How the Treaty of Versailles Created More International Conflict after Research Paper

How the Treaty of Versailles Created More International Conflict after World War II than It Resolved - Research Paper Example The Treaty of Versailles failed to resolve the primary causes of World War I and created problems and conflicts across the globe after the completion of the treaty. Examining the meanings behind the treaty and the associations which were incorporated with the history which it carried then led to changes and alterations with the political regime of the time. Roots of Conflict The approach to the Treaty of Versailles began with the need for Eastern Europe, Western Europe and the USA to reach an agreement to end the war. The goal was to create an end to the war while establishing peace among the different regions. The roots of the conflict began when the U.S. Senate failed to ratify the Versailles treaty. This was established with Woodrow Wilson who had the power to amend the treaty and alter the considerations that were required in developing a different approach to secure the end of the war. The failure to take the responsibility was not only established from the US Senate but also ca me from conflicts that were based on internal debates. Isolationists and divisions between political parties were not interested in the issues which were conveyed through the treaty and did not believe there was the correct establishment or development. The failure then came from the lack of establishment of what the treaty could have established to bring peace to the different regions of Europe (Boemake et al, 1998). The conflicts which took place with the lack of establishing the Treaty of Versailles led to world conflicts. The complexities of those who did not follow or establish the treaty led to a mixed message to various countries about the ideologies of the treaty. Without the establishment of peace after the war, a cognitive illusion was established. This was based on the inability to understand why the treaty would not be supported by different regions of the world while the political conflicts reflected the complexities of the war instead of ending the problem. The global repercussions led to divisions among various countries as well as framing of various countries from the illusion that there was disagreement among those which were associated with the treaty. The inability to establish the system from the treaty and the disregard then led to further conflict, tension and devastation, eventually leading to the beginning of World War II (Bottom, 2003). Preliminary Issues The issues which were associated with the root problems were inclusive of the pressures which were developed across political arenas. There were sets of domestic pressures that were first established, all which were developed specifically because of problems and disagreements about the specific treaty. This was combined with civilians that began to reflect the disassociations with the government through civilian losses and communities were not able to create and establish peace outside of the main problems. This was combined with the destruction of World War I that came from the lack of agreement. The political tensions that were established developed pressures and alliances as well as ties. This furthered to form enemies among those that were a part of the various regions (Krause, 2001). The political and social tensions that were established led to disconnections and re-establishment with the earlier conflicts which occurred. The earlier treaties which were accepted and rejected had formatted personal enemies and opponents politically

James Baldwin Essay Example for Free

James Baldwin Essay Has writing ever changed your life? Have you wondered about the author of the amazing work? James Baldwin was the author of books, plays, and essays that broke literary ground. His work explored social and racial issues regarding discrimination. James Arthur Baldwin was born in Harlem, New York in August 2, 1924 to Emma Berdis Jones and an unknown father. His stepfather was David Baldwin, a Baptist preacher and a factory worker. Baldwin grew up with an abusive father and a poor family with eight siblings. He wrote and edited the school magazine at his middle school, Frederic Douglass Junior High, at the age of 11. At the ages of 14 through 16, Baldwin was a Pentecostal preacher at Pentecostal Church, delivered by the difficulties of life, as well as his abusive stepfather, who was also a preacher. At the age of 15, a running buddy, Emile Capouya, recommended the young Baldwin to meet Beauford Delaney, an American modernist painter. Delaney became Baldwin’s mentor, living proof that African-American artists exist and that he could become one himself. You might be wondering what Baldwin achieved in young adulthood as he matured into the revolutionary writer he became. After attending high school, Baldwin started a string of ill paid jobs, self-study, but earned a literary apprenticeship in New York City. Around the age of 20, Baldwin moved to Greenwich Village, New York a popular home of African American artists and writers. While in New York, he befriended Richard Wright, a fellow African-American writer. At the age of 21, Baldwin landed a fellowship through Wright. He started to publish his first essays and short stories (ex: The Nation, Partisan Review, and Commentary). Three years later, at the age of 24, Baldwin moved to Paris on another fellowship. His personal life was lonely. He once loved Lucien Happersberg, a Swiss artist that he lived with while he stayed in Switzerland. He was single and had no children. His personal hobbies included writing and reading which lead to his writing career. He enjoyed writing poems, essays, short stories, and plays that were against discrimination. Baldwin was one of the leading voices in the civil rights movement. His work broke literary ground by influencing others. Maya Angelou called Baldwin her friend and brother and was greatly influenced by his work. He was especially well known for his essays on the black experience in America. He provided an unflinching look at the black experience in America through his work. Nobody Knows My Name, one of Baldwin’s touching books, hit the best-sellers list, selling more than a million copies. Early on December 1, 1987, Baldwin died of esophageal cancer in Saint-Paul-de-Venice, France. He was buried at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, near New York City. Baldwin was cheerful and active days before his death, hosting a Thanksgiving dinner. He had continued to write until his death at the age of 63. He had finished Cross of Redemption: Uncollected Writings, and had published The Price of the Ticket in 1985, just two years from his death. James Baldwin was an influential person. I learned that anyone can change things within and without your reach with determination. I was impressed that he was eager to change people’s perspectives of the world around them. The lesson that I learned from him was that one should do the right thing in bad situations. James Baldwin was a truly amazing person.

