Clue and the Crisis of the American White Male Essay -- Movie Film Ess

Clue and the Crisis of the American White Male Nothing is more American than the crossover appeal of products in the mass media; this appeal is what propelled the idea for the 1985 release of the film Clue, based on the Parker Brothers board game. Furthermore, in keeping with the game's theme, the film appeared in theaters across the country with different endings. With an ensemble cast of talented but little known actors—Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Warren, Martin Mull, Madeline Kahn, Eileen Brennan and Michael McKean—Clue seemed like a film destined to slip into obscurity. After all, it was a comedy, clever but crass. A deeper analysis of the film provides some insight into a running commentary that presents not just a murder mystery involving several comedic characters, but rather a complex allegorical situation that presents characters as archetypal figures for repressed forces in the dominant American ideology. In reality, Clue is a film about the crisis of the upper class white male in Ameri can culture. In the piece â€Å"Cinema/Ideology/Criticism,† Jean Luc-Comolli and Jean Narboni define the critic's job as the discernment of â€Å"which films, books and magazines allow the ideology a free, unhampered passage, transmit it with crystal clarity, serve as its chosen language† and which films â€Å"attempt to make it turn back and reflect itself, intercept it, make it visible by revealing its mechanisms, by blocking them† (753). Through their examination, seven film categories are outlined. Clue falls into the â€Å"E† category, which is defined as â€Å"films which seem at first sight to belong firmly within the ideology and to be completely under its sway, but which turn out to be so only in an ambiguous manner† (75... ...itty dialogue. As Wadworth said, it should be no surprise that the FBI (dominant ideology) is trying to cover up the murder of these repressed forces. â€Å"The FBI is used to cleaning up after multiple murders. Why do you think it's run by a man called Hoover?† By continually making fun of the very powers it is supposedly reinforcing, Clue becomes an important film in criticizing American bourgeois ideology. Works Cited Gledhill, Christine. â€Å"Recent Developments in Feminist Film Criticism.† Braudy and Cohen, 251-72. Braudy, Leo and Marshall Cohen, eds. Film Theory and Criticism: Introductory Readings, Fifth Edition. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Comolli, Jean-Luc and Jean Narboni, â€Å"Cinema/Ideology/Criticism.† Braudy and Cohen, 752-59. Lynn, Jonathan. Clue. Paramount, 1985. Mulvey, Laura. â€Å"Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.† Braudy and Cohen, 83

Family and Consumer Behavior Essay

Therefore, not only do we have to study and do research about individual consumers but we also have to consider groups of people such as families and the influence of their members on others within the group. â€Å"Today in the United States, 68 percent of the 111. million household are families. According to many sources, the family remains the central or dominant institution in providing for the welfare of its members and is the major household consumer and consuming unit† (Schiffman and Kanuk 2007, 347). This means the family is a notable consuming unit if not the most important one. â€Å"Although families sometimes are referred to as households, not all households are families. For example, a household might include individuals who are not related by blood, marriage, or adoption, such as unmarried couples, family friends, roommates or boarders. However, within the context of consumer behavior households and families usually are treated as synonymous, and we will continue this convention† (Schiffman and Kanuk 2007, 347). Consequently, groups of people who interact to accomplish either individual or mutual goals may be considered as a unique consuming unit even if they are not related by blood, marriage or adoption. Thus, The research process would be the same. Families can be divided in three main types: the married couples, the nuclear family and the extended family.

