Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

Romeo and Juliet Essay Everything in life happens for a reason, and ultimately fate has a special way in making it all happen. Within the tragic love story of William Shakespeare’s classic, â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† fate decides the two lover’s destiny together along with many other factors. The power of fate brought Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet together yet it also decided to lead them into their own demise. Ultimately fate decided their destiny and their future ahead and if things were not meant to be, they simply weren’t meant to be as fate has a strong instinct of knowing so. Along with fate, the power of assumption lays a big part in this love story, as most of the characters are the types of people who do assume things instead of truly thinking things through. Some people tend to make decisions emotionally and rush them quickly without fully thinking them through as sometimes the consequences for these actions may result into a troublesome future. Romeo and Juliet were definitely ones being guilty for doing so, as because of them rushing things and assuming without truly thinking first, these factors truly lead them into their own demise along with the power of fate. People within this story often rush things quite severely. Taking the time in fully thinking things through is very different from thinking emotionally and instantly rushing important decisions and assuming everything is okay. For example, in Act 5 Scene 3 when Romeo sees Juliet fake â€Å"dead,† Romeo instantly assumes that she is dead. Instead of assuming and making such an instant decision, he could have checked to see if she was breathing or do everything he possibly could to try to bring her back to life, instead of instantly just automatically killing himself. Assumption isn’t always the answer! The characters in this story are the types of people who do assume things and it just so happened that every single one of them assume instead of truly trying to find the answer. Therefore by doing so, assumption and fate lead the lovers Romeo and Juliet in to their own demise. Along with the power of assuming, fate ultimately decides the couple’s destiny. Beyond that decision, fate decides what is going to happen, and if Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet are truly meant to be in love and spend the rest of their lives together. Clearly throughout this love story, fate gave hints that  things were not in the couple’s favor. For example, it just so happened that the families of Romeo and Juliet despise each other, it doesn’t have to be that way but of course fate decides that. The feud between the two families causes many problems for the young couple along their journey of life together. Could you imagine your family despising your true love’s family? I could not imagine how awful that would be, but it just so happened for Romeo and Juliet in their story, that is exactly what happened and is what caused so many problems for them. Picturing their families getting along and genially liking one another, do you believe if that was the case would that factor change Romeo’s and Juliet’s future? Even if it did or did not, having fate right off the top deciding that their families despise one another and constantly having feuds does not help Romeo and Juliet what so ever. But do you ever see Romeo and Juliet trying to stop the family feuds from happening? Romeo and Juliet immediately assume that their families will never get along but do you see them trying to do something about it? In fact, they don’t do anything to try to end the constant feuds from happening, they do nothing to try to fix the problem. Here yet again, is another example of how the power of assumption plays a large part in this Shakespeare classic. Romeo and Juliet assume that their families do not get along and there is no hope that they ever will, but they never truly try to make a difference and try to cure the problem. Resulting in a troublesome future for young Romeo and Juliet, if they tried to do everything they can to try to make their families at the least respect one another, I believe that would have made a better and more positive impact on the couple. Ultimately love is something that is a strong, powerful feeling to express. To say you love somebody is a very big thing to say to somebody, especially when you are thirteen years of age to an older boy. In Juliet’s case she has just become a teenager and although people tended to settle down and be married with children typically at a younger age in their era, to say she loves somebody is such a large statement, especially when she is just thirteen. Romeo as well, two years older than his lover Juliet is still very young to say that statement to someone. He does tend to love and show his affection quite in a flirtatious and â€Å"rash† way, but still to say you love somebody is a really big deal. Young Romeo and Juliet are so young; they haven’t matured into young adults yet and are still young children. To  assume that you are in love is a big assumption to start off with never the less when you don’t have the maturity to be in a relationship. Romeo displays many childlike qualities in how he always has a crush on somebody throughout the story. As people do develop strong feelings for others, it does not happen as frequently as you mature and grow older. Romantic Romeo loves the idea of falling in love, as he firstly has a big crush on beautiful Rosaline, as then he later falls in love with the one and only Juliet. Young Juliet displays many child-like qualities as well, for example of how she always imagines and dreams of love. As her mother Lady Capulet insists on her marrying rich and handsome Paris, Juliet truly claims she isn’t looking for love and a husband and is definitely not desperate for a husband as she will meet her true love when the right time comes. She still dreams of love and romance yet she does say in the love story: Ill look to like, if looking liking move which provides insight and demonstrates how she isn’t desperate to meet her true love yet she dreams and imagines of finding him. Both Romeo and Juliet are very young with many child-like features and character traits; along with they do express a large amount of immaturity. Clearly they are not ready to truly fall in love as they are so young and still have traits and immaturities of young children. Another way of demonstrating they are not ready for such as serious relationship, they do not have a clear understanding what love truly is. Loving somebody is sacrificing yourself for the person you love and doing absolutely anything and everything for them and truly loving them with all your heart. Romeo and Juliet later throughout the story do express those things along with their affection for one another yet how as soon as they meet each other they assume that they are immediately in love with each other and want to get married that same night is a large statement and decision to come to. They tend to be very immature when it comes to emotional problems and conflicts especially highly emotional subjects and relationships therefore because of their immaturities and youth, they are not ready for a true, honest, loving relationship. Fate ultimately decided that they truly were not meant to be and although they claim they are star-crossed lovers and soul mates, fate knew something was not meant to be between the two, therefore fate along with many assumptions lead to the lovers Romeo and Juliet’s demise. The combination of assumption along with fate decided Romeo’s and Juliet’s destiny together and although it lead them into their own demise, assumption and fate is truly responsible for the couple’s death. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet were simply not meant to be as fate decided that furthermore, the power of assumption and fate is truly responsible for the demise of the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet.

