Hollywoods Life Saver Essay -- Entertainment Movies Papers

Hollywood's Life Saver For years Hollywood has been the land of stars and cinema; a place where dreams are made, and all of life seems perfect. However, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood has often masked some of Hollywood's biggest stars' alcoholism and drug problems. The string of never ending parties, and the increasing amount of drugs that are being used on club circuits, frequented by many of Hollywood's elite, became all too familiar for two of Hollywood's young rising stars, Drew Barrymore and the late River Phoenix. Drew Barrymore began drinking at the age of nine, and by the age of thirteen, was in the ASAP Family Treatment Center with an alcohol and cocaine addiction, which she eventually overcame. River Phoenix wasn't so lucky. Phoenix's drug use is not as well chronicled, but is rumored to date back to when he was fifteen years old on the set of "Stand by Me." What is known is that at 1:51 a.m. on October 31, 1993, River Phoenix was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. One begins to wonder how one Hollywood star was able to turn her drug problems around, while another eventually lost his life because of drugs. The answer lies in the fact that Drew Barrymore went to a rehabilitation clinic and received help with her problems while River Phoenix did not. Rehabilitation changes people's lives and even saves some. Rehabilitation clinics, like the ASAP Family Treatment Center Drew Barrymore was a patient in, provide a means of intervention into the life of a person who is addicted to drugs. According to the ASAP Family Treatment Center: This service provides a way to break through the denial of the chemically dependent person and their family. Often families are un... ...drug abuse. Drew is quoted in her autobiographical book about her drug addiction and recovery, Little Girl Lost, as saying "What I have to do is live, not one day at a time, not one hour at a time, but one minute at a time. I have to work my program. If I don't, I won't last. I'll be dragged down. I have to work it whether I need to or notÉthat's what it means to be an alcoholic or an addict. Recovery is an ongoing, lifelong process. Still, mine is a happy ending" (Barrymore, 302). Yes, Drew Barrymore's story does have a happy ending, but River Phoenix' does not. Both Drew and River gave in to the pressures of drug abuse, and both had family histories in drug abuse. Yet, because of Drew Barrymore's friend's and mother's intervention into her drug abuse she was able to receive rehabilitation, and she is still here with us today, taking it one minute at a time. Hollywood's Life Saver Essay -- Entertainment Movies Papers Hollywood's Life Saver For years Hollywood has been the land of stars and cinema; a place where dreams are made, and all of life seems perfect. However, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood has often masked some of Hollywood's biggest stars' alcoholism and drug problems. The string of never ending parties, and the increasing amount of drugs that are being used on club circuits, frequented by many of Hollywood's elite, became all too familiar for two of Hollywood's young rising stars, Drew Barrymore and the late River Phoenix. Drew Barrymore began drinking at the age of nine, and by the age of thirteen, was in the ASAP Family Treatment Center with an alcohol and cocaine addiction, which she eventually overcame. River Phoenix wasn't so lucky. Phoenix's drug use is not as well chronicled, but is rumored to date back to when he was fifteen years old on the set of "Stand by Me." What is known is that at 1:51 a.m. on October 31, 1993, River Phoenix was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. One begins to wonder how one Hollywood star was able to turn her drug problems around, while another eventually lost his life because of drugs. The answer lies in the fact that Drew Barrymore went to a rehabilitation clinic and received help with her problems while River Phoenix did not. Rehabilitation changes people's lives and even saves some. Rehabilitation clinics, like the ASAP Family Treatment Center Drew Barrymore was a patient in, provide a means of intervention into the life of a person who is addicted to drugs. According to the ASAP Family Treatment Center: This service provides a way to break through the denial of the chemically dependent person and their family. Often families are un... ...drug abuse. Drew is quoted in her autobiographical book about her drug addiction and recovery, Little Girl Lost, as saying "What I have to do is live, not one day at a time, not one hour at a time, but one minute at a time. I have to work my program. If I don't, I won't last. I'll be dragged down. I have to work it whether I need to or notÉthat's what it means to be an alcoholic or an addict. Recovery is an ongoing, lifelong process. Still, mine is a happy ending" (Barrymore, 302). Yes, Drew Barrymore's story does have a happy ending, but River Phoenix' does not. Both Drew and River gave in to the pressures of drug abuse, and both had family histories in drug abuse. Yet, because of Drew Barrymore's friend's and mother's intervention into her drug abuse she was able to receive rehabilitation, and she is still here with us today, taking it one minute at a time.

War on Drugs: Germany compared to the Netherlands Essay -- Drug Enforc

The War on Drugs One of the key aspects to consider when evaluating domestic political actors preferences towards policies pertaining to illegal drug use in both the Netherlands and Germany is to evaluate their ideological differences. The Netherlands attitude towards drug policy revolves around limiting the negative impacts illegal drug use has on society by implementing laws catered towards decriminalization. On the other hand, Germany considers drugs a detriment to society and promotes legislation that proactively restricts the flow of supply and demand of illegal drugs within the country. Now that both countries ideological differences have been brought to light, we must also consider the origins of those ideas and how they transcended into public policy. One of the significant driving forces behind the shaping of any policy are those political actors who reside in the country. The objective of any political actor is to influence public preference by sponsoring changes in policy. Just like the U nited States, both Germany and the Netherlands have organizations within their own country that promote policies to the public in an attempt to sway their opinion on an issue. The investigation of political actors in Germany and the Netherlands will allow one to obtain a greater understand of why their stance on illegal drug use is the way it is. German policies reflect a hard-line approach on drug enforcement. Non-governmental organizations such as the Jeunesse Anti Drogue promote, â€Å"Stiffer penalties for individuals charged with the sale of illegal drugs within the proximity of a school† (Jeuness Anti Drogue 2005). Many organizations similar to Jeunesse provide a supportive platform for parties such as the National Democratic Party... ..., we are able to better understand why policies differ from country to country. Works Cited 1. German Youth Against Drugs. 2005. Jeuness Anti Drogue.2005. (Accessed February 3, 2012). 2. Netherlands Drugs Policy Foundation. 2009. Stichting Drugsbeleid. (Accessed February 3, 2012). 3. Startseite Der Webseite. 2006. Des Verein Fà ¼r Drogenpolitik (Accessed February 3, 2012). 4. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2005. German Non-Governmental Organizations (Accessed February 3, 2012). 5. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 2005. Netherlands Non-Governmental Organizations (Accessed February 3, 2012).