Brave New World & human story

The book â€Å"Brave New World† by Aldous Huxley begins describing the tour of the Conditioning Centre and the Central London Hatchery. Huxley writes that in the year of Our Ford 632 rational systems of society organizing were very popular. The birth process seemed to be mechanized and, moreover, strict societal hierarchy dominated, and the different societal casts were condition from the very start of their lives to accept their destiny of either rich or poor. Repression and persecution weren’t observed as all people followed the laws and orders set by governmental apparatus of security state.Huxley assumes that population was biologically bent and chemically conditioned from the birth. The first two chapters of the book are devoted to walkthrough of this human factory. The author is willing to make people understand better the technical foundation of society and to provide the background for drama to happen in the future. Huxley assumes that people freely rejected the ir history, maturity and autonomy in order to become oppressed by technologies which were gradually destroying their capacities to think. The third chapter continues setting the stage for drama and provides overview of different viewpoints.This chapter is important as the author introduces the main characters. The book is a human story centered on the destiny of Bernard Marx. Marx is shown as a person who isn’t suited restricted and fully controlled pacified world. Marx has other ideas about societal order and he doesn’t want to be similar to others. Despite the fact that Bernard is Alpha meaning he belongs to the highest hierarchical level, he doesn’t seem to be content with the order. Marx decided to take Lenina for vacation at a Reservation in New-Mexico. Lenina is a woman with strong belief of status quo.Lenina and Marx get acquainted with a young man named Savage. Savage return to polite society with Marx and Lenin and the rest of the book is devoted to ill ustrating how Savage is trying to encounter with civilization. The author often refers to satirical devices to increase the intensity with the story progression. Moreover, metaphors in the book seem to be extreme: for example, the author describes that people have to make the sign â€Å"T† and to refer to their deity as â€Å"Our Ford†. Further, we see that Huxley describes Savage as sympathetic character.For example, his mother is extremely unhappy and dies when returning to civilization and we will sorry seeing Savage’s despair. With book progression the author links Bernard Marx with the corrosive forces of civilization. For example, Marx displays his true essence when he decided to bow to the World Controller’s will. Nevertheless, Marx is the only character in the book who seems to be pitied, even though his choices are always shaped by society. Lenina is the pawn of Fordian society, and he relations with Savage seem to have no perspective because soc iety assembled its own perspective for her future.One more interesting character in the book is Mustapha Mond who is the Resident World Controller for Western Europe. Mond is educated as Savage and likes reading Shakespeare. Mond often exhort Savage arguing: â€Å"You can't play Electro-Magnetic Golf according to the rules of Centrifugal Bumble-puppy†. (p. 194) In such a way the author manages to present unique character to eradicate fully the sense of happiness. Huxley worries about human state of mind and decided to put the sense of happiness into materialistic paradigm.Sense of happiness is a method of control aimed at justifying as what population wants. Huxley clearly shows that technologies would change and destroy everything humane. Huxley underlines that there is no way out of existing system which will distort human characters. The book is very interesting, sharp and unrelenting in its satirical depictions. The book has endured because the author depicted in details the order in totalitarian state and showed that technologies would yield full control of biology. References Huxley, Aldous. (2001). Brave New World. New York: Voyager Classics.