The Growth And Decline Of Bebop Media Essay

The Growth And Decline Of Bebop Media Essay Jazz music has existed for nearly 100 years producing many subgenres of music and evolving styles along the way; starting with Ragtime in the late 1890s early 1920s, moving on to the prominence of the big band, to the syncopated feel of Swing (that led to the mainstream popularity of Jazz); during the 1930s. These progressions in Jazz led to the formation of a new subgenre, Bebop. Swing music brought two main developments to the Jazz genre; firstly throwing Jazz into the limelight, and secondly becoming a popular type of Jazz music people could dance to. However, the conformity of Swing constrained Musicians freedom to experiment and gain personal acclaim through the opportunity to play solo passages. The frustration this led some Jazz musicians to branch out and develop a music genre known as Bebop. This new style of Jazz (named Bebop but often referred to as bop or Rebop); emerged in the main, from Swing bands around the 1940s. The music placed larger emphasis on technique, speed and complex harmonies than swing; making it almost impossible to dance to which was the intention of the musicians who wanted their music to be appreciated through listening. Despite this causing much controversy, musicians were content with the longer solo time and smaller band sizes this style offered. Historically, Bebop is referred to as the first modern Jazz style originating in New York, through such artists as Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Clarke and Charlie Christian. The freedom of this style soon attracted other musicians drawn to its complexity, lack of structure and very experimental style Musicians often used different types of ornamentation to aid the complex melodies and harmonies. Features such as comping, sliding, parallel octaves (often borrowed from piano by guitar), improvisation and emphasis on the 3rd and 7th notes of a chord, were all common features of Bebop. 2. The rise of Bebop Bebop music, whose roots are founded in Swing, began to emerge in the mid 1940s when musicians became frustrated with swing and began working on a new, more technical type of Jazz. Its growth and development continued until around 1955. Aimed at destabilising swing music and excluding the less talented, white musicians that had latched onto what had once been a black innovation; bebop was seen as a chaotic revolution in the Jazz genre. In his book, Jazz 101, Szwed states that, To non-jazz fans or swing devotees, bop was a musical affront, a deliberate provocation, a scandal.3 pg161 Another contributing factor to the rise of Bebop was the commercialisation of swing music and its increasing status as the Pop music of America4 pg162 when it had previously been seen as more ethnic, alternative type of music. This commercialisation led to Swing becoming more focussed on pleasing mainstream audiences and making money. Bop originated in New York as artists who were already playing large shows in the city would often find smaller venues to practice and refine the more technical aspects of the music. Bars and clubs that were often too small for the dancing encouraged by swing were perfect for the groups of 4-6 musicians needed for a Bebop combo. One of the more famous venues for the development of Bebop was Mintons playhouse; where many jam sessions took place involving renowned musicians and some of the most famous Bebop music was played. 3. The influences leading to the evolution of Bebop Political/Economic/Social During this time in history a number of political, social and economic factors can be seen as influential and relevant to the ways in which Jazz music evolved. Firstly, racism and a lack of civil rights had a significant impact on black African American communities and black musicians were no exception. The majority of black musicians struggled to profit in the music industry and White musicians were alleged to have frequently stolen black musicians ideas. Furthermore, many black musicians were prevented from performing concerts or recording their music. Secondly, World War II had a significant impact on Jazz as a whole due to musicians that played in big bands being drafted into the army. Thirdly, the economic depression during this time made life hard. Many families did not have enough money to live and feed themselves. There were frequent riots in major cities, led by black people revolting against their terrible living conditions and unjust treatment. In contrast, increasing industrialism and mass production significantly reduced prices of products such as radios and cars. Most households owned a radio which made Jazz Music more accessible to the mainstream including young, impressionable artists who were able to listen to their idols. Musician Preference As previously mentioned, one of the largest contributing factors to the growth of Bebop music was musicians frustration with swing and big bands. Despite the generic success of swing music through its easy melodies and dance like feel, many artists felt unfulfilled when playing it. There were constraints on what they could play with only a few musicians having the chance to solo for short periods. Many performers believed their music should be appreciated through listening rather than dancing. Skilled and experienced musicians wanted to exclude amateur musicians joining in with jam sessions and thus invented more elaborate, complex ways of playing that only professional musicians could accomplish. What changed? The developments from Swing to Bebop Band sizes Bebop was seen as a more collaborative and intimate type of music than Swing with bands consisting of only 4-6 musicians; thus allowing for greater cohesion between musicians and more time dedicated to individuals soloing. In addition, the musicians would often play off one another trading fourths, which involved the soloist exchanging a 4 bar progression with another musician or the drummer. This was very engaging to audiences. Bop became music for the elite rather than the masses and was associated with more accomplished and skilled musicians. Chances for soloing Due to smaller band sizes, Jazz musicians were given longer sections for soloing; including bassists and drummers which was very appealing to musicians who had previously been playing simple beats or chords in the background. The band would play a melody before individual musicians would solo over the songs chord progression, making the melody secondary, with a greater emphasis on solos. Instruments and Rhythm The rise of Bebop music saw the end of rhythm guitar and clarinet. The typical big band size of 10 or more musicians was reduced to 4-6, and often did not include more than one of each instrument. A typical Bop combo would consist of drums, double bass, piano and either a guitar, trumpet or saxophone. Rhythm guitar was only used for accompanying another instrument during its solo, when other musicians would be playing a complex melody or head in unison. Bassists would play a walking bass line that consists of a mixture of scale tones (arpeggios or chromatic runs) that outline the chord progression of the song. Drummers relied less on the kick drum and more on the cymbals to maintain the often complex and fast paced rhythm. For example Nicas Dream (a song played by many artists) switches between 4/4 Latin or Samba and 4/4 Swing, creating a complex rhythm. Above are the two different rhythms used during the song Nicas Dream There was significant emphasis placed on the 1st and 3rd beats of the bar by musicians during the swing era. However, during the Bebop period, the rhythmic prominence changed to the 2nd and 4th beats of the