Resisting the Heteronormative Timeline Japanese Womens...

Resisting the Heteronormative Timeline: Japanese Womens Media and Sexuality as Subcultural Capital This seminar took place in the Hall center and it was generally about the gay boom in Japan. The speaker Sho Ogawa talked about the 1991 Gay Renaissance† issue of a popular Japanese women’s magazine â€Å"Crea† which brought about a great rise in the representation of gay men in the japanese media phenomenon which is known as the â€Å"gay boom.† This boom affected how the Japanese media, in an amazing rush of films, nonfiction and fiction books, manga (Japanese comics), and television programs spreads information about gay male’s way of life and sexuality to hetrosexual consumers. He also talked about how the earlier media boom conflated†¦show more content†¦He then further explained how the gay boom brought a change not only in the exposure of the gay subculture or a shift from feminized images of homosexuality to masculine ones, but a change in the target audience for gay images. Also, he told us that there were actually gay male images that were produced for non-gay audiences prior to the gay boom in adolescent female teen culture (which is called the shojo culture) represented in teen magazines such as Olive or magazines such as June showing romantic relationships between adolescent boys. After about 30mins into the seminar, he talked about a movie Summer Vacation 1999 which was produced before the gay boom and it shows homosexual characters. However, unlike the films produced during the gay boom, the gay characters do not date or get married to homosexual women. Summer Vacation is an adaptation of the boys love manga â€Å"The Heart of Thomas† with young female actors acting as adolescent schoolboys who were romantically drawn to each other. In addition, he went ahead to show us a video clip from the movie and I noticed that the females playing the gay male characters were dressed like westerners and the movi e setting was western. This was because at that time in Japan, homosexuality was seen to have originated from the west and therefore was western. Due to this, homosexual men in Japan were seen as almost western since homosexuality was not present in

The Issue Of Gun Control - 1418 Words

Jon Reichfield Mr. Thidemann U.S. Government 12R 6 October 2014 Gun control has been a controversial issue in America for over a half-century. This issue has two sides. On one side, there are people who oppose gun control and believe that it is their right under the second amendment to own one or more assault weapons. Republicans such as Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, Governor Rick Perry of Texas and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina are against gun control. On the other side of the issue, there are people who favor gun control and believe that background checks should be given in order to keep these weapons out of the hands of people who are mentally ill. Democratic politicians such as House Majority Leader and Senator Harry Reid of†¦show more content†¦This law also required a person to register for a gun (Kim). Over the next thirty four years though, this issue worsened and more deaths occurred as a result of guns. These deaths included President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. As a result of these assass inations, The Gun Control Act of 1968 was passed and later signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This act did not allow the sale of guns to drug users and the mentally ill, and it also required firearm dealers to get licenses and initiated interstate sale restrictions. The law also increased the age required in order to purchase a handgun to 21 (Kim). Not everybody was happy with this legislation though. The National Rifle Association, known as the NRA, founded in 1871, is a pro-gun organization that was unhappy with this act and with others. Once the Gun Control Act of 1968 was passed, the NRA opposed it. This caused the gun lobby to establish a new lobbying branch known as the NRA Institute for Legislative Action. The goal of this branch was to invalidate the 1968 law. In 1986, congress passed the Firearm Owner’s Protection Act which was later signed by President Ronald Reagan. This law limited the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms from inspecting gun dealers more th an once a year, with other inspections allowed only if multiple violations are found. An amendment also passed banning ownership of machine guns manufactured after May 19, 1986. Weapons made and

