The movie industry Free Essays

The movie industry has already established its roots in this lifetime, and probably even in the next. Hollywood itself is a historical entity; it has its own life, its own people, and its own followers and worshippers. It is like a cult that creates a huge amount of money every single day. We will write a custom essay sample on The movie industry or any similar topic only for you Order Now It has invaded not only the big screen, but our televisions and music players as well. In fact, the three categories of entertainment have often intertwined and exchanged characters. We obsess over the movies that we feel like we can relate to. Maybe it’s because of the theme, or the ending of the story that has really touched our lives. Or it was a favorite book that we have read a million times that can now live outside our imaginations and can visually please us on the big screen. Or we watch a movie simply because we adore the actors in it, so much so that we know what they ate for breakfast for the whole week. We have been following the movie industry for a long time now. We praise and worship those who make the biggest money on its opening week and almost not mention those who do not even make it to the big screen and directly to DVDs. Money is the ultimate cause and end of this industry. And it is said that money is also the reason why the ratings exist. Almost all movies have a rating by the MPAA. However, the accuracy and the legitimacy of these ratings are being questioned not only by the film industry players, but mostly by the people the MPAA swore to exist for, the American parents and their innocent children. The issue that exists now is not whether or not parents should allow their children to watch movies that have been labeled as restricted for them, but the integrity of the ratings itself is questionable. The controversies surrounding the ratings of Hollywood movies cloud over the fact that the principal reason for the existence of the ratings is responsibility and sensibility. Their goal as an association is to be of assistance to the American parents to help them guide their children in restricting and choosing which movies to watch. As it was stated by Jack Valenti, former MPAA president, in an article that he wrote, â€Å"To offer to parents some advance information about movies so that parents can decide what movies they want their children to see or not to see (Valenti). † But several critiques and hullabaloos have been shed in lieu of the existence of this ratings organization. Some say that the board members are biased towards the producers and directors that they have come to love. Some say that the members of this board abhor movies that targets issues that they are sensitive about. It seems that the existence of such an organization cannot really protect anybody, if that is what they are really for. If I was a parent, and I was asked if I should allow my children to watch movies that were labeled unsuitable for them by a group of people that have questionable goals and motives, I would say yes, I will definitely allow them. I would advocate allowing children to watch restricted stamped movies because I know that even if the ratings do not exist, the parents will be responsible enough to discuss issues with their children firsthand. The parents have the discretion when it comes to watching these movies with their children. Parents exist for guidance and support, for explanation and for realization. Some parents are willing to be open and discuss important life changing issue with their children and do not encounter any problems with it. Some parents shy away from the issue because they think their children would not understand. But this is not true. School-aged children are old and mature enough to try to understand issues. According to Erik Erikson’s theory of developmental tasks, school-aged children are already curious as to how and why things operate the way they do. Their intense curiosities may be able to teach them a lot already, especially if someone they trust, like their parents, will be delivering the information to them firsthand (Kaplan). There is nothing wrong with a child knowing some sensitive topics at such a young age. In fact, children today are very aware of global issues and how these things affect them. The MPAA can stamp their ratings on movies as long as they want and they could, but they really could not stop any parent from allowing their children to watch movies. Secondly, I deem it unnecessary for a ratings board such as the MPAA to exist. Ratings are arbitrary and subjective; the people who stamp these ratings on movies are people just like us, human beings that can be subjected to persuasions and influences. Some filmmakers are making their case against the MPAA heard. According to Scoot Bowles of USA Today, Harvey Weinstein’s movie Grindhouse was in the brink of being rated NC-17, a rating that cannot