measure. These techniques created a feel of solos (characteristic of Bebop music) being more free and less rigidly tied into the song. This genre was characterised in part by its unpredictable rhythms. The scales, notation and approach to playing Although the approach to playing and soloing was different in Bebop in comparison to swing, most sections played were based on the melody of a song. Bop musicians employed chromatics and favoured the use of the 3rd, 5th, and flat 7th notes of the chords for improvisation. The faster tempo made the music more frantic and energetic which also led to a greater display of musicians technical talent. The use of harmony became significantly less fashionable for the greater part of the Bebop period and most melodies or heads were played in unison. Guitarists incorporated the use of unison octaves (made famous by Wes Montgomery) for solos. Song Analysis The following two songs are great examples of Bebop music, containing many of the features commonly associated with this genre: Billies Bounce Recorded in 1945, Billies bounce is a through composed Jazz-blues song written by Charlie Parker. The song was recorded by a quintet consisting of a young Miles Davis, Curley Russell on bass, Dizzy Gillespie on piano and Max Roach on drums. The song is in F major or D for alto sax and 4/4 time. The general chord progression of the song is in F blues, however the melodic tonality of the head and the solos are more characteristic of Jazz and the tempo, indicative of Bebop. It is described as a Bebop head over a variation of the 12-measure blues progression in which a I-VI-II-V7 substitutes for V7 V7- IV7, IV in the last six measure. The light, bubbly piano intro from Dizzy Gillespie outlines the beat and style of the song. This is followed by the head that is played in unison 3rds and octaves with both the saxophone and trumpet. In bars 11 and 12 we see a repeat of the earlier 2 note theme seen in bars 2 and 3 to end the head. Throughout the melody there are examples of chromatics and slurred triplet notes that are seen later during the solos. The first 7 bars of the song are in standard F blues; however in bar 8 there is an Am7, followed by an Abm7. This chromatically sets up the Gm7 in bar 9. A standard blues would see bar 9 and 10 contain the chords C7 and Bb7 respectively, but Billies bounce extends the C7 over 2 bars and then re-harmonizes it with a standard II-V7 progression that turns to F in the last 2 bars. The beginning of the first solo sees a chromatic passing note between the G and A and again between the Bb and C. At the end of the second bar the notes of the chord Dm7/C are played over the Bb7 chord. In the third bar, Charlie Parker uses the notes of the Eb Mixolydian scale. The movement of the whole song is highly arpeggiated in both directions and there is some trace of a stepwise movement. Parker used a licks-based approach to the solo; however he was also very adept at altering the licks already in his vocabulary and changing them in more creative ways. He had a very flexible sense of harmonic placement that allowed him to change the duration of chords by either hitting them early or prolonging them and even sometimes adding progressions that were not part of the accompaniment. Above is a list of the guide tone lines for measures 1-7 as notes in a staff. Above the staff are chord options implied by Parker occasionally. Four on Six Wes Montgomery Four on six is a Bebop Jazz piece written by Wes Montgomery. The song is in Bb major and 4/4 time. The Harmony is based around the intro made entirely of 5ths and played in unison with the bass and piano. The intro that precedes the solo sections, sees the drums playing a simple crotchet rhythm on alternate cymbals to create a 2/2 feel. Following the intro of 5ths, Wes plays a small break that consists of the four chords Bbmaj7, Gm7, G#m11, Am11 and D7(#9). The chords played in the break are similar to those that form the intro of 5ths, but are however played of a much smaller time frame. After the break there is a Small melody. This modal melody line moves around the notes of Gm9. The backing chords for the melody are the same as those seen in the first 2 bars of the song, however the Gm now includes the 7th note; a note often used in bebop scales and songs. The melody is followed by a II V chord sequence with strong accents. These II V chords follow the harmony of the intro. The ch ords used are Cm9, F7(#9b11), Bbm9, Eb7(#11b9), Am9, D7(#11b9), Ebm9 and Ab9(#11). The chord sequence is descending and contains many chromatic notes that are very characteristic of bebop music. After the melody and chord sequence the solo section of the song begins. The chord accompaniment for this section is very similar to that of the intro. The chords cycle through 4 bars of Gm7, then simplified version of the descending sequence. For improvisation over the solo section there are a few scales that Wes Montgomery generally used that fit his style and way of playing. Over the Gm7 part Wes would use a G Dorian scale consisting of the notes G, A, Bb, C, D, E and F. Wes made sure that he was ever confined to one position on the neck and therefore learned the scale across the whole guitar neck. An alternative to the Dorian scale is the G minor pentatonic scale with or without the blues notes. This scale consists of the notes G, Bb, C, Db (blues), D and F. The blues notes are used to s lide from the C to the D. The advantage of the pentatonic scale in this situation is that all of the notes are either the root notes of the chords or a note inside the chords of the song. Wes uses many of his signature licks during his solos and even throws different styles into the mix. Above is an example of simple melody that includes a big jump across the fret board of the guitar. It uses a Gm(7) arpeggio with extensions. Wes also uses other styles such as blues in his solos. Below are two examples of this. This is a unison-interval blues clichà © played over the Gm7/maj7 and C7 chords. There are two hammer-ons and pull-offs during the melody to make a faster, smoother transition between notes. Above is a series of four repeated II-Vs. In the theme the dominant chords contain a natural 9 and Sharp 11 (F9#11). The scale played over these chords is a melodic minor scale. Over the Cm7 and F7 a C melodic minor scale can be played, however the name of this scale over the F7 is the Lydian dominant scale (5th mode of the melodic minor). Wes Montgomery doesnt think in scales for this part but in melodic patterns. Because the tempo is so fast this is an advantage as fast tempos make scales difficult to play musically. He frequently plays a pattern on the first II V and transposes it down the neck for the rest of the II Vs. Features The evolution to Bebop music created many stylistic changes and new musical features, which not only livened up the music but made it more contemporary, and distinguished the more accomplished musicians. The melodies were different from those previously associated with Jazz and were the base for most improvisational solos. Scales Jazz musicians typically used complex scales for their solos. The generic Bebop scale was made by adding either a major 7 to a Mixolydian scale or a major 3 to a Dorian scale. For solos, musicians preferred to use the 1, 3, 5 and flat 7th notes of the scale. Illustration of a C Major Bebop Scale The freedom of the melodies and complex chords of Bop opened up new possibilities for soloing. Musicians could play over the whole register of their instruments and find notes in any range that fitted into the chord progression; aided through the use of chromatics. Musicians used other scales such as the blues or enclosed scales (which use the technique enclosure- taking a note and playing one note above it and one note below before arriving at the note you were targeting.) Comping Although Rhythm guitar had essentially been excluded from Bebop bands, it was still used when accompanying a soloist through the comping (staccato chord playing) technique. However, as Bebop did not often follow a simple time signature, comping was not used frequently. Furthermore, the rhythms used by musicians were commonly irregular and thus the regular strumming pattern of comping may have disturbed the soloist. Chord melody Some musicians played solo arrangements by simultaneously playing chords in the background and the melody over the top. This was most commonly associated with piano and guitar. Decline of Bebop Economic Although considered a significant musical achievement by many musicians, by the 1950s bop music had begun to decline; partly due to its lack of commercial viability and niche market appeal. Variety magazine, an entertainment trade magazine based in New York reported Bop is a flop in late 1949. Many musicians such as Charlie Barnet, Benny Goodman and Woody Herman (who was $175,000 in debt) had to break up their bands during this decline. Cool Jazz and Hard bop The decline of Bebop music served as a platform for 2 new subgenres in Jazz. Firstly, Cool Jazz which was developed by many bop musicians such as Chet Baker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and newer musicians such as Dave Brubeck and Gerry Mulligan; was a direct contrast to bop with its more relaxed tempo, lighter tone and more traditional harmonies. In response to this progression and to maintain some of the features of Bebop, another subgenre developed known as Hard bop. This music was less extreme than Bebop music, had a more soulful feel rooted in traditional African and Blues music but still incorporating many phrases and notes from Bebop. These differences made Hard bop more accessible to beginner musicians and brought back a rhythm section. Artists Many artists that had been prominent during the Bebop era such as John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker; continued playing into the Hard bop and Cool Jazz period that subsequently followed. The most prominent cross-over artist of the two genres was Miles Davis who became very popular and well-known, especially with the release of his record Birth of Cool which was acclaimed within the Jazz world. Conclusion At the height of its popularity, Bebop introduced many innovations into the world of not only Jazz, but other genres of music. It changed the way musicians and listeners alike viewed Jazz and opened up many doorways to other styles, genres and artists. Bebop music has been an innovation and the ideas that have been created are still used to this day. In modern day jam sessions, Bebop is one of the most employed genres due to its small band sizes and simple structure (melody followed by solos). It gives many musicians the chance to improvise and explore different avenues of Jazz, allowing for the progression of new music in the modern industry. Even After its decline, bop music is still influencing instrumentalists and their music today Bibliography Websites http://library.thinkquest.org/18602/history/bop/bopstart.html http://www.scaruffi.com/history/jazz8.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bebop http://www.jazzguitar.be/bebopscale.html http://www.jazzguitar.be/bebop.html http://www.jazzquotations.com/2010/05/brief-history-of-bebop.html (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() http://leadsheetmusic.com/multifakebooks.brooklyn/01_Fake_and_Real_Books/Play_Along/Vol_62_Wes_Montgomery_v2.pdf http://www.hypermusic.ca/jazz/bop.html http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090202152858AAjScZJ http://www.mattwarnockguitar.com/bebop-scale-patterns-for-guitar http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-bebop-music.htm http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/jazz/ambassadors/Lesson6.html http://www.jazzguitar.com/lessons.html http://books.google.co.nz/books?id=hNTLZ3bpBFcCpg=PA447lpg=PA447dq=decline+of+bebopsource=blots=_GLiz0J9Zpsig=6xcoNDngRNtGHsXwTlJc81fek54hl=ensa=Xei=MdTFT9mfFcHYigeSs62hAwved=0CFkQ6AEwAw v=onepageq=decline%20of%20bebopf=false http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wes_Montgomery http://www.jazzguitar.be/premium-issue-1.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz_guitar http://www.jazzguitarlessons.net/jazz-improvisation-2.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_guitar Creating_lead_guitar_lines http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/jazz-picking-and-phrasing/663 http://www.theguitarschool.com/CharlieParker.html http://airjudden.tripod.com/jazz/styles.html http://www.learning-charlie-parker.com/licks.php http://web.archive.org/web/20070812145101/http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/history.aspx?hid=20 http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/history_of_jazz.htm (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() http://www.jazzinamerica.org/LessonPlan/5/5/230 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassline Walking_bass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_bop http://www.timeisonourside.com/STBop.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_jazz http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/showthread.php?t=37646 http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?35319-BeBop-HardBop http://www.jazzinamerica.org/LessonPlan/8/6/211 http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/popular_music/jazz3.shtml http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080228152849AAQMyaT http://xroads.virginia.edu/~asi/musi212/margaret/martist.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ii-V-I_turnaround#Jazz http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ii-V-I_turnaround#Jazz http://www.musicbanter.com/jazz-blues/58195-jazz-progression-2-5-1-a.html http://peterspitzer.blogspot.co.nz/2011/07/analysis-of-charlie-parkers-billies.html http://ebmusicman.blogspot.co.nz/2008/03/billies-bounce-part-1.html http://s130.photobucket.com/albums/p261/liquidtensionxpr/blog/?action=viewcurrent=billiesbounce-simplified-part1.jpg http://s130.photobucket.com/albums/p261/liquidtensionxpr/blog/?action=viewcurrent=reharm-04b.gif http://www.jazzguitar.be/billies_bounce_lesson.html Books Roads of Jazz Peter Bole Jazz: A history of Americas music Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns The Chronicle of Jazz Mervyn Cooke Discography Song Played by Nicas Dream Wes Montgomery Tune up Miles Davis Airegin Sonny Rollins Four on Six Wes Montgomery Billies Bounce Charlie Parker

The Ethics Of Sex Appeal In Advertising Media Essay