Everything that rises must converge study guide :: essays research papers

Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O’Connor Plot Structure – I felt that most of the exposition took place in the beginning of the first page. For the rest of the story there was mostly rising action. Then, I felt that the climax came when Julian sees his mother crumple to the ground. The falling action and resolution are packaged together in the last couple paragraphs. Character Terms:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Julian – Protagonist, Round, Dynamic   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Julian’s Mother – Antagonist, Round, Static   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Woman on Bus – Foil Character, Flat, Static Characterization: Most of the characterization is indirect. We learn about these characters mostly by their action and their dialogue. However, there is some direct characterization when the narrator tells us of what has shaped the mother into what she is today. Point of View - Third Person Omniscient Irony – The is situational irony in that Julian acts the way he does to spite his mother and he is glad to see her get â€Å"taught a lesson,† but actually this is what kills her. Setting – The setting definitely played a role in this story. It is referenced to a few times throughout the story when the mother is telling Julian how fortunate he is to live in the neighborhood they do. We can also tell that this is an area where racial tension is still high among some of the people. The time that the story takes place is also very important because it is around the time of desegregation. Symbolism – The Green Hat in the story symbolized the equality of the two women. Themes –   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The struggle with the younger generation vs. the older generation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The issue of dealing with the conformities of society   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Feeling regret after the loss of a loved one. Important Quotes – Pg. 348 â€Å"Help, help!’ he shouted, but his voice was thin, scarcely a thread of sound. The lights drifted farther away the faster he ran and his feet moved numbly as if they carried him nowhere.

Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre - Miss Temples Influence on Jane Eyre :: Jane Eyre Essays

Miss Temple's Influence on Jane Eyre "Jane Eyre" is set during the Victorian period, at a time where a women's role in society was restricted and class differences distinct. A job as a governess was one of the only few respectable positions available to the educated but impoverished single women. Not only is "Jane Eyre" a novel about one woman's journey through life, but Brontë also conveys to the reader the social injustices of the period, such as poverty, lack of universal education and sexual inequality. Jane's plight and her "dependant" status is particularly emphasized at the beginning of the novel. Miss Temple is the kind and fair-minded superintendent of Lowood School, who plays an important role in the emotional development of Jane Eyre. Miss Temple is described by Helen as being "good and very clever" and "above the rest, because she knows far more than they do". This description is more significant because it has been said by Helen, and she herself is extremely mature. One of Miss Temple's most outstanding qualities is her ability to command (perhaps unconsciously) respect from everyone around her, "considerable organ of veneration, for I yet retain the sense of admiring awe with which my eyes traced her steps". Even during their first encounter Jane is "impressed"... "by her voice, look and air". Throughout Jane's stay at Lowood, Miss Temple frequently demonstrates her human kindness and compassion for people. An Example of this is when after noticing that the burnt porridge was not eaten by anyone, she ordered a lunch of bread and cheese to be served to all, realising their hunger. This incident is also evidence of her courage, of how she is not afraid to stand up to her superior, when she feels that too much unnecessary suffering has been inflicted on the children Miss Temple's Christianity contrasts with that of Mr Brocklehurst, where instead of preaching restrictive and depressing doctrine, which he then proceeds to contradict, she encourages the children by "precept and example". After the incident involving Mr Brocklehurst announcing to the whole school that Jane is a liar, the reader becomes aware of Miss Temple's sense of natural justice, where before accepting what Mr Brocklehust has said, she inquires from Jane her version. It is of no coincidence that Brontë choose to coincide Miss Temple's arrival into the schoolroom with the moon's light "streaming in through a window near".

