Racism in Disney Movies

Anastasia Trus WRTG 3020 Professor Pat Sullivan 30 March 2010 Racism in Disney During the last several decades, the media has become a strong agent in directing and controlling social beliefs and behaviors. Children, by nature, can be particularly susceptible to the influencing powers of the media, opening an avenue where media created especially for children can indoctrinate entire generations. Disney movies, like all other media â€Å"are powerful vehicles for certain notions about our culture,† such as racism. Giroux 32). Racist scenes in Disney movies are often identified as simply being â€Å"symbols of the time† when the films were produced. Furthermore, Disney racism is often passed over as simple humor, or as a simple guide to children's understanding of cultures. These explanations of racism in the films are incomplete because they fail to take into account the fact that the primary audience members of Disney films are not old enough to see the movies as relics of a different time and place. This is not to say that Disney films indoctrinate children with racist tendencies; nevertheless, racist scenes in still-popular films cast a blanket of insensitivity over the subject of racism. Disney’s reputation of being racially insensitive has never been more evident than in the time leading up to the release of its latest movie Princess and the Frog. Nearly everything about this film has caused a storm of criticism both from the public and from people within the film industry itself. It is curious that people are so enraged and concerned with this movie, when they ignore potentially more offensive racist elements in other films. If one analyzes society’s response to Princess and the Frog as a single phenomenon, then it does seem a bit odd that a children’s film could start such a heated social debate; however, after taking into account Disney’s history with racism and racial insensitivity, it is not surprising at all that the first black Disney princess would be such a controversial figure. Bombarded with accusations of anti-Semitism and racism, in the 1940’s Walt Disney was an avid supporter of the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, a â€Å"red-scare† anti-Semitic industry group that wanted to blacklist artists (Alan 12). Perhaps this is one of the reasons Disney’s past is filled with questionable cinematic material. Fantasia was released in 1940, the third theatrical full-length animation, as shown in Disney's canon of animated films. The original version of Disney's classic â€Å"Fantasia† (1940) features a character called Sunflower, a little black centaur handmaiden. Sunflower is an extremely insulting caricature, and a bluntly racist stereotype of the â€Å"servile grinning nigger† variety (Walker 22). In a featured scene during â€Å"The Pastoral Symphony† elegant white centaurs frolick through the woods and are waited on by Sunflower. She is noticeably smaller than the other centaurs—ostensibly because she is half-donkey instead of half-horse, but more likely to exaggerate her inferiority—and has a darker complexion. Her sole function in the film is to eagerly polish and shine the hooves of the tall, sexy Aryan centaur women who glare down their petite noses at this pathetic servant. Such scenes were later censored in the film due to the characters being considered â€Å"ethnically offensive during the civil rights movement† (Walker 26).? In addition to reinforcing the stereotype of blacks as inferior beings, the scene from the â€Å"Pastoral Symphony† also furthers racism by supporting segregation. Throughout the film the female Aryan centaurs pair up with the males of their â€Å"race,† leaving Sunflower alone and separated from the group. Rather than correcting the racism within the scene, Disney later chose to eliminate it from the film – as if it never happened. When the racial climate of America changed in the 60s, the portrayal of such insulting stereotypes in movies and television became politically incorrect, and Disney (fearing accusations of racism) deleted Sunflower from Fantasia for the theatrical re-release of the film. Her troubling presence was simply cropped out of the movie even though you can still see the Aryans she used to pamper. Eliminating Sunflower from the movie may have been intended as harmless and as an attempt to be politically correct; however, it is cinematic decisions such as this that contributed to Disney’s reputation of being insensitive to issues of race. It was insulting enough for Disney to include the smiling servant stereotype to begin with, but to make matters worse, they started denying Sunflower's existence with the Fantasia re-release in 1960. How does that possibly make things better? A few angered African American communities said, â€Å"No, you misunderstand. In our perfect, Fantasia world, Africans aren't servants. They don't fucking exist† (Weinman 64). A contemporary film critic said, â€Å"What's fun though is that Disney says they never had such a character! We're all delusional† (Brunette 123). Maybe it was â€Å"acceptable† in the past to portray characters that had such blatant racist features; nevertheless, it is strange to deny its existence to audiences who had already seen the original version. This is how we deal with our ugly past: we deny it, trivialize it, gloss over it with pretty distractions and wishful thinking. Doing so, we deny ourselves a glimpse of the compelling reality of naked history. The well-meaning rush to unmake evil deeds by hiding them from the critical eye of modern sensibilities does nothing to honor the people who lived and struggled in those different times (Walker 28). Sunflower’s existence may be news to younger generations of Disney fans, but she has been here all along, and her presence as well as her absence carry great significance, especially in the context of how viewers and critics respond to other potentially racist films. Dumbo, the fourth film in the Disney industry, was made in 1941 and produced by Walt Disney himself. It was originally designed as an economical feature to help generate income after the financial failure of Fantasia. The concerns people had against Disney being anti-Semitic and racist were sill strong, especially after Disney projected his own sense of alienation onto â€Å"others† in Hollywood, namely, Jews, blacks, and union workers. In retaliation against the studio entrepreneurs, who were predominantly Jewish, Disney refused to employ Jews in high-level positions at his studio or as actors in his live-action features. Not until 1969, two years after Disney's death, did a Jewish actor, Buddy Hackett, feature prominently in a Disney film, The Love Bug. Disney Studios also denied black workers even minimal opportunities, as technicians and support personnel. Because Walt Disney was an infamous racist, even for his time, it is not surprising that a film he produced himself would be racist as well. Dumbo is full of racist images and themes. Dumbo’s birth itself speaks to the foundations of racism when the other female elephants single Dumbo out because he looks different with his unusual ears. Considering the fact that â€Å"big-eared elephants are African,† it is especially racist that Dumbo, who is seen as different and even freakish would be associated with Africa (Lugo-Lugo 167). Because Dumbo is different from everyone else, he is ridiculed for it. Just because his ears are bigger than those of a normal elephant, he is ostracized from the rest of the group. He only has one friend (Timothy Mouse), who ironically is also socially shunned because elephants are generally supposed to be scared of mice. This could be seen as another form of racism where someone is ostracized because they are different. Furthermore, in the movie, when it is time to set up the circus in town, it is significant to take note of who performs the hard labor necessary to make the circus function. Not only are the circus animals themselves condemned to build their own chamber of humiliation, but there are also faceless black men working hard at this labor. The faces on these men are featureless, with no eyes, no mouths, and no noses – showing that they possess no individual identities, like a group of invisible men. This is characteristic of the time period because the 1940s were right before the Civil Rights Movement, and although slavery had been abolished, blacks were still segregated and considered as lesser people. The song they sing while working is very appalling: We work all day, we work all night We never learned to read or writeWe're happy-hearted roustabouts When other folks have gone to bed We slave until we're almost dead We're happy-hearted roustabouts We don't know when we get our payAnd when we do, we throw our pay away We get our pay when children say With happy hearts, It's circus day today. The lyrics of this song portray slaves working day and night doing backbreaking labor. However, it says nothing about the system doing something wrong because the slaves seem happy to do the work. The song even mentions that slaves are also satisfied with working for no pay. The lyrics suggest that money was not something they worry about. The lyrics are insulting to the workers, stating that they do not know when they will get paid, but it does not matter because once they do get paid they will just throw their money away. Furthermore, the lyrics construct and laud the image of the passive and content slave whose true payment and fulfillment is watching the joy of (white) children on circus day. Lyrics such as â€Å"we slave until we're almost dead† but, â€Å"we're happy-hearted† are utterly absurd and disgraceful. Slavery was a morally wrong institution and the fact that Disney condoned its practices in Dumbo is horrifying. Another overtly racist element in Dumbo is the characterization and function of the crows. Richard Schickel says, â€Å"There was one distasteful moment in the film. The crows who teach Dumbo to fly are too obviously Negro caricatures† (Shickel 113). Leonardo Maltint, after quoting Schickel, says that critics may be overreacting to the crows: â€Å"There has been considerable controversy over the Black Crow sequence in recent years, most of it unjustified. The crows are undeniably black, but they are black characters, not black stereotypes† (Maltin 56). Even though Maltint makes a valid point, he does not address the fact that the crows in the film are very specifically depicted as poor and uneducated. They also use slang words such as calling each other â€Å"brotha† and speak in southern accents with incorrect grammar. Any one of these characteristics could be ignored as having racial implications; however, by combining them into one character, it is very reasonable, indeed, almost necessary to interpret the crow as a black stereotype. The other big argument for the