The Ethics Of Sex Appeal In Advertising Media Essay Every media consumer is alert to sex in advertising. Its pervasive use and misuse are constantly before us, and typically elicit strong criticism (Richmond and Hartland, 1982, p.53). As anyone can see, the employment of sex in advertising has been in our midst for several decades and the reason for it? It works. Advertisements with sexual undertones are remembered over and over again than advertisements that are not. The question to ask though is, how ethical is it to make use of sexual appeals in advertisements? Does sex sell? Actually, sex does not sell, but sexiness does (Cebrzynski, 2000, p. 14). By means of sex appeals in advertising is a good way to aim at specific market segments but not all. Questions like what is identified as sexual appeals in advertising? Where and when should sex be used? Does the use of sexual appeals lead to an advantage for brand remembrance? must be addressed exhaustively. Sex and the Media Today, sex permeates advertising in the United States and in many countries all over the world as contemporary society is extremely fixated with the demonstration of sex in the media as never before. The issue of whether sex sells could be countered by screening the massive quantities of billboards and classified ads which integrate some form of sex appeal or nudity (Pynor, 2004, p. 42). Several reasons have been provided with the use of sexually oriented themes, among them are to achieve product and brand attention, recognition, recall, and sales (Alexander and Judd, 1978, p. 47). Observably, sex is utilized to sell a wide array of products from cars to fashion products, and is meant to attract not only the male customers, but female, consumers as well. The employment of sex as an instrument in advertising can be traced back to the 1800s when the advertising industry noticed the beneficial effect of using degrees of sexuality in their advertising drives. These economic gains include above all else an increase in revenue due to the point of difference that sexual schemes provide for the product. Sometimes, the use of sex also affords shock-value that frequently triggers social debate and helps in the product promotions continuing recall. Author of The Erotic History of Advertising Tom Reichert has this to say Many real-life examples from the 1800s to the present exist to suggest that it has worked, and does work, to inflame not only consumers libidos but their motivations and desires to make purchases. In some cases, sex in advertising contributes to the building of strong, vibrant and long-lasting brands (Reichert, 2003, p. 9). As it is, the incessant use of sex in advertising from the 1800s until these days is a demonstration of the fact that it is an effective tool that works for advertisers. Literature Review Sex Appeal in Advertising Advertising is one of the most prolific and all-encompassing forms of communication in the world (Reichert, 2003, p.20). This type of company to customer communication lifts several concerns about the ethics of advertising because its practice is very convincing and powerful (Treise and Weigold, 1994). Advertising has turned to become an excellent way for business firms to create a positive image for them and for the public to easily adapt to such image. Image creation is a public relations approach that has increasingly aimed young adults and teens because they are not interested on conventional direct advertising (Goodman and Dretzin, 1999), obviously, advertisers target the demographic group of young adults and teens because they account for a huge amount of American consumer spending. The practice of utilizing sex appeal in advertising is nothing new. Sexual images (nudity) can be found in advertisements as far back as the late 1800s and in the early 1900s, it was used to sell soaps, perfumes and creams. These advertisements claimed to transform any woman to become sexier for a mans pleasure and as sex advertising boomed in the 40s and 50s, controversy abound. Until today, a lot of business enterprises find sex appeal as an effective tactic in advertising. When Maidenform bras began to use models with their shirts off, it became the number one bra company and when Jovan fragrance used sexuality to sell its product, company revenues soared from $1.5 million to $77 million in just seven years (Reichert, 2003). In a 1981 study conducted by Reid and Soley, advertisements were more likely to be appealing and immediately recognized if an attractive endorse is used (Severn and Belch, 1990). In another survey, 32% of consumers confessed that there is strong likelihood of them buying a product if it uses an advertisement with strong sexual undertones (Fetto, 2001). Capitalizing on the idea of sex appeal, people sell their products with the notion that such product is for sexy people and to own that specific product can make any person sexy. Such sexiness can be depicted through the clothes being worn, the models poses, the lighting being used in the advertisement, positioning of the models or in their facial expressions, location used, and interaction. Likewise, companies employ this idea to connect the company image with allure and prestige. As it is, sexuality associates brands with sexual activities and increased attractiveness, something desired by consumers (Reichert, 2001/2003). Although the argument that wanton sexual appeals generate off-putting results because of perceptions of disreputable and scheming practices is basic and extremely valid, it also assumes a deliberative, cognitive mechanism. Past research investigations have found that the process of judging whether a persuasive message infringes ethical standards or not demands cognitive effort (Campbell and Kirmani, 2000). Yet end users characteristically spend little time and effort when viewing an ad (Sengupta and Gorn, 2002; Burnett and Moriarty 1998; Kassarjian, 1977). Hence, it is imperative to understand reactions to improper sex appeals under thin slice processing (Ambady, Bernieri, and Richeson, 2000), such as when consumers view ads under constricted cognitive capacity. Without a doubt, unstructured, spur-of-the-moment, uncontrolled responses may be quite different from more cautiously considered responses in the sphere of sex-based advertising. Recent research by Sengupta and Dahl (2008) examined non-deliberative reactions to the gratuitous use of sex in advertising. Men and women in these experiments were placed under high cognitive load while viewing an ad that showed an unequivocal sexual image and a nonsexual image. Unlike previous research that has found that both men and women abhor the gratuitous use of sex in advertising, a gender difference surfaced under constrained conditions, that is, men preferred more the advertisement containing a sexual image (compared to the nonsexual image) whereas women reported considerably adverse mind-sets toward the overtly sexual ad compared to the nonsexual advertisement. Basically, sexual imagery sets off an emotional response or reaction. In other words, viewers are, all things being equal, favorably energized by sexual information (Reichert, 2007, p. 6). With this in mind, advertising organizations employ sex in several different ways to try and convince and influence end users to purchase a product. Individuals seek out and are willing to pay for sexual content in mainstream media (Reichert, 2007, p. 7), an example of this reality is the sale in millions of copies of Cosmopolitan and Maxim each month. These magazines ads have become more competitive and risquà © due to the idea that an ad needs to be noticeable and must draw attention. Some advertisers may push the boundaries of acceptable sexual content because of direct competitive pressure. Certain product marketers utilize a higher proportion of sexual appeals than other marketers because of the nature of the product and the relevance of sex to product benefits (Reichert and Carpenter, 2004). Another approach being used to draw customer attention is the idea that upon purchasing a product, such will make the buyer more sexually attractive, or can have more sex or can have a better sex life (Reichert, 2007), thus, people who are seeking for such qualities are more likely to pay for a product if the ads are sexually evocative. Gender Expression, Sexuality and Advertising This rather outmoded depiction of gender and expression of sexuality continues to be exploited in modern-day advertisements principally because it is an unbeaten prescription that brings in financial incentive and this will continue as long as women