Monday, January 27, 2020

The Tragedy Of Machismo Media Essay

The Tragedy Of Machismo Media Essay The tragedy of machismo is that a man is never quite man enough. (Greer, 1987) This is a quote that could serve as a metaphor to describe how man can never be as ideal as portrayed by advertisements. The modern portrayal of men in advertisements is the one in which they all appear to be ultra masculine, and researches have shown these images to have a negative impact on the self-esteem of men, especially boys and young men (Constructed bodies, deconstructing ads: Sexism in advertising, para 2). This could be explained by the fact that men is trying to pursue the norm, of which they should be ultra masculine, leaving them under excessive emotional stress as they try to model after these stereotypically male attributes; or for some, especially feminine and androgynous men, to simply stay relevant within their social circle and essentially, the society-as discussed in Is the Malboro man the only alternative? The role of gender identity and self-construal salience in evaluations of male models. (Gnoth and Brett, 2009) The objectification of woman by modern advertising has been debated upon for many years since the start of the post-feminist era as women slowly gain their foot power in the society. As far as the apparent diminishment of advertising campaigns targeted to promote product services through the use of womens sexual appeal goes, there has also been a significant increase in the objectification of men in advertising. Unlike women who are shown as being excessively thin, men are shown as being over muscular and athletic. A 2002 study by the University of Wisconsin suggests that this new focus on fit and muscled male bodies is causing men the same anxiety and personal insecurity that women have been feeling for years. (Masculinity and Advertising, 2010) In the United Kingdom, one of the very worrying causes of death among men is suicide, which stands at a proportion of 1 out of 100 deaths. It is postulated by Mulholland (2010) that depression is one of the main causes of suicide, which main cause is poor self-esteem. Self-esteem is a concept that can only be measured by self-report. (Frost and McKelvie, 2004) It is measured by how much people value themselves and how worthy they feel their beings are. Poor self-esteem, therefore, occurs in people whose self-values or self-priorities are not met. So, where do these values and priorities come about? Why is value placed on certain things as opposed to other things? Several reasons that could have influenced how and what values and priorities people, mainly men, are adopted come to mind: Advertisements, social and cultural trends and the perception of men by the opposite sex. All factors: Advertisements, social and cultural trends and womens perception of men should be considered equally and not be discounted in any way. Hence, this paper shall seek to prove that the extent to which that modern advertising is negatively affecting mens self esteem is larger than the other factors. Advertisements vs Womens Perception of Men A quote by Ray Lewis, a professional football player featured in a viral television commercial for Old Spice, from the television commercial Old Spice | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like goes: Hello, ladies, look at your man, now back to me, now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly, he isnt me, but if he stopped using ladies scented body wash and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like hes me. This particular television commercial (Old Spice | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like, 2010) was posted onto YouTube, a video sharing website, and has garnered almost 31 million views, 37 thousand comments, 114 video responses and umpteen reposts by other YouTube channels since its release in February, 2010. These staggering figures were also reflected in their sales figure: a 106% increase in sales (Old Spice Campaign Smells Like a Sales Success, Too, 2010) within 4 months of the start of the marketing campaign, Smell Like A Man, Man. The videos in this campaign, which seem to be targeted mostly at women, all feature a hunky man promoting the Old Spice products while reading a script which humorously brings across the point that no man is like him; no man can ever be like him; and the closest you can get to be like him is to smell like him. Judging by the fact that Old Spice had chosen women as the main target audience for their marketing campaignwhich they should have done extensive research to determineit can be inferred that womens perception of men, or particularly her man, has great power in deeply affecting men, influencing them in their decision making; in this context, the kind of smell they use. This inference can also be further proven by the actual increase in sales of the Old Spice products. However, to conclude that it is actually the womens perception of men that is affecting how men view themselves is a very narrow-minded act because the images displayed explicitly to the public through the form of advertisements are what are influencing womens perception of men. Hence, it can be concluded that advertising is and takes precedence and relevance over womens perception of men in lowering mens self-esteem. Next, this paper will explore this question: Is modern advertising following social and cultural trends, or is it going ahead of them? Advertisements vs Social/Cultural Trends Advertisements have always been