Black Crow sequence being interpreted as racist is that the leader of the group of crows, towards the end of the movie, is named Jim. Therefore, Jim the Crow can very well be construed as being a reference to the Jim Crow Laws, which were prevalent in the southern United States from 1876-1965 and promoted racism and racial segregation. The crows' racial identities as black are further implied when they perform their song in a jazz style complete with scat stylization. The song â€Å"When I  See an Elephant Fly† is part of the music style generally popular at the time in black communities. As the crows begin humiliating poor Dumbo, Timothy Mouse steps up to defend him with the following comments: â€Å"Suppose you was torn away from your mother when you was just a baby. Nobody to tuck you in at nights. No warm, soft, caressing trunk to snuzzle into. How would you like to be left out alone†¦ in a cold, cruel, heartless world? † What an ironic comment to make to a set of characters who represent African-Americans, who, at the time, would only have been a few generations removed from the time when black slaves were routinely torn away from their families. The mouse continues: â€Å"And why? I ask ya, why? Just because he's got those big ears, they call him a freak. † Finally, Timothy says, â€Å"And on top of that, they made him a clown! Interestingly, Timothy’s reference to the clown points to the time when the white power structure practiced minstrelsy by making clowns of the socially despised blacks. It is important to recognize that Dumbo is racist not because of any single scene or image, but because of the message produced when all the racist scenes and images are combined. Dumbo is a freak with big â€Å"African† ears who must be segregated from the others. Furthermore, the only role he can have in the circus is that of the clown. The crows also point to black stereotypes through color, dialogue, and even name. Finally, the blatant reference to slavery through the figures of the circus workers contributes to an overall feeling of racism in the film. In many ways, analyzing whether one scene is racist is not nearly as important as understanding that racist undertones are present and noticeable in Dumbo whether we as a society want them be or not. It is important to note that not all racism in Disney films is directed at African Americans. One of the most well recognized racist symbols perpetuated by Disney is the portrayal of the Siamese cats in Lady and the Tramp (1955). Like stereotypical Asians, they are buck-toothed and have slanted eyes, and speak in ridiculously exaggerated accents that bear little, if any, resemblance to actual Thai speech patterns. Their features, along with the banging of a gong at the beginning of their song, could not make the Asian-specific racism any more obvious, â€Å"We are Siamese, if you please. We are Siamese if you don't please! We are former residents of Siam. There are no finer cats than we am. † Goldmark comments: One can hear the confidence and superiority in their voices. Those two cats don't care about anyone but themselves, lacking any kind of empathy. They are sociopaths, prepared to ruin Lady's life because it is fun and it serves them. They are portrayed as cunning and manipulative, giving the widespread idea that all Asians act superior, are cunning and manipulative. (Goldmark 115) In the film, the Siamese cats function not only as a racial stereotype but also as a stereotype of the upper classes in Oriental countries: â€Å"The cats prance around arrogantly in a Hollywood-invented style that is supposed to represent what the audience should assume are mannerisms of aristocratic Siamese or Chinese† (Romalov 46). The ambiguity in the exact ethnicity of the cats is significant because it demonstrates how Disney films tend to combine different ethnicities under the umbrella of one: â€Å"(Disney’s films, like many Hollywood films, often tended to lump ethnic groups together into a kind of undifferentiated mass-Asians, Chinese, Japanese, Siamese, for example Arab and East Indians as another example. ) The cats even roundly sing of their supposed heritage† (Romalov 46). This practice of ethnic â€Å"lumping† is even more obscene in Aladdin where Arabic and Indian cultures are intertwined and assumed to be one and the same. Like Lady and the Tramp, Aladdin attempted to include other races in the film that had not been included in other Disney movies of the past; unfortunately, we see many of the same racist undertones in Aladdin that are present in the film’s predecessors. Perhaps the most controversial and racist part in Aladdin (1992) is a set of lines in the opening song, â€Å"Arabian Nights. † It is one of the most contentious messages found in the film and begins the movie’s â€Å"depiction of Arab culture with a decidedly racist tone† (Giroux 104). An Arab merchant sings the lyrics: â€Å"Oh I come from a land/From a faraway place/Where the caravan camels roam. Where they cut off your ears/If they don’t like your face. /It’s barbaric, but hey, its home. † The message that is given right at the beginning of the film is that the Middle East is a desolate wasteland where the justice system runs on a simple limb-removal policy. The opening song alone s ets a tone that alienates the Arabic community from Western culture: â€Å"One would have to be very naive to believe that Hollywood would dare to use such a song if it did not see Arabs as belonging to an `other' or `alien' culture. Successive themes drive home the view that these creatures are suspicious, lazy, unethical, and violent outsiders. They' most definitely are not like ‘us’†(Shaheen 50). The lyrics to the opening song in Aladdin caused an uproar in Arab countries and the words were later changed to: â€Å"Where it’s flat and immense/ And the heat is intense. † Not only are the lyrics violent, but they are truly an example of the worst kind of racism. Disney distribution president Dick Cook was quoted as saying the change was made after meetings with members of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination League but that â€Å"it was something we did because we wanted to do it [†¦] In no way would we ever do anything [†¦] insensitive to anyone,† he said (Shaheem 52). Yousef Salem, a former spokesperson for the South Bay Islamic Association, characterizes the film in the following way: â€Å"All of the bad guys have beards and large, bulbous noses, sinister eyes and heavy accents, and they're wielding swords constantly. Aladdin doesn't have a big nose, he has a small nose. He doesn't have a beard or turban. He doesn't have an accent† (Shaheen 56). This portrayal of Arab characters gives people a negative perception of Arabs. Furthermore, the Arab characters are mean whereas those who speak clear English and appear to be Americanized are â€Å"socially accepted†, or the â€Å"heroes† of society. In the first few scenes of the movie we see an Arab merchant, with a thick accent, wearing a turban and who is trying to sell stereotypical middle-eastern products (a vase which contains â€Å"a combination of hookah and coffee maker,† which can also produce â€Å"a million fries†). In addition, the movie shows Jasmine almost loosing her hand for giving a poor little boy an apple from the market stand. That is not accurate for most Middle Easterners who strive to help the poor and the homeless – they would not attempt to cut someone’s hand off for giving an apple to a poor child. These instances show the racist way in which people from the East are portrayed as barbaric. The film could also be considered racist in that it portrays Arab culture as deeply oppressive of women and brutally violent. Princess Jasmine is trapped mercilessly inside her palace home, and the palace guards threaten to cut off her hand at one point in the film. She is also constantly controlled by the men who surround her. Finally, she is the only other woman we see in the film besides the belly dancers in the opening scenes. What does that say in regard to the significance of women in Disney? Of course, Disney does not intend to offend anyone – that would be bad business. Most people who watch the movies are probably caught up in the Disney magic and do not notice these things. Problematically, one way in which Disney creates the magic is by using stereotypes that people respond to without thinking. Aladdin looks â€Å"right† for a hero; Jafar looks â€Å"right† for a villain; Jasmine looks â€Å"right† for a trapped princess. We as consumers do not think about it, but the practices and images we internalize as being â€Å"right† are very dangerous for society. For example, it is especially concerning that the upper class in the film, the royal family, appears white. The Sultan, Jasmine, and Aladdin are all fair-skinned and do not speak with accents, suggesting that they are more â€Å"white† than the other characters in the film. This image perpetuates the white power structure in America, and most viewers are only aware of this on a subconscious level (Shaheem 54). This subconscious awareness of practices such as racism in the media is especially hazardous for our society because if an individual is not perceptive of when she internalizes social evils, than she cannot be perceptive of when she perpetuates them. Even still, the fact remains that regardless of whether we think about it, recognize or denounce it, racism and stereotyping takes place in many Disney films, including the classic 1994 film The Lion King. The first and perhaps most noticeable example of racism in The Lion King mirrors a stereotyping practice seen in Aladdin. Like Jaffar in Aladdin, Scar is arguably one of the darkest colored characters in The Lion King. While the other heroic lions are lighter skinned, Scar is the only one with dark fur and a jet-black mane, reinforcing the stereotype where the darker and more ethnic character is the villain (Twomey 1). Another obvious example of racism in Aladdin, is seen with the hyenas, who are portrayed as stupid and violent, and are comprised of a lower-class animal group that feeds upon the scraps and leftovers of the more dominant, strong, intelligent creatures. This dichotomy is then reinforced by the use of stereotypes, classifying these stupid, low-class hyenas through the use of African-American (Whoopi Goldberg as â€Å"Shenzi†) and Latino (Cheech Marin as â€Å"Banzai†) stereotypes. It has even been said that â€Å"despicable hyena storm troopers speak†¦ in racially coded accents that take on the nuances of the discourse of a decidedly urban, black, and Latino youth† (Byrne 62). The speech patterns and accents of the hyenas present quite a stark contrast compared to the American and British accents of the rest of the cast. The hyenas also serve as an interesting opposition to the thoughtful, strong, and intelligent characters of the rest of the