believe even if only for a brief moment that acquiring the advertised product will bring them one step closer to attaining the unattainable. As what was pointed out: those who are dissatisfied with their looks, their bodies, their status, make great consumers (Lee, 2003, p. 134). Furthermore, Nancy Etcoff (2000) sums it up well: to tell people not to take pleasure in beauty is like telling them to stop enjoying food or sex or novelty or love. This is an impracticable likelihood because to like and to want is instinctive in human character. Advertisers are intensely conscious of this as they create advertisements filled with representations of dazzling, extremely sensuous women. Women as Primary Focus? For many decades, numerous people believed that women are the major focus of sex appeals employed in advertising, however, this is not necessarily correct. It is true that women look as if they are the target most recognized in sexual appeals, but men have been targeted more recently. If women have often been the targets of sexual advertising, it is because it appears to work in many cases. As it is, sex is a potent and a convenient method of obtaining male attention and making a product desirable and in advertising, it is easy to get a mans attention by using womens bodies and associate it to the idea of getting the women as well if he buys the product (Taflinger, 1996, p.8). The most well known target of women as sexual appeals has been in beer commercials. Usually the ads go something like this a beautiful woman is sitting at a bar and a man comes up and she does not notice him at all. Then he orders a certain kind of beer and all of the sudden, he is desirable to this woman. They then get caught up in the moment and ultimately the man gets this woman (because of the beer). Another example of the man getting the hot woman because of a particular product that supposedly makes the man more desirable to the women is the AXE advertisement. AXE is a body spray for men. In the commercial, the men who use AXE get beautiful women. In fact, AXE is so effective that if in any way you come in contact with this body spray, you will be instantly wanted. There is also a commercial which features an old man getting a young, hot woman because of the AXE effect. Women are exploited repeatedly in advertising as sex appeals. But, some do not become conscious that these advertisements are often aimed at women as well. Victorias Secret is a classic example of this. Advertisers obviously want women to think that if they purchase Victorias Secret products, they could look like those stunning, sexy endorsers on the commercials seen on television or in the print ads. Obviously, these bra and panties are not going to look very good on just anyone, however, at first glance, a woman could think, wow, she looks splendid; I should get that outfit so I can look that good too. In truth, women are not the only focus in sexual appeal advertising. Men play a huge part as well. According to Taflinger (1996), It is rare for advertising to use sex as an appeal for women. Women are often less interested in the sex act itself for its own sake. They are interested in sex for what it can mean in the future. They may enjoy it as much as men, but for them it has far greater significance. Advertising cannot take advantage of a womans instinctive sexual desire because advertisings job is not to build for the future-it is to sell a product now (p. 6). Here, Taflinger attempts to elucidate the fact that women are not interested in sexual appeals on television, rather, they are interested in sex for their future. Although this seems to be correct in some instances, it is questionable when thinking about all of the ads that target men as the sex selling object. Sex Appeal and Product Branding Sex in advertising can also produce positive mind-sets and sentiments about the ad or product brand. Using catchphrases are huge in the industry along with sexual overtones. A popular example is Las Vegass tagline what happens here, stays here (Reichert, 2007). This is very indicative and interesting; people want to go to Vegas so they can find out for themselves what its all about. Sex in advertising is controversial and it is vital to reflect on consumers outlooks and points of view. While many feel there is too much sex in advertising (Treise and Weigold, 1994), most people feel that if sexual commercials are crafted with relevance and aptness, these are more likely to be accepted (Gould, 1994; Treise and Weigold, 1994). Innately, concerns and apprehensions crop up when sex appeal usage are viewed by unintended (Gould, 1994). Similar disquiet appears when advertisers target teens and young adults with these advertisements. There are concerns that these advertisements are venerated by young people and teach these young adults improper conduct (Reichert, 2001). Negative facets of this target audience advertising consist of women idolizing the sexual models being used to endorse a product and compare themselves to the advertisements (Gould, 1994). In a survey, 55.2% of respondents agreed sexual advertisements influence a teens decision to be sexually active (Tre ise and Weigold, 1994). However, the idea in advertising is give and take; the media learns from teens and teens learn from the media (Goodman and Dretzin, 1999). One cannot exclusively say who manipulates whom, so much so that even though end users anxieties arise, sex continues to be used as an powerful advertising approach. Reichert and Carpenter found that the level of sexual advertisements has remained constant from 1993 and 2003; the only thing that had increased was the females level of dressing as it has become more provocative and sometimes offensive (2004, p. 828). It is fascinating to note that some research investigations found the degree of sexuality actually increased over time. Reichert and Carpenter (2004) conducted an extension of a study that evaluated the degree of sex in 1983 and 1993. Magazine advertisements particularly were content analyzed from 2003 and compared with the issues of the previous years. The general outcomes signified that women not only persisted to be represented in a sexual manner, but that the degree of sexuality increased over time. For instance, advertising became extensively more overt from 1983 to 2003 and clothing (or lack of it as the case may be) largely contributed to this. Results revealed that in 1983 only 28% of female models wore sexually explicit clothes. This rose by 75% in 2003 when 49% of models were dressed in sexual attire. Thus, in 2003 virtually half of the models featured were shown with less rather than more clothing to be exact, in 2003 almost 4 out of 5 women who appeared in ads were sugge stively dressed, partially clad, or nude (Reichert and Carpenter, 2004)). Moreover, the images of women that were most sexually explicit were featured in mens magazines. As Linder (2004) found, general interest magazines, such as Time contained the least degree of sexualized images, when compared with magazines aimed predominantly at men and women. The increase of sexuality over time could be associated with the likeness of products that are available today. It is presumed that in 1983 there was not such an immense collection of products available on the market, and therefore did not need to be distinguished from each other to such a great degree. Furthermore, in those years, advertisers were rendered inadequate by the capability of computer graphic technologies. This is definitely not the case today and advertisers frequently resort to stimulating images to make a distinction between similar products. Particularly, according to Reichert and