known to be able to cause an impact, fulfilling their purpose to influence, urge and compel the public to purchase or engage the goods and services they are endorsing. In this context, it is no doubt that by doing so, they are also influencing the way people think about which are popular products or services and which are not, albeit subconsciously. However, what are the things that inspire advertisers in the way they advertise their products? Do they safely follow social conventions or do they actually set the standards? While it is easy to argue that since the sole purpose of advertisements is to persuade people to buy or engage goods and services, advertisements must surely conform to social standards; however, the possibility of it happening in reverse also deserves consideration. The following example presents evidence that supports the statement that advertising does go ahead of social trends; however isolated an example it is. In an interview conducted by CNN with Donatella Versace (Donatella Versace, CNN Interview, Part 1/3, 2009), designer for fashion powerhouse, Versace, it was mentioned that Versace was the first ever luxury brand to have entered China. Before 1979, the year China introduced Versace into its market, the idea of a luxurious lifestyle was not widespread, partly due to the then still low living standards. However, over the years, it was the upbeat advertising of the luxury goods lifestyle that started the notion of living life luxuriously. Since then, China has surpassed the United States of America to become the second-largest luxury market in 2009 (Luxury Brands in China, 2010). China is also set to become the second largest consumer of luxury by 2015 (China Luxury, 2007). The above-discussed point has proven that advertising and social trends both influence each other in a way or another. They are also factors that have in one way or another negatively affected mens self esteem. However, if we were to consider the extent to which has more direct effect on lowering mens self esteem, it will be advertising, since the visual representation in the form of images is straightforward and clear, unlike social trends, which sometimes can be unobvious, leading men to be oblivious about their existence. The Importance of Context When discussing the effect that modern advertising has on mens self-esteem, the context of the circumstances also has to be considered in depth. Across time and space, the set of priorities of men changes and is different. Therefore, we can assert that advertisements may not actually affect mens self-esteem as images portrayed by advertisements at a present time or place may not be what they desire to emulate or copy. For example, in the early to mid 20th century China, value might be put on people who had good martial arts skills because in those days, that was one of the few things people associate success with. However, nowadays, value seems to be put on wealthy people with social stature because of the change in what people associate success with-from life skills, or skills in general, to economic wealth. In addition, since martial arts originated from Asia, Westerners may lack familiarity to it and find it hard to relate to it, even though they are living in the same era. Hence, if an advertisement featuring a martial arts master were to be shown to the men of today, the effect of this advertisement on their self-esteem might actually be minimal to none. It might be true that the context in which advertisements are being displayed for public view and what they are actually about might not be applicable to some people due to the differences in each individuals set of values and priorities, but without factoring in external factors such as globalization, it will be unfair to come to the conclusion that advertisements have little to do with the lowering of self-esteem of men. With globalization, and the rise of computers and the Internet, the myriad of pages, websites and even programs are tools that have been connecting people, communities and even nations together. The exposure to advertisements online is abundant since usually, one of the key revenues for web and program developers is the endorsement of products through advertisements on their web pages and programs. The convenience and high accessibility of the Internet has enabled companies to broaden their customer market, and in the same way also helped expose people to a huge and limitless array of advertisements. Under the influence of these advertisements, which include references from both the present, past, and also all around the world, people start to learn more about the cultures of others, past and present. By accumulating more real world knowledge over time, advertisements will now be more relatable and relevant. Hence, advertising will, again, present the risks of lowering mens self este em. Conclusion All in all, although the social and cultural trends and also factors such as the womens perception of men have in a way or another contributed to the negative change in the way men view themselves, they are in fact caused by the extensive exposure to advertisements that have been making use of the objectification of men to sell their goods and services. Therefore, it is with huge certainty that I conclude that advertisements is to a large extent the main cause of the decreasing self-esteem of men.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

History of United Airlines :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