List of Greek Mythology Characters Essay

There are many mythologies in the world, and all of these have things in common as well as differences. A very popular mythology would be Greek mythology, Which many people know about it or at least know of it. Another not as popular mythology is Norse mythology; Norse mythology is the religion of the Norse people. The Norse people are the ancient people of northern Europe (Scandinavia, Iceland, Denmark, Northern Germany etc. ) (World Book 259). A major difference between Norse mythology and Greek mythology are both cultures views of the after life and what happens there. In Greek mythology there is one allotted place for people to go after death and once they are there they stay there for all eternity. In Norse mythology there are four different places for the dead: Folkvang, Valhalla, Helheim, and Ran’s hall or the halls of Ran. Folkvang is the allotted area for your everyday warrior who fought and died and did nothing more. Valhalla is Odin’s hall where 800 of the bravest warriors go and train for the coming of Ragnarok (literally the ending of the gods or the end of the world) (Wikipedia online). Helheim is literally the house or home of Hel; Hel is the goddess of the â€Å"underworlds† Niflheim (land of fire and heat) and Helheim. Helheim is the place where one who didn’t die â€Å"gloriously†(Wikipedia online) or in battle goes, those who died from diseases, accidents, old age, etc. Ran is the goddess of the sea and the drowned. She is said to sink ships and collect the drowned in a net and take them to her hall where they dwell there. In Greek mythology they go to the underworld (or Hades) and they are then separated and either got to Tartarus (hell) or the Elysian fields (heaven) (World Book 257). Folkvang, Valhalla, Helheim, and The Halls of Ran are four separate areas in the world of Norse mythology where as Hades is one and Tartarus and the Elysian fields are two places within Hades. Also each place in Norse mythology is based on four different types of deaths, not by how you act (with the exception of Valhalla) but by how you died. Where as in Greek mythology there is a subconscious good and bad categorizing of your deeds and actions during your life rather than how you died. Another difference is the creatures. In Greek mythology there are three basic non-human creatures: the gods, the titans, and the nymphs. In Norse mythology there are 5 main non-human creatures: the Aesir and Vanir (gods), the Jotnar (giants), the Alfar (Alfar), Svartalfar (dark Alfar), and the Valkyries. The Aesir and the Vanir are your basic extraordinary immortals, though in Norse mythology the gods were thought to be mortal, only kept immortal by eating the apples of Idun. However, they could be slain even if they ate the apples. The Jotnar were giants or the Norse equivalent to the Greek titans, but the Jotnar did not fight with the gods in a war like the titans did with the Greek gods. The Alfar are lesser â€Å"gods† that control nature. Alfar are viewed as â€Å"gods† of fertility due to their connection to nature (agriculture specifically); they’re not actual gods in the sense it is used but more so magically inclined creatures. Finally are the Svartalfar or commonly referred to as dwarves, trolls, dark Alfar, or black Alfar. The Svartalfar aren’t anything like the Alfar; they are regarded as being small, disfigured people who dwell in mountains and mounds and hate the light. The Svartalfar were master craftsman and made many things for the gods such as Thor’s hammer (Mjollnir) a wall around Asgard (land of the gods) and countless rings. In Norse mythology they seem to have to â€Å"clans† or groups of gods, the Vanir and the Aesir. They don’t appear to have any noticeable differences. The Vanir are referred to as â€Å"lesser† gods and are usually viewed as gods and goddesses of fertility. The Aesir are more of your standard gods and goddesses with a supreme god or goddess and other gods and goddesses with standard roles (i. e. sea, music/poetry or art, war, wisdom, beauty, etc). Valkyries are spirits that choose the wariors that go to Valhalla and take them their. There isn’t much information on Valkyries other than them being the spirits that choose and guide the select few to Valhalla. There are only twenty-three of them. The Jotnar were created originally from the first Jotnar (Ymir). Ymir was killed by Odin and Odin created Midgard (land of humans) from his body. Ymir was created from the collision of Niflheim and Muspellheim (land of fog, ice, and cold) in the beginning; from the sweat from his armpits were created the first two frost giants, male and female, and from them came the rest of the frost giants; from his leg came also another male giant. The Jotnar were known to mate with both the Aesir and Vanir. In Greek mythology the gods didn’t mate with the titans. Also the nymphs were sometimes referred to as daughters of the gods where as the Alfar, Svartalfar, and Valkyries were not. (Keenan 54) Finally, Ragnarok, or the end of the world, is the biggest difference between Norse mythology and most all mythologies including Greek. Ragnarok is the essential â€Å"end of the world† although no actual destruction of the world comes to pass during it. Ragnarok is a very detailed battle where all the warriors from Valhalla fight with Odin and the rest of the Aesir against the Jotnar and Loki (the god of trickery). This cannot be compared to anything in Greek mythology Because Greek Mythology doesn’t have an equeivalent to Ragnarok or anything close. In conclusion Norse mythology and often forgotten mythology is very different from many mythologies. Proof being in large difference between Norse and Greek Mythology. Death isn’t judged by your actions but by how you died. There are many more magically inclined creatures. Also the end of the world which no other mythology that I am aware of has. Works Cited Keenan, Sheila. Gods, Goddesses, and Monsters: An Encyclopedia of World Mythology. New York: Scholastic, 2000. Norse Mythology. (Online) Available http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Norse_mythology 3 May 2005. â€Å"Teutonic Mythology. † World Book. 2001 ed.