only lower your sales, but can totally cross out your movie from existence. So Weinstein’s game plan was to make Quentin Tarantino, infamous creator the Kill Bill series, which also happens to be the director of Grindhouse, face the debate with the MPAA (Bowles). Apparently, the board loves Tarantino, and instead of giving the Grindhouse an NC-17 rating, they got an R with little trimming in the horror exploitation film. Also, rating is even voluntary (The Classification and Rating Administration). Film makers can opt not to get their movies rated, this is a freedom of choice. However if this is the case, why is it that almost all films are getting ratings when it isn’t really a requirement? There are issues surrounding this statement. Some are saying that it is a taboo when a film is not rated, or unrated, mostly because unrated films are foreign films, obscure independent films, direct-to-video films, pornographic films, made-for-TV films, large format (IMAX) films, or documentaries that are not expected to play outside the art house market, films that are not going to hit the top ten box office sales any time soon (Medved). In addition to that, when a film is unrated, some cinemas of DVD stores do not sell them anymore, which is equal to lesser revenues (Bowles). Films rated NC-17 are also almost unable to sell, hence when a film gets this rating, the makers usually plea for a change in rating. The film makers and the MPAA members agree on a new rating, with a compromise. There would be more cuts and whatever else the MPAA board decides to do. This in itself is questionable. When a rating is made, the rating should stick. How can the organization prove to the parents their worthy is they accept negotiations? Ratings should be given and they should be final. The NC-17 rating is most dreaded because not only will this cut your market in half, but will also make an impression already before it can be given the chance to be seen and heard. There are currently five categories of MPAA ratings. First is the G rating, which means General Audiences-All Ages Admitted, the PG rating, Parental Guidance Suggested. Some Material May Not Be Suitable For Children, PG-13 is Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13, next is the R rating, or Restricted, Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent Or Adult Guardian and finally the NC-17 or No One 17 And Under Admitted rating (Valenti). Regardless of rating, children should be allowed to see works of art. Movie making is creativity at its best, for a targeted audience. I believe that movie makers should be given this freedom to express their art and their visions, how they see the world. And as their audience, people should be given the chance to see it and appreciate it, give the applause it deserves. Unfortunately, movie making has become a money making industry. Some independent films are really worthy of the exposure, but because they are being crushed by the bigger movie moguls, they cannot compete with it. The MPAA is even said to be biased towards the movie moguls in the industry (Medved). Eventually it will all boil down to choice. It is the movie maker’s choice to heed the advice of the MPAA and accept their ratings. It is the MPAA board’s choice to give a rating to the movie. Most importantly, it is the audience’s choice whether or not to see the film, whether or not to allow their children to watch it. Restrictions are just guidance, a reminder that there may be some issue or graphic scenes that the MPAA deem not suitable for such an audience, but it is still up to the parents to assert their final decision. Responsible parenthood can immediately and automatically turn down the tables for the MPAA or the movie industry itself. Nobody really has to be told about their morals, for it is subjective, it depends on the individual. The system at how movies are rated is questionable, no doubt, but the way parents discipline their children is not. They can opt to allow their child to see R rated movies, and the consequences of such an act, may it be good or bad, is theirs for the taking. Works Cited: Kaplan. The Basics. New York: Kaplan Publishing, 2007. Medved, Michael. â€Å"R-Rated Movies Not A Good Investment For Hollywood. † 2000. Texas AM University. 10 December 2008 http://www. tamu. edu/univrel/aggiedaily/news/stories/00/071100-5. html. â€Å"Questions Answers: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About The Movie Rating System. † 2000. The Classification and Rating Administration. 10 December 2008 http://www. filmratings. com/about/content. htm. Bowles, Scott. â€Å"Debating the MPAA’s mission. † 2007. USA Today. 10 December 2008 http://asp. usatoday. com/registration/newsletterCenterLite/newsLetterAbridged. aspx? page=BooksLoc=NTC004email=. Valenti, Jack. â€Å"How it all began. † 2000. MPA. 10 December 2008 http://www. filmratings. com/about/content. htm#1. How to cite The movie industry, Essays