History of United Airlines History United Airlines aircraft have soared through the skies for more than 70 years. Initially used to transport U.S. mail, the planes soon took on a few adventurous passengers. In a matter of years, air travel was embraced by the general public, creating a demand for larger, faster, more luxurious aircraft. By 1914 aviation technology was sophisticated enough to make airplanes valuable wartime tools. In 1918, the U.S. government found an important peacetime role for aviation: delivering mail. Entrepreneur Walter T. Varney launched his U.S. "air mail" operation April 6, 1926, marking the birth of commercial aviation in the United States. Because Varney was a predecessor of United, it also marked the birth of the airline. With the advent of larger aircraft, such as the Boeing and Ford trimotors, came stewardess service. Boeing Air Transport employee, Steve Stimpson, took the suggestion of nurse Ellen Church. He proposed that nurses serve coffee and sandwiches and minister to the comfort of apprehensive flyers. As aviation matured, airlines, aircraft manufacturers and airport operators merged into giant corporations. When cries of "monopoly" arose, the conglomerates dismantled. Few things escaped the shadow cast by World War II, and the aviation industry was no exception. For 60 wearisome months, United put aside its quest for growth and profitability and took on a new responsibility: serving the U.S. military. United modified its aircraft for war, trained ground crews and flew thousands of missions to Alaska and across the Pacific to transport soldiers and supplies. The post-war economic boom that swept the United States included a strong demand for air travel. President William A. Patterson responded by expanding United's workforce, acquiring new routes and purchasing United's first jet aircraft. This strategy, along with the 1961 merger with Capital Airlines, solidified United's industry leadership and made the company the world's largest commercial airline. The end of World War II brought a brief period of euphoria to the war-weary people of the United States. Rationing was over, business and industry were back to a peacetime mode, and the nation was feeling the feverish excitement of the boom times economists had predicted. But while the forecasters were correct in their predictions, none came close to foretelling the suddenness and intensity with which the boom would thrust itself upon the nation, particularly upon the air transport industry. Airline fares had been reduced 10 percent since 1941, making it cheaper in many cases to travel by air than by rail.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Different Aspects of Personality Essay

1) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE Visual impact is the first impression that you make on others. Factors which help are cleanliness, proper clothing, smartness and cheerfulness. Try to be at your visual best always. 2) COMMUNICATION SKILLS Communication skills play a very important role in your personality rating. Communication Skills comprises of speaking ability, comprehension, voice culture as well as writing skills . Also , if you are a good conversationalist as well as a good listener and genuinely interested in other people, you can win many friends and make a good impression on others. 3) KNOWLEDGE A wide and prospective knowledge in addition to depth in your own field of study greatly helps in the building up of your personality. This needs wide reading and assimilation ,observation and inquisitiveness to learn and also interaction with learned experienced people. 4) SKILLS- (PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL) Development o pertinent skills needed for your professional work and personal life greatly enhances your personality. Some of the important ones are leadership skills, organizations skills, practical skills in your field, human management skills, entertainment skills including some basic skills like first-aid, cooking, driving etc. 5) SELF-CONFIDENCE It is the confidence in one’s own abilities which helps in taking up responsibilities and initiative things. Self-confidence can greatly perk up your image and help you in giving a dynamic personality. Courage, logical analysis and successful experiences greatly help in boosting up your self-confidence. 6) PERSONAL QUALITIES To a great extent, it is the personal qualities which constitute and give shape to your personality. Some of the important qualities which help towards a good personality build-up are the following: character and morality; etiquette and manners; discipline; work ethics; time management; friendliness and love: humor; optimism and cheerful attitude: helpful nature: humidity; maturity and emotional stability. 7) HEALTH Good and robust health is an essential and necessary quality for a good personality. Without good health you become ineffective even if you possess all other qualities and achievements. 8 ) ACTIVITIES AND INTERSTS An active interest in a wide variety of things like sports, cultural activities, social activities, as well as interest in some hobbies go a long way in giving an all round personality to an individual. 9)ACHIEVEMENTS AND SUCCESS Finally, achievements and success are factors which enhances your personality and image. They in turn bring popularity and more opportunities. They are great motivating factors which will give a boost to your personality.