film, who represent the upper class, indeed, mostly â€Å"white† culture. That is not to say all African-Americans are poorly depicted. James Earl Jones voices the role of the powerful and wise â€Å"Mufasa†, and Robert Guillaume voices â€Å"Rafiki,† the wise shaman. Yet even with two of the strongest main characters being voiced by African-Americans, it is hard not to notice the stereotyping Disney seems to be making about Black, Latino, and lower-class culture. It is significant to recognize that The Lion King does not stop with racial stereotypes, but also cruelly targets other underrepresented groups including women and homosexuals. According to the Associated Press, Carolyn Newberger of Harvard University complained in the Boston Globe that â€Å"the good-for-nothing hyenas are urban blacks; the arch-villain's gestures are effeminate, and he speaks in supposed gay cliches† (Twomey 33). The film also furthers gender stereotypes by displaying women as subservient and dependent upon the strength of males. The strong-spirited Nala can be viewed as a counter to this, but just as with the racial stereotyping, one strong female character does not undo the overall statement being made about the weakness of women. It is the combination of Disney’s insensitive treatment of stereotypes targeting not only non-whites, but also women, and other minorities in films such as Aladdin and The Lion King that can help explain the 21st century’s response to The Princess and the Frog. Both before and after The Princess and the Frog was released, many of the film’s critics were very vocal about racism in the movie. Nearly everyone who has an opinion about the film has something different to say – in sum, nearly everything about the film is racist and offensive to someone and needs to be changed. As a starting point in analyzing the public’s critical response to Princess and the Frog, it is important to address all the criticism surrounding the black princess’s name. Many argue that the princess’s original name, Maddy, is to close to he slave term â€Å"mammy†: â€Å"A voice actor’s tongue wouldn’t have to slip very much to say â€Å"mammy† while ordering Maddy to do a chore, and in such a context, the name â€Å"Maddy† seemed both deliberately inappropriately evocative and easy for the audience to mishear† (Kareem 1). Furthermore, others argue that Maddy’s position as chambermaid fo r a spoiled, white girl is demeaning. Just as Disney changed the name of its protagonist to â€Å"Tiana,† they have also changed her from being a maid to being a prospective owner of a restaurant. True it is traditional for fairy tale protagonists to begin their stories with having a low social status, but a black heroine who is a domestic could be legitimately read not as a fairy tale trope but as a reinforcement of real world racial denigration (Kareem 1). Some may claim that it would be historically accurate for a 1920’s black woman to be a maid, but Disney does not even necessarily care about historical accuracy when animating actual history. Another point of heated debate in the film centers on the fact that the black princess ends up with an arguably whiter prince, Naveen (or at least a prince who looks white and is voiced by a Brazilian actor who also looks white). Whatever Naveen's ethnicity is, in her article â€Å"The Word on the â€Å"Princess and the Frog,† Disney’s First Film With a Black Heroine,† Nandra Careem quotes Shannon Prince who raises some interesting points about the problems behind Disney’s choice not to make him African American: Some might argue that portraying interracial marriage in film is good – but why then weren't any of the white princesses given non-white princes to save them from white villains? And since Disney doesn't give white princesses non-white princes, isn't this interracial relationship at the expense of black boys who deserve a hero just as much as black girls deserve a heroine? (Kareem, 1) Prince is not the only critic to take issue with the difference in skin color between the prince and princess. Cultural critic Hensley Jameson comments, â€Å"The prince is lighter than she is. What’s that say about black men? Sure, Boris Kodjoe is fine, and we come in all shades, but to be truly black, a character can’t be any lighter than Denzel Washington (Kareem 1). Originally the prince was explicitly reported as being the jazz-loving monarch of a European country. By giving the prince an olive, but still white, complexion and a Brazilian accent, Disney gets to go forward with their original white hero yet make him ambiguous enough to not be unequivocally criticized as white at the same time. Tiana isn't the problem,† says Angela Bonner Helm at Black Voices: â€Å"Was there any particular reason why her love interest, Prince Naveen of Maldonia, couldn't be black, too? Though America has a â€Å"real-life black man in the highest office of the land with a black wife, Disney obviously doesn't think a black man is worth the title of prince† (Kareem 1). The plot of The Princess and the Frog also follows Disney’s pattern of making their ev il characters more â€Å"ethnic† and darker than their good characters. The central villain in the film is the voodoo master, who is also African American. Elaborating on the presence of voodoo in the film, Careem comments that Disney grossly misrepresented the purpose and reality of voodoo: â€Å"The foundation of voodoo is not charms but monotheistic faith, belief in saints and spirits, and a focus on moral values such as charity and respect for the elderly. People do perform rites for protection and defense, but suffice it to say that voodoo is not about being a magician or a fairy godmother† (Mathews 1). The fact that Disney uses uninformed voodoo stereotypes rather than accurate facts in the film furthers the racist undertones in the film. The final major point of criticism in the film is concerned with the fact that the first black Disney princess spends most of the time in the movie as a frog: â€Å"Why does the black princess have to be a frog the whole time? Are they saying black people should be green instead of black? † wonders Shirley Wilson, a waitress at Rob’s diner who plans to boycott the movie: â€Å"when I watched the film I felt disappointed to learn that the heroine spends a significant chunk of the movie not as a black princess at all but as a frog. After decades of waiting, would it be too much to actually see an hour and a half of a black princess on the screen? † (Matthews 1). Wilson’s response to The Princess and the Frog is especially significant because it demonstrates how many people, even on a non-academic level have serious concerns about issues of race in the film. When addressing the critical response to The Princess and the Frog, it is difficult to ignore the fact that even though it has been over half of a century since the first Disney films were released, racism is still a point of criticism, both in the older films and in the ones being produced today. Furthermore, despite the fact that The Princess and the Frog features the first black Disney Princess, critics are even more upset about racism in the film than they ever were before – even in the case of more overtly racist films. Many of the points raised about racism and racial stereotypes in the film are valid and interesting; nevertheless, one cannot help but notice that they overshadow many of the advances Disney has made in eliminating other equally offensive stereotypes in their films. For example, whereas other Disney films typically lack the mother figure completely and perhaps only reference the mother when explaining the past, The Princess and the Frog includes a mother who is present for the entire film. It may not be obvious to most viewers of The Princess and the Frog, but Disney takes a huge and important step in introducing a mother figure to their film – their past practice of eliminating the mother figure is arguably sexist and offensive to the female identity. Another important change Disney makes in Princess and the Frog centers on the fact that unlike other Disney princesses who dream about meeting a prince, Tiana has realistic dreams and expectations – she wants to be a restaurant owner and works very diligently to achieve her goal. Despite this significant statement about female power, however, most film critics will probably instead choose to focus on the fact that Tiana, as an African American, is limited to owning a restaurant rather than a Fortune 500 company. Works Cited: Alan, Spector J. Cultural Diversity and the US Media. Albany: State Univ. of New York, 1998. Print. Brunette, Libby. Stereotypes and Racism in Children's movies. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 2002 Byrne, Eleanor, and Martin McQuillan. Deconstructing Disney. London: Pluto, 1999. Print. Giroux, Henry A. â€Å"Are Disney Movies Good for Your Kids? † Rethinking Childhood 10. 2 (2000): 32-115. Print. Goldmark, Daniel. â€Å"Locating America: Revisiting Disney’s Lady and the Tramp. † Social Identities 14 (2008): 101-120. Print. Kareem, Nadra. â€Å"Nadra's Race Relations Blog. Rev. of Race Relations. Web Log post. About. com. 23 Nov. 2009. Web. 10 Mar. 2010. . Look Out New World, Here We Come? Race, Racialization, and Sexuality in Four Children's Animated Films by Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks. † Print. Lugo-Lugo, Carmen, and Mary Bloodsworth-Lugo. â€Å"Look Out New World, Here We Come? Race, Racialization, and Sexuality in Four Children's Animated Films by Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks. † Cultural Studies Critical Methodologies 9. 2 (2009): 166-78. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. Maltin, Leonard. The Disney Films. New York: Disney Editions, 2000. Print. Matthews, Bill. â€Å"Disney's Black Princess Is the Most Racist Thing Ever. † The Peoples News. ThePeoplesNews, 2 June 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2010. . Robin, Allan. â€Å"European Influences on Early Disney Feature Films. † A Reader in Animation Studies 25. 3 (1997): 42-46. Print. Romalov, Nancy. â€Å"Lady and the Tramps: The Cultural Work of Gypsies in Nancy Drew and Her Foremothers. † The Lion and the Unicorn 18. 1 (1994). Http://muse. jhu. edu/journals. 1 June 1994. Web. 11 Mar. 2010. Schickel, Richard. The Disney Version; the Life, Times, Art, and Commerce of Walt Disney. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1968. Print. Shaheen, Jack. â€Å"Aladdin Animated Racism. † Cineaste 20. 1 (1994): 49-52. Print. Twomey, Steve. â€Å"†The Lion King† a Roaring Success Despite Lambasting. † Washington Post 28 July 1994, 46th ed. , sec. B: 4-7. Print. Walker, Janet. â€Å"Disney's Policy? No Black People, Please. † Academic Search Premier. 23 July 1994. Web. 12 Mar. 2010. Weinman, Jamie. â€Å"Zip-a-dee-dee-doo-don't Mention It. † Maclean's 120. 18 (2007): 63-64. Print.