In what way is Dr. Faustus an Anti-Catholic Play? Essay

On the face of it, Dr. Faustus is not an anti-Catholic play. Yet, once you have read into it certain aspects of the play – there are many anti-Catholic notions and views that Marlowe has placed within the text. If the reader has no prior knowledge of how the world was in the Sixteenth century, then they would probably not uncover Marlowe’s hidden messages. There are many issues dealt with in the play, yet, they all follow a route to anti-Catholicism. All of the ideas dealt with are reminiscent of the period that Marlowe is writing in, when people did have quite ‘humanist’ views and were hostile towards the Catholic Church because of the lies that they had been telling.The main theme of anti-Catholicism is Dr. Faustus’ rejection of God. For a sixteenth century audience to watch someone reject God and sell their soul to the devil is the most anti-religious thing that they could do. They most probably would have been petrified of what the consequences o f his actions would be. Yet, at the same time, would most probably have admired his courage to stand against an establishment that had ruled their entire lives by preaching falsehoods and in effect stealing from them (through the sales of ‘indulgences’). Also, right from the beginning when we are introduced to Faustus, we find him in Wittenberg – the same place in which the monk Martin Luther lived – an anti-catholic statement in itself as Luther himself opposed the Catholic regime. I believe Marlowe has intentionally set the play in Wittenberg to make a statement right from the beginning that this play is set out to make anti-Catholic notions.The play deals with sin and damnation at the heart of Christianity’s understanding of the world. The play shows us that Faustus’ pride, which causes him to strive for knowledge, may have seemed admirable at the turning point in the Renaissance period, but that this pride and insolence to go against God makes him despaired of God’s mercy. Christian teaching at the time was that if you did not follow Gods rules, you ended up eternally damned to a place called ‘Hell’ – a place that Faustus both believes in and disbelieves throughout the play. Hell is represented as a rather psychological torture in the play rather than a physical one (as Mephistophilis puts it to Faustus). We can get an idea of the attitudes of the people in Faustus’ time by looking at how Marlowe represents Fau stus. We can guess that Marlowe has a negative view of what Faustus did because he compares him to ‘Icarus’ from Greek mythology when he says; â€Å"His waxen wings did mount above his reach, and melting heavens conspired his overthrow. For falling to a devilish exercise† By saying this, Marlowe is expressing that going against God and selling his soul was the ultimate sin that caused Faustus to be damned. The audience’s attitude towards Faustus may have been one of empathy rather than disdain for choosing to sin because at that time it was believed that it was our job to resist the temptations of the devil, like Christ did, but many people were tempted to go against God to find answers other than those written in the Bible, and would have understood his situation. It is not always certain if the play is a true representation of the attitude of a sixteenth century audience as Marlowe was a radical of his time and did have much more extreme views on Catholicism than his peers. Marlowe himself, spent time as a Cleric – even mocking religion and earning a reputation of being an atheist at a time when atheism was a state offence. This maybe being one of the reasons why the play is so anti-catholic because of his anti-religious views and as the most religious of all denominations, Catholicism was probably the easiest target.The first time we see the play’s anti-Catholic view is when Christopher Marlowe gives a sense of something wrong happening at the beginning of Scene III, when Faustus begins to conjure. We get this feeling that something is not quite right when Faustus describes the â€Å"gloomy shadows† and the â€Å"pitchy breath†, the image of darkness and night gives the impression that what Faustus is doing is dangerous and evil. Faustus practises the ‘Black Mass’, which was an anti-Catholic comment as it was praised by Satan worshippers, which would have made this scene extremely horrific for Marlowe’s audience, and definitely seen as a sinful act. Throughout the play, Faustus has doubts about what he is doing and thinks of repenting but it is his pride that keeps him from turning to God and asking for forgiveness. This happens throughout Scene V, where he doubts his actions, thinks of repenting and then because of his pride he becomes resolute again. The good angel tries to help him by saying â€Å"Faustus repent, yet God will pity thee† but he can’t face being humiliated and says, â€Å"My heart’s so hardened I cannot repent!† In the same scene, Faustus says that  he believes Hell is a â€Å"fable†, displaying yet again the anti-Catholic views of the play, as it is a direct comment from the Bible that here are two after-lives â€Å"Heaven† and â€Å"Hell†. By saying that there is no Hell, is saying that he believes that The Bible is lying – a sin against not only the catholic doctrine, but also all Christian religion. He is also writing off everything that he has ever been taught and in an indirect way, preaching to the audience that their whole religious life has also been a ‘fable’ in itself. Here, Dr. Faustus is taking empiricism to the extremes, as he honestly believes that he can sell his soul to the Devil and remain happily on Earth, this also shows Faustus’ extreme arrogance and the fact that he thinks he is superior to the rest of humanity. Scene V is an extremely anti-Catholic scene as it deals with the majority of subjects. One being the matter of the ‘Good Angel’ and ‘Bad Angel’; in this section of the scene, we ponder on the question ‘When is it too late to repent?’ – it is here that the divide in Christian denominations becomes apparent. Catholicism saying that after you have sold your soul, you are beyond the forgiveness of God. Then, the Protestant side, saying that in God’s eyes it is never too late to repent. The ‘Good Angel’ in the play is the one with the Protestant views – a blatant attack on Catholicism by labelling it ‘Bad’, then mocking it in the play. It is very possible that Marlowe wrote Dr Faustus in order to spite those around him – ‘those’ being the Catholics. Marlowe was not a religious man, let alone a Catholic and did not tolerate their beliefs, as evidenced by how clearly the play demonstrates the downfall of a religious man and reinforced themes of anti-Catholicism. It could be said that Marlowe created a man who would be considered an â€Å"ideal† Catholic – after we see him wanting to repent and the way in which he conforms to the people around him very easily, and then Marlowe damned him to eternal suffering; suggesting that during Marlowe’s life, he believed if you were a Catholic you were also damned to eternal suffering and saw no problem with this. Since reading between the lines and going into depth of some of the quotes that Christopher Marlowe so passionately wrote in 1550, it is acceptable to say that there are many aspects of the play that are either intentionally  anti-Catholic or unintentionally anti-Catholic. Yet it is also fair to say that Marlowe has deliberately put some comments into his play that are an attack onto the Catholic Church, its beliefs, practises and its followers.