The Style of Writing :: Writing Styles Style Essays

The Style of Writing According to the Webster’s New World Dictionary, the definition of style is â€Å"a characteristic manner of expression†(612). Usually words such as personal, individual, and unique also come to mind when we think of writing style. I have always associated writing style with belonging uniquely to one individual, meaning that everyone had his or her own style. After reading, â€Å"Style Toward Clarity and Grace† by Joseph Williams and â€Å"The Elements of Style† by William Strunk and E.B. White, I realized that style is not as unique as I thought. In fact, as I stated in my blog space, â€Å"writing has certain rules and elements that must be incorporated in to our writing in order to make our points clear to those we want to read it. Since these elements and rules are common to all writing, then style and good writing bring forth new meanings.† Strunk and White start their style guide off by reminding us of the rules of word order and punctuation. Rules that include: â€Å"Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas† and â€Å"The number of the subject determines the number of the verb†(2,9). These rules are not optional if you want others to understand what you are writing and your purpose for writing it. Making sure your readers understand your writing is the basic principle behind Williams’ book. He takes the rules, offered by Strunk and White, and adds detailed explanations of when and how. He shows us how to incorporate this knowledge into clear and effective writing. Being clear and assuring that our readers understand the message we are trying to convey, needs to be our primary goal if we are to be considered good writers. From reading both of these style-books, I have learned that good writing, excluding creative writing, uses a more purposeful approach than a personal one. Williams supplies us with clear and simple rules, which he calls suggestions, which explain that good writing must have a purpose. Good writing is only considered this if our intended readers understand the message that we are trying to convey in our writing. This has nothing to do with personal choice or personal expression because if you chose to leave out such rules then your audience will be unable to understand your writing.

History of the World in 6 Glasses Essay

Chapter 2: Civilized Beer 1. The â€Å"Land between 2 rivers† is the Tigris and Euphrates rivers located in Mesopotamia (in the Fertile Crescent). â€Å"The World’s first cities arose in Mesopotamia, ‘the land between the streams,’ the name given to the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers†¦ (24, Standage)†, which meant that around this area most of the people were hardworking. The problem about these two rivers though is that they had unexpected flooding and there was little rain. This is why at the time, goods, instead of being offerings to gods were, â€Å"compulsory taxes that were consumed by the temple bureaucracy or traded for other goods and services (40, Standage).† This only arose though because of the unpredictable weather and nature of the Mesopotamian environment. 2. Mesopotamia and Egypt had many differences,, but they were both similar in one thing, â€Å"Both cultures were made possible by an agricultural surplus, in particular an access of grain (25, Standage).† It funded many a vast amount of public works/constructions to be possible such as canals, temples and pyramids and also freed a small elite of administrators and craftsmen from the need to produce their own food. Grain was the main national diet in both Mesopotamia and Egypt, refereed to as â€Å"edible money† because it was consumed in both liquid and solid form. 3. â€Å"†¦ Grain was the basis of the national diet in both Egypt and Mesopotamia (26, Standage)†, it was consumed as not only beer, but bread too. Many people supplemented themselves with bread, beer, dates and onions (sometimes with meat and of course additional vegetables); Dates provided vitamin A, beer provided vitamin B and everything else added up to 3,5000 to 4,000 calories. They both had different ways of seeing how beer should actually be used sometimes but they both used it in the same way most of the time, for pleasure and to satisfy. 4. Gilgamesh was a Sumerian kind who ruled around 2700 BCE and tells s story that includes a wild man that becomes human by being introduced to beer and food by a woman, â€Å"He drank the veer-seven jugs! – and became expansive and sang with joy†¦ He was elated and his face glowed†¦ he splashed his shaggy body with water†¦ and turned into human (27, Standage).† Sumerian myths affected people by depicting the gods as very  fallible, human characters who enjoy eating and drinking, usually drinking too much; Sumerian writing might have also inspired how Egyptians starting writing. 5. â€Å"As in Mesopotamia, beer was thought to have ancient and mythological origins, and it appears in prayers, myths, and legends (28, Standage),† not only in Mesopotamia did they find beer to be â€Å"sacred† but in Egypt too, one tale even gives credits to beer with saving humankind from destruction, â€Å"Mesopotamians and Egyptians alike saw beer as an ancient, god given drink that underpinned their existence, formed part of their cultural and religious identity, and had great social importance (29, Standage).† In both cultures, without beer, the meal wouldn’t be complete. Beer is one of the reasons that led to the the arising of civilizations, mainly because it combined different social groups from high class to low class, from adults to children; it let people have something in common, something they could share, no matter how much money you had or even your age. 6. Originally, writing was invented to record the collection and distribution of grain, beer and other goods; it arose as a continuation of the Neolithic custom of, â€Å"using tokens to account for contributions to a communal storehouse (30, Standage).† Since there was s surplus of food, Sumerian cities collected it usually as offerings to gods, but in practice were consumed by the temple to help maintain public structures such as irrigation systems because of the unpredictable â€Å"Mesopotamian environment.† Later though, tokens were abandoned and pictograms came to represent numbers and even gods too, â€Å"Having started out as a means of recording tax receipts and ration payments, writing soon evolved into a more flexible, expressive, and abstract medium (34, Standage).† 7. Our modern Latin alphabet can be traced back to the Mesopotamians and Egyptians. After tokens were abandoned, pictograms came to place depicting gods and numbers. By around 3000 BCE writing had evolved a little bit more, â€Å"The end result was the first general-purpose form of writing, based on wedge-shaped, or â€Å"cuneiform†, indentations made in clay tablets using reeds (24, Standage).