Literary Analysis on Death of a Salesman Essay

In Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, the conflict between a father and son shapes the overall meaning of the work and explains all of the adverse events that occur throughout. The sources of Willy and Biff’s conflicts, which include Biff’s delusional perception of the world as a result of ideas planted in him by his father, Biff’s discovery of his father’s affair, and Biff’s lack of business success all accumulate and result in the ultimate rivalry between the father and son. Altogether, these contribute greatly to the formation of the concept that personal dreams and desire to achieve success can often negatively interfere with personal relationships, and causing people to loose sight of what is important in our lives, as Willy and Biff exemplify. Throughout the play, there are flashbacks to Biff’s childhood as a successful athlete and motivated individual. Willy’s pride in his son’s accomplishments is apparent, as he constantly praises him saying, â€Å"Good work Biff!† (1561), yet Willy’s lack of acceptance of reality are as well. Frequently Bernard, a studious young boy, appears and reminds Willy of Biff’s unsatisfactory grades, yet Willy refuses to admit these downfalls and does not accept the reality of his son’s situation. Willy merely tells Bernard, â€Å"Don’t be a pest, Bernard! What an anemic!† (1560), and dismisses the negative statements made about Biff. Bernard constantly reappears almost as a symbol of Biff’s conscience, telling him to study or else he will not graduate. Willy does not help the situation and completely combats Bernard’s efforts by filling Biff’s head with lies and selling him on the idea of the American Dream as s omething that is easily achieved, by giving simple advice such as, â€Å"Be liked and you will never want† (1561). It is apparent that Willy weighs the importance of being well-liked and socially accepted more heavily than actual hard work and success, a negative reflection of his character. Willy preaches his philosophy that, â€Å"the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead† (1561). This is purely ironic due to the fact that Willy is the man who creates a personal interest in the business world with men of high status, but when all of his friends pass away he is left with nothing but a glorified past to remember. This false reality that Willy paints for Biff fosters the conflict between father and  son due to the fact that Biff fails as a result of the way he was raised. Biff follows his fathers ways and words, and by the time he takes his first job he has been raised to think that success and happiness will just come to him without excessive effort on his part. As any son would look up to and admire his father, Biff took his father’s advice and therefore makes no excessive efforts and put forth minimal work expecting to become successful merely because of his personality. This sense of entitlement is clearly diminished when Biff fails to keep a job and ends up at home. Willy never takes the time to teach Biff a good work ethic, good values, and strong morals, because Willy himself has not even established these within his own character. Therefore Biff steals, does not work hard, and finds it hard to make it in the real world. Willy himself does not know what is important in life, does not have morals, and does not value his family relationships, therefore he has no way of teaching Biff these vital tools for success and happiness. The resentment Willy feels because of Biff’s lack of success becomes the main conflict throughout the play ultimately reflects negatively upon Willy’s lack of ability to achieve the American dr eam himself, displaying Willy’s overall weak character. Biff’s discovery of his father’s affair serves as a main turning point for him as a character, a turning point that sends him downward into a life of struggle and lack of achievement. It is at this point that Biff loses respect for his father and begins to recognize the lie that he is living, thus making it a main source of conflict. Willy is in denial about his involvement with Biff’s failure in life, and when indirectly confronted by Bernard about the incident in Boston asking â€Å"What happened in Boston, Willy?† (1600), Willy becomes defensive, saying, â€Å"What are you trying to do, blame it on me? Don’t talk to me that way!† (1600). After being told about Biff’s reaction upon his return from Boston and the burning of his favorite University of Virginia shoes that symbolize Biff’s dreams and hopes for the future, Willy realizes the extent of impact that Biff’s discovery of the affair had. Willy’s lack of acc eptance of reality adversely affects his relationship with Biff because he never takes responsibility for his affair or even has the courage to admit it to Biff. As a result, when Biff discovers a woman in his father’s hotel room, he confronts his father, â€Å"You  fake! You phony little fake! You fake!† (1618) and all Willy can do is attempt to exercise his authority as a father which ultimately fails. Frequently throughout the play, Happy makes references to the man Biff used to be, asking him, â€Å"What happened, Biff? Where’s the old humor, the old confidence?† (1552). Learning about his father’s affair and seeing it firsthand that day in Boston was the turning point for Biff, the point where he grew up and realized that his father was a broken and defeated man, not the successful business man he portrayed himself as and used to be. As a result of this, Biff loses all respect for his father, and alternatively Willy begins to loathe Biff as well. Due to his discovery of the affair, Biff not only sees his father as a failed businessman, but a failed man. A man without money does not make him a bad man, but an adulterer who betrayed a woman who gave him everything cannot be forgiven in the eyes of a son. Throughout Willy’s continuous failures and defeats, his wife still remains supportive of him and loving, constantly reminding him of her affection for him. Despite this, Willy still yearns to have what he does not and thus pursues an extramarital relationship with â€Å"the other woman.† It is clear that Willy finds some kind of comfort and validation in this affair with a woman who makes him feel wanted, yet his wife does the same therefore it is clearly a matter of greed. â€Å"Willy’s sense of failure, his belief that he has no right to his wife, despite Linda’s love for him, is what motivates Willy’s deceptions, and those of his sons after him† (Bloom, Bloom’s Modern Critical Interpretations: Death of a Salesman). This event contributes to the overall meaning of the work as a symbol of the failure of the American Dream by Willy, not only in terms of personal success but also in terms of family relationship and his family’s success. Not only does Willy cheat on his wife, loathe his son, and struggle to keep a job, but he has let his values go and seems to have no moral compass of right and wrong. It shows that he has failed in the business aspect of his life, and also in his morals. Finally, Biff’s lack of success in the real world contributes largely to the conflict between him and his father. After having countless jobs over a period of several years, Biff returns home with loss of all hope of finding a steady job to support himself. Willy is disappointed by Biff’s lack of  ability to succeed, and, â€Å"It is to Biff, the returning son, to whom Willy relates most affectively.† (Hadomi, Rhythm Between Father and Son.) It is because Willy can see so much of himself in Biff and relates so heavily to him that these resentful feelings arise. Biff reflects his father’s failed ideals and expectations for himself, which are represented in Willy’s fantasies and flashbacks regarding Biff’s successful and glorious childhood, as well as expectations that Willy originally had for himself. Willy sees his failed life and career as a middle-aged man, and recognizes similar traits and qualities in Biff. Although he never expresses these, it is apparent that Willy largely sees himself in his son and thus takes out his anger for himself on Biff, resulting in constant fighting and conflict. The conflicted relationship between Willy and Biff exemplifies the theme of the work that in one’s pursuit of professional and material success, it is easy to become preoccupied with superficial aspects of life while simultaneously losing sight of what matters most. Willy’s preoccupation with his quest for material fulfillment ultimately results in a flawed relationship with his family, and ultimately with his son Biff when Willy sees him following in his footsteps. This conflict between father and son is what shapes the theme of the work and serves to highlight Miller’s purpose and the greater meaning of the play; that nothing is more important than family. (Word Count: 1517)