Washington As A President Born Abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Washington As A President Born Abroad - Essay Example As per the requirements of the US Constitution, only a citizen by natural birth or an already citizen of the United States during the adoption of the constitution is eligible to election to the Office of the President. Additionally, the Office of the President remains eligible for persons with thirty-five years of age and above, and have been residents within the United States borders for fourteen years. From the amendment; however, all person born or naturalized in the United States are subject to their jurisdiction, citizens of the United States and in the particular state in which they reside. The Constitution clearly states that one's eligibility to run for president of the United States requires that the person be a natural-born citizen, an aspect that is then assumed by many that the president's eligibility refers to individuals physically born in the United States, but is such usually the case? Ideally, the constitution remains vague on the definition of natural born, with a n umber of status defining a natural-born U.S. citizen as an individual entitled to be so "at birth" or "by birth," without regard to the particular place of birth as long as either or both of the parents are United States citizens. Determination of George Washington's United States citizenship and eligibility to run and be elected as president of the United States is an aspect that requires an in-depth analysis. George Washington was a Virginian by birth, though the United States never existed during his birth.

Libertarianism and Liberalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Libertarianism and Liberalism - Essay Example Liberalism and libertarianism stress on the freedom of a common man (Vallentyne, 2012). This means that both the concepts are convictions in defense of people’s right of living their lives. This conviction completely rejects the idea of control over people’s will to live freely. In case of consideration of an example, it will not be incorrect to mention that it’s a person own choice to select his passion and interest, make use of his own wealth in his own favorable interest etc (Gaus & Courtland, 2011). Libertarianism and liberalism has been confiscated many times by critics for the debate of applicability on ethical grounds. Both the concepts are underlying with people’s choice of acting within a society (Gaus & Courtland, 2011). However, some claims that both the concepts cater the aspect of inappropriate manipulation of the concepts by people stealing and involved in criminal activities. It should be noted that both the concepts embrace the ideals of social and ethical responsibilities of citizens towards state (Vallentyne,

Does Inernational Trade hurt the Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Does Inernational Trade hurt the Economy - Essay Example Opponents and supporters have raised their opinions in numerous election campaigns, interviews and journals. In essence, various studies have been carried out to identify the problems and benefits that accrue from international trade. Japan is one of the countries that have been affected either negatively or positively by this trade. This is because of its diversified trade that depends mainly on trade in the international market. Countries benefit when they trade. When these countries produce different product, they benefit to a greater degree. For the past decade, Japan has benefitted immensely from its interaction with other in the international market. In reference to a study conducted by Flaherty (1999), international trade improves a country’s technology and improves the productivity levels in turn. This has been the case with Japan which has seen the level of technology improve due to raw materials from trade partners and available market for the finished goods in other countries. Flaherty (1999) asserts that the employment available becomes efficient and average incomes increase and the levels of standards of living improve. Statistics indicate that since Japan involved itself with international trade the living conditions for the local citizens have improved tremendously. In addition, since the elimination of the trade barriers as a result of globalization, Japan has witnessed a decrease in in flation and unemployment rates. Needless to say, international trade has caused a decrease in prices of commodities and increased product quality and choice. Increased International trade has triggered an increase in Japan Products. Japan exports of goods and services have highly generated income. For many years, the country had experienced deficits in its trade balance. Increased International trade has reduced the deficit that has been contributed by higher imports and low exports. This has