† 8. â€Å"Both civilizations barley and wheat, and their processed solid and liquid forms, bread and beer, became more than just staple foodstuffs; they were convenient and widespread forms or payments and currency (25, Standage)†, people were paid for their work in loaves of bread and jars of beer; even women and children were paid by this. The use of bread and beer as wages or  currency mean that they became associated with prosperity and well-being, â€Å"The ancient Egyptians identified them so closely with the necessities of life that the phrase ‘bread and beer’ meant sustenance in general; their combined hieroglyphics formed the symbol for food (37, Standage).† Beer was also used medically for both Egyptians and Mesopotamians. 9. Since beer, being boiled, was less likely to be contaminated than water, it had the advantage of having ingredients dissolve easily in it. A cuneiform tablet from the Sumerian city of Nippur, contains a list of medical recipes based on beer, â€Å"In Egypt, beer’s use as a mild sedative was recognized, and it was also the bass for several medical concoctions of herbs and spices†¦ Half an onion mixed with frothy beer was said to cure constipation, for example, while powdered olives mixed with beer cured indigestion; a mixture of saffron and beer massaged into a woman’s abdomen was prescribed for labor pains (38, Standage).† 10. Egyptians believed that their well-being in the afterlife depended on having a â€Å"satisfying† supply of breed and beer. A normal funerary offering consisted of bread, beer, oxen, geese, cloth, and natron, a purification agent, â€Å"Scenes and models of brewing and baking have been found in Egyptian tombs, along with jars of beer (long since evaporated) and beer-making equipment (38, Standage).† From emperors to ordinary citizens, they were all buried with a small or large jar of beer.

The Effects of Pornography Within Society

The history of pornography has been dated back to prehistoric times. The actual word is derived from the Greek language. The date of when the word pornographic was first used in Greek is not known but a related word â€Å"pornography† meaning â€Å"someone writing of harlots† was used in a writing called Depositories of Athenians. In the French language the word â€Å"Pornographic† was in used during the sass. The word did not enter the English language as the familiar word until 1857 or as a French import in New Orleans in 1842. Rossini, 2007) It is believed that the people of ancient societies felt it was not worthy to preserve pornography because it was customary in their society. Even though the early history of pornography is unclear there is artwork from many ancient civilizations like ancient Greece, Ancient India, and Rome where erotic pictures often appeared in religious context. (Godson) In ancient Greece the idea of pornography was very different from ours. Even though the Greeks had artwork such as paintings and pictures that depicted nudity, they were more tolerant and have different views on what was considered to be immoral and obscene.There were prostitutes that were used where the women were used and raped against their will and the men who raped them would become their husband. This was all considered to be k under the Goddess Aphrodite. There were also religious ceremonies where a woman and her partner would perform sex in public to help the crops grow. (Klutz, 2009) In ancient India nudity in art was acceptable in southern India. In Junta, India there are sculptures and pictures that depict this type of art. Historical evidence showed that most countries that are in tropical climates have people who do not wear clothes other than for fashion.The need to cover the upper halve of the body was unnecessary, only in certain parts of ancient India was the upper halve of the body dressed with precious stones or gold while the w omen would wear expensive silks and shares (Godson) In Ancient Roman society the role of pornography in society was portrayed in the form of art and in writings such as poetry. Some of the poetry that depicted pornography was in Odes to Piraeus showed descriptions of intimate sexual relationships and Catcalls and Ovid who wrote about a cruel and demanding mistress.Roman pornography was different from the Greeks because there was no entailment value and reasoning behind the porn that was depicted. Roman pornography was considered to be more towards annalistic portrayals and being purely sexual. The sexual drive for the Romans were very strong and one of their mottos was to divide and conquer in the bedroom as well as in the battlefield. (Scarping, 2012) The different forms of pornography are in writings, images, sculptures like art. In 18th-century Europe, pornography became a way for protest for people against royalty and other aristocrats.During the 20th century, restrictions on po rnography were more relaxed throughout much of Europe and North America, Hough regulations remained strict in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. In our modern culture viewing pornography in private may be considered to be offensive but there are still laws that restricts the viewing of certain types of pornography such as child porn Oinks, 2014). Depending on the culture pornography is viewed in different ways. For instance people may look at pornographic images as a religious aspect while in another culture pornography may be considered to be more erotic.Some may feel that it is completely absurd. The different parts of the world have different ways that pornography is incorporated into their societies. The perspective against pornography brings up an important issue that includes violence against women, men, and children. They also cite issues of demutualization of sex, addiction, health concerns, and relationship issues. The demutualization of sex has been linked to the overwhelm ing amount of pornography that is available for the consumer.It has been shown in studies that the amount of porn available on the Internet is directly related to the way humans hunter-gatherer brains work and the novelty of viewing person after person in a sexual encounter. This fast paced viewing overload dads to spending more time alone, voyeurism, constant novelty, and the need for shock and surprise. These types of ‘sexual encounters' leave out some important aspects of real relationships such as pheromones, emotional connection, being touched, and interacting with another person.One can easily see how this could lead to the inability to have meaningful sexual relationships due to the gradual demutualization of sex as well as being desensitizing to sexual violence. (Tessellated, 2012) A study done on the effects of pornography confirmed the idea that there is a link between high