Financial Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Financial Management - Assignment Example Financial structure refers to the right side of the firms or organizations balance sheet detailing how the assets are financed including debt as well as shares. In other words, financial structure refers to the way in which the organizations assets are financed. Like all other organizations, Manchester fire and rescue service too have a financial structure. The finance of the organization are managed by departmental managers and consists of a team which manages the payroll of the service employees, control the annual budgets as well as provide general financial advice to the managers (Organizational Structure. 2011). The Manchester fire and rescue service in its budget in 2009-10 has set aside 0.9 million pounds for effective governance, 22.2 million for community fire safety, 0.4 million for emergency planning and civil defense, and 95.8 million for fire fighting and rescue operations. Majority of the funds necessary for the purpose would be available from percepts which is money th at is paid by the metropolitan district authority collected as part of council tax. Moreover it also receives funds through national non domestic rates which are businesses rates that are set up by and paid to the government and redistributed based on population. It also receives revenue support grant which is paid by the authorities from national taxation to provide funding to operate local services. Majority revenue share for the fire service organization is expected from national domestic rates. Revenues from percepts and revenue support grants follow. The financial allocations of Manchester fire and rescue services are done through financial annual budgets. Allocations and spending are strictly according to the preplanned budgets. The annual budgets expresses in financial terms the priorities determined by the members of the authority moreover it sets out the plans for service provision in the coming year. The budgets that are prepared reconsider objectives, reassess priorities as well as reexamine the way in which the service delivery is achieved currently. This is because the budgets that are prepared should be in line with the needs of the authority against the cost to local tax payers’ while operating along with governmental guidelines. To get allocation of funds from the government and its agencies all financial plans, allocations and spending should be done according to governmental guidelines. Therefore the authority has developed a three year financial planning process. The government also has a hand to determine the resources that pass through this three year process. The government has announced formula grant for the next three years starting from 2009 to 2011. The average increase in grants will be 1.4%. The collection fund surplus remains at 0.113 million pounds. Given all these increases, the Manchester fire and rescue authority has to frame its own strategies and plans to achieve the planning objectives on the basis of governmental pol icies. Governmental policies should be followed strictly because all major funding for operations are coming from the government. With regard to capital expenditure programme, replacements and upgrades requires resources in excess of supported borrowing approval from the government. There should be separate revenue budgets and capital expenditure programmes. The balance between the revenue and capital budgets is to be determined by the authority to achieve a balanced budget plan. The

Lab Assignments Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Lab Assignments - Assignment Example There must also exist a spacious business room to house the franchise, and finally, the equipment must be available. My chosen corporation is the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. the profile of the company indicates that its head office is at Ottawa, Ontario. The company is managed and run by the Board of directors, which includes the President and the twelve directors and appointed by the GIC for a five-year term and may be removed at any time by the same IGC. President is the full time while the chairperson operates part-time. The updated salaries for the Executives as at 2014 indicates the chairperson is to be earning between $565-$665, Project Manager $77,708, System analyst $62,511 and TV Director $78,118. The total amount of stock for the corporation is about $1,849 million. Budgeting is spending less than what you have planned on both the long and the short terms. A basic of budgeting requires an individual to know his/her income to determine the expenses that they may incur every month (Needles, Powers & Crosson, 2011). A basic of budgeting also requires an individual to calculate the difference to determine surplus or deficit before developing up a budget. My strategic plan includes starting up an income generating business that will sustain family members. I have several strategic plans ahead of me, just to mention some of them; I want to continue with my education until I grow old, I am also planning of coming up with programs within my society that will help create jobs for the jobless youth within my area. My tactical plans includes coming with ideas of how I will start my income generating business, where I will get the finances to start up the business, I am also thinking of what methods I will use to ensure the continuity of my education (Needles, Powers & Crosson, 2011). I am also planning of facing

Effects of Caffeine on the Human Body Research Paper

Effects of Caffeine on the Human Body - Research Paper Example It is widely believed that caffeine is a drug which causes addiction and has many harmful effects on the body. This paper aims to research the controversy of these effects. Some of the effects reportedly associated with Caffeine intake are rise in blood pressure, high level of alertness, affects on length and quality of sleep and stunt growth. Though it has also been observed that all individuals do not provide the same response to the stimulus of Caffeine, it nevertheless has been an issue of great concern whether there are any general and noticeable effects of Caffeine on the human body. Introduction: Caffeine is a chemical compound regarded as one of the three most used drugs of the world that affect the mood of the user. Caffeine is said to be a potent and quick-acting drug that produces the same effect on the human body as stress does (Connelly). Caffeine is present in numerous everyday intakes like coffee, tea, cocoa and energy boosting drinks. The amount of Caffeine in the ene rgy boosting drinks is dangerously high, which is one of the major contributing factors towards the hyperactivity following the intake of these drinks. These effects of Caffeine occur instantly and can prevail for 6-8 hours after the consumption. Caffeine is regarded as a drug because of its addictive nature and withdrawal symptoms. The usage of Caffeine-containing beverages and products is very common, such that it has become an everyday need for many people to carry out their day-to-day tasks properly. Research has proven that the effects of Caffeine on the body is differentiated by size (like built, weight etc.) and gender (Rhodes). However, these may not be the only factors influencing the onset of Caffeine effects. It is commonly believed that Caffeine does not affect every individual in the same way. The purpose of this research paper is also the analysis of the effects of Caffeine on the human body. Materials and Methods: Different assumptions will require different sample sp ecifications and methodologies. For analyzing the effect of Caffeine on Blood Pressure, we will need to take a sample of 6 fit individuals; 2 adult males, 1male child, 2 adult females and 1 female child. Before the start of the experiment, all 6 individuals’ Blood Pressures will be noted. Then, 1 adult male, 1 adult female and both the children will be administered with Caffeine (a cup of coffee) while the remaining 2 will be given placebo compounds (sugar). Immediately after administration, the blood pressure will be noted again for all 6 individuals and this will continue with 15minutes time span for the next 6 hours. For analyzing the effect of Caffeine on Alertness, we will require a sample of 4 individuals at minimum. Each individual will be assigned a task to perform (solve mathematics problems) under three different conditions; without the administration of Caffeine, with the administration of a certain amount of caffeine (a cup of coffee) and lastly with another admin istration of the same amount of caffeine as earlier, i.e., double the amount of caffeine (another cup of coffee) (O’Brien). For assessing the effect of Caffeine on Growth, we will require a minimum of 2 individuals. 1 will be administered with Caffeine products while the other will remain away from Caffeine. Visible effects of Caffeine will not be observable; however, we will be able to analyze the effect of Caffeine on growth by noting its effect on Calcium absorption (Ho and Provis). Observation and Analysis: In the first experiment regarding blood pressure, we will notice that those individuals who were given