Advertising Is Legalised Form of Lying Essays

Advertising Is Legalised Form of Lying Essays Advertising Is Legalised Form of Lying Essay Advertising Is Legalised Form of Lying Essay Essay Topic: A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings Non Controversial Push Precious Advertising, generally speaking, is the promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas, usually performed by an identified sponsor. Marketers see advertising as part of an overall promotional strategy. Other components of the promotional mix include publicity, public relations, personal selling, and sales promotion. Advertising involves the process where in a massage is designed so as to promote a product, a thought, an idea or even a service. The concept of advertising has assumed a dynamic form with the use of the various mediums of communication. From the newspaper, magazines, posters, neon and fluorescent signboards, billboards to the commercial on TV, laser shows to inflated high-rise figures and objects, advertising has come a long way. The work is formidable as it spearheads a process intended to attract, modify, change and influences public opinion. Modern advertising really began in the middle of the century. World War II had taught Americans plenty about propaganda and new technologies had erupted, offering both increased production and more ways to propagate a media message. They combined to create the modern ad. In addition to stating the facts somewhere in the fine print, advertisers began to lace their ads with ideas designed to appeal to the senses of the reader, as well as the deeper, more emotional self interests of love, sex, anxiety, fear, alarm, ambition, envy, indulgence and especially vanity. And to discover which appeal would work best, advertisers began to develop more and better research techniques and act upon the results. Someday, theyd call it target marketing, but for now, they were content with being able to select the right message to transmit and then aim it at the right receiver in the market. What sounds obvious now was in fact not recognized in the 19th century. Advertising was a print medium at first, and primarily followed the basic rules of decorum and factual reporting of the journalism of the day. Thus, a Sears And Roebuck catalogue from the 19th century offered Underwear For Fat Men with a line drawing a hefty, older fellow with a distended belly trying on a pair of longjohns (Sears Roebuck, 1879, p. 6). In addition to such straightforward advertising, there were rules which limited the effectiveness of print advertising as a visual medium in many venues. Ads were kept in the back in the early 19th century, and only moved across to the front of magazines and newspapers in the 1890s. Line drawings and other artwork was introduced, but the copy remained relatively staid and straightforward. Print advertising today is far different. Incredible graphics, manipulative copy and inserts, [emailprotected] (ads disguised as articles) and coupons make up the bulk of newspaper and magazine advertising. Of course, the old style of print ads remain as well. There are still classified ads in the back of nearly every magazine, and line drawings grace the ads in many newspapers. Nobody sells Aunderwear for fat [emailprotected] any more though. Bills, or bulletins, are also still common in the 1990s. Most urban centers have huge sections of walls and public space taken over by row after row of bills, huge print ads. In these days of media saturation, it is not surprising to see many layers of bulletins atop a wall or on a construction site. Bulletins were started in the 1890s as well. ARagged bills hawking everything from Tutts Pills and St. Jacob=s Oil to Battle Ax Plug, Hood=s Sasparilla, and Official Five Cent Cigars fluttered from every fence, lamppost and curb. (Starr and Hayman, p. 25). In both centuries, bulletins are most often [emailprotected] or posted up without the permission of property owners. The final form of outdoor advertising is the billboard or display. Displays are three-dimensional, huge mockups of products or events. The first billboards were painted bulletins, permanently covering the side of a building and often identifying the busine sses within. Later, around the end of the 19th century when most major cities had electricity to spare, these billboards were lighted so that they would be visible at night. It wasn=t long before the [emailprotected] was born. Spectaculars are bright, lighted billboards made of many bulbs (the slogan or logo is often spelled out in light) which often contains some three-dimensional elements. The first spectaculars debuted at the end of the 19th century, along with the first lighted marquees. At the end of the 20th century, spectaculars have become even more important, becoming landmarks in places like New York City and Las Vegas. However, outside of the landmark status of some spectaculars, outdoor advertising is very limited. The largest differences between the advertising of the 1890s and the 1990s are the sheer number of media available and what can be called the culture of Acool. @ The 1990s has radio, television, ads before motion pictures and videotapes, Internet advertising of various types (email [emailprotected] banner ads), direct mail advertising, blimps and cropdusters to add to the arsenal of outdoor advertisement and concentrated target marketing. More important than the available media is the net effect of advertising. Advertising is now totalizing, both the dominant culture and counterculture are appealed to. Instead of simply announcing the existence of a product, advertising works to create a culture of consumption for everyone. Advertisings images of consumption evolved from phony promises of a better life for white, nuclear families to the hip-based brand of product cool that still exists today. (Frank, 1997). Everything from youth rebellion to counter-hegemonic violence to law breaking has been commodified. Advertising today seemingly encourages people to break the rules, to tell