Why I Chose Accounting free essay sample

I have chosen a degree in accounting because I have always enjoyed working with numbers. I enjoyed math classes in high school, but I knew that I wanted to be working in some sort of business field. I have aunts and uncles in the accounting field, so when declaring a major in college, I chose accounting. Once attending college, I declared a major in accounting because I enjoyed the number crunching and the logic of the financial statements. I wasn’t sure that I had chosen the right degree, until I completed my pre-business accounting classes. After excelling in both these classes, I knew that this would be a major that I would not only do well in but also enjoy. Another reason why I have chose a accounting degree is because I look forward to the continued education aspect of the profession. I do not want to be stuck in a static profession, when I know that there is no limit to the amount of education I can receive. We will write a custom essay sample on Why I Chose Accounting or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I would like to continue learning and building on my skills and knowledge throughout my career. I want to be familiar with various businesses and see the interworkings and parts within a business. With accounting, I can work with various clients and businesses and gain knowledge about other professions and industries. Finally, I chose an accounting degree because in these unstable economic times, the demand for accountants seems to be relatively high. I believe that there will always be a high demand for accounts because accounting is the language of business.

Internet Cesorship Essays - Content-control Software, Censorship

Internet Cesorship INTERNET CENSORSHIP Internet Censorship. What does this mean to us? What is restricted? Censorship is summarily defined as the suppression of objectionable material. That means that material such as pornography, militant information, offensive language, anti-religion, and racism would be restricted in use. Freedom would not only be restricted to material placed on the web, but also what you could access, and where you could explore. Should the right of Freedom of Speech be taken away from us on the Internet? Having stated this, should there be any restrictions and if so, what's the limit of censorship? The Internet, with its unlimited access to any kind of information, is todays most commonly used tool used worldwide. This poses some complex questions that challenge liberal and conservative alike, the most recent defenders of the First Amendment, and the most passionate exponents of censorship. With the rush by our President to make the Internet accessible to every U.S. student, the problem extends far beyond libraries and into our schools. This censorship problem would seem to have no easy solution. First, let's assume pornography is a bad thing. It encourages poor behavior and disrespect toward women in general. Yes, any respectable human being would agree with that. But why does this have to be a problem in our schools? Isn't it the responsibility of the parents to guide their children? Isnt it up to the parents to teach their kids stuff like that is morally wrong? Kids should already know behavior like that does not belong at school. Schools have a fear of this happening so the y take action and put a block on all key words that are linked with pornography. Great, now how will students learn about subjects such as breast cancer? Important information that is now not accessible. Why, because the word breast is one that would be linked to pornography. As you can plainly see, censoring the schools Internet by putting key word blocks in is a loss of educational information for students. We need to give them back what they need and get ride of all the pornography and terrorist sites on every school computer. As you can see, the problem with censorship the Internet is that it takes away your rights, freedom of speech and the chance of acquiring useful information. What people dont realize is the Internet is a medium of publication like books and magazines. They are so close to given the same rights that I dont see why its the Internet that needs some censorship. The internet gives you the right to: access pornography sites if you are over the age of 18, Have cyber sex with anyone on the internet who will have it with you-no matter age, To visit sites that contain terrorist, racial, or militant activity, To practice any religion you choose. The real world gives you the right to: Rent or buy pornography in the form of magazines and videos if you are 18 or older, Have phone sex with anyone who will have it with you-no matter the age, To buy books, magazines, and videos that contain terrorist, racial, or militant activity, To practice any religion you choose. The Internet is no worse the whats out in the world today. It is merely just an easier way for people to communicate. Putting a censorship on the Internet when the same problems accure all th e time in daily life is a complete waste of time and effort. At least nobody is murdered through the Internet. Also, in a couple of years the Internet will most likely replace public libraries for good. Where will our freedom of speech be at then? After all, the definition of censorship reads; is the control of what people may say or hear, write or see or do. If censorship of the internet tends to lean the way it is now, just think of how big of a grip the government will have on who we are. It will be impossible to act on our creative thoughts and speak our minds. I guess that means you can take the 1st Amendment and throw it in the trash. The best thing about living in America is the right to freedom. We