Project Plan Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Project Plan - Coursework Example The newly developed product being addressed by this marketing plan is software with about 95% accuracy in predicting products that customers are likely to buy in the next 30 days. The software is a tool for obtaining information on buying habits from customers and their unmet needs and therefore, it accurately predicts future purchases. The software will enable businesses to obtain information concerning expected changes in customer taste or general demand trends for the various products they sale. The information collected can be utilized by businesses for timely matching of products supply with customer demand. English (2004) agrees that quality information is required for meeting customer satisfaction. The main goal of the company is to develop products that are timely in meeting customer needs and enhance their capacity to achieve their own goals. The company focuses more on software that addresses marketing and production needs and this is well achieved because of the company’s culture. Our culture as a company is to be a mile ahead in developing products for customers before they can request for them. As a result of this, the company dominates about 40% of the software market share due to timely product launching. Despite competition, the company has been able to maintain good profit margins due to its unique and timely products, a good marketing strategies and high level of customer satisfaction. Krell (2005) explains that efforts to achieve customer satisfaction will also enable a business to attain customer loyalty without much effort, fear for competition or customers shifting to substitute products despite changes in prices. Our company holds to a similar point of view and so customer satisfaction is the main value driver for the company. The main target customers for this product are businesses. This customer base is large due to the

The Impact of the Employee Handbook on Organizations Essay

The Impact of the Employee Handbook on Organizations - Essay Example What is an employee handbook There are many attorneys with internet presences offering "free advice" on handbook drafting in layman's language (Dickson Wright).Look for simple definitions on the internet and you may be disappointed; however, Schaefer goes to some trouble to distinguish it from the much larger "manual of policies and procedures": An employee handbook is designed to familiarize employees with basic company policies and benefits programs, and although it draws topics from the far broader policies manual, it presents them with much less detail. (43) Also, the reader may have direct experience of signing an acknowledgement often including a statement, a disclaimer, to the effect that you agree that the handbook does not in itself constitute an employment contract (Schaefer 43) which is a key point in understanding them. Handbooks are informational, non-contractual documents that cover the employee journey from induction to discharge. Implicit in them is the legal concept of consensus in idem ("agreement in the same thing"), widely acknowledged to be an advantage of these documents (Newcomb). For the purposes of this essay we will only consider large-scale enterprises which are usually where they are used. Handbooks can be most useful for employee induction, as a basis for resolving disputes or reducing a company's exposure to law suits arising from health and safety legislation, claims for harassment and for unfair dismissal; indeed, it could be a combination of all of these and more. Although it may be assumed that the handbook may not be well received by some employees, this misses the point in that it is a top-down, employer-created document and they must comply with its rules and spirit. In a unionized workplace, much of the content would depend of the relative bargaining strengths of the parties. Employer interests will inevitably dominate and, ironically in some respects, be separated from their employees', e.g. consider McDonalds' policies on "no solicitation, no loitering" (McDonalds 9). It may prescribe the use of safety goggles or a uniform (McDonalds 13), but also describe, say, an attitude that shop floor staff must have toward customers, as illustrated by McDonalds' conc ept of "customer delight" (10). If we compare and contrast the handbooks for a commercial concern, McDonalds Australia, the University of Chicago and The State of Iowa, we can see immediately that although covering broadly similar themes, they are tailored to the organization to take account of their particular corporate culture and aims, e.g. differing health and safety requirements, differing staff profiles (diverse age group or predominantly young people), the mission of the organization, etc.. One is aimed primarily at inexperienced young adults, one at a range of staff from clerical to collegiate, degree-educated academics and one at an American state with probably the broadest and most diverse employee profile. Handbook content is broadly similar regardless of the organization's purpose and covers matters such as absence and sick leave, benefits, dress code, health and safety, performance and appraisal,

Buddhism - A Spiritual Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Buddhism - A Spiritual Religion - Essay Example There is no single text of Buddhism that is followed all over the world as a number of different Buddhist texts are followed by its practitioners. The Buddhists are divided into different traditions and beliefs according to which, they follow different texts such as Theravada Buddhists use Pali Canon as trustworthy and reliable for their religious practices and Mahayana Buddhists use Mahayana Sutras for their scriptural teachings (Fierser and Powers 2007). Pali Tipitaka is also a Buddhist scripture that is regarded as a reliable scriptural work for many Buddhist practices and traditions by Theravadas (Fierser and Powers 2007). Therefore, there are many Buddhist scriptural works followed by different Buddhists all over the world. Buddha preached his enlightenments consisting of all the principles of right action, right speech, right thinking, right livelihood, right intention, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration. Buddha teaches that by learning to live a morally perfect life of a person, after the succession of births and rebirths, ceases to be reborn and enters what he called Nirvana, a spiritual condition free of all desires, passions and sufferings (Ellwood and McGraw 2004). Meditation is the basic practice of Buddhist followers. It is said that the founder of this religion himself achieved spirituality and enlightenment on the basis of meditation. There are two kinds of meditative practices, which are Shamatha and Vipassana. These meditative practices are considered essential for acquiring spirituality. In Buddhism, The meditative approaches of mindfulness and concentration are utilized. (Bowker, 1997: 176). â€Å"The gift of learning to meditate is the greatest gift you can give yourself in this life. For it is only through meditation that you can undertake the journey to discover your true nature, and so find the stability and confidence you will need to live and die, well. Meditation is the road to enlightenment†.

Discuss the theme of ladies' ball Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discuss the theme of ladies' ball - Essay Example A softer version of the game was developed and called â€Å"Softball†. Still the same game, just a different set of rules as applicable to women. In Richard Cumyn's novel â€Å"Ladies Ball†, we discover the story of David and his unknown reasons for falling out of love with baseball. Richard Cumyn never clearly stated what year the story was unfolding in, so I am choosing to believe that the story had been set in the era after World War II, when men were coming back from the war and were reclaiming their right to the great game of Baseball. Cumyn as an author creates an internal conflict for this main character, David. However, it is an internal conflict that seems to have no beginning and no resolution. Instead, he used this conflict in order to successfully depict a man who comes to the realization that by letting go of something that he loved and enjoyed as a child, he has also lost an understanding of a portion of himself as a person. When his wife, Joan, is invited to join the local informal ladies baseball league, he believes that she won't have any interest in joining the local team for a game that night. Mostly because she is more of a cycling person than a â€Å"baseball† person. However, it slowly becomes clear to the reader that Joan was simply humoring her husband when she first refused to play with their new neighbors because of the way that David reacted to the invitation extended to her. He decided that she should not play the game. He did not allow her to make the decision for herself. But events on their first night in their new home conspire to allow Joan to try her hand at â€Å"ladies ball†, or softball as their neighbor Grace preferred to call it. However, what David believes and what is true are two different things. Contrary to his belief, Joan did not want to â€Å"get away from this neighbor† but instead, actually wanted to participate in the game. The passage from the book is clear: â€Å"[he] [decid es] that they [need] a way to escape gracefully from [the neighbor].† Thanks to the clever manipulation of their children and an extremely hot summer night, she got the chance to do something that she knew her husband was dead set against her participating in. Somehow, David has chosen to channel his dislike of baseball and his fear of having to play the game that he no longer likes through his wife. His thoughts, actions, and conversation with her that night as they passed the local baseball diamond showed his insecurities about baseball and left him feeling highly uncomfortable and torn between allowing himself to enjoy the female version of a game that he loved, and walking away from the game because it was now being played by women. David is truly uncomfortable with the way that Joan had defied him in order to play the game, making him look like a fool and party killer in front of their new neighbors. He had expected her to decline politely when she was invited to play yet again. He never expected her to suit up and get out on the field, ready, willing, and able to play. When he leaves her to put their children to bed, he can't help but return to the field to see how his wife participates in the game. He does this from the shadows as he is still reluctant to show her and their neighbors that he has started to enjoy the game and watching his wife play â€Å"ladies ball†. Having his wife catch the winning ball only adds to David's inner conflict about the game that he gave up on. His lonely excursion into the baseball mound to get a whiff of the game yet