New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Free Essays

Introduction Traditional market structure suggests that all market decisions should be based on utilitarian theory. We often witness market decisions which neglect other important aspects of the market activity. As a result, we appear under the impact of one-side unbalanced decisions which ultimately neglect the principles of morality and moral theology of the marketplace. We will write a custom essay sample on New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority or any similar topic only for you Order Now Rising fares and tolls by MTA â€Å"After an unusually vigorous and spirited debate, the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted to raise fares on subways, buses and commuter railroads and tolls on bridges and tunnels† (Chan, 2007a). Why is it so surprising that not all members of the MTA board wanted to turn into the proponents of fares and tolls’ increase? Does this mean that more and more political and business players realize the importance of morality in taking market decisions? Evidently, the situation is much worse than one may imagine. One may initially think that increasing the fares will lead to less traffic congestion, and will urge more people to use public transport; yet, the public transport fares are being raised, too. From the viewpoint of those who vote for raising fares and tolls in New York, this decision is the first step towards â€Å"fiscal responsibility. The authority had for long applied windfalls and real estate taxes hoping that someone would bail us out and turning a blind eye to our responsibility to put this MTA on a firm future monetary structure† (Chan, 2007a). Simultaneously, from the viewpoint of morality and theology of the marketplace, commercial activity is not limited by rational market decisions, but also â€Å"confronts us with the moral predicaments† (Gregg, 2004). The major concern within this situation is that the decision to raise fares has completely neglected the position of those whom we traditionally consider to be vulnerable populations. The representative of Working Families Party is confident that raising fares will seriously hit working people (Benjamin, 2007). â€Å"Today, once again middle class New Yorkers and those struggling to make it, are bearing the cost†, Rep. Anthony Weiner said (Benjamin, 2007). â€Å"A fare hike now is the wrong choice for New York. It would hit many people who are struggling hard to make ends meet and hurt the region’s economy. [†¦] This fare hike will hit 86 percent of the riding public who use fare discounts. These include pay-per-ride bonus MetroCards and 7- and 30-day unlimited-ride passes. It’s also a double whammy for most L.I.R.R. and Metro-North commuters whose railroad fares would go up!† (Chan, 2007b) The discussed fare hike will also cause the bonuses’ decrease for riders (from 20 to 15 percent), and the discounted fare will cost $1.74 instead of $1.67 (Chan, 2007b). The problem is that New Yorkers pay more than they have to for the transport they use. â€Å"In 2005, riders paid 55 percent of the costs of running the subways and buses† (Chan, 2007b). Objectively, this is much higher that the riders in other cities pay: those in Boston do not compensate more than 29 percent of the discussed costs, and those in Philadelphia pay no more than 37 percent (Chan, 2007b). As the M.T.A reports $140 million reductions, does this mean that they will make the riders pay this amount through higher fares and tolls? Doubtlessly, the suggested fares and tolls increase will help compensate the under-financing of the MTA by the state Government, but if the decision framework remains unchanged, this compensation will actually take place for the account of the already mentioned vulnerable populations. â€Å"To rely upon utilitarianism as the moral – philosophical foundation of the case for the market creates tremendous difficulties for Catholics† (Gregg, 2004). The utilitarian desire to find the greatest good and to satisfy the masses does not meet the ethical and moral criteria of religion. Those who were taking the decision to raise the fares and tolls in New York have neglected one essential aspect in their decision making: when one looks for the means to produce the greatest pleasure for the greatest number of people, one has to perform numerous calculations and to produce the decision which satisfies everyone. From the viewpoint of moral theology, such calculations in market decision-making are simply impossible. â€Å"No person can make such an assessment without admitting a tremendous degree of ignorance about all the possible effects that might proceed from a freely chosen act† (Gregg, 2004). The MTA governors have evidently gone beyond their reasonable abilities, trying to persuade us that that the future with raised fares and tolls for everyone was better than other possible alternatives. The MTA board members view the increased tolls and fares as the means to close the gaps in MTA’s budget and to provide safe and reliable system of transportation for the New York’s citizens. However, it is not the ultimate goal for those who use public transport and belong to vulnerable layers of the city population. Conclusion The moral theology of marketplace rejects any uniform measures in defining the goals of decision making. This is why the governors should have considered the financial opportunities of those who cannot afford paying more for using public transport. The diversified structure of prices would resolve all moral and ethical issues, and would not create serious obstacles on the way towards better functioning of the city’s transportation systems. References Chan, S. (2007a). Board approves subway and bus fare increase. The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2008 from https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/mta-board-approves-fare-and-toll-increases/ Chan, S. (2007b). Hundreds stranded online by botched M.T.A. â€Å"Webinar†. The New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2008 from http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/10/mixed-reaction-to-new-mta-fare-plan/?hp Gregg, S. (2004). Ethics and the market economy: Insights from Catholic moral theology. IEA Economic Affairs, June, pp. 4-10. How to cite New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Essay examples