the world to Akiss [emailprotected] and to be an individual. Beneath this surface rebellion though, people are trained to buy, to tie their emotions to consumption, and eventually, to discard the old with disappointment and embrace the new, in order to rebel again. The greatest difference between the advertising of the 1890s and the 1990s is that instead of buying underwear, one buys the feeling of being cool. This paper is meant to explain some concepts of advertising in cortese s Provocateur. Three basic concepts I will explain, as well as show examples of, are Body Clowning, Body Chopping and Subconscious Seduction. These three concepts are widely used in the advertisement business today. I will be providing and referring to some advertisements, out of magazines, to show these methods. This should further help the understanding of the material being covered. The first method advertising I will be discussing is Body Clowning. Body Clowning is a technique used to show a happy or entertaining side of the product at hand. In this type of advertising there are usually a man and a woman. The man is being portrayed as very powerful, secure and seductive. Even if they are wearing next to nothing the men are still looking very powerful and intelligent. While the men are being portrayed as the higher power in the ad, the woman are acting very playful and are shown to be almost childish. Some describe them as acting like clowns, hence the name Body Clowning. Now that we are in the 1990 s we have started to change the role of this. The woman is the more serious one, {as in ad #1}, and the guy is acting more playful. This ad shows a man in a football uniform jumping around while the woman is holding a cake and having excellent posture and acting incredibly lady like. Though I could not find any advertisements on the traditional and more popular roles of this topic, there are many out there. This type of advertising, if it is done correctly, can be incredibly affective. Body Chopping is another advertising concept that is incredibly effective in the modern advertising business. This technique is used in a lot of clothing, cologne/perfume ads and make-up ads. Body Chopping is when a certain part of the body is photographed and shown in the advertisement. This method is supposed to focus on the sexy side in the human body. It is commonly said by critics that it is degrading to women because it makes it seem that a woman s body is more important than her mind. This is mainly used with woman but it is also used with men every once and a while. You can t even flip through a magazine without seeing this method. This is effectively shown in ad number 2. As you can see, the face is the only part of the body being shown in this ad for Revlon. It shows the sexy, full and luxurious lips of a woman. This is supposed to make ladies feel that if they used this brand of make-up than their lips will look as good as the woman s in the ad. In ad number 3 you can see that the persons tongue is in focus. This ad is for the candy Spree. The phrase at the bottom of the page reads It s a kick in the mouth. Now this obviously is saying that this candy will make your mouth feel very good as well as taste terrific but will it really taste like that? You will never know until you try it. This whole point of the ad is to make you want the candy and make you feel like you have to go out right now and buy it. This is made possible by the close up view of the tongue. That is why the method of Body Chopping is so successful. Out of all the advertisements we see in a day very rarely do we sit down and try to analyze them. If we did do this however, we would find a good bit of subliminal massages inside of an advertisement. Now these are really not very easy to see but they are very catchy to the human eye. These stand out but at the same time have a very different meaning. This is done because the average person looks at an ad for two seconds. This is not leaving a whole lot of time for the ad to make you want to have the product advertised. That is why they put these messages in that stick out, so you can see this and relate to the mood of he ad and want the specific product. We all do this with out even thinking about it, leaving it the name of subconscious. Here are some examples of some subconscious seduction techniques: In lipstick ads the lipstick is usually a symbol for oral or anal sex. Though we are not sure why this is it is proven that it is, oddly enough, a good symbol for this. This actually does sell a lot of these products thought this method. In conclusion, I hope that these examples have greatly increased your knowledge of at least three of the techniques used by advertisers today in their ads. There is a lot to be said about these advertisements, but they can be very tricky to read and see at the same time. Now that you have been informed on these points, you should be able to pick these things up and understand the advertisements better. Just as there is to everything else in life, there are costs and benefits to advertising. Advertising plays a major role in our lives. Everywhere you turn there is some form of advertising taking place. Companies spend outrageous amounts to get the attention of the viewer and hold it long enough to increase sales of there product. An example of this is a Chevy truck commercial. They use a more masculine approach to make you believe the truck gives off the same idea. The costs of advertising are many. For one the increase in advertising raises consumer prices. The company needs to pay for it somehow so guess who the cost is pushed on? The consumer. Another bad point in advertising is that it often makes you buy things you dont need or didnt even want. The worst aspect of advertising is probably the fact that it controls the media. Think if a radio station is sponsored by dorittos it is unlikely they would ever negatively refer to the product. People protect their advertisers. Its power has a majority of the media wrapped around its finger. The benefits of advertising