consumption of pornography and the prediction of sexual aggression. They studied the percentag e of sexual perpetration, perspectives on intimate relationships, and beliefs of the rape myth (the rape myth is belief that belittles rape and tends to blame the victim for the crime).In every area of this meta- analysis they found that exposure to pornography increases the risk for an individual to commit sexual offenses, experience struggles with intimate relationships, and have higher acceptance rates of the rape myth. â€Å"Another meta-analysis examined 30 different studies with a total of 2,040 participants and concluded that exposure to pornography increases behavioral aggression†¦ He researchers conclude that a connection between exposure to pornography and subsequent behavioral aggression exists† (Allen, Deadlines, Breezes, 1995).The sexual aggression quantities are four times higher in an individual who consumes pornography habitually. The health effects that have been associated with Internet pornography addiction include social anxiety, depression, performan ce anxiety, and erectile dysfunction. ADD, COD, social anxiety, depression, and performance anxiety are thought to be possible precursors to the addiction and can be reversed by changing their behaviors. In a study done called, â€Å"Predicting compulsive Internet use: it's all about sex! † they found that out of all the activities on the Internet, porn has the highest addictive rate.They believe this is due to the brains reward circuit and how it drives us towards natural rewards like food, close personal relationships, and sex. These drives produce the secretion of dopamine and if too much dopamine is released it can override our natural satiation mechanisms. For instance, with excess high calorie food consumption, an individual ‘s ability to feel full' becomes harder to satisfy and major health concerns an ensue. In comparison to natural reward addictions, unnatural rewards like drugs or alcohol only make addicts of about 10% of users.The more the consumption over ti me, the more the dopamine surges; this then causes the binge mechanism that causes Delta-Foss to accumulate. The build up of Delta-Foss creates the cravings for more and alters the brain with a cycle of binging and craving. If this cycle continues, the brain will have structural changes that result in a numbed pleasure response, overexcited reactions to porn, and diminished self-control. In a study done with roomer Internet porn addicts, they found that these changes in the brain can reverse back to normal once the behavior is under control.The number one reason men try to stop their consumption of porn is directly related to erectile dysfunction and sexual performance. In these cases, the Delta-Foss build up and structural changes cause the erectile dysfunction. (Tessellated, 2012) The perspectives that support pornography are some of the following: it can facilitate healthy views on sex, reduce crime or aggression, and be economically beneficial. A study, done at the Pacific Cente r for Sex and Society at the University ofHawaii, looked at the sexual violence rates in countries where pornography is legalized. They found that with the increased popularity and consumption of pornography, that rates of sexual violence were reduced. The study concluded that this could be evidence that viewing pornography can provide a ‘catharsis' for individuals who have predispositions of hostile behavior. (Pappas, 2012, Para. 4) In a Danish study done with more than 600 men and women aged 18-30, they found that that the overall consensus was that viewing pornography had a positive effect on their lives.They stated that it was beneficial for ‘sexual knowledge, attitudes toward ex, perceptions of the opposite sex, healthy sex lives, and general quality of life' (Langley, 2012, Para. 4). The economical benefits of pornography include its extensive revenue and employment. In the United States, Internet porn acquires $2. 84 billion each year, and worldwide it brings in $ 4. 9 billion. (â€Å"Porn Addiction Statistics,† n. D) The sociological implications that are intertwined with sociology are the following: Economy Although there are benefits economically, there is a decline in Jobs because of the amount that is available for free.This as a result brings a downfall in the economy of the pornographic industry. The top adult entertainment companies include Vivid Entertainment in the United States, Playboy also in the United States, Airstreams in the Netherlands and Freeness Films in Brazil. Some of the major porn producing nations are Russia, Spain, Germany, and Japan. According to topdressings. Com, in 2006 the countries that had the largest revenue from the porn is the US $13. 33 billion, South Korea had $25. 73 billion, China had $27. 40 billion, and Japan $19. 8 billion. (Cruz, 2010) The porn industry is a major part of the world economy, creating employment and large-scale revenue. According to topdressings. Com, there is over 3,000 spent every second on pornography across the world. However, it is difficult to estimate the accurate statistics for the entire industry as a large part of the industry operates underground. (Cruz, 2010) There is a problem with the pornography being watch at work. Companies are losing money on the how much time their employees spend watching at work.According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics on March 30, 2012 a study that looked at how much money was being lost because employees of an undisclosed employer. There was about 28% of people using the computers to look up porn and showed an average of $23. 3 per hour by 1 hour and 38 minutes of watching porn came up with $38 a month and $456 a year per employee. If the 132 million people who were reported as workers in March 2012 and divided to represent the 28% of people who watch porn at work ended up with 37 million people who watch porn at work causing an annual productivity loss for companies around $16. Billion. (Godliest, 2012) The re is a lot of money being spent on pornography. Some hotel chains have pornography delivered to them by one of two major distribution companies, which are Lodgment and On Command. The hotel chains have reported that there is a 5%- 0% in profit Just from pornography purchases. On the Internet search engines like Yahoo made money off selling ads and links to porn websites. The price for getting a website listed that did not have porn on it was about $200 where porn sites were $600.Yahoo had suffered a lot of criticism about a sex shop that was opened up in 2001 but closed in January 2002 because there was legal action taken against them Patrick Truman a former Chief of Justice for child exploitation and obscenity section. (Herd, 2002) On the Internet there are websites that are very popular for their pornography. The top websites are Pronoun which gets 2. Billion views monthly page views, Weaponry getting 2. 