State V. Steele. Police administration Essay Example for Free

State V. Steele. Police administration Essay Julian Steele worked as a police officer. In 2009, a robbery took place and the police were involved in the matter. After weeks of investigation, the police traced the vehicle involved in the robbery to one Miss Alice Maxton. Julian, being a police officer got involved in the case. Julian arrested Maxton’s children, taking them away from school. Julian then interrogated one of the three kids, compelling the kid to admit to being involved in the robbery. Julian threatened the kid by telling the kid that if he did not confess to the robbery, his mum would be put to jail. Scared, the kid confessed to the crime and was put to jail. Steele managed to convince Alice to have sex with him, so that he could foresee the release of his son. Certain prosecutors learned of Steele’s misconduct and accused him on grounds of intimidation and kidnap (Gaines, 2012,). Judging by Steele’s behavior, it is correct to say that Steele was involved in police misconduct. According to the law, officers are free to arrest people. This fact discredits the charges of abduction. However, the law does not allow police officers to use false confessions to put people to prison. Steele knew that the kid could not have possibly committed the crime, yet he went ahead to imprison the minor using the minor’s confession as prove. Intimidation is part of a police officer’s work. This fact discredits the claims of intimidation against Steele. However, police officers are not allowed to make threats during questioning. Steele made threats. He threatened the kid that his mum would be put to prison, and that he (the kid) would be separated from his siblings. These threats compelled the kid to admit to a crime he had not committed. This was against the police code of conduct (Worrall, 2012,). Steele is an officer that went against the police code of conduct. As a result, Steele should not be given a second chance. Instead, he should be asked to hand in a resignation letter, before his transfer to prison. This would in turn serve as a warning to other officers. References Gaines, L. K., Worrall, J. L. (2012). Police administration. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar/Cengage. Source document