are many as well. Advertising can give you price information, availability of it, and improvements that may have been made on a product. Without advertising compassion would be slim. Advertisers try to impress the consumer and draw them in. If one product is more appealing advertisers work on launching a bigger and better campaign to make their product appear to be better. Without advertisements paying for radio and many news papers it is possible that we wouldnt be so informed on breaking news and public issues. I was impressed by the truck commercial because it targets more to a male audience. It makes the truck seem like the high point of being a man. Without the truck it seems like they are trying to say you are not as much of a man. Most likely I wouldnt by something just because of a commercial. Trucks are nice and maybe they do make you appear to be more manly, but if I was to buy a truck its quality and care it had received would rank above its affects on my image. Ring around the collar, Once you pop, you cant stop, Just do it. Television viewers today are ombarded with increasing commercial content. From the barrage of 15-second commercials every seven minutes, to product placement, to infomercials, when the viewer watches television, they are constantly exposed to some form of advertising. Beyond the minor annoyance, very few people think that much is wrong with advertisements. What viewers do not realize is how much advertising influences the content of television, often in a neg ative manner. In his article Conscientious Objections Neil Postman states The anarchy in television news is a direct result of the commercial structure of broadcasting. When the Government granted television stations the right to broadcast over American airwaves, there was an agreement that stations would serve the public interest. Slowly but surely, things have changed. Television no longer serves the public, what goes on the air is now determined largely by advertisers. Many of the changes in television occurred because of the government deregulation of television in the 1980s, when the head of the Federal Communications Commission under Reagan rolled back the principle components of broadcast regulation. Two major components of the deregulation where the elimination of the three-year rule, which stated that broadcast entities could not be sold for three years after the date of purchase; as well as allowing more commercials in a broadcast hour. The deregulation changed the television industry forever. The three-year rule had ensured that a station remained viable and intact. The deregulation changed the status of many television stations. In the article Consumer Culture and TV Programming, Robin Andersen writes: Before deregulation, corporate speculators did not purchase stations solely for the purpose of commodity trading. After deregulation, however, speculators who had no interest or experience in the media bought and sold stations simply to make a profit. Corporate investors would often cut corners to make a profit, this included cutting news departments, and giving in to many advertiser demands. (Andersen, 19) The other major step taken during the deregulation of the 1980s overwhelmed viewers with advertising, and diminished advertising s effectiveness. Before the deregulation, advertising had a firm grip on viewer attention. Viewers watched advertisements with vigor, and research revealed that they remembered a great deal of what they saw. Along with more commercials per hour, the standard 30-second commercial gave way to more short 10- and 15-second spots. After the deregulation the number of commercials on network TV in an average week tripled to more than 5,000. (Andersen, 20) Just as viewers were being bombarded with commercials in the 1980s, remote-control technology showed viewers an escape route. With the help of the remote control, viewing habits changed. Audiences began to change the channel, mute, or fast-forward their recordings during television advertisements. Advertisements lost a great deal of the persuasive power when viewers began to disregard them. Since then, marketers have searched for ways to bring back advertising s persuasive power. One result of this search has been increased demands that programming content supports and reinforces advertising messages. Another consequence has been the advent of subtle advertisements that disguise their promotional character such that viewers will be more accepting of the persuasive messages. A good example of one such practice would be product placement, in which brand names are strategically placed into the television program. As advertisers became more demanding of television support of advertising, television became dependent on advertisers financial support. Andersen states that in the 1980s, the costs of prime-time programming escalated, while revenues plateaued. This led to forcing all programs to become more cost efficient. At the same time, the advent of cable television in the 1980s gave advertisers more channels in which they could run their commercials. Therefore, networks had to lower their advertising costs to compete with the cable stations. With cheaper advertising, stations became increasingly dependent on ad revenues for their livelihood. With stations more dependent on advertising dollars, and advertisers more desperate to reach viewers, big business advertisers gained more influence into the content of the media. Advertisers would refuse to advertise during shows that were not receptive to advertising. With slim budgets, stations could not afford to cross these advertisers. Therefore, any content to which certain advertisers might take offense with was often omitted from television programs. News and public affairs directors are made aware that advertisers are monitoring their programming and that to contradict corporate sponsors or their advertising messages would have a negative financial impact on the station and their jobs. Because of this pressure the media must tiptoe around any issues advertisers