1 billion, Tube 8 getting 970 million, compared too website like Wisped whic h gets about 8 million page views monthly.The actual amount of money that porn companies are really making is not easy to find because the info is not traded in public. Although there are estimates that show since 2006 out of $3. 62 billion in rentals and video sales, pornography created $2. 84 billion. The industry is headed in a whole new direction from renting videos to digital video streaming. (Rosen, 2013) Although there is so much money being produce by this industry there re some problems that arise with all the new technologies that come along with it. The bootlegging or pirating of porn that is copy written and sold takes away from the money that can be created.The increase of free porn websites also makes it more convenient (Rosen, 2013) for someone to get hold of pornographic material in way that doesn't cost them anything but a computer and a internet connection. All of these factors play an important role in the economy of the pornographic industry. (Rosen, 2013) Famili es Pornography can have a negative impact on families and children. It can affect all members of the family. Pornography can cause a lack of interest in the conjugal relations between spouses. Couples affected by one spouse's addiction usually experience a loss of interest in sexual intercourse and good family relations.Pornography can be a gateway to infidelity and is often a main cause for divorce. Pornography can cause Just as much pain and devastation to a marriage or family as actual infidelity. It can cause divorce or separation from which deep psychological and emotional ramifications could arise for the victimized spouse and children. Children of families who are broken apart from pornography grow up with a countermanding of sexuality and can develop trust and relationship issues of their own. Children can experience traumas related to encounters with their parents' pornographic material. A study of adolescents revealed that viewing sexually explicit internet materials signi ficantly increased their uncertainties about sexuality, and it can lower their self-esteem and bring about feelings of loneliness and depression. † (Fagan) When a child lives in a home where an adult is consuming pornography, there is a risk of the child suffering from a decreased amount of time ND attention from that parent leading to emotional and psychological issues. The child is also at an increased risk of encountering pornographic material that he or she may not be sexually mature to enough to view.It is not Just the person with the addiction or compulsion of watching pornography who suffers from the negative effects it can cause. The entire family involved can be effected and is at risk for the detrimental results that can occur. Health The are many health implications that come along with the use of pornography ranging from mental and psychiatric to medical and physical health risks. The most prevalent being the psychological effects porn can have on consumers and the ir families. Some psychologists refer to the over-use of pornography an addiction while others call it a compulsion.Either way it is labeled; too much porn can have psychological ramifications that lead to serious mental health issues. Another health risk for individuals who consume pornography is an increased likelihood to engage in risky sexual behaviors that are portrayed in various films and photographs. People may not understand that the behaviors seen in pornography are acted out in a enthroned setting and attempt to reenact such behaviors in dangerous ways. Pornography does not exactly promote safe sex concerns and may cause people overlook the importance of using protection against sexually transmitted diseases.Pornography can cause people to engage in sexual activity with numerous partners because they have been desensitizing to the importance of having one meaningful partner. They seek fulfillment in many different partners and this can lead to easy spread of sexually tran smitted infections. The lack of use of protection and the involvement of numerous partners can lead to the easy spread of sexually reanimated infections. Physical injuries can occur from individuals and couples reenacting what they observe in pornography. Some people use pornography as a sort of training video.Inexperienced couples and individuals try to act out scenarios and end up physically injuring themselves. Thirty- three percent of Americans each year suffers from physical injuries during sexual activity. A portion of those incidents occurs because of pornographic influence. All of these are important health implications that need to be considered. The numerous amounts of research that have been done on the effects of orangeroot conclude with conflicting outcomes. The data found in one study can be completely different from another study.Paul Wright, who has studied sex in the media and is the assistant professor of telecommunications at Indiana University said, â€Å"It's v ery easy if you want to support one side or the other, to pull a particular study†¦ Anybody can support one side or another by simply isolating a particular study and talking about it†(Pappas, 2012, Para. 1). This misalignment of information makes the topic a still heated debate. The discrepancies on the studies have to do tit the lack of a control group. (Tessellated, 2012) Pornography has been a part of society almost as long as society itself.It affects different cultures in various ways in both positive and negative aspects. It is a sociological aspect that has been under heated debate for the different implications that are involved in the topic. There are many negative attributes that come along with pornography that have adverse affects on society but there are positives that come along with it as well. While the negative seems to outweigh the positive, pornography is an industry that is here to stay for the mime being. There is not enough scientific research to pr ove that it is unhealthy enough to remove or ban it.However, there is enough information to show it is a subject that needs to be addressed and the risks need to be made known. If proper knowledge of the consequences of pornography are more commonly known, the amount of people affected in a negative way might be significantly reduced. Work Cited: Allen, M. , Deadlines, D. , and Breezes, K. â€Å"A Meta-Analysis Summarizing the Effects of Pornography II,† Human Communication Research, Volvo. 22, Number 2 (December, 1995): up. 258-283. Fagan, P. F. (n. D. ). The Effects of Pornography on Individuals, Marriage, Families, and Children.

What Did It Mean to Be Modern in Early 20th Century East Asia?

