemed to come from nowhere but was killing at an expedited rate. Thirty plus years later there is still no cure but there is now hope. Having HIV or AIDS is no longer an immediate death sentence. People infected with the virus can live a long and relatively normal life (2). On November 7th, 1991, NBA star Ervin â€Å"Magic† Johnson announced that he tested positive for HIV and was retiring from basketball (7). Twenty plus years later Mr. Johnson is living proof that having HIV is not an automatic death sentence. When Mr. Johnson made his announcement, he gave the taboo topic of HIV/AIDS a very real and prominent public image. With his acknowledgement of being HIV positive spoken aloud, no longer could people put this disease into categories. Indeed, a rich heterosexual male not living in a third world country could contract HIV. HIV/AIDS is not only relegated to homosexuals or poor people. However, with this faà §ade of the disease being uncovered another emerged with each year that Mr. Johnson is living and is healthy. Since the public cannot see the outward appearance of the disease a couple of myths have appeared. One, â€Å"Magic† never had HIV it was just a way to bring the disease out into the public to be discusses more openly for awareness. Two, â€Å"Magic† has magic he has been cured. This just shows that when one door closes another one opens. Information on HIV/AIDS clearly needs to be emphasized because ignorance is still very prevalent with the... ...AIDS. Mayo clinic. DS00005. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER), October 20, 2011. 1998. April 11, 2012. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hiv-aids./DS00005. 5) NIAID. HIV Basics. AIDS Education Global Information System. Roxanne Laboratories. 2012. 1980. April 11, 2012. http://www.aegis.org/Basics/Structure%20of%20HIV.aspx 6) NIAID, NIH. HIV/AIDS. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. April 03, 2012. February 2, 2005. April 11, 2012. http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/HIVAIDS/Understanding/Pages/whatAreHIVAIDS.aspx 7) Vaughan PhD., Cheryl D. â€Å"Abracadabra: Magic Johnson and Anti-HIV treatments†. Harvard University, Cambridge. 11 April 2012. Reading. 8) Vaughan PhD., Cheryl D. â€Å"Debunking Biology Myths: What is AIDS?† Harvard University, Cambridge. 25 April 2012. Lecture.