Oh, for a muse of ice! Essay Example For Students

Oh, for a muse of ice! Essay Oscar Wildes famous pronouncement that life imitates art far more than art imitates life was never better exemplified than last month when details of the Nancy Kerrigan assault case began to be known. Initial reports of the attack by a masked man with a club impressed listeners as merely another instance of the endemic violence of American life. As arrests were made, however, a tidy melodrama emerged: glamor and rivalry in ice skating circles, deluded misfit plotters, potential corporate sponsors waiting in the wings. The nation followed the unfolding revelations with a rapture usually reserved for the Superbowl in progress. From the moment the police shifted their attention to Portland, Ore., fief of Kerrigans principal competitor, Tonya Harding, the attack in Detroit took on the familiar aspect of sordid intrigue. Journalists and the public latched on to it like soap opera addicts. Many said it was fact triumphing over fiction, or worthy of the movies. Which leads one to wonder: If the Kerrigan case were a play, what would it have to offer? A Manichaean world view in which nice figure skaters wear Plae sequins and mean ones wear dark, in which supporting roles are shamelessly type-cast. Then theres the dialogue. Tonya Harding commenting on the attack: Nobody wanted to beat her worse than me. Add to this the hare-brained story of how the plot unraveled: the bodyguard unburdens himself to a 24-year-old minister who, insensitive to the secrets of confession, runs to tell a private eye. The minister and the private eye then go to the FBI together. Wheres the big confrontation? Wheres the blackmail? Wheres the poetry? That so trite and artless a tale is immediately likened to a work of dramatic fiction should be felt as a stinging rebuke by those who create theatre. Presented as kitchen-sink realism, it wouldnt play for a moment; as Grand Guignol it would be hooted off the stage. The best bet would be to play it as social satire and hope the audience laughs. If Wilde was right and life does indeed imitate art, one of our national priorities should be to find out why life is imitating art of such execrable quality. Art can inform every aspect of national life, including crime, but hooligans today have no contact with art. Nobody raised on Chekhov, Pinter and Shepard could plan or execute anything as depraved as the Kerrigan assaultaesthetically depraved, that is. This is the sort of crime committed by people who wallow in irreality, people who cant distinguish an episode of Mission Impossible from a PBS documentary. There is no better gauge of any nations popular imagination that the quality of its crimes. No wonder the Europeans are laughing at us. The current world champion figure skater, Surya Bonaly of France, snickered, I dont want to comment from such a distance. It certainly seems bizarre. The New York Times also quoted a British skating coach saying, It does seem to be the kind of strange story that one occasionally gets out of America. Look at the nations police blotters and try to find crimes worthy of Marlowes Tamburlaine or de Mussets Lorenzaccio. There arent any. DeQuincy considered murder an art form in itself; for Baudelaire and his admirers, including Genet, a life of crime did not exclude a sense of aesthetics. When Thomas Wainwright, the literary forger and assassin, was reproached for the murder of a woman, he replied, Yes, it was a dreadful thing to do, but she had very thick ankles. Great theatre and great crimes have always gone hand-in-hand. Is it any accident that the Earl of Essex prepared for his act of treason by commissioning a performance at the Globe? That the Marquis de Sade had seen all of Beaumarchaiss comedies? That Lincoln was shot by an actor? These were criminals of vision and daring, criminals who struck at the soul and conscience of the nation, not the kneecaps of its figure skaters. .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146 , .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146 .postImageUrl , .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146 , .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146:hover , .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146:visited , .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146:active { border:0!important; } .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146:active , .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146 .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u66ac66b703091fc4e2fadb151b03c146:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Rene Moreno: the actor that is EssayInstead of Shakespeare and Shaw, Americas criminals have grown up on Charles Bronson and Charlies Angels. The result is all too clear: When the representation of life is reduced to pablum and tripe, life itself responds in kind. A downward spiral begins which leads to convicted felons negotiating the movie rights to abominable crimes that owe much of their original inception to abominable movies. The only thing art has to teach is style, and style is at the heart of everything. Theatre doesnt make people moral; it tells stories. If the stories are well done, they allow the audience to imagine styles they do not currently command. Charity, discovery and enlightened public policy rely on a sense of style and so, ineluctably, does crime. Of necessity then, theatre and its allied arts refine and strengthen every aspect of the imaginative life of the country, from best to worst.