What did it mean to be modern in early twentieth century East Asia? In the early 20th century, East Asia went through a process of modernisation to cope with the challenges brought by the Western powers. This process of modernisation was characterised by numerous features, ranging from military, political, economic, industrial and technological reforms to changes in the legal, administration, diplomatic as well as education and women. There were long term socio-political and cultural impacts which shaped the modern East Asia in the early 20th century.While modernisation was in no way equivalent to Westernisation, many in the early 20th century saw the West as a model for modernisation. Modernisation in East Asia was thus more often than not taken as a process of learning from or even imitating the West. This essay will argue that Japan, Korea and China shared similar themes in the path towards modernity even though they developed in different ways. One of the most important steps tow ards modernisation for all 3 regions of East Asia was the reform (increasing levels of freedom) for women.In the early 20th century Japan, Korea and China underwent economic and industrial development taking the first steps towards modernisation. However, the significant difference lay in the fact that Korea underwent this process of industrial and economic modernisation under Japanese colonial rule therefore one may argue that the significance of their development was much greater. Japanese corporations took advantage of international technological and managerial innovations often called the â€Å"second industrial revolution†. Japan’s electrical technology became second to none.Electric street cars appeared in Tokyo in 1904, several years after they had appeared in Seoul. Of Japanese households, 85% had electricity in 1935, compared to 68% in the United States. Techniques of mass production required both standardised equipment and scientific management or Taylorism, an American theory of rational labour practice that Japan adapted to make the work force more efficient. A dual structure characterised Japan’s modern economy. Therefore, for Japan modernisation meant a rise in industrial advances and production thus a booming economy.Scholars’ views of Korea’s colonial period generally divide into two broad categories. The first takes a negative view of Japan but the second fits the colonial experience into major trends that lasted to the end of the 20th century. This included abolishing inherited social status as a barrier to advancement; liberating women from male domination; introducing modern mass media and popular culture; creating a modern economy through heavy investment in railroads, bridges and harbours; establishing a modern financial sector in the 1920s; and industrialising the peninsula in the 1930s.A small middle class of businessmen and shopkeepers arose and half million farmers were converted to factory workers a nd miners. In retrospect, the most important economic contribution was Japan’s use of state-led industrialisation involving planning and controls of all kinds in the process of late industrialisation to catch up to the advanced economies of western imperialists. Colonial economic policy aimed at expanding agricultural production by investment in reclamation, irrigation, chemical fertiliser and the introduction of new seeds to grow rice for export to Japan.Some people benefited more than others out of the economic boom in Korea from 1910-1925. This economic boom saw a rise in the price of rice. Korean landlords most of whom were Yangban (landed or unlanded aristocracy), fared far better than sharecroppers and Japan succeeded in winning tangban landlords compliance to colonial rule by granting them noble titles and guaranteeing their private property rights. As a result landlords took little part in the development of active nationalist resistance to Japanese rule.Taking this i nto consideration it is not unreasonable to suggests that while Japanese colonial rule brought about tyranny, exploitation of the Korean economy, its reduction of the mass of the population to bare subsistence and its attempt to obliterate Korean culture without granting equal citizenship rights it also encouraged developmentalism thus a profound increase in economic development. World War One gave China’s businesses and industries a chance to flourish.Britain, France, Germany and Russia were preoccupied with what was happening in Europe and no longer had spare goods to export. Imports from the West thus dropped dramatically, giving Chinese manufacturers a chance to sell more profitably. At the same time, the demand for products from China increased dramatically, giving Chinese manufacturers a chance to sell more profitably. At the same time, the demand for products from china increased helping china’s export industries. The number of Chinese textile mills increased fr om 22 in 1911 to 109 in 1921.Tonnage of coal produced grew from 13 to 20 million tons between 1913 and 1919. Modern banking took off: between 1912 and 1923, the number of modern banks increased from 7 to 31. Telephone and electric companies were formed not only in major cities but also in county seats and even in market towns. New fortunes were made. For instance, the Rong brothers from a family of merchants in Wuxi built a flour mill in 1901 and another in 1913. As opportunities opened up, they built eight new factories between 1914 and 1920 expanding into textiles.Therefore, like Japan and Korea, modernisation for China also meant an increase in industrialisation and economic production which brought the first steps towards modernity in the early 20th century. In Japan the path towards modernisation also meant the adoption of constitutional government and an imperial democracy. After the Meiji restoration in 1868, it provided for a form of constitutional monarchy, in which the emp eror of Japan was an active ruler and wielded considerable political power over foreign policy and diplomacy which was shared with an elected Diet.The Diet primarily dictated domestic policy matters. After the Meiji restoration, which restored direct political power to the emperor, Japan underwent a period of political and social reform and modernisation aimed at strengthening Japan to the level of the nations of the Western world. The immediate consequence of the constitution was the opening of the first parliamentary government in Asia. In the early 20th century the struggle for democracy engaged academic theorists, journalists, feminists, outcasts and working men and women who expressed themselves in riots and in efforts to organised unions.For Japanese intellectuals liberalism meant representative government, constitutionalism, and rule by law. It meant individual rights and freedom from undue governmental interference in the individual’s life. It distinguished between th e naturalness of society and the artifice of the state. Intellectuals who professed liberal views jeopardised their careers. For example, Yoshino Sakuzo had to resign his position at Tokyo University because he had argued that people are the basis of the state and the aim of the state is to promote their well-being.The public interest had to in their view, supersede private, partial interests of