Carpenter, specific merchandise are promoted in a more sexual manner due to the character of the product, such as fragrance and clothing (although clothing is also often used as a means to sexualize other products). Theoretical Framework People are continuously evaluating themselves with others and this is certainly no exception when addressing advertising, particularly among women. According to Stapel and Blanton (2004), an important source of self-knowledge comes from other people. Human beings maintain a sense of who they are by contrasting their own capabilities and characteristics to other people. This so-called social comparison theory was instigated in 1954 by Festinger, who hypothesized that individuals have a longing to appraise their views, judgments and abilities that can be satisfied by social comparisons with other people. Using this premise as a scaffold, many studies have been carried out, predominantly in reference to females which raise the question does advertising take advantage of consumer tendencies to alter their body or image of themselves by creating anxieties and discontent with the self? Relative to its effect on adolescent girls which Martin and Gentry (1997) studied, the answer is yes, advertisers especially of young fashion magazines do exploit this mindset among adolescent girls, who evaluate their physical beauty with that of models in the advertisements. Martin and Gentrys study has proven that, consistent with the social comparison theory, female pre-adolescents and adolescents self-perceptions and self-esteem can be destructively impinged on when self-evaluation takes place. Other studies have suggested that advertising can have a vital role in creating and highlighting a fixation with physical charm (Downs and Harrison, 1985), and may manipulate consumers awareness of what is an adequate level of physical attractiveness (Martin and Kennedy, 1993). This conception of advertisers taking advantage of consumers perception of themselves is unswervingly associated with sex appeal in advertising. Recently, advertisers have endeavored into a contentious area with their use of female sexual images and a focus on distinct body parts, language and sex-role portrayals. These advertisers are profoundly conscious that sex appeal in an advertisement has the capacity to exert a pull on women on the premise of social comparison. In a study conducted by Craik, Clarke, and Kirkup (1998), women who were sensitive of stereotypes and were even aware of the spuriousness of the industry still desperately want to imitate these images. Such is the explanation why advertisers reportedly pay huge amounts of money every year to have their products endorsed by alluring and well-admired women, since their beauty or personality is assumed to add dazzle to the products they promote (Langmeyer and Shank, 1994). Recommendations For media and advertising practitioners, it is important to apprise the audience who will be viewing the ads before putting sexual innuendos into the advertisement piece. Advertisers need to recognize the moral intricacy of sexual appeal in advertising and integrate that understanding in their strategic thought and when designing their commercial pieces. As what Henthorne and LaTour, (1994) stated, as the ethical considerations of society change over time, what is considered appropriate and acceptable in advertising must also change (p.88). Hence, it is imperative to incessantly reassess what society would consider suitable and consider the full level of consequences of their actions before considering for what they make out as ethically acceptable.

rosa parks :: essays research papers

Rosa McCauly Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama, in 1913 and grew up on a small farm. When her mother had saved enough money to pay for it, Rosa had began to attend a private school when she was 11 years old. But, while she was attending high school, her mother had become ill so she had to quit. After quitting high school, she got a job as a house servant and began sending money back to her family. When she married Raymond Parks, she returned to high school and graduated. In 1943 she joined the NAACP and worked to ensure voting rights for blacks. One evening shortly after 5:00 PM on Thursday, December 1, 1955 while coming home from work, she boarded a bus and sat down. According to Montgomery law, blacks had to sit in the back of the bus, and give up their seats to whites when they came on the bus. When she was asked to give up her seat, she refused. Immediately, the driver stopped the bus and called two policemen. Mrs. Parks was arrested and taken to jail. Edgar Daniel Nixon, head of the NAACP in Montgomery, posted a $100 bond to get her released. Although Mrs. Parks was not the first black person to get arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus, Mr. Nixon decided that she wouldn't be the last. He called a meeting of black leaders to see what action they should take. By the end of the meeting, the leaders agreed to call a one-day boycott of all the city buses for Monday Dec.5. On Monday, the buses began their run through the black neighborhood and came back empty. The boycott was a sucess. They set up the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) and named Martin Luther King Jr., it's leader. Rosa Parks went to court and was charged with violating a 1947 segregation law. She was found guilty and fined $10 plus $4 in court costs.

Computers in Education :: Teaching Education Essays

Computers in Education The computer has influenced education in a very positive way. There are now an estimated ten million computers in schools around the country. Computers equally benefit both the teacher and students. The computer allows for faster, neater, and more creative assignments. Tools such as the Internet, Excel, Word, and Access allow students to easier research and prepare papers. Computers are very helpful to teachers. Many teachers can take advantage of the computers in their classroom or at home by entering grades and allowing the computer to compute them. Entering the grades can be very simple and fast. Allowing the computer to compute the grades saves time from manually computing them. The teacher can also set up attendance on the computer. This is a quick and effective way to see who has missed class, or has been tardy. All this only requires the right type of software, and very little time. Educational software can also help a teacher out. If a student is having trouble with a particular Math, English or Science strategy, a teacher can setup the program to help teach the student. This is helpful because the teacher can continue teaching the rest of the class, but also know that the other child is being helped. The computer allows for a new creative way of teaching, one that can keep the students interested. Many students today rely on the computer for homework assignments. This can range from typing a paper to finding a book on the Internet. Many homework assignments for high school and college students must be typed. Some assignments may also require charts or tables. The computer can suggest different phrases or words to make the paper sound better, use spell check, and allow the document to be saved. This also helps a teacher because the papers are much neater, making them easier to read. It is very beneficial to the student because information can be found and processed a lot faster. If a student is trying to find a book, just typing in a few words can locate the book much faster then looking through a card catalog. These are little things that save the student and teacher time. With all the time that is saved, the more learning can take place.