may find offensive. In his article Censorious Advertising Milton Glaser exposes Chryslers advertising policy which requires that magazines submit articles in advance for screening by Chrysler to determine whether they contain any editorial content that may be construed as provocative or offensive. Censorious policies such as Chryslers are not at all uncommon in the advertising business. In her article Sex, Lies, and Advertising, Gloria Steinem chronicles her experiences as head of Ms. magazine. In her article she gives examples of many companies with advertising policies similar to Chryslers. For example S. C. Johnson Son orders that its ads should not be opposite extremely controversial features or material antithetical to the nature/copy of the advertised product. Procter Gamble states that advertisements for its products were not to be placed in any issue that included any material on gun control, abortion, the occult, cults, or the disparagement of religion. Caution was also demanded in any issue covering sex or drugs, even for educational purposes. (Steinem, 226) Advertisers have made the message clear that they want the media to be as non-controversial as possible, in order to maintain an optimal consumer environment. Although Steinems particular situation involves pr int media; there are many similarities between the two genres. In her aforementioned article, Andersen cites this example of advertiser influence: When CNN s Capitol Gang was summoned to carry out a mock program in front of a group of advertisers, the producers and commentators were sent a clear message, namely, that the programs content will be monitored with great interest. Under these circumstances it is unlikely that information unacceptable to CNN advertisers will be included. (Andersen, 24) With such a clear message sent to the cast of Capitol Gang, it is obvious that advertisers have a substantial influence on the programs content. Advertising power can be especially damaging to news content. In 1994, ABC news reported on Philip Morris manipulation of tobacco levels, an issue that had been advanced by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration. Although the information was true, Philip Morris brought a $10 billion libel suit against ABC. Philip Morris, through its Kraft Foods, is a major advertiser. Not wanting to lose precious ad revenues, ABC apologized on air for telling the truth. (Andersen, 27) The threat of libel suits, and the withdrawing of advertisement is a powerful one that prevents many newscasts from airing controversial material involving large advertisers. As the late dvertising executive Howard L. Gossage stated [Advertiser] control is not by intent, but through the simple ability of advertising to bestow or withhold favors. (Lowenstein and Merrill, 77) It is painfully clear that advertising can have a negative influence on television content, but is there a solution? Gloria Steinems solution for Ms. problems was to become commercial-free. After having tried various methods of dealing with advertising, to no avail, Ms. magazine became a commercial free publication. PBS also operates as a commercial free entity, being partially funded by the U. S. Government. The U. S. Government partially funds this form of Public Television. PBS represents an alternative in the television media system, and at a low cost for taxpayers. The author of The Future of Public Television argues that the media must be democratized. He believes that Public Broadcasting is an important step in the democratization process. In important respects, particularly its partial removal from market forces and the early articulation of its commitment to diversity, our current system of public television provides a concrete example of both the vast potential and the increasing necessity of a more democratic mass media. (The Future of Public Television, 167) Unfortunately, Steinem and PBS solutions are not viable for most forms of television media. In order to maintain television as a free service to the viewers, stations need advertiser support. It is unlikely that the government would be able to fund such a large number of stations. Lowenstein and Merrill offer a different solution th an Steinem and Miller, stating that advertisement has a right to broadcast its message. The authors state that the broadcaster has an obligation to provide a program at the lowest possible cost to the consumer. However, Lowenstein and Merrill state that Government agencies must regulate advertising s misleading and unfair policies. The authors believe that only through government intervention can the effects of advertising be controlled. The current media system needs to be repaired. However, as the author states, changes in the media system Certainly will not be completed overnight (The Future of Public Television, 167). Solutions such as Steinems and PBSs are not feasible at this point. Commercial television is a multi-billion dollar business. Many jobs depend on this enormous industry, and to transform television to a commercial free format would cause economic problems. Renovating the media system is unfeasible because of its large size. The system is too complex to be drastically changed. A small step must be taken first, I propose that a government agency should be created to oversee and regulate advertising. This agency would look into advertisers to make sure that program content was not subverted, that deceptive advertising did not happen, and that advertisers would not be allowed to preview programs before deciding whether or not to advertise. These steps will diminish the influence which advertisers have on television broadcasters. In order to keep advertisers and broadcasters from breaking these rules, this agency would be given the power to fine any corporations and broadcasters that did not follow the rules. This government agency would be the first step in freeing the media from advertiser influence. Although it may not cure television of all advertiser influence, it is the first step towards that goal.