The mass media Essay Example

The mass media Essay Example The mass media Essay The mass media Essay In my presentation I want to deal with these questions. One fact is that the sphere of influence of media is spreading out. But does the increasing offer of information really gives us a more varied spectrum of opinions or has the flooding of news rather a degenerated and stun effect on our opinion. Is independent and critical journalism always possible at all?  The mass media is often called the mouthpiece of public opinion. This is again essential for social-political communication. Consequently the media can be seen as a producer of the general public. The quality of a democracy depends basically on the way how the society communicates, which means how the process of forming an opinion is carried out. The mass media are playing an essential role when forming an opinion in a democracy.  The word mass media includes all technical methods if multiplication and dissemination which produce the process of mass communication. This means in detail institutions like the press, radio and television.  And for most people these are the main sources of social information.  Therefore the media shall inform and create an quite exact image/copy of reality. But when we observe todays media, especially the yellow press we might come to the view that they carry some events to far and not very realistic. The notion of press freedom developed as a principle during the wave of democracy of the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Some fundamental points are regulated through the basic constitutional law, that everyone has the right to express his opinion in public as long as it doesnt offend against the regulations for protection of the youth and the personal honour. Moreover has everyone the right to make a correction if something wrong was told. The philosophy behind that is that information about different opinions will or want to help us to find the truth. It guaranties control and correction because there is a mutual process of arguments and counterarguments. So we could ask if the mass media is the forth authority or do they only have the task to control? Maybe they are only a catalyst of interests.  We could describe the public forming of an opinion as a theatre in which the media is writing or maybe directing the play. But on the other hand we could say that they only perform the role as an stage owner who rents his stage for big money to interesting actors. A good example for this point of view is the BILD-Zeitung. Who dont know the famous and at the same time notorious Bildzeitung. It doesnt matter who you ask everyone knows this newspaper. They are working with big letters and much pictures. The publishing in such a way is founded in America. They are the pioneer of screaming and scare bannerlines. The headlines are designed with strong statements in an emotional background. Everything is personalized. In a more and more technical world they search for something personal and on the other hand they dont have to read so much because the information is already filtered in short articles. They want to attract the reader with emotional, scaring or shocking headlines or pictures. The more effect it has on the reader, the better it is. The actors in that play are public figures, athletes and politicians. The one who brings the highest circulation gets the biggest part of the side and it doesnt matter if they destroy/ruin a life as long as they sell their newspaper. And one important factor is almost not decisive: the truth. The behaviour of the media during the war in Iraq is frightened. They swamped us with information which were faked. They showed us scenes in which they bombed a city, but it was only an unoccupied house somewhere in the desert. Therefore the question comes up, when do we know that its the truth, that its real. Can we discover it at all And who are the persons which remove the stitches I dont know and I fear we will never know  When looking back in the history the main goal of communication is the understanding of every single individual. Through the development into the days of the internet , it is getting more and more difficult to reach a consensus within the society. The globalization of the communication increases the alienation of everyones as well as the communication determines everyones life. As a single person it is quite impossible to influence the global stream of communication or to keep them under control.  Especially when we hear what occurs in Italy, it might bring us to the opinion that even though we would like to change something we havent the power to do so. Because while some European lawmakers fret about Silvio Berlusconis conflict of interests, his government is pushing through legislation which will allow his business empire to take an even bigger chunk of Italys media. Berlusconi effectively controls 90 % of the Italian TV market via his family interests in private broadcaster Mediaset and his influence over state-broadcaster RAI in his capacity as Premier. His family holding company Fininvest controls the nations largest publishing company Mondadori and its biggest film distributor, Medusa, while his brother Paolo runs one of the countrys most widely sold newspaper, Il Giornale. Other family interests include an indirect stake in Telecom Italia and a host of other interests.  The size of Mr Berlusconis grip on business and political power prompted protests from left-wing members of the European Parliament last week when the Premier outlined Italys plans for its presidency of the European Union.  For the Berlusconis, expansion into other media areas is banned at present, but if the media bill becomes law, there will be no limit to the number of media any firm can own.  So who can defend against such a development? Its an objective fact that for example parties try to have an influence on the media.  Some people say that the institutions of the mass media are important to contemporary politics. But do they keep this opinion if this is all handled through one person?  In the West elections increasingly focus around television, with the emphasis on spin and marketing. Democratic politics places emphasis on the mass media as a site for democratic demand and the formation of public opinion. The media are seen to empower citizens, and subject government to restraint and redress. Yet the media are not just neutral observers but are political actors themselves.  Contrasting with this is a liberal tradition which sees the mass media as essential to the development of democracy. The mass media is seen, in this view, as helping to secure rights of citizenship by disseminating information and a pluralism of views.  By this process public opinion forms and influences government. The media are seen as essential to the operation of a public sphere of open debate. The press constituted a public sphere in which an open political debate could take place. But this is a fallacy if politicians control/manage the media.

The Letter Z Will Be Removed from the English Alphabet

The Letter Z Will Be Removed from the English Alphabet The Letter Z Will Be Removed from the English Alphabet The Letter Z Will Be Removed from the English Alphabet By Guest Author Surprising as it sounds, it looks like the English alphabet will be losing one of its letters on June 1st. The announcement came from the English Language Central Commission (ELCC). Here is a quote from the press release: After carefully considering and debating the matter for over two years, the ELCC came to the conclusion that the letter Z should be removed from the English alphabet. The main objective of this change is to simplify the phonetic aspect of the language, and to unify the American and British spellings. What will happen to the words that have the letter z in them? It depends on the word. According to the ELCC, words that started with a z will now start with an x. Examples include: zero becomes xero zoo becomes xoo zone becomes xone zodiac becomes xodiac Words that featured a z with the s sound, on the other hand, will now be officially written with the s (i.e., unifying the American and British spelling). Examples include: visualize becomes visualise analyze becomes analyse materialize becomes materialise What do you think about this change? Will it really simplify the English language, or will it make things more confusing? This post is an April fools prank. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:The Royal Order of Adjectives Abstract Nouns from AdjectivesPassed vs Past