Personal Narrative- Ridicule of a Child :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Ridicule of a Child â€Å"Why do you ask?... Well, she’s weird.... For instance, she wears black outfits that cling to her body with red spandex.... No I’m serious. Her hair is half black and half blonde, too.... The other day she was walking down the hall with a red feathered boa wrapped around her neck.. .. Yeah, I see her every day sifting by herself in a corner all the time. . . . I guess you can’t blame her. What did happen to her when she was little?† â€Å"Oooonnnncccceeee I was at hhhhoooommmmeeee, and I ssssaaaawwww...† We despised the way her heart-shaped lips gawked open as she slurred her words. Mary Beth sounded like a lost, bleating lamb. She was the most entertaining character to imitate when my friends and I were at slumber parties. We all perfected the rhythmic pattern of her speech. And then there was her appearance. Mary Beth’s gangly body towered over the other fourth graders, and her lemon-blonde hair rested on her shoulders in knotted clumps. Strands of hair constantly fell in front of her face, and she would constantly sculpt them behind her ear. Every day she came dressed for school in brilliant colored leggings partially covered by a relaxed sweatshirt unevenly rolled at the sleeves. Her plump belly took shape under her shirts, creasing slightly, like a curtain conforming to its width. Her feet plowed into her white Keds and snuggled inside fluorescent socks scrunched at the ankle. Mary Beth’s Keds curved toward each other as she stepped, and it was evident she was pigeon-toed. (This was another characteristic we loved to imitate.) I saw her ferociously sprint during gym and on our Field Day. It was dreadful. Her leg stampeded into each other in an effort to run straight. Her arms flung back and forth anxiously like an ape’s, and I could see her tongue sticking out of her crooked mouth in determination. She was hopeless. Autumn was approaching, and so was Mary Beth’s birthday party. Incredibly, all the girls invited, including me, showed up. We even brought presents, the ones our moms had carefully picked out in consideration. We were too reluctant and far too busy with our own lives to shop for a person we mocked. The arrival of girls seemed unrealistic until I discovered why they had come. It was a party, who wouldn’t show up?

Anthem vs. Hunger Games Essay

In today’s society, a lot of people tend to take for granted what they have. Every once and a while, something drastic will ensue them, and that’s when they finally grasp what’s been right in front of them the whole time. In many different societies, for example the societies in The Hunger Games, and Anthem, the individuals that are living there are forced to listen to the ruler, or rulers, do not have an opinion in some of the choices that are made for them, and are also forced to accept the rule of selflessness. Based on the themes of the Power of Knowledge, the Image of Self, and the Consequences of Free Will, the novella, Anthem, and the film, The Hunger Games express similarities and differences regarding the dangers of a Totalitarian government and its effect on its citizens in order to teach the reader to be blessed that they have a democracy and that the individuals of the United States have it really easy compared to other countries, and even societies i n books or movies. The Power of Knowledge is the result of having or not having knowledge. Being knowledgeable is not just one quality, but is many and a process of learning, experiencing, knowing and understanding. In the book Anthem Equality 7-2521states, â€Å"But we must never speak of the times before the Great Rebirth, else we are sentenced to three years in the Palace of Corrective Detention† (Rand 19). This quote from Anthem is an important example of the Power of Knowledge because what Equality is saying is that every person in his town has the knowledge of what happened before the Great Rebirth, they just choose not to bring it up because they are petrified of what their punishments will be. However, an example of the Power of Knowledge from The Hunger Games is when Katniss recognizes the weakness of Seneca Crane, which is not having a winner of this year’s game, and uses that to her best advantage to force Seneca to let both her and Peeta win. This is important because if Katniss had not realized that doing so was his weakness, she and Peeta would have both had to kill themselves because they  did not want to live without each other. In conclusion to these two different pieces of evidence, they are also able to be compared by noticing the facts that if both these characters did not take into account the opinions or beliefs of others, there would never be a way to be different, or a way out. Image of self is the way one views his or herself, the ability to know our own flaws, strengths, bad habits and limits. When life starts to get rigid, most people lose hope in themselves because they feel as if they are not sturdy enough to stand anymore. In a lot of books, or even movies, this is a major problem that most characters face. In this case, from Anthem, the teachers always pointed out the flaws in Equality 7-2521, â€Å"There is evil in your bones, Equality 7-2521, for your body has grown beyond the bodies of your brothers† (18). This quote would be essential to the topic of Image of Self, because Equality already knew that he had all these â€Å"different† qualities, and knew that he was diverse from his brothers, yet he tried to remain the same by ignoring them. However in The Hunger Games, Katniss only sees the flaws that are in her, and chooses to ignore the compliments that everyone is saying to her. When life puts individuals in the situation that Katniss and Peeta are in in the film, it is important to deposit all the negatives away and to only focus on the positives, no matter how hard they may be to see. This is a contrast between the novella and the film because in Anthem Equality knows that he is different, but just ignores the fact that he can do nothing about it, but in The Hunger Games, Katniss does not let anyone try to make her better because she believes she will never be right, or in a way better than the other characters. Although the quotes are contrasting, the similarity in them is the fact that Equality and Katniss both know they are different than the rest, yet overcome them in some sort of way. The last theme being focused on is Consequences of Free Will. Consequences of Free Will means a person innate ability to make decisions with his or herself. I n a dictatorship, or the governments in Anthem and The Hunger Games, individuals are owned by the group, and they also have no right to lead his or her own life. This is known as collectivism. In today’s society,  making decisions for someone’s own good is very hard because everyone is trying to impress others. For example, in Anthem Equality states â€Å"It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see† (17). The importance of this quote to the Consequences of Free will is that Equality is not able to express his own way of living because it is illegal to express his own being. In The Hunger Games, something that readers would learn regarding the Consequences of Free Will would be the idea that the tributes did not really know who to trust, and when, because they did not know when that person would turn against them. Similarly, these two pieces of information would go to together by both dealing with the idea of being able to show a person’s own true colors. In addition to them being similar, they would differentiate by the thought of trust, and expression. In Anthem, we as readers are seeing the idea of expression, but in The Hunger Games, we are watching how others are putting their trust into some, and how they are also putting up walls to others. Although these two societies are supposed to be completely different from the one that exists today, in some ways they could be seen as having the same â€Å"controlling† effect on the citizens. In our government, citizens have numerous more rights than other countries can even think of having, yet all of us choose to all try to be the same. Why is that? Why do individuals all strive to have the same hair, or wear the same clothes? Everyone should embrace our right to be dissimilar, and show the world that each and every one of us are not afraid to be ourselves, because there is no punishment that will be rewarded to us in long run.