oligarchs, bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen. Minobe Tatsukichi argued that according to the constitution, the Diet, in particular the lower house was the organ that represented the people. Therefore, it is clear that in Japan modernisation not only meant an improvement in industrial production and economic strength, but more significantly it meant the expression by the people for democracy and new liberal ideas imported from the West.A new modern culture was emerging in East Asia along with education which was emphasised significantly in Korea in the early 20th century. Radio broadca sting began in 1927 under the Japanese Korean broadcasting company and Korean language programs expanded from a third to half of airtime and in 1933 the first all Korean station was allowed. It devoted many programs to Korean history, science, the arts, international affairs, translations of western plays, popular songs with a distinct Korean flavour and standardisation of Korean grammar. In Japan the great Kanto earthquake of 1923 ushered in modern Japanese culture.Modern culture incorporated a second wave of westernisation driven not by national goals but by individual inclinations. After the earthquake, there emerged theatres, galleries, exhibition halls, and rooftop arcades and in 1927 the first subway in Asia connected corporate headquarters in Ginza with movie houses and cafes in Asakysa. The new middle class consumed a modern culture removed from politics. Mass literacy spurred the development of mass media. Self-help books and magazines taught the rudiments of popular scienc e, how to be modern, how to succeed in business and how to create the perfect home environment.Cinemas showed films from abroad alongside domestically produced animated cartoons and historical dramas. This modern mass culture promoted a privatising world of leisure and self-expression. In China the new culture movement took the lead in rejecting traditional values. For example, articles were written that promoted the importance of rejection of Confucianism so that China could attain equality and human rights. Leaders of the movement proposed ending use of the classical literary language because it was a â€Å"dead language† according to Hu Shi.By 1919 New youth written entirely in vernacular Chinese was joined by many other periodicals aimed at young people aspiring for new china. Magazines were filled with articles on western ideas including socialism anarchism, democracy, liberalism Darwinism pragmatism and science. All the major political and intellectual revolutionaries o f the early 20th century spoke out on the need to change the ways of thinking about women and their social roles. Early in the century the key issues were foot binding and women’s education. Anti-foot binding campaigns depicted the ustom as standing in the way of modernisation by crippling a large part of the population. As women gained access to modern education they began to participate in politics. Schools for women were becoming more common in this period. In 1907 the Qing government mandated the opening of schools for girls. By 1910 there were over 40000 girls’ schools in the country, with 1. 6 million students and by 1919 this had increased. Schools offered much more than literacy; they offered a respectable way for girls to interact with unrelated people.After 1920 opportunities for higher education also rapidly expanded leading to a growing number of women working as teachers, nurses and civil servants in the larger cities. At the end of World War One the treat y of Versailles ceded former German holdings in China to Japan instead of returning the territories to China even though China had sent troops to fight with the Allies in Europe. Such unfair treatment sparked a widespread intellectual uprising known as the May 4th movement. Focussing on the need for national strength and modernisation this movement also encompassed widespread cultural and literary innovation.These cultural products also saw new representations of women as two distinct archetypes: the New Woman and the Modern Girl. The new emphasis on women in the early 20th century and the public movements taking place (May 4th) show that to China modernisation meant a more Western liberal approach than ever before. To conclude one may argue that to be modern in East Asia in the early 20th century meant different things to Japan, Korea and China. However, similarities were greatly emphasised. For Japan there developed a robust parliamentary democracy supported by an electorate that encompassed the entire male population.The industrialised economy and modern bureaucracy fostered the growth of a well-educated middle class. Overall modern Japan contained conflicting visions of what it meant to be Japanese. For Korea Japanese colonial rule had both positive and negative effects. It established models for successful enterprises and by breaking down hereditary status barriers it opened opportunities to people previously blocked from upward mobility. By introducing modern education it introduced some Koreans to science, foreign languages and social science and enabled the birth of modern mass culture.In short Japanese colonialism produced wealth and poverty, acceptance and animosity, revolutionary potential and conservative reaction. For China modernisation meant the end of the two thousand years of monarchical government, the importance of nationalism and the emergence of political parties. Through the spread of modern schools and new publications a large proportion of the population knew of western countries and ideas. Radically new ideas such as individualism and democracy were being widely discussed and advocated. However, overall of most importance to the whole of East Asia was the similar way in which women were revolutionised.In Japan, Korea and China one may argue that the process of modernisation had the greatest impact on women and that one of the biggest aspects of adopting a more modern western culture in early 20th century East Asia, was the freedom for women to play more public roles in society. Bibliography 1. Edwin Arnold, Asia’s first parliament: Sir Edwin Arnold describes the step in Japan, New York Times 26 January 1891 2. Ebrey, Walthall and Palais, East Asia: a cultural, social and political history second edition 2009 3. Sarah E Stevens, Figuring modernity: the new woman and the modern girl in republican China volume 15 number 3 2003

An Analysis of the Contemporary Hollywood Film The Avengers Essay