Domestic Violence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Domestic Violence - Essay Example Ironically, one in six women who experience abuse report that they were abused when they were pregnant. Pregnancy is believed to be â€Å"a common trigger of domestic violence† (BabyCenter, 2012). According to Gazmararian et al (2000), violence from an abusive partner during pregnancy is more common than pregnancy-induced hypertension, placenta previa, and gestational diabetes. The number of pregnant women subject to violence in the United States ranges from 156, 000 to 332, 000 annually (Gazmararian et al, 2000). Up to one fifth of deaths related to pregnancy have been found to result from murder (Horon & Cheng, 2001). Violence during pregnancy is a form of Intimate Partner Violence or IBV. The latter has been defined as either physical or sexual violence or violence threat, as well as emotional abuse (psychological abuse) or coercive behaviour when the physical or sexual behaviour between partners has already taken place (Bloom, Bullock, Sharps, Laughon, and Parker, 2010). I t has been observed that intimate partner violence consists of coercive and assaulting behaviours demonstrated by that partner who wants to control the other. In particular, these behaviours include inflicting physical injuries, abusing the partner emotionally and sexually, intimidation, isolation, stalking, deprivation, and threats (Family Violence Prevention Fund, 2004 in Bloom, Bullock, Sharps, Laughon, and Parker, 2010). Health consequences of violence during pregnancy affect both mothers and children (foetuses). One of the most dramatic outcomes is miscarriage. Miscarriages take away lives of mothers together with foetuses or just foetuses. Statistically, direct assaults increase the probability of lethal... This paper stresses that physical reactions in children that stem from constant stress include headaches, rashes, asthma, constipation, developmental delays, ulcers, problems of hearing and speech, and pain in the abdomen. Babies have been found to have attachment problems, while preschoolers are especially subject to worry, sleeping problems, and nightmares. Adolescents who grew up in abusive environments demonstrate increased violence. Their behavior gets aggressive and disruptive; girls become withdrawn, anxious, passive, and clinging. Children may also have impaired concentration and often demonstrate poorer academic skills. According to recent research, those children who grew in abusive homes are more likely to become alcoholics, drug abusers, and smokers. Besides, they are more prone to such diseases as skeletal fractures, ischemic heart disease, and cancer in adulthood. In terms of mental health, such children are likely to grow into adults subject to depression, with low-est eem, and anxiety disorders. This report mmakes a conclusion that nurses need to get actively involved into solving problems related to domestic violence both through prevention, treatment, and psychological support of victims. It is important to develop an adequate knowledge base of various aspects of domestic violence. Importantly, nurses should be able to proficiently identify and assess victims’ physical and mental conditions, and intervene through support, information sharing, and treatment.

No Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

No - Essay Example In discussing Tiffany in the context of the forces considered in performing and environmental scan, it has been evident that the last couple of years, politics and economics have continued to play a critical role in driving different companies in the jewelry industry so as to stay competitive. The issue of blood diamonds continue to elicit mixed reactions. The current economic conditions has made the jewelry industry face a downturn especially in occasions like the Valentine’s Day and Christmas. The risks that Tiffany needs to consider in conducting its operations include the abundance of counterfeit goods which is adversely affecting the sales of the branded accessories for Tiffany. This is further worsened by the increasing internet retailing which continues to make Tiffany’s efforts in fighting counterfeit goods more challenging and consequently makes the company to lose its brand equity hence a threat because of increases customer dissatisfaction due to the detrimental image of the company. Another threat continues to be the slowdown in the US economy which continues to depress the purchasing power of the retail customers hence having a counter effect on the growth of revenue and the margins of the company. The fact that this does not augur well for retail chains like Tiffany makes it threat that needs serious consideration. To establish whether TIF can take on more debt, we computed the company’s debt ratio or capital gearing ratio which measures the proportion of debt finance capital employed by the company. The debt ratio of Tiffany is 43.41% hence the company’s financial position as regards to debts is healthy as it is less geared. The debt equity ratio provides a measure of the proportion of non-owner supplied funds to owner’s contribution. Tiffany’s debt equity ratio is 59.25% meaning that the