The German Lifestyle

Lets face it, for most English speaking people living in Germany is not particularly easy if you are not part of a German family. So many unwritten rules end up being communicated through acid stares, or loud protest (in some dialect 90% of Germans won’t even understand). As a general rules you can square the distance from a metropolitan centre to calculate the intolerance level. One should think of this as a form of asserting the failing national identity. By pointing out that you do not understand the rules, the locals affirm their sense of belonging. Yes, I am a good German and bright enough to know that a yellow dustbin is intended for plastic only. † Most of these rules tend to gravitate around weekend life, which is the times you will most probably spend admiring the countryside (and one is prone to spot the odd hordes of chappies either dressed to the nines or totally naked out in the forest). The first rule to obey is something called â€Å"Ruhezeit†, or q uiet time. Anything from a crying baby to flushing the toilet may be considered an infringement. Be particularly aware of clauses in your rental contract which specify when you may be forgiven for flushing the loo.Loud noises should be avoided till 8 in the morning, and again around lunchtime. Following on from the confusing â€Å"everything is an exception† logic of their language, you may expect different interpretations of when exactly you should best take your lunchtime nap (without snoring of course). If you intend to have friends over, and you consider listening to music, be sure to warn your neighbours (at least 4 houses deep in each direction) well in advance. Most Americans are either shocked or ecstatic about German’s attitude towards alcohol.You can safely say that Germans do not consider beer an alcoholic beverage. You will encounter happy tipplers enjoying a brewsky on the train, walking down the street or sitting in the cinema at any time of the day or ni ght. Well how could anything brewed according to the â€Å"Reinheitsgebot† (translated â€Å"purity commandment†, and no you won’t find that in the Bible, and it was not the reason Luther revolted) be considered evil. There does not seem to be a minimum age and it would appear that both smoking and beer are more common with (early) teenagers.The strategy seems to be â€Å"Let them experiment early and get it out of their system†. This attitude does make one wonder about the education system though, where people tend to spend the best part of the first 3 decades of their life at educational facilities. They don’t seem to kick all habits with the same gusto, or perhaps some habits just kick in later. Washing your car is another interesting hobby. And it seems that if there is to be an addition to the German Bible it would be â€Å"Thou shalt not wash thine Auto on Sunday†.Ostensibly it is due to the fact that one is not allowed any manual labo ur on the day of rest, but you would be damned to actually find a car wash automat that works. Strangely the vacuum cleaners at petrol stations do work on Sunday. Personally I think there is more to this than meets the eye. To identify the pattern one needs to consider German toilets. I am not sure exactly when they were introduced, but this has got to be the most nonsensical construction yet contributed to the world of anal fixations. Most loos have a little platform, intended to present your turd on a pristine, white ceramic pedestal.In this way you have no option but to be confronted by it when you flush. This continued forced exposure to faecal excrement has got to be the reason Freud came to be the way he was. The modern equivalent being the sin of washing the car on Sunday. Another way of looking at the â€Å"not on a Sunday† problem is to consider that Germany is the nation which has produced more car brands per capita than anyone else. Although one can equate the tend er loving care bestowed upon the delicious contours of leather (jawohl) and plastic as resembling the worship of false gods.And where else do political parties fear the wrath of the electorate if the even suggest Freeways without speed limits are a bad idea? One could argue that a country where the government serves as debt collector for the church may frown upon waxing up the Porsche on Sunday morning (they would prefer to see you in church and getting value for your money), but personally I still blame the wonky toilets. Call it subliminal mass social structural programming, but as Sigmund may say, it looks anal to me.

Franz Kavka, Free Essay Example, 1500 words

22 May Kafka’s Distorted Reality Analysis Paper Franz Kafka was one of the greatest German novelists there ever were. His works have helped to change the world and bring about an evolution in human thinking with respect to surrealist thinking. He wrote often in long sentences, delivering his words through his stream of consciousness, and also used a vast variety of very ambiguous terms and words in his works. His words had double meanings, enough for his readers to delve into his thoughts and spend time moralizing on his written word. Most of Kafka’s works include a reality that is quite ‘distorted’ in the real sense. This paper is thus a comparison of his works with respect to other great novelists during the time and how human relations, through his works, may be rendered profound. Kafka, despite reverberating in all his greatness, was always consumed by the fact that death was absolute and approaching him almost all the time. He soon became obsessed with the fact and put forth a number of statements with respect to killing Jews all around him. We will write a custom essay sample on Franz Kavka, or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now In one of the articles chosen, it has been mentioned that, â€Å"Sometimes Id like to stuff all Jews (myself included) into a drawer of a laundry basket-then open it to see if theyve suffocated. † (Karra) Even in his works, for example in Metamorphosis, he talks about the emotional death that every man must face during the course of his lifetime. He also tries to show that it is not necessarily a bad thing; and that it is the doom that must fall upon all of mankind eventually. He tries to portray that a person can avoid and be free from death if he is crazy enough to commit suicide. He was sick of society, and on a different level, a little scared as well. This was because he was afraid to publish his works publicly and have them read and criticized by other people around him. Kafka spent a great amount of time trying to improve the image that he had created for himself around the people he lived with. He was also a hypochondriac, leading him to his infatuation with death subsequently. He feared losing himself in something he did not want to. He thus feared death as much as he welcomed it. Even though he resented Jews and openly wrote and talked about killing them and doing away with all of them including him, he did not foresee the Holocaust which took place soon after his death. The Holocaust had perhaps taken base on his ideas, who knows, because Kafka talked about suffocating Jews and that is exactly what happened in the gas chambers of the concentration and extermination camps set up by Hitler.