Definition and Examples of Feghoots

Definition and Examples of Feghoots A feghoot is a narrative (usually  an anecdote or short story) that concludes with an elaborate pun. Also called  a shaggy dog story. The term feghoot is derived from Ferdinand Feghoot, the title character in a series of science fiction stories by Reginald Bretnor (1911-1992), who wrote under the anagrammatic pen name Grendel Briarton. Observation A Feghoot is  supposed to make you moan... Feghoots arent the most useful form of pun: but they can help you end a story- a big problem for many of us. We tell a great anecdote to our friends, get some  laughs, and things are going well until we realize we have no clue how to bring the thing to a close. What do  you do? Give it a moral? An alternative, the Feghoot ending, summarizes your story in a way that makes people laugh- or even more satisfying, groan appreciatively.   (Jay Heinrichs,  Word Hero: A Fiendishly Clever Guide to Crafting the Lines That Get Laughs, Go Viral, and Live Forever. Three Rivers Press, 2011) Feghoot and the Courts The planet of Lockmania, inhabited though it was by intelligent beings that looked like large wombats, had adopted the American legal system, and Ferdinand Feghoot had been sent there by the Earth Confederation to study the results.Feghoot watched with interest as a husband and wife were brought in, charged with disturbing the peace. During a religious observation, when for twenty minutes the congregation was supposed to maintain silence, while concentrating on their sins and visualizing them as melting away, the woman had suddenly risen from her squatting position and screamed loudly. When someone rose to object, the man had pushed him forcefully.The judge listened solemnly, fined the woman a silver dollar and the man a twenty-dollar gold piece.Almost immediately afterward, seventeen men and women were brought in. They had been ringleaders of a crowd that had demonstrated for better quality meat at a supermarket. They had torn the supermarket apart and inflicted various bruises and lacerations on eight of the employees of the establishment. Again the judge listened solemnly and fined the seventeen a silver dollar apiece.Afterward, Feghoot said to the chief judge, I approved of your handling of the man and woman who disturbed the peace.It was a simple case, said the judge. We have a legal maxim that goes, Screech is silver, but violence is golden.In that case, said Feghoot, why did you fine the group of seventeen a silver dollar apiece when they had committed far worse violence?Oh, thats another legal maxim, said the judge. Every crowd has a silver fining.(Isaac Asimov, Feghoot and the Courts. Gold: The Final Science Fiction Collection. HarperCollins, 1995) Pynchons Feghoot: Forty Million Frenchmen Cant Be Wrong Thomas Pynchon, in his 1973 novel Gravitys Rainbow, creates a convoluted setup for a feghoot in the character of Chiclitz, who deals in furs, which are delivered to his storehouse by a group of youngsters. Chiclitz confides to his guest Marvy that he hopes one day to take these boys to Hollywood, where Cecil B. DeMille will use them as singers. Marvy points out that its more likely that DeMille will want to use them as galley slaves in an epic film about the Greeks or Persians. Chiclitz is outraged: Galley slaves?... Never, by God. For DeMille, young fur-henchmen cant be rowing!* (Jim Bernhard, Words Gone Wild: Fun and Games for Language Lovers. Skyhorse, 2010) * A play on the World War I expression, Forty million Frenchmen cant be wrong.Note that Pynchon has fashioned an entire  narrative digression about illicit trading in furs, oarsmen in boats, fur henchmen, and DeMille- all of it in order to launch this pun.(Steven C. Weisenburger,  A Gravitys Rainbow Companion. University of Georgia Press,  2006) My Word! There is a round in the...popular BBC radio panel game My Word! [1956-1990] in which scriptwriters Frank Muir and Denis Norden tell tall stories and funny anecdotes. The essence of one round revolves around a well-known saying or quotation. The participants are asked to tell a story allegedly to illustrate or explain the origin of the given phrase. Inevitably the unlikely stories end in partial, homophonic puns. Frank Muir takes Samuel Pepys And so to bed and makes And saw Tibet out of it. While Denis Norden transforms the proverb Where theres a will theres a way into Where theres a whale theres a Y.(Richard Alexander, Aspects of Verbal Humor in English. Gunter Narr Verlag, 1997)