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Antigones Characters Choice Between Religious and Civil Obedience - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 842 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2019/05/20 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: Antigone Essay Did you like this example? Laws within a religion and government are created to regulate a group of peoplers actions and judgments. If two laws combat each other, people must choose one to follow. Even if they choose the dignified decision, each choice has consequences. In Sophocles Antigone, characters are tested with choosing between religious and civil obedience when a law outlaws the religious burying of a man, Polyneices, accused of treachery. The sisters of the traitor, Antigone and Ismene, and King Creon, disagree whether following the governmentrs law or the godrs law prevails as the ethical option. Through the contrast of Antigoners, Creonrs, and Ismeners interpretation of the importance of civil and religious obedience, Sophocles argues that gender roles alter the way a person perceives and follows government and religious laws. By showing Antigoners bold personality and her opinions on the civil and religious laws in contrast to societal male-dominated standards, Sophocles reveals a personrs opinion of civil and religious can be affected by gender roles. Sophocles writes, Nor did I think your edict had such force / that you, a mere mortal, could override the gods, / the great unwritten, unshakable traditions (Sophocles 503- 505). This bold statement implies the dedication Antigone has to religious law because she risks her life by opposing the king. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Antigones Characters Choice Between Religious and Civil Obedience" essay for you Create order This reveals that if a person has been affected negatively by unfair gender roles within the law, the mistreatment will determine that they will prefer a civil law. Because Antigone challenges Creonrs laws and gender roles, readers realize Antigoners beliefs support her hatred of Creon and his gender roles. The readers can also infer that she defies Creon because he supports gender stereotypes. This makes Antigone anger and resents Creon. Through Antigoners resentment, Sophocles reveals that negative gender roles will cause a person to detest a civil law which the gender roles support. However, if a religious law goes against the corrupt gender roles, a person will favor it. Proving, a personrs commitment to religious law and their resentment towards a civil law is created due to immoral gender roles. While contrasting Antigoners beliefs to Creonrs beliefs of the importance of the civil law and his disagreement of the religious law because of his gender, Sophocles argues that status due to gender in a society affects a personrs opinion of a religious and civil law. Creon exhibits misogyny when he states, Die then, and love the dead if thou must; / No woman shall be the master while I live (Sophocles 523-524). While Antigone believes it is more important to follow a religious law because it is morally correct, Creon believes his civil laws trumps the religious law because they are made by a male king. The power which Creon attains by being king has gone to his head and causes him to have biased opinions. These opinions cause him to obey the civil laws and disobey the religious laws. Sophocles uses this to show that if a male with corrupt opinions has a large influence on the kingdom, he will believe his opinions are superior to everyone, especially women. Like Creon, the status of the male would lead him to selfish reasoning. Also, this quote reveals that Creonrs conscience is fogged by his stubbornness causing him to make harsh and unfair decisions. Proving, that due to a personrs power because of gender, a headstrong personality will emerge and affect the personrs opinions. Sophocles shows that power within a society because of gender stereotypes, cause a person to support a civil law because it allows them to rule selfishly. When Ismeners values, which mirrored Creonrs beliefs, change from obeying the gender standards to obeying her religious duties, Sophocles suggests belief of civil law or a religious law can change when a person reveals new understanding about gender roles. For example, Ismene advises Antigone, Remember we are women, / were not born to contend with men. Then too, / we are underlings, ruled by much stronger hands, / so we must submit in this, and things still worse (Sophocles 74-77). In the beginning, Ismene follows the patriarchal guidelines of Ancient Greece and is willing to disobey the religious laws. Through this, Sophocles depicts that civil law containing gender roles which go against a religious law, force people to choose between them. In this case, the person accepts the gender roles to prevent punishment for disobeying authority. Later, Ismene states that Antigone should make her troubles hers showing that Antigoners values changed, and she wishes to defy the gender roles (Sophocles 609). Ismeners values are drastically altered because she is now willing to die in order to follow the religious law. The author writes this line to express that after a person gets a new insight inot the civil law, the new information will change their opinion. Through the shift of Ismeners belief of the importance of a civil and religious law, a teaching is revealed that because of a new understanding of the corrupt gender roles with a civil law, a person will follow a religious law instead of a governmentrs law in order to do what is right.