In this analysis of The Avengers, a recent Marvel’s superhero blockbuster, we will be discussing a few of this films’ film narratives that are representative of contemporary Hollywood film. The Avengers is a 2012 American superhero film that was produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The Avengers is the sixth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film is directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgà ¥rd and Samuel L. Jackson (Neumaier). In the film, Nick Fury, the director of the peacekeeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D., recruits Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and Thor to form a team that must stop Thor’s adoptive brother Loki from defeating Earth in an alien invasion with the aid of a mystical alien cube weapon known as the tesseract. The team has to learn to work out their problems, both personal and within the group, and band together and save the world, which proves to be extremely difficult as the movie progresses. In this analysis of The Avengers I will be discussing the following film narratives of star actors; character driven stories; how the film takes place in a known, quintessential, American, real world setting; and how the film follows a specific genre formula. â€Å"For all the many strengths of â€Å"The Avengers,† there’s one important element that writer-director Joss Whedon can’t take credit for: the casting. Of the main characters, only one, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, hasn’t appeared in one of the previous five Marvel movies that have led to this point. Of course, for the most part, it’s to be expected: while there are a few newcomers in the mix, the principle cast have close to a century of experience in the movies between them, and countless great performances in their back catalogs† (Scott). The film narrative of star actors is a very prominent aspect in this movie. The Avengers is a movie with one of the biggest collections of star actors since the beginning of the contemporary Hollywood cinema era. Every main character  in this film can be and is considered a star actor. From Robert Downey Jr. who plays Iron Man, the rich, playboy, genius, to Scarlett Johansson who plays as The Black widow, a special ops spy, to Samuel L. Jackson, who plays as Dr. Nick Fury, the leader of the team. In a movie like this, having star actors is a crucial factor in the films success. By having these star actors in The Avengers, they achieved the fan bases of each individual actor on top of the fan base already revolving around the story line and the comics. Because of this, The Avengers has the third highest worldwide grosses made so far, coming in at $1,511,757,910 (Marvel’s). The only reason that this movie was such a success was due to it being a very character driven story. Each individual character had their own input in how the storyline progressed. They are all connected, yet also independent throughout the movie. In the beginning of this film the director made sure to focus on each individual character before intertwining them all. Due to Loki stealing the tesseract, Dr. Fury decides that its time to enact the Avengers program. So Phil contacts Natasha, aka The Black Widow, while she is working undercover, which introduces us to her character and some background information about her. He sends her to go find The Hulk in India, where he’s been hiding out, so that she can â€Å"recruit† him. This then introduces us to his story and starts the intertwinement between the individual characters. The next hero to be introduced is Captain America. Dr. Fury himself goes to â€Å"recruit† the captain and we are shown a preview of where he’s from and some of his backstory. The next character to be initiated is Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, and my personal favorite. The scene starts of with him and his girlfriend Pepper opening up the Stark tower with clean energy, when Phil comes to recruit him as well. All of the Hero’s, except for Thor, are introduced to each other when Loki attacks a crowd in Germany and they defeat and capture him. On the plane ride back to base, Thor captures Loki from the rest of the team, introducing his character and the relationship and background between the two brothers. The beginning of the movie is only one of the many examples of how this film is a character driven story. It goes into much further detail and continues to intertwine even more as the movie progresses. The next film narrative that was represented in The Avengers was how the film takes place in a known, quintessential, American, real world setting.  Ever since September 11th 2001, Hollywood has been portraying the United States being attacked again in many of their films, whether by terrorists or by alien invaders like in this movie. â€Å"These movies are reflecting a need to look back at why these other events started, to show American history in a more heroic light when it looks quite dark now† (Sà ¡nchez-Escalonilla). The last quarter of this movie is based in Manhattan, New York, one of the same cities as the 9/11 attacks. It revolves around an alien invasion destroying the city and killing hundreds of people, which can be representative of the 9/11 attacks. By the end of the movie, the Avengers, and specifically Iron man, save the city from both the alien attack and also from our own country bombing it with a nuke by guiding the nuke into space and destroying the invading alien army. Many people believe that these ending scenes are representative of the statement above how â€Å"American History is shown in a more heroic light† (Sà ¡nchez-Escalonilla), due to the heroic actions of the Avengers and the countless lives that they saved by protecting the city and eliminating the alien invaders. The last film narrative that I noticed in The Avengers was that this film follows a very specific genre formula of a classic, action filled Superhero movie. â€Å"Marvel’s The Avengers is awesomeness squared. It’s the apotheosis of the modern age of comic-book superhero movie, the epitome of everything that Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America and Thor were and were trying to be† (Greydanus). The Avengers is the first movie to combine all of the different Marvel’s Comic’s superheroes into one intense, action packed film. This movie was so well thought-out and planned that certain characters were mentioned and even appeared in other hero’s movies and at the end of each specific hero’s movie, there was a scene that connected them all to The Avengers. This movie is one of a kind and redefines the genre of the â€Å"superhero† film. â€Å"The Avengers makes superhero movies new again† (Neumaier). In conclusion, this film is a great representation of the contemporary Hollywood film of our time. The Avengers symbolizes all of the best film narratives of our era, such as Star Actors, like Robert Downey Jr., character driven stories, how the film takes place in a known, quintessential, American, real world setting, like New York, and how the film follows a specific genre formula of being a â€Å"Superhero movie.† This film is going to be considered a classic and a twenty-first century treasure, in the same way that Singing in the Rain, The Godfather, Grease  and The Wizard of Oz are considered of their film eras. Works Cited GREYDANUS, STEVEN D. â€Å"‘The Avengers’ Takes the Superhero Genre to Whole New Level.† NCRegister. EWTN News, n.d. Print. 08 May 2013. â€Å"Marvel’s The Avengers (2012) – Box Office Mojo.† Marvel’s The Avengers (2012) – Box Office Mojo. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2013. . Neumaier, Joe. â€Å"Movie Review: ‘The Avengers'† Daily News [New York] 30 Apr. 2012: 16-17. Print. 08 May 2013. Sà ¡nchez-Escalonilla, Antonio. â€Å"Hollywood And The Rhetoric Of Panic: The Popular Genres Of Action And Fantasy In The Wake Of The 9/11 Attacks.† Journal Of Popular Film & Television 38.1 (2010): 10-20. Print. 08 May 2013. Scott, A. O. â€Å"Robert Downey Jr. in ‘The Avengers,’ Directed by Joss Whedon.† NYTimes.com. New York Times, 03 May 2012. Web. 07 May 2013. .