Reggae Music Jamaican

Reggae Music Jamaican â€Å"A perspective of Reggae as a music Genre, History, and the Legendary.† Caribbean music has entertained many music fans and has a great influence on the rest of the world. Music from the Caribbean islands such as ska, rock steady and dancehall have changed from each other and combined into what we know as â€Å"reggae† music. This music genre has also been influenced by parts of African rhythms and American blues. In the midst of all these influences, there rises a perspective of Reggae as a music genre, history, and the Legendary.† The word reggae may have been first used by the vocal group the Maytals, in the title of their 1968 hit â€Å"Do the Reggay† (Wikipedia, 2007). Although a definition of the word ‘reggae is controversial as the Oxford English Dictionary says â€Å"the origin of the word is unknown.† On the other hand, Piero Scaruffi (2003) claim that the word reggae was coined around 1960 in Jamaica to identify a ragged style of dance music, that still had its roots in New Orleans rhythmnblues. Reggae was an evolution of what had been happening in Jamaican music, and was the next evolution step up from the other types of Jamaican music that had been enjoyed before it. These styles were ska, and rock steady. Wikipedia (2007) has indicated that compared with rock music, reggae music basically inverted the role of bass and guitar: the former was the lead, the latter beat the typical hiccupping pattern. The vocals in reggae are less of a defining characteristic of the genre than the instrumentation and rhythm. Almost any song can be performed in a reggae style. Vocal harmony parts are often used either throughout the melody or as a counterpoint to the main vocal line. Reggae lyrics is noted for its tradition of social criticism, although many reggae songs discuss lighter, more personal subjects such as love, sex and socializing. Some reggae lyrics attempt to raise the political perception of the audience, such as by criticizing materialism or by informing the listener about certain controversial subjects such as apartheid. There are many artists and songs that use religious themes in their music, whether it be discussing a religious topic or simply giving praise to the Rastafari God, called Jah. Other socio-political topics in reggae songs include: Black Nationalism, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, anti capitalism, criticism of political systems, and criticism of the colonial education system. Harmonically, the music is often very simple, and sometimes a whole song will have no more than one or two chords. The Bob Marley and the Wailers song Exodus is almost entirely comprised of A-minor chords. However, Bob Marley also wrote more complex chord structures, and the band Steel Pulse has often used very complex chord structures. The bass guitar often plays a very dominant role in reggae, and the drum and bass is often called the riddim. A rhythm, riddim in reggae vocabulary, is a rhythm pattern. Its basically a bassline and usually a special drum pattern is used with the bassline (Jam2jamdis, n.d.) Reggae music had its origin with ska in the late 1950s right about the time Jamaica got its independence from England. Though this style of music is original only to Jamaica, its known and loved globally. The Reggae beat has been through many stages since its formulation in Jamaica in the early 1960s. It began with the Ska beat which derives from a strong influence of rhythm blues, and then Rocksteady, before reaching its worldwide appeal as Reggae during the Seventies to early Eighties. Jamaica first started their own label of music in the 50s. Edward Sega, the man who was to become the president of Jamaica, was first known as the founder of a company called WIRL, or West Indian Records Limited, this company began releasing the work of local artists. Many more recorders began to follow suit, once the pressing plants were established on the island, the Jamaican recording industry was born. An independent label, Island, distributed Jamaican records in the UK throughout the 1960s, but reggae became popular in the UK only when Prince Busters Al Capone (1967) started a brief dance craze. Jamaican music was very much a ghetto phenomenon, associated with gang-style violence, but Jimmy Cliffs Wonderful World Beautiful People (1969) wed reggae with the peace and love philosophy of the hippies, an association that would not die away. In the USA, Neil Diamonds Red Red Wine (1967) was the first reggae hit by a pop musician. Shortly afterwards, Johnny Nashs Hold Me Tight (1968) propelled reggae onto the charts. Do The Reggay (1968) by Toots (Hibbert) And The Maytals was the record that gave the music its name. Fredrick Toots Hibberts vocal style was actually closer to gospel, as proved by their other hits (54-46, 1967; Monkey Man, 1969; Pressure Drop, 1970). It was in the 1970s that the late Bob Marley took this art and made it an international craze with roots reggae, which was a heavy, spiritual and conscious sound. Roots reggae is the name given to a spiritual type of music whose lyrics are mainly in praise of Jah (God). On the other hand, roots music, which had a heavy Reggae bass line and lyrics to match, really captured the mood of what life is like living in the ghetto. The 70s saw the creation and international success of Roots Reggae. With this style, the tempo was slowed down even more, and the electric bass was lower and more important in the mix. Along with this change in musical approach was the increased intensity and depth of the lyrical content. Influenced by suffering, corrupt politicians and police, and the religion of Rastafari, the lyrics of Roots music ranged from powerful protest music to beautiful spiritual music. It had a passion that moved and still moves people around the globe (Jeff Reiss n.d.) Jeff Reis (n.d.) also has indicated that in the 90s, Reggae history is moving right along, dancehall began to show influence of Roots rhythms and ideology. With a focus back to Rastafari, artists such as Sizzla, Capleton, Anthony B, and Buju Banton, have become world famous musicians. In the twentieth century Jamaica was famous with reggae, the Rastafarians and Bob Marley. Here constantly reggae concerts, music of love and revolution take place. Nowadays, when every fiftieth person on the Earth is Rastafarian, Jamaica became their Mecca and a house-museum of Bob Marley becomes a temple at the date of his death. Reggae music has moved through many different variations. Performances have been seen and heard from rhythms such as Dub, Ska, Congo, and Dancehall. The dancehall genre developed around 1980, with artists such as Yellowman, Super Cat, and Shabba Ranks. The style is characterized by a deejay singing and rapping or toasting over raw and fast rhythms. As mentioned on Music Lesson Online (n.d.) with the loss of its biggest name, Bob Marley, reggae seemed to strike a slow period, when the music had no direction. That changed in the mid 1980s with the advent of dancehall. This was faster than reggae, the rebellious music of youth that also drew influences from American hip-hop. Ragga is a subgenre of dancehall, in which the instrumentation primarily consists of electronic music and sampling. Reggaeton is a form of dance music that first became popular with Latino youths in the early 1990s. Reggae rock is a genre that combines elements of reggae and rock music. The bands Sublime and 311 are known for this reggae rock. The Reggae beat also became faster and more sophisticated musically, to keep up with the new sound coming in from the USA called Funk which used the aid of the new electronic musical instruments and included the famous syndrome used on many a tune. In the 1990s dancehall and reggae evolved, accompanied by the opinion that it contained more offensive lyrics that would encourage street violence and dismay. However, there is a recent development going back to more socially and spiritually aware lyrics known by some to be the New Roots Movement. The old-style roots reggae has also become global, with reggae bands springing up all over, many of whom had achieved great critical success, like the African reggae of Lucky Dube or Alpha Blondy. Today reggae has grown as the artists are showcased at events such as the Caribbean Music Expo, and Jamaica Sumfest. It is highly recommended that those who are truly interested in Jamaicas music attend one of these shows. Some of these stage shows can be days long, so if you cant be there for the entire show, you can catch at least one day of it. New Reggae artists such as Shaggy and Sean Paul have brought reggae even further internationally. An example of how reggae has grown globally is Shaggys concert in Kuala Lumpur on 1 December 2007. When one thinks of Reggae music, the first name that comes to mind is Bob Marley. Rustic Girls (n.d.) has indicated that even though the world first met Bob Marley in the 70s, the name still lingers to this day, because he was the man who turned Jamaican Reggae music into an international phenomenon, and with the help of a few others along the way established reggae as a worldwide genre of music. Bob Marley had established himself as an early leading influence, with his creative style and unique stage presence. He adopted Rastafarianism; bring in his reggae music with greater soul and more touching lyrics. Bob Marley became an international superstar and is considered a prophet by the followers of the Rastafarian religion. It is Bob Marley legend because he managed to bring reggae music to the non-African and non-Jamaican population of the world and made them love it as it was their own natural spiritual legacy. He showed people the everlasting backbeat that goes along with the wailing soft words like â€Å"No Woman, No Cry ¨ and† Is This Love ¨. Morgan Hamilton (n.d.) claimed that the legend has his name because Bob Marley was the one who actually made it in the conformist society of those days by first getting there, finding his place to fit into that specific social environment, playing by their rules, wearing their clothes and hairstyles. Afterwards he managed to grow and evolve both in a spiritual and a physical aspect keeping in mind all the dreads, but following his own ways in philosophy as well as in religion and in the general attitude as well as in the very words. For people of the different ages the Bob Marley legend has different meaning, and they vary from peaceful love to melancholia. Some people connect him with superior reggae inspiring music with meaningful lyrics, others think of him as a part of their own search for self, and still others connect him mostly with deep and true love. The legend of Bob Marley still lives with those who remember him, and remember how it started with him and was only because of him. The album Bob Marley Legend is one of the best albums of all time, especially in the sector of reggae. Bob Marley Legend tells you the story of the world- famous Bob Marley and the Wailers, by having such classic tracks and all time hits as Buffalo Soldier, Stir it Up, Get Up Stand Up, Is This Love, just to name a few. In 2002 Bob Marleys album Exodus won album of the century. This proud, bold island had now made its mark on the world first because of its music. It was proposed by Glenn B. Porter (n.d.) that Bob Marley is one of the most phenomenal musicians in history, and almost single-handedly pioneered the art of reggae music. It is a testament to him that, despite the fact that he is probably more famous worldwide than all other reggae artists combined, he is still adored and respected in his native Jamaica rather than resented for permanently acing the rest of the local music. Bob Marley himself always succeed for noble causes such as independence and the right of ordinary people, and his radical spirit is still fresh in the songs that he plays. Wailers songs are not just meant as party music, although of course, they are lots of fun to party too. They are meant to make the listener feel a thirst for justice and peace, and sow the seeds of hope for a better world. Though Marley died in 1981, Reggae has gone from strength to strength. International stars such as Eric Clapton and Paul Simon even began to incorporate Reggae tunes into their smash hit reggae albums. Roots Reggae Club (n.d.) mentioned that Bob Marley has sold more reggae albums than any other reggae recording reggae artist. On his birthday, February 6, 2001 Bob Marley was awarded a star on the famed Hollywood Walk of Fame. He receives many awards for his contributions to reggae music each year. Finally we can say Bob Marley legend because no matter where we were, what we were doing, what we were trying to get, or to escape from, he was always there, always ready to help and support us with his music and his words spreading his great spirit all over telling us that what we really need is just love, respect, unity and spirituality. Bob Marley helped all of us to  ¨stir it up ¨, to â€Å"put it on ¨ and to â€Å"rock it baby ¨, there was also encouragement in his words with â€Å"pass it on ¨ with â€Å"stand alone ¨ and with â€Å"keep on moving ¨. All he did actually tell us through his music was that we should try living our lives according to our and to Gods rules. He taught us to know what our rights are and to never quit until we get them granted and then use them properly. Reggae to me is not just a great beat or music just to dance to. Many songs in the reggae genre are spiritual in their sound and lyrics. Songs performed by reggae artists such as Bob Marley and the others consist of not simply great lyrics but a message. A message that inspires, motivates, and reminds us of the past and where we are coming from. Beside that, there are some things that are associated with both reggae music and Jamaican culture that are deemed unacceptable in some societies such as the use of marijuana. However, it cannot be disputed that there are a lot of positive aspects to it. These include principles such as unity, freedom, peace, love and anti-racism which are essential to all of us. Its global appeal continues to grow, as a form of music and knowledge. References Glenn B. Porter, n.d. Retrieved: November 10, 2007, from http://ezinearticles.com//?Bob-MarleyLegend:The-Ultimate-Collectors-Albumid=296642 Jam2jamdis, n.d. Retrieved: November 10, 2007, from http://www.jam2dis.com/j2dreggaehistory1.htm Jeff Reiss n.d. Retrieved: November 11, 2007, from http://www.lionvibes.com/reggae-history.html Morgan Hamilton, n.d. Retrieved: November 11, 2007, from http://ezinearticles.com/?A-Review-of-Bob-Marley-Legendid=263009 Music Lesson Online, 2007. Retrieved: November, 11, 2007, from http://www.musiclessonsonline.co.uk/ReggaeMusic.html Piero Scaruffi, 2003. Retrieved: November 11, 2007, from http://www.scaruffi.com/history/reggae.html. Roots Reggae Club, n.d. Retrieved: November 10, 2007, from http://www.rootsreggaeclub.com/culture_reggae_afro/reggae/reggae.htm Rustic Girls, n.d. Retrieved: November 11, 2007, from http://www.rusticgirls.com/fun/history-of-reggae-music.html Wikipedia, 2007. Retrieved: November 11, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggae