Whole Food Market, USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Whole Food Market, USA - Essay Example The objective of this study is to outline marketing mix and market entry strategy for Whole Food Market, Inc. while entering into Netherlands. Cultural dimensions of new market would also be included in the study so as to reflect upon its impact on proposed marketing mix. The entire study shall be centered towards global market strategy of Whole Food Market, Inc. 3. Main Findings 3.2 Marketing Mix of Whole Foods Market, Inc., Global Expansion 3.2.1 Product ïÆ'Ëœ Concept: Organic products and natural food products would be delivered in Netherlands market. ïÆ'Ëœ Whole Foods Market, Inc., Global Strategy: Global strategy shall be either direct exporting or wholly owned subsidiary. ïÆ'Ëœ Brief Adaptation or Standardization in Netherlands: Standardization product strategy would be applied in Netherlands market in order to sustain their competitive advantage (De Burca, Brown and Fletcher, 2004). 3.2.2 Price ïÆ'Ëœ Concept: The main concept is to acquire maximum market share and establish a stable market position. ïÆ'Ëœ Whole Foods Market, Inc., Global Strategy: In global context, the focus would be on market development strategy. ïÆ'Ëœ Brief Adaptation or Standardization in Netherlands: Adaptation approach will be applied on Netherlands market in the context of pricing strategy. 3.2.3 Place ïÆ'Ëœ Concept: Marketing mix element place is related to distribution network. Whole Foods Market will be delivering products to manufacturing or processing plant to the warehouse and finally to retail stores.

The Way We Speak Determines How We Think Essay Example for Free

The Way We Speak Determines How We Think Essay Critically evaluate this statement, drawing on the key theories and research that describe the relationship between language and thought. Language has traditionally been characterized by Philosophers as a cognitive tool used to freely externalize ones thoughts (Green, 2010 as cited in Kaye, 2010). The relationship between language, thought, culture and reality has occupied the minds of many for centuries. Early theorists argued that language and thought were two separate systems which â€Å"enter into an array of interconnected cognitive structures† (Chomsky, 1983). Extreme nativists and constructivists are key proponents of innateness and argued that knowledge and thought hold a significant innate property which exists prior to the development of language acquisition and is dependent on thought for its development. (Fodor, 1975 cited in Green, 2010) In recent years, contrasting with this position, researchers have provided empirical evidence to support a causal relationship between both language and thought which indicates how we speak does shape how we think but also how we think can influence how we speak. Boroditsky, 2010) The emergence of this new evidence elaborates on earlier ideas associated with the Whorfian hypothesis (Whorf, 1956 cited in Green, 2010) and focuses on an alternative approach, linguistic determinism. This essay will explore the different theoretical approaches and provide evidence which demonstrates how no one theory has provided conclusive empirical evidence that supports how we speak determines how we think. Preliminary studies on language and thought have resulted in contributory and conflicting information which looks at the definitions and functions of language and thought, the interactions between both and the origins. Language and thought have been considered to be some of the key components which define human nature and what it means to be human. Aitchison (2007) highlighted some of the key features which define our uniqueness as humans but also certain characteristics we share with our animal relatives. Semanticity is one feature which separates us from other species. Humans use words to communicate and to represent objects and actions. In contrast animals use sounds to communicate information about a situation. For example blackbirds give a recognizable call for danger but it does not inform others of the type of danger present. Another feature which separates us from animals is creativity. Humans have the ability to understand and produce an infinite number of novel grammatical expressions with little evidence to demonstrate this skill in animals. These differences between species demonstrate the difference between language and communication and have led to other questions about how and why language acquisition was developed (Aitchison, 2007, cited in Green, 2010). Furthermore like any other psychological dichotomy, psychologists and philosophers have questioned whether language shapes our thoughts and ideas or whether our thoughts are merely represented through what we say. One approach which argues against the notion of language influencing thought is the constructivist position. According to this approach, language is seen as an emergent property that unfolds as a result of cognitive development therefore suggesting that language may not determine how we think (Piaget, 1923, cited in Green, 2010). Evidence from Piaget’s (1923) epistemological studies demonstrates how thinking and other cognitive abilities such as symbolic play, mental imagery all exist in children before language development. However one major criticism of this theory suggests that if this idea is to be true, then children with visual or auditory impairment are likely to be handicapped in language due to insufficient sensory input. However research has indicated no difference between the rate and time which impaired children obtain their earliest words compared with seeing children. Bigelow, 1987; Nelson, 1973) Although this evidence rejects Piaget’s (1923) theory, considerations need to be applied for parents of visually impaired children compensating for the impairment. Further issues with Piaget’s (1923) theory suggests that if certain levels of cognitive development are required to assist language ability, then his notion of object permanence should precede the acquisition of concepts and objects Xu (2002) research found opposite results to Piaget’s (1923) ideas which demonstrate how a child as early as 9 months old was capable of distinguishing between two objects. Because of this conflicting information, it is difficult to assign a causal relationship between language and thought within this framework (Xu, 2002, cited in Green, 2010). In addition, the extreme nativist approach led by Fodor (1983), postulates that all concepts are innate and we possess language syntax of thought. His key ideas are centered on the content of concepts and the structure of propositions. Fodor (1983) proposed that some cognitive systems (language) are modular and interface with non-modular central systems such as memory and thinking. One of the main aspects of interest in Fodor’s (1983) framework is the acquisition of concepts. Unlike empiricists who argue that children proceed through a process of inductive generalization to understand a new concept, Fodor (1983) suggests that this is not the case and that concepts are innately pre-programmed and not learnt (Russell, 2004 cited in Green, 2010) He describes vocabulary acquisition as attaching names to pre-existing categories and concepts which are broken down into components until the end point is reached. He also explains how new or complex concepts are developed (. i. e. ipad) by decomposition into their basic elemental components. From this, it would suggest that language develops from already pre-existing concepts or thoughts which would show the directional flow of influence to come from thought rather than speech. Chomsky (2006) is also a staunch proponent for the nativist approach and offers complimentary ideas to Fodor’s (1983) theory on innateness. He argued that the syntax of language is innate and that a universal grammar underpins language. The theory suggested that linguistic ability manifests itself without being taught, and that there are properties that all natural  human languages share (Chomsky, 2006). Exploration of this hypothesis focused on word order, structure and parameters. Universally the random order of words differs amongst cultures. For example in English we use subject-verb-object language compared with those in Japanese who use Subject-Object-Verb. Chomsky (2006) argued that although the mental grammar differs from language to language, the process by which certain sentences are perceived as correct while others are not is universal and independent of meaning. He also argued that language acquisition is obtained through an innate language acquisition device. His theory later evolved into principles and parameters theory and looked at the abstract rules applied when learning a language. One of the key tenets of Chomsky’s (2006) theory is that language is independent of cognition and does not influence how we think. Criticisms of his theory are highlighted as complete disregard for meaning and the social aspects or environment at which a child first acquires its words. Other critiques look at evidence produced by children with a hearing impairment. Questions surround what kind of parameters they would apply when using sign language. If Chomsky’s (2006) theory is to be correct then, it does not explain how children who learn two languages at once can apply parameter settings (Messer, 2000 cited in Green, 2010). Contrasting with the nativist approach, linguistic determinism argued in support for the notion that language influences or even determines how we speak. These ideas were first presented in the early 1930’s by Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf, who studied how languages vary and proposed ways that speakers of different tongues may think differently. Due to lack of empirical evidence at the time, their ideas of determinism (Whorfian hypothesis) were rejected but later reinstated with a weaker, less controversial notion of linguistic relativism, suggesting how language influences thought rather than determines it. Green, 2010) Firstly many of the early studies supporting Whorf’s hypothesis derived from studies of colour perception and naming. Brown and Lenneberg, (1954) found cross-cultural differences in the speed of colour naming and recognition, related to colour terms in different languages, though the study found correlations rather than a causal relationship. Additionally later research by Roberson et al, (2000) in the Berinmo people of Papua New Guinea showed findings which do support the Whorfian hypothesis and showed evidence for an effect of language on colour perception (Green, 2010, p. 66-372). Secondly more recent experiments carried out by Boroditsky, Winawer, Withoff, Frank and Wu (2007) investigated whether linguistic differences led to differences in colour discrimination between Russian and English speakers. Unlike English speakers, Russian speakers divide the colour terms on the spectrum differently. For example Russian speakers make a distinct differentiation between lighter blues and darker blues whereas English speakers would categories all colours of blue under on label. The experiment measured colour discrimination performance using a basic perceptual task. The results showed that Russian speakers were faster to discriminate two colours if they were part of the different linguistic categories in Russian than if the two colours were from the same category. Further effects of language were seen with English speakers who did not show any category advantage under any condition hence demonstrating how categories in language can affect performance of colour discrimination or how we speak can influence how we think. Thirdly research has also investigated spatial cognition and non-linguistic tasks and has shown how different cultures spatialize time depending on the available spatial representations (Green, 2010, p. 368). For example Dutch speakers use right and left in relation to object-centered frames of reference compared with the Mayan people of South America who use the compass points (North,South,East,West) for both geographic and object-centered frames of reference. Brown and Levinson (1993) conducted a study to investigate if these different frames of reference influenced the encoding of spatial relationships. The results showed that Dutch and Tzeltal (Mayan) speakers showed differences in reconstruction of a spatial array of objects, depending on encoding in their language which provides support for the Whorfian hypothesis and also shows how we speak can influence how we think. One critique of this experiment is the location of the task was not considered. Li and Gleitman (2002) argued that changing the environment in which spatial tasks occur can change the frame of reference used. The results from their study did demonstrate that within a different environment, participants chose to use a relative frame of reference hence highlighting the importance or significance of environmental factors in determining the frame used. Finally Boroditsky, (2001) also looked at the concept of time and whether aspects of language and culture influence how we think about this domain. Her study investigated how Mandarin and English speakers represent time and whether temporal metaphors differ between the two groups. English and Mandarin speakers both use horizontal (front/back) spatial terms to talk about time but differ in the use of vertical (up/down) spatial terms which are used by Mandarin speakers but not English speakers. Participants from both groups were asked to verify statements in English about temporal relationships from a scene containing objects that were arranged either along the vertical or horizontal dimension. The results showed that both groups organize time from left to right which is consistent with their writing direction but also that Mandarin speaker’s show evidence of vertical representation of time with earlier events represented further up after vertical priming and no evidence for this in English speakers. The results of this study provide evidence for cross-cultural differences in temporal reasoning and also support for language influencing thought. However compelling this evidence is, these findings have not been replicated in later studies. To conclude, it is clear that the above recent evidence provides support that demonstrates a transactional or causal relationship between both thought and language however due to the lack of successful replication of these results and the requirement for further investigation, once cannot conclude the notion of linguistic determinism. The way we speak does not determine how we think, but is more influential in shaping some aspects and in both directions. One must also consider that certain aspects of this cognitive process are indeed innate, that we are designed with a pre-disposition to develop language as a means of communication. It is also possible that both innateness and linguistic determinism explain different components of the same process, depending on the situation and context we find ourselves in. As the field of cognitive psychology progresses and further evidence is provided we may be able to settle on one explanation or another.

Contradictions of Character in George Bernard Shaws Pygmalion Essay

â€Å"Manners are the happy way of doing things† according to Ralph Waldo Emerson.   According to Emerson people use manners as a front to make themselves look better.   Inherently, this will lead to a contradiction of the front and the reality.   One such man who is most concerned with manners is the protagonist of Shaw’s Pygmalion, Professor Henry Higgins.   Higgins is a man who displays contradictions within his character.   He is in the business of teaching proper manners, although lacks them himself.   In addition, Higgins is an intelligent man, and yet he is ignorant of the feelings of those around him.   Another apparent contradiction is that Higgins’ outer charm serves to hide his bullying nature. He manipulates Eliza and others around him to serve his own purposes, without any regard for her feelings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Higgins, a teacher of proprietary manners, lacks those very manners which others pay to learn from him.   Ironically, Higgins believes that he is the greatest teacher of manners.   He announces that in â€Å"three months [he] could pass [Eliza] off as a duchess.†Ã‚   Higgins thinks that he can take any lower class girl and pass her off as a duchess.   He truly believes that he is capable of transforming Eliza.   Once the teaching begins, Higgins shows no respect for others in his life.   When he goes to see his mother, she reminds him that â€Å"[he] promised not to come on† her days when she is having guests.   He ignores this promise to his mother because he believes that his newest experiment is more important than his mother’s insignificant visitors are.  Ã‚  Ã‚   This behavior continues throughout the ... ...ulative experiments on life.   Higgins tries to use his charm to manipulate people into giving him what he wants, but when this tactic fails he resorts to brute force and abuse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is amazing that a man with such great qualities and characteristics can also have the bad qualities that are opposite of those great ones.   How these traits can coexist in one person does not make sense.   One of the traits must be a false front.   This is the nature of the world.   When two opposites come together in the same place and do not alter each other, then one of them is kept up as a faà §ade.   At any moment in time this faà §ade can move or crack and the true nature of the person will come to light.   People who display too many contradictions in character are usually true hypocrites.

Sublimation of Vanillin and O-Vanillin

Experiment In this experiment a high vacuum sublimation was performed to determine the vapor pressure and finally the enthalpy of sublimation of Vanillin and o-Vanillin. AKnudsen cell with sample was weighed 10 times maybe just say weighed by difference, they don’t usually like it when you spell out the steps like that no way it was like 0. 5 grams, check the lab again and at least 0. 5 g of Vanillin or o-Vanillin was added to the cell and it was reweighed 10 times.This experiment depended heavily on the method of weigh by difference when determining the mass of sample (Vanillin or o-Vanillin) loss in sublimation. A water bath (70 Â °C for vanillin or 40 Â °C for o-Vanillin) is prepared for the sample. The Knudsen cell was inserted into the sample tube and the closed end of the sample tube was placed into the prepared water bath. The tube with the O-ring was connected to the sublimation apparatus. The diffusion pump was connected to the water supply and turned on to 90 V. Th e cold trap of the apparatus was filled with Liquid nitrogen every hour of the experiment.Maybe talk about the type of vacuum pump used since there was so much about it in the lab manual After the sample had reached and sustained the desired temperature for about 5 minutes the sublimation region was roughed.. Just say that you roughed, they don’t usually like this step by step stuff with the valves, but I do like that talk about the pressures that we reached The time between the opening of valve 1 and 3 was the uncertainty in total time. The sublimation apparatus was place under high vacuum to initiate the sublimation process.After making sure the exhaust region pressure did not rapidly increase the temperature of the water bath was recorded every couple of minutes until only 15 minutes were left in the laboratory. This experiment was repeated for a 2nd trial with the only change being the water bath ( 55 Â °C for Vanillin or 30 Â °C for o-Vanillin). Need degree signs Data Analysis The purpose of this experiment was to determine the vapor pressure of Vanillin and o-Vanillin to thus determine the enthalpy of sublimation of Vanillin and o-Vanillin.The mass loss was determined by weighing the difference in the mass of the Knudsen cell + sample before and after sublimation. The area of the Knudsen cell orifice was determined by using the area of a circle equation A= (d/2)2 . The dimensionless correction factor (? ) was determined using the equation ? =1-0. 5(l/d)+0. 2(l/d)2 . Using the measured values of mass loss (m), total time (t), and temperature (T), along with calculated thickness parameter (? ) and area (A) we determined the vapor pressure of our samples using the following equation:Vapor Pressure (P) = ((m)? ( A? t))? SQRT((2 R? T)/(M)) Where R = 8. 314 J/kmol ? The calculated vapor pressure for each trial was used along with the measured average temperature from each trial in the temperature bound integrated Clausius-Clapeyron equation to determi ne the ? HÂ °Sub . Enthalpy of Sublimation ? HÂ °Sub = – Ln(P2/P1)(T2-T1)? R Using the Integrated Clausius-Clapeyron equation and the vapor pressure equation discussed the raw data was used to determine the following analyzed results for vapor pressure and ? HÂ °Sub for Vanillin and o-Vanillin..Probably should add standard deviations, even if they are those weird numbers we were still talking about in lab Thursday. | Vanillin T1| Vanillin T 2| o-Vanillin T 1| o-Vanillin T2| m (kg)| 8. 59E-06Â ±6. 37E-06| 6. 816E-05Â ±2. 458E-07| 2. 916E-05Â ±1. 350E-07| 6. 125E-05Â ±9. 156E-07| T (K)| 329. 02Â ±0. 30| 343. 54Â ±0. 16| 311. 40Â ±0. 08| 302. 73Â ±0. 06| t (sec)| 5732Â ±24| 6870Â ±13| 6291Â ±25| 6291Â ±40| P (Pa)| 1. 0107Â ±0. 2931| 6. 8358Â ±0. 1378| 3. 0406Â ±0. 0622| 6. 2972Â ±0. 1372| ? HÂ °Sub (J/mol)| -230. 728 Â ±239. 311| | 52. 4913 Â ±43. 7797| | ? | 0. 991928| | | | A (m^2)| 5. 024E-07 Â ± 1. 0053E-08| | | |

Brand and Proper Branding

Branding Meaning of Branding: The word â€Å"brand† is derived from the Old Norse â€Å"brandr† meaning â€Å"to burn. † It refers to the practice of producers burning their mark (or brand) onto their products. Branding is the practice of giving a specified name to a product or group of product of one seller. Branding is the process of finding and fixing the means of identification. In other word, naming product, like a naming a baby, is known as branding. Parents have children and manufactures also are eager to know the character and the capacity of their names. Thus branding is management process by which product is name; i. . branding. Proper branding can result in higher sales of not only one product, but on other products associated with that brand. For example, if a customer loves Wai Wai Noodles and trusts the brand, he or she is more likely to try other products offered by the company such as Kwiks Cheese Balls or Kwiks Potato Chips. Definition of Brandin g According to the American marketing Association, â€Å"A brand is name, term, sign, symbol or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of competition. According to William j Stanton, â€Å"All trademarks are brands and thus include the word, letter or numbers which may be pronounced; they may also include pictorial designs. † Threes of Cs of Branding 1. Clarity: Strong bonds are clear about what they are & what they are not. They understand their unique promise of value. And this promise of value sets them apart from their competitors. It differentiates them and allows them to attract and built loyalty among a desirable set of consumers. 2.Consistency: In addition to being clear about who they are, strong brands are also consistence. They are always what they say they are. 3. Constancy: It is not enough to be clear and consistent if you are not always visible to your target aud ition. Strong brands are constant, they are always there for their customers and prospects. A brand can convey up to six level of meaning 1. Attributes: Mercedes brings to mind expensive, well built, well engineered, durable, high prestige automobiles. 2.Benefits: The attributes â€Å"Durable† could translate into the functional benefits and the attributes â€Å"Expensive† translates into the emotional benefits. 3. Values: Mercedes stands for high performance, safety and prestige. 4. Culture: Mercedes represents German culture; organized, efficient and high quality. 5. Personality: Mercedes may suggest a no nonsense boss â€Å"person†, reigning lion â€Å"animal† or an austere palace (object). 6. User: Suggest the kind of consumer who buys or uses the product. A top executive behind the wheel of a Mercedes and not a young secretary.Purpose of Branding 1. Brand is a massive asset. 2. Brand is a promotional tool. 3. Brand is a weapon to protect market. 4. B rand is antidote for middle man survival. 5. Brand is a means of identification for customers. Significance/advantage of branding 1. Advantage to producers a. Easy to advertise. b. Easy to identify the products. c. Creation of separate market. d. To get more price. e. Easy to expand the product mix. f. Personal contacts with consumers. 2. Advantage to middle man g. Easy to understand needs and wants of consumers. . Less risks. i. No need of advertisement and sales promotion. j. Increase in sales. k. Increase in profit. 3. Advantage to consumers l. Easy to recognize. m. Availability of quality product. n. Minimum fluctuation in price. o. Mental satisfaction. p. Improve packing. Branding decision Branding of products are mainly done under following criteria: 1. Founder’s names. 2. Blanket family names. 3. Separate family name for all products. 4. Corporate names combined with individual product name.

Rejection essays

Rejection essays The greatest terror a child can have is that he is not loved, and rejection is the hell he fears. I think everyone in this world...has felt rejection. And with rejection comes anger, and with anger some kind of crime guilt-and there is the story of mankind(270). This is Lees interpretation of what he feels about rejection and the result of it. As he says this, he says it plain and clear that it is the chronicle of mankind. In the story of East of Eden, by John Steinbeck, three families face conflicting events of rejection amongst each other. In Cathys family, or relationship with Mr. Edwards, they share a secret love that soon becomes a tragic mess. Then theres the Trask family, a content group of people with one family member feeing like he is not loved at all by his father. Last but not least, Adam Trasks family, a very similar situation, where Adams son Caleb feels less loved than his brother, Aron. Steinbeck utilizes Mr. Edwards, Charles and Cal to show how rejection of love causes anger in all of humankind. Throughout The East of Eden, Steinbeck exhibits the numerous disgraceful rejections of love that the characters face which will eventually result into anger. In the beginning Charles was the first to be rejected, this occurred on Cyruss birthday. I bought him a knife made in Germany-three blades and a corkscrew, pearl-handled. Wheres that knife? Do you ever see him use it...Ive never ever seen him hone it... what did he do with it? And thats the last I heard of a pearl-handled German knife that costs six bits.(29) Charles is very deeply hurt that Cyrus did not cherish his gift as much as he did to Adams gift, a puppy. Cyrus just plainly looked at the knife, and said thank you, and then tucked it away in his desk without even sign of wanting the knife. This scene of refusal really mak...

s Wine Indusrty

AMERICA’S WINE INDUSTRY: A GLOBAL SUCCESS J. EDWIN DIETEL After scarcely a generation, the US wine industry is challenging centuries-old European wineries America’s winemakers, most of whom are relative newcomers to the industry, are making superior wines and reaping global acclaim. In a single generation, and at a time when many US industries can no longer claim to be world leaders, the US wine industry’s global success is a fascinating story of entrepreneurial vision and savvy marketing. It remains to be seen whether the American industry has reached its peak, or if new innovations, new competition, and new markets will make the future rosy for US vintners. In terms of worldwide recognition and success, individual American wineries have made their mark only in the last 50-odd years. American experiments with wine-making for the past 200 years- including considerable efforts by Thomas Jefferson to replicate French grape-growing techniques at Monticello- had proved commercially unsuccessful. Not until the end of Prohibition in 1933 did the American wine industry take off on a large scale. America has now become the fourth largest producer in the world behind Italy, France, and Spain. US wine exports in 1999 were up almost threefold over 1990 levels, totaling 74 million gallons ($540 million). Quantity of production is but one measure of success of the industry. American wine producers also have become widely known for the quality of their products. The single event that brought global recognition to the American wine industry occurred in Paris in 1976. There, in a celebrated blind tasting by nine French wine experts, American Chardonnays were compared to their celebrated French counterparts, white Burgundies, while American Cabernet Sauvignons were compared to the prestigious French first-growth red Bordeaux. The American wi... 's Wine Indusrty Free Essays on America\'s Wine Indusrty AMERICA’S WINE INDUSTRY: A GLOBAL SUCCESS J. EDWIN DIETEL After scarcely a generation, the US wine industry is challenging centuries-old European wineries America’s winemakers, most of whom are relative newcomers to the industry, are making superior wines and reaping global acclaim. In a single generation, and at a time when many US industries can no longer claim to be world leaders, the US wine industry’s global success is a fascinating story of entrepreneurial vision and savvy marketing. It remains to be seen whether the American industry has reached its peak, or if new innovations, new competition, and new markets will make the future rosy for US vintners. In terms of worldwide recognition and success, individual American wineries have made their mark only in the last 50-odd years. American experiments with wine-making for the past 200 years- including considerable efforts by Thomas Jefferson to replicate French grape-growing techniques at Monticello- had proved commercially unsuccessful. Not until the end of Prohibition in 1933 did the American wine industry take off on a large scale. America has now become the fourth largest producer in the world behind Italy, France, and Spain. US wine exports in 1999 were up almost threefold over 1990 levels, totaling 74 million gallons ($540 million). Quantity of production is but one measure of success of the industry. American wine producers also have become widely known for the quality of their products. The single event that brought global recognition to the American wine industry occurred in Paris in 1976. There, in a celebrated blind tasting by nine French wine experts, American Chardonnays were compared to their celebrated French counterparts, white Burgundies, while American Cabernet Sauvignons were compared to the prestigious French first-growth red Bordeaux. The American wi...

An - Annee - French Expressions

An - Annee - French Expressions The French words un an and une annà ©e both mean year (whats the difference?) and are also used in many expressions. Learn how to say school year, the sixties, on average, and more with this list of expressions with an and annà ©e.de ___ ans (e.g., un enfant de 3 ans, une voiture de 10 ans)___-year-old (e.g., 3-year-old child, 10-year-old car)en lan ___ avant Jà ©sus-Christ(in the year) ___ BCen lan ___ de notre à ¨re(in the year) ___ ADen lan de grà ¢ce ___in the year of Our Lord ___les ans lont courbà © (literary)hes become hunched with ageavoir 25 ansto be 25 (years old)bon an mal anon averagecourbà © sous le poids des ans (literary)bent under the weight of agele jour de lAnNew Years Dayle nouvel anNew Years Day, the new yearloutrage des ans (literary)the ravages of timele premier de lanNew Years Day, the first of the yearsen moquer / sen soucier comme de lan quaranteto not care less about, to not give a darn about2 fois par an, 3 fois par an... twice a year, three times a year... les annà ©es 60, 70, 80...the sixties, seventies, eighties...une annà ©e bissextileleap yearune annà ©e civilecalendar yearune annà ©e-lumià ¨relight yearune annà ©e sainteHoly yearune annà ©e scolaireschool yearBonne Annà ©e !Happy New Year!Bonne Annà ©e et bonne santà © !Happy New Year (and good health)!Cest des annà ©es-lumià ¨res de mes prà ©occupationsIts the last thing on my mind.Lesson: an vs annà ©e | Dates in FrenchMore: French expressions | Confusing pairs

Pricing Strategy - LiveFace Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pricing Strategy - LiveFace - Assignment Example Pricing policy is informed by factors such as corporate objective, market demand, government policies, costs, micro and industry barriers and reactions from competitors (Saxena, 2009). There are a number of pricing strategies used by firms around the world some which could be suitable options for Blue Team Focus Company. To start with, the differential pricing strategy is where a firm charges different prices on its product in different market segments mainly because of different social economic statuses of the target markets. This strategy could be an option for the Live Face product. Blue Team can also adopt the geographical pricing strategy which seeks to maximize on the economies of scale by charging lower prices on the product in some areas compared to those charged by competitors (Saxena, 2009). The company could also explore the penetration strategy where it introduces the product with a lower price and increases it gradually based on demand of the product and market

Biomimicry Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Biomimicry Architecture - Essay Example From the essay it is clear that the increased demand for energy efficient buildings materials has necessitated need to turn to nature for solutions. It is undeniable architects, designers, and engineers are developing biomimicry architecture walls or skins through the same mechanism as the skins of various natural creatures and features to maintain and reduce energy wastage.   Nature provides the best source of ideas in architecture by enabling architects to develop skins that are ecologically friendly due to their unlimited advantages. Nature has many forms that can be referred to by architects to develop structures that are unique and efficient. Moreover, nature provides a solution to the energy problem that has been a major challenge in the construction industry for a long time. It has provided ideas on how the buildings can reduce energy usage and some of the importance of mimicking nature in reducing energy use in the following ways.According to the report findings the imitati on of natural structures provides an opportunity for the use of low energy sources, thus facilitating use of renewable sources. Most of the nature mimicking buildings are powered by solar energy, which is a renewable and eco-friendly source of energy to reduce the consumption of the electricity.  A good example of such a building is the All Season Tent Tower that has been constructed to imitate a volcano.

Doctor patient relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Doctor patient relationship - Essay Example Carver takes this idea further by looking at the way in which a career limits the communication skills of a person. The minimal style enhances the starkness of loss especially when it is accompanied by a distant doctor. The paper concludes that the intention of both texts is to illuminate the inequality of the doctor/patient relationship although, unlike Carver, Williams resolves this. Carver provides a hint at the answer by the family finding resolution with the baker. 'A Small, Good Thing' and 'The Girl with the Pimply Face' are initially comparable because they share the subject matter of the medical profession and the narrative techniques are superficially quite similar. The primary theme is the sensitivity of patient/doctor relationships. Williams' story focuses on the doctor's humanity; his susceptibility to desire, boredom and irresponsibility, but also his caring response to a family facing several problems. Changeability is a central quality of being human. Everyone is subject to the same whims and desires whether they are a doctor or not. He has the desire to help, gives his work freely, possesses a genuine interest in the family and does not criticise his patients when they cannot pay. On the other hand there are hints that he is nave because he does not realise the family are taking advantage of him. Furthermore his reasons for being interested in the family are ambiguous. His concern possibly stems from his attraction to the girl with acne rather than genuine professional interest. Although his interest in her is professional; he wants to help her acne and her legs, his thoughts reveal there is something about the girl that would be of interest to him whether or not she needed his attention as a doctor,. Conversely Carver treats the medical profession with suspicion, focusing on the gap between doctors and the ordinary family. Where Williams uses similar language for both the doctor and the girl, Carver uses different language. Williams emphasises the willingness of his doctor to step over professional boundaries and help the girl with advice and money whereas Carver's doctors shift the blame of Scotty's death away from themselves, emphasising that there was nothing they could do. Dr. Francis was disinclined to linger with the parents at the end and Ann feels as if he wants her to leave before she is ready. He never crosses over the professional line. Each story uses distinctive narrative methods to expound this theme. Firstly, neither story has an objective narrator. The Williams' story is told by the doctor and the language is colloquial. There is an outstanding lack of conventional grammar. Spoken words mingle with description. For example, 'What's the matter with her I asked.' (79) The effect is two-fold. Firstly it envelops the reader in the doctor's world, inviting sympathy. However it also makes him susceptible to criticism. His language is not medical and his attention darts quickly away from his patient. He is different from the traditional image of a doctor. 'For the moment at least I had lost all interest in the baby.'(80) By having access to the doctor's inner thoughts the reader is privileged to his true opinion of his patients, feelings not expected of a doctor, 'this young kid in charge of the house did something to me that I liked.'(80) On the other hand Carver's technique incorporates the inner

Term Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Term Paper - Essay Example It has its focus on the target readers who may or may not be very much interested in each and every detail of the study but can be very much interested in knowing how to maintain their weight not to regain. The article has been a successful effort in providing what readers look for in any news. The article used for this study is ‘A Self-Regulation Program for Maintenance of Weight Loss’ from the journal ‘New England Journal of Medicine’ published on 31 October 2006. The team of Dr. Rena Wing, PhD have conducted this study. Dr. Wing is also Brown University professor of psychiatry and human behaviour and co founder of National Weight Control Registry program. The paper is based on one of the most concerning issues of today’s scenario. Obesity is a problem which leads to several other health related and psychological problem in an individual. People once lose weight sometimes become relaxed and regain the weight they had lost. The journal article is based on this issue of obesity and maintenance of weight loss. The main issue in the study are regaining of weight in individuals after weight loss program and impact of maintenance program based on self regulatory theory on this weight regains. People face to face interaction and daily weighing c reates better impact on the interest and efforts of maintaining weight and avoiding weight regain. The hypothesis of the paper is that â€Å"the interventions, delivered face to face or over the Internet, would decrease average weight regain and reduce the proportion of participants who regained 2.3 kg or more during a period of 18 months.† The study is about weight regain. There are various dependent and independent variables considered in this study. There were various dependent variables like weight loss in specific period, calories intake, physical activity and method of instruction like face to face, internet or control group were dependent on variables like sex, age, weight,

Cloud computing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cloud computing - Research Paper Example It is clear that organizations are moving to this direction as data storage for the future. Cloud computing is one of the most essential concepts that will continue to play a dramatic role in the modern century. Cloud computing is undoubtedly a vital components for organization as it upholds security, embeds flexibility and allows corporations to implement a modern IT system. In essence, cloud computing is a cluster of servers that function together. Moreover, number of characteristics that define cloud data, applications services and infrastructure. For instance, cloud services can be remotely hosted. In addition, they are ubiquitous, meaning Services or data are available from anywhere. When it comes to cloud computing, many flavors are present. Research shows that cloud computing is beneficial to most companies because it is cost efficient, offers unlimited storage and is easy to maintain and upgrade. Another great feature of the cloud is the fact that it can provide services for end-users. One of the notorious services is known as Platform as Service(Paas). In the PaaS model, cloud providers deliver a  computing platform  typically including operating system and programming language. MVC framework is a prime example of this service. Moreover, Infrastructure as Service or (IaaS) or IaaS clouds often offer additional resources such as virtual machines, storage capacity, security and end-to-end logical network model. Lastly, Software as Service (SaaS) can be beneficial because of a software deployment where an application is hosted as a service. A great example of this is Salesforce 2.0 in the e-commerce realm. A great benefit of cloud computing is the fact is the fact that it takes high energy costs. In addition, the traditional mainframe networks take too much space. Furthermore, the heat that is generated through these servers must be cooled. In fact, recent studies have found that organizations achieved on average an 18% reduction in their budget

Term Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Term Paper - Essay Example It has its focus on the target readers who may or may not be very much interested in each and every detail of the study but can be very much interested in knowing how to maintain their weight not to regain. The article has been a successful effort in providing what readers look for in any news. The article used for this study is ‘A Self-Regulation Program for Maintenance of Weight Loss’ from the journal ‘New England Journal of Medicine’ published on 31 October 2006. The team of Dr. Rena Wing, PhD have conducted this study. Dr. Wing is also Brown University professor of psychiatry and human behaviour and co founder of National Weight Control Registry program. The paper is based on one of the most concerning issues of today’s scenario. Obesity is a problem which leads to several other health related and psychological problem in an individual. People once lose weight sometimes become relaxed and regain the weight they had lost. The journal article is based on this issue of obesity and maintenance of weight loss. The main issue in the study are regaining of weight in individuals after weight loss program and impact of maintenance program based on self regulatory theory on this weight regains. People face to face interaction and daily weighing c reates better impact on the interest and efforts of maintaining weight and avoiding weight regain. The hypothesis of the paper is that â€Å"the interventions, delivered face to face or over the Internet, would decrease average weight regain and reduce the proportion of participants who regained 2.3 kg or more during a period of 18 months.† The study is about weight regain. There are various dependent and independent variables considered in this study. There were various dependent variables like weight loss in specific period, calories intake, physical activity and method of instruction like face to face, internet or control group were dependent on variables like sex, age, weight,

Evaluation of the Company's Strategy Coursework - 2

Evaluation of the Company's Strategy - Coursework Example The well connected digital world has become the birth place of various trends of globalization, which has continued to emerge from various developed as well as emerging markets. Because of the process of globalization, demands for new products and services are being formed in the markets all over the world. The demands of new kinds of products and services in the global markets are resulting in the generation of multiple business opportunities. Companies around the world are increasingly moving to the new markets to tap the new business opportunities and thereby attend significant growth in their business. This particular assignment focuses on Tesco which is the major retailer in the UK market. The assignment discusses about the evaluation of the strategy of Tesco in the current times, from the angle of sustainability. Introduction The emergence and rapid development of technology has brought in a major change in the competition dynamics existing in any market around the world. The n ew technology has triggered the rise of new trends of globalization, which has automatically increased the flow of knowledge in the global markets. ... As a result of market entry by numerous international firms, the level of competitions in the global markets has gone up significantly. Also, the rise of competition in the markets all around the world has resulted in the process of increase of choice of alternatives for the consumers, thereby increasing the buyer’s power. In this case, the focus is on the UK based retailer Tesco. The UK based retailer Tesco has presence in around 12 markets and has team strength of more than 530,000 people (Tesco -1, 2013). The core purpose of Tesco is to make things better in an integrated manner. The values of the company can be linked to high dedication towards the customers, equal treatment along with the focus on achieving growth through creation of opportunities and values for the various stakeholders (Tesco-2, 2013). In this case, the company is looking forward to develop a sustainable strategy while significantly evaluating the currently existing strategy of the company. Analysis and critical evaluation of Tesco’s strategic position In focusing on the critical evaluation of the strategic position of Tesco, it can be stated that the company in the current times has presence in various continents like US, UK, Europe and Asia. The UK based retailer has presence in multiple countries around the world which includes UK, US, Lotus, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Kipa, Ireland, Korea, Malaysia, China and India (Tesco -3, 2013). The portfolio of the company comprises of grocery, food, electronics, financial services, clothing, furniture, retailing of books, internet services, software, music downloads and DVD rental. The company’s growing market share and a strong presence in the

Catching Fire Essay Example for Free

Catching Fire Essay â€Å"Without hesitation, he reads, on the seventy fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest of them cannot overcome the power the capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors.†page.172, Catching fire. This is when Katniss finds out she has to go back into the arena and the fight the other victors. Some of them will be enemies such as the victors from 1 and 2. Some will be picked off immediately or just walk around like the morphing’s. Others will be allies such as nuts and volts or finnick. Finnick is an important character because he is brave, smart, and loyal. Finnick is brave in the arena, because he fights of the attackers at the cornucopia with Katniss on page 269 and 270. He also swam Peeta to shore which is brave because he was unarmed and vulnerable to attack. â€Å"Finnick has reached peeta know and is towing him back, one arm across his chest while the other propels them through the water with easy strokes.† P.273, Catching Fire. Finnick is also smart. In the arena on the beach he told them how to fish and find oysters on page 365. He also knew how to revive Peeta by giving him CPR on page 280. â€Å"Under Finnick’s guidance we spear fish and gather shellfish, even dive for oysters.†p.365, Catching Fire. Finnick is also loyal. He may not seem loyal but he still loves Ann even after all the people in the capitol hit on him. He also stayed loyal to Katniss in the arena even when she did the opposite of everything he said. â€Å"I see finnick†s green eyes in the moonlight. I can see them as clear as day. Like a cats, with a strange reflective quality. Maybe because they are shiny with tears. No he says I cant carry them both. My arms aren’t working. Its true his arms are jerk uncontrollable at his sides. His hans are empty. Of his three tridents one is left and it’s in peeta’s hands. â€Å"I’m sorry mags . I can’t do it.† Finnick is a brave, smart and loyal teammate. He didn’t kill Katniss, and saved peeta. He told them how to fish. He also let his mentor stay behind to be killed by the poison mist. He is a true asset to their team.

History of Artist Expression in Comic Books

History of Artist Expression in Comic Books Comic books, like many art forms, have been co-opted by a hungry consumer capitalist economy which makes a Faustian bargain with its artistic meals: give me your subversive art forms and ideas, this economy says, and I will communicate them to a mass audience beyond your wildest dreams; however, in exchange, your art forms and ideas will often simultaneously be stripped of their dignity and uniqueness by becoming products of no less ubiquity and no more value than toothpaste – mere tools to sell, sell, sell, and make more, more, more money for gigantic multinational corporations. This phenomenology is the ultimate in postmodern recontextualization, the stripping of an objects original meaning and significance, and its endowment with a new purpose either heretofore considered or deemed ethically, morally, or artistically acceptable. We shall explore the unique nature and popularity of comic books, and the themes presented in their narratives and characters, as a quasi-underground phenomenon whose ever-increasing popularity from the 1940s to the 1980s left them perfectly positioned to be gobbled and turned into movies and merchandise by giant corporations eager to both exploit the devotees of comic books and expand their numbers. What has been the big deal, historically, about comic books? Though they are primarily a postmodern phenomenon localized in the latter half of the 20th century through to the present, their roots go as far back as the 17th century, when the English mass-produced woodcuts depicting ghastly public executions. Comics first reached mass popularity in the United States in the 1930s in the form of newspaper comics; then, the comic book as a separate, thriving, and sophisticated art form began to evolve from there. â€Å"The comic book has been one of our most familiar, yet least appreciated, popular art forms. As vehemently criticized as it is passionately defended†¦ [it is] a graphically sophisticated and culturally revealing medium.† (Sabin, 1996, p.1). After roughly a decade of occupying a comfortable place in the American pop culture mainstream, comics, and then comic books, began to take to reflect a less sanguine view of American society. Violent crime comics began to appear, and the more squeaky-clean comics of the 1930s and during World War II absorbed some of these same themes. In the so-called Silver Age of Comic Books, the 1950s through the 1970s, most characters and narratives began to take on a darker and more complex tone, mostly in response to plummeting sales after World War II that reflected an unsettled cultural undercurrent brewing in America. In this initial countercultural heyday of the 1950s and 1960s, comic books were sometimes dismissed, much like rock-and-roll music, as the juvenile, unsophisticated, and pulpy fantasies of hormone-addled adolescents. Sometimes, however, comic books were labeled as cultural filth that was an ongoing threat, destructive to teenage minds. In 1954, right-wing American psychiatrist Dr. Frederic Wertham published a book called Seduction of the Innocent, which was an all-out assault on the ostensible delinquency-inducing content of comic books, and which singled out Batman for special criticism, claiming â€Å"a subtle atmosphere of homoeroticism.† (Wertham, 1954, p. 189). Werthams criticism of comic book content led to the establishment of a censor organization known as the Comic Code Authority that same year, whose heavy-handed influence forced comic book writers and artists to go somewhat underground with their subversive themes. However, Batman (and Robin, whatever his relationship with Batman may or may not have been) has far outlived both Dr. Wertham and the chilling effect of his book, and in fact, the longevity and deceptively complex content of comic books have proven them to be much more powerful than anyone ever dreamed. They have for decades embodied striking artistic expressions of artists and authors, who collectively spoke for countless millions of young people who did not quite fit in to the mainstream of society. These millions were given voice by comic books such as The X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, from the Marvel Comics Company, and Batman and Superman from the DC Comics Company. Each of the aforementioned titles tells an extended set of stories about a character or characters who are misfits of some kind, whether it be physical, psychological, or emotional, and who take on a variety of preternatural and/or superhuman characteristics which allow them to not only address their own personal struggles with their differences from others in society, but to aid society itself in coming to better accept those who are different; or, alternately, the characters are either born with or afflicted by a condition which makes them a misfit and therefore different from others in society, and must adapt to life as such. These comic book stories generally involve a variety of morality plays, ranging from simple good vs. evil, to the exploration of antiheros, that enable the characters to attempt to effect positive change in the world, and provide both catharsis and inspiration for the readers. The X-Men, for example, were created by legendary comic book author Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby in 1963. They were /are a group of teenagers born with genetic mutations that have endowed them with a variety of superhuman characteristics, not all of which are necessarily constructive. In the Lee/Kirby universe, the X-Men are widely ostracized and discriminated against not only because they are different, but because non-mutant humans fear the X-Men are the next logical, superior step in human evolution and therefore could render normal humans obsolete. The teenagers stories often involved them attempting to come to terms with their powers and how to fit into the so-called normal human society. The X-Men were comprised of such characters as Iceman, a young man who could freeze objects at will; Wolverine, a foul-tempered young man whose skeleton is laced with a nearly indestructible metal alloy, including metal knives which he could extend and retract from his hands at will, albeit with considerable pain; Storm, a young black female who could control the weather, including the ability to summon storms at will; Nightcrawler, a young male born with blue fur who could become virtually invisible at night and teleport short distances; Cyclops, who could shoot beams of pure solar energy from his eyes, but not always control this power; Rogue, a young female possessing the hyper-empathic ability the feelings, memories, and abilities of other beings she touches —unfortunately, however, prolonged contact with others can weaken or kill them; Magneto, an older male survivor of the Nazi death camps who can manipulate magnetic forces, but whose psyche was so twisted by his experience at the hands of the Nazis that he has become an arch-nemesis of the X-Men; and Professor Xavier, an older male paraplegic with amazing telepathic abilities and a world-class intellect, who has dedicated his life to mentoring other mutants and defending them from themselves, unsympathetic humans, and the perennial machinations of Magneto. The X-Men and their stories were unabashedly allegorical and subversive in nature, content, and theme. Professor Xavier was modeled after civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sir Francis Xavier, Catholic missionary and founder of the Jesuit order. The sense of loneliness and isolation experienced by Rogue was a reflection of the near-universal teenage experience. The bigotry and intolerance of homosexuals is another allegorical component featured with the X-Men narratives, particularly in the film adaptations directed by openly gay Bryan Singer. In X-Men 2, the character of Bobby Drake characters comes out of the closet as a mutant to his parents, prompting them to ask if he has tried not being a mutant, parodying the oft-heard question of parents directed their gay children. Anti-Semitism, personal alienation, anti-Communist paranoia, and racism are also allegorical themes that X-Men comic narratives have explored in detail. And like The X-Men, Batman, Spiderman (also a Stan Lee creation), The Incredible Hulk and Superman all were dependent upon and explored the themes of what it meant for a person to be forced to hide or to be ashamed of a component of his or her true self, or to lead a dual existence – one private and personal, one public. Superman (created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster), known by millions as a mild-mannered reporter, socially maladroit nerd, and bearer of an unrequited love for Lois Lane, who happens to be a near-omnipotent superhero when called upon in extraordinary circumstances, is the perfect embodiment of both teenage reality and teenage wish fulfillment. The Incredible Hulk (another Stan Lee creation) gets angry like all of us, but has real power – scary power, often – to do something about it thanks to hi s green steroidal transformation. Batman (created by Bob Kane and fleshed out by Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson) lives a quiet, dark life of solitude contrasted with public works of enviable nobility and good. These feelings of powerlessness and awkwardness, combined with empowerment fantasies, were and continue to be direct reflections of the collective concerns of millions of young people, and perhaps many adults, as well – how to fit into a society that demanded conformity without losing the uniqueness that embodies ones individuality. Ironically, the collective popularity of all of these comic book titles has historically been so striking in terms of sales that it would not be an unfair question to wonder if it fact the teenage misfits who bought them were in fact the majority, not the minority in society. Comic book sales peaked in 1993 at a staggering $850 million (U.S. dollars) and are still very healthy, though currently, the popularity of comic book characters is as likely to be manifest in movie ticket and DVD sales of film adaptations of comic books as it is in comic book purchases. More on this later. The character archetypes and narrative themes of most of these original and ongoing comic book series were produced in the crucible of the fairly conformist sociocultural pressures of the modernist era in the United States. The teenagers of each successive decade, beginning with the 1950s and continuing to the present, have been characterized by isolation, disaffection, rebellion, disillusionment, all combined with the pressure to adapt without question to the relatively monolithic mores of the generation which preceded them, a generation for whom belonging to a larger social group, for whom the values of unquestioning self-sacrifice and acceptance of authority figures and establishment power structures were the norm. Men were called to duty, whether in World War II or in the burgeoning post-war corporate universe; many made the ultimate sacrifice – their lives, or worse, their souls. Women, too, had their duty – to support their men in discreet, subservient lives of quiet domestic efficiency. But as American young people began to question the assumptions behind the Cold War, and question the rational and wisdom behind the interminably bloody Vietnam War, their uncertainty on these issues led to a greater wholesale questioning of the mechanisms and assumptions of societys very foundations. (Even Batman, whose creation in 1940 arguably predates postmodernism, eventually took on countercultural subject matter and themes, to say nothing of the suggestion of a taboo homoeroticism in the relationship between Batman and Robin.) This rebellion was met with heavy disapproval and disappointment by parents, representing the previous generation. The ongoing schism between these two generations has caused huge cultural, social, and political conflicts that continue to be played out even in 2005. These conflicts have been vividly reflected in the artistic expressions of the times – literature, music, and films. From the standpoint of the older generations, comic books were perhaps never adequately understood, respected, or even recognized for the potent and unusual artistic and cultural forces that they have always represented certainly as potent as more conventional and commonplace means of artistic expression, high art and classical music, just to name two ossified examples. (And, incidentally, these generational clashes were not limited to the United States in terms of understanding the rise of the superhero comic books. The country of Japan, tiny as it is, has become its own powerhouse in terms of churning out groundbreaking styles of comics, such as Katsuhiro Otomo of Akira fame, reflecting generational struggles unique to the Japanese youth culture.) The artistic expressions that arose out of the clash between generations also represented an evolution in classifications and mechanisms of art itself – the evolution from modern art forms to postmodern art forms. Modern art, reflective of the cultures from which it sprung, was generally conformist, and adhered to classic rules of form, function, and design, and either explicitly or implicitly supported the symbols of establishment paradigms by exploiting binary oppositions of us vs. them (i.e., Americans vs. Communists). Postmodern art rejected the methodology of modern art on every level, deconstructing it to such an extent as to even question the basic psychological definitions of symbolism in human art forms. The discarding and combination of genres and forms, the pastiche of styles, the toying with unorthodox symbolism, and an active interest in subversion and smashing of establishment systems – rebellion itself are all manifestations of art evolving to postmodern form. And instead of existing to analyze, but ultimately reinforce the paradigms of patriarchal establishments, postmodern art analyzed and often sought to undermine these establishments and their conventions, if not destroy them altogether. As noted by postmodernism scholar Andreas Huyssen, â€Å"†¦contemporary postmodernism operates in a field of tension between tradition and innovation, conservation and renewal, mass culture and high art, in which the second terms are no longer automatically privileged over the first.† (Huyssen, 1986, p. 267). As such, any art form that has enjoyed longevity has internalized and incorporated this revolutionary and evolutionary process, or been discarded or fossilized. Comic books are no exception to this rule, and their staying power has manifested itself in the last 20 or so years by their translation to and eventual dominance of the genre of film. In fact, comic books in their Silver Age forms were arguably inherently post-modern in nature, as they combined complex and detailed visual artistry with complex and serialized narratives, an intermixing pastiche of separate genres which had never before been combined in such a unique form. Books had, of course, often featured illustrations in the past, but they were only to provide occasional support and dimensionalization of the narrative, as opposed to being as important a component of the medium as the narrative itself. The fantastical and stylized nature of many of the illustrations featured in comic books were often postmodern artistic explorations in their own right, seeking to push the boundaries of conventional illustrations. Their explorations of anti-heroes helped deconstruct the notion of simple constructs of good and evil. American consumer capitalism, which is inherently (though not necessarily benignly) postmodern in its relentless desire to commodify anything and everything, particularly that which can be packaged as new, hip, and edgy – and thus desirable – has hungrily devoured comic books and the films which come from them. In doing so, the artistic and societal merit of comic books, in particular their subversive characteristics, have become themselves subverted by the deity of consumer capitalist commodification. The ultimate dream, for example, of fans of the X-Men comic books, that their beloved misfit characters would reach movie theatres and therefore a larger audience for their collective angst, has come true but that dream has also become a nightmare for some fans, as these same subversive misfit X-Men have also become action figures, clothing lines, cartoons on the side of fast food lunch bags and boxes all mass marketed to mass audiences in order to maximize profits for corporations that are more interested in shareholder earnings than they are the artistic merit of airing the collective voices of disaffected teen angst. If the phenomenology of disaffected teen angst can be appropriated to make a profit from teenagers, then corporations will be chasing the teens and their money incessantly. However, corporate interest in teenagers as a demographic generally has little to do with sociocultural altruism. In fact, cultural observers should take heed – â€Å"ventilation of genuinely alternative social visions collide directly with the underpinnings of power in the economy at large. (Schiller, 1986, p. 152) The trade-off is as follows: as long as such ventilation of alternative social visions makes a profit, it will be tolerated. But in the consumer capitalist corporate universe of today, art for arts sake, particularly if the art does not reinforce the machinery of consumer capitalism, will never generate much more than limited enthusiasm, and is more likely to meet with insidious hostility. The primary perpetrators in this arena are the behemoth corporate conglomerates that own the media, and the acquisitive way in which they manage their film and television divisions. In the 1960s and 1970s, film studios and television networks existed as independent business entities whose sole focus was the creation of films and television shows – nothing more, nothing less. While these companies were undisputedly interested in profits, the process was far more artist-centered and quality-driven than they are today. The presumption was that quality films would result in box-office successes, though the expectations of profit were relatively modest compared to todays standards. Then, in 1977, a watershed moment in film history arrived in the form of the blockbuster Star Wars, a comic-bookish story in its own right despite being an original creation of writer/director George Lucas. The film was not only the most financially successful phenomenon in movie history, but it alerted movie studios to a whole new economic model, centered around the notion of ancillary profits. Most notably in the case of Star Wars, the ancillary profits came in the form of merchandising. Inexplicably, before the films release, executives at 20th Century Fox, the films distributor, were convinced the film would be a flop, and in contract negotiations with Lucas, acceded to his unusual request to receive 100% of profits derived from sales of merchandise inspired and/or derived from the film, for example action figures and lunchboxes. The Fox executives surely rued the day they signed over these rights to Mr. Lucas, as Star Wars merchandise generated $1 billion in profits for the shrewd filmmaker. Another lesson learned by Fox, and other studios hungry to recreate the fiscal orgy of Star Wars, was that films targeted directly at children could be extremely lucrative at the box office, beyond profit margins to which they had become accustomed. Movies were no longer mostly the artistic or escapist purview of an audience comprised largely of adults. Their children came to be seen as a previously under-exploited source of bonanza profits. Lastly, movie studios began to rethink their conventional economic model, which was to produce modestly-budgeted films and reliably make modest profits. What Star Wars ignited was a phenomenon known as the blockbuster mentality, a hunger for epic profits from so-called event films, on which the studios became willing to gamble heretofore-unprecedented sums of money in hopes of hitting the proverbial jackpot. George Lucas, who began his career as a subversive filmmaker of eccentric tastes with critically acclaimed films such as THX-1138 and American Graffiti, unwittingly created a perfect storm that turned the film industry on its head. Star Wars was no fluke, as it turned out, and it was not long before the greedy capitalistic corporate culture of the 1980s began entertaining, no pun intended, the notion that film studio and television networks could be glamorous cash cows. In short order, huge companies whose core business usually had nothing to do with the entertainment industry were battling it out to see who could get into show business the fastest. Coca-Cola acquired movie studio Columbia/Tri-Star, which was later sold to Japanese electronics giant Sony; General Electric acquired the NBC television network; Capital Cities acquired the ABC Television network, and News Corporation acquired 20th Century Fox and the Fox Broadcasting Company; Gulf + Western acquired Paramount Pictures, etc. The unfortunate side effect of these mergers was the infusion of bottom-line, short-term profit-hungry thinking, as well as corporate models of branding and marketing products. These large corporations viewed films and television shows, and the intellectual properties that underlied them, as products, pure and simple, no different from mouthwash, shoes, soda drinks, or cosmetics. They expected their new acquisitions to transition from being art-focused and letting profits flow from quality, to simply making whatever sold the most tickets and had the most lucrative ancillary market potential. There was no single identifiable point, such a historical date or a press conference, when the critical link between art and commerce was separated, or the historical deference of profit to art was inverted (themselves postmodern phenomena, incidentally), but the entrà ©e of comic books into the world of film and television, which has become a powerful, dominating presence of comic books in film and television, followed and was directly related to this paradigm shift in the economics of the entertainment industry. The adaptation of comic books into film and television properties has been an exercise in creative cannibalism in some sense. Increasingly, film and television studios have taken on the risk-averse mentality of their corporate masters, and one of the effects of this has been to seek out intellectual property that might guarantee the fiscal success of a film or television show adaptation of said property. To the extent that a wildly successful book was often adapted for films geared towards adults, wildly successful comic book series were seen as a surefire way to guarantee a teen audience and the disposable income purchasing power of them and their parents. Movie executives sought to acquire the rights to comic book characters and stories which they could exploit – actual film industry terminology – and build into franchises – also actual film industry terminology, particularly creepy given the obvious parallels to McDonalds or Gap store franchise business models. For the most part, these franchises have been wildly successful from a financial point of view, though perhaps not from an artistic standpoint. There have been six Batman films made by Warner Brothers movie studio (owned by corporate behemoth AOL Time Warner, who not coincidentally own DC Comics, the original home of the Batman characters and comic books): 1989s Batman, 1992s Batman Returns, 1995s Batman Forever, 1997s Batman and Robin, 2004s Catwoman, and 2005s Batman Begins. Each film sported star casting of the highest caliber; however, perhaps with the exception of the first film, were special effects showcases first and artistically ambitious second, if at all. Nor were they particularly true to the time-honored complexities and lingering darkness of the comic books. Iconic film critic Roger Ebert (a devoted fan of the Batman comic books), in his review of Batman and Robin, took a forlorn swipe at each of the films to date: †¦ my delight began to fade at about the 30-minute mark when it became clear that this new movie, like its predecessors, was not *really* going to explore the bizarre world of its heroes, but would settle down safely into a special effects extravaganza. Batman Robin, like the first three films in the series, is wonderful to look at, and has nothing authentic at its core†¦ Watching it, I realized why it makes absolutely no difference who plays Batman: Theres nobody at home†¦ Give the foreground to the characters, not the special effects. And ask the hard questions about Bruce Wayne. (Ebert, 1997) Eberts last line refers to the perennial rumors that perennial bachelor Bruce Wayne might actually be a homosexual, or failing that, possess some unusual sexual fetishes that might not comprise the sort of fare that young children should be seeing at the movie theatre or on DVD. But this topic, as well as any serious exploration of Bruce Waynes psyche, was not been considered particularly lucrative by the marketing machines at Warner Brothers until the franchise was on the verge of death after the box office mediocrity of Batman and Robin and the outright box office disaster of Catwoman, which cost $85 million (U.S.) to produce and only made $40 million (U.S.) at the box office. 2005s Batman Begins was an unapologetically dark and complex film. Roger Eberts review may well have spoken for many Batman fans who ached for more substance and less pure style: The character resonates more deeply with me than the other comic superheroes, perhaps because when I discovered him as a child, he seemed darker and more grown-up than the cheerful Superman. He has secrets. As Alfred muses: Strange injuries and a nonexistent social life. These things beg the question, what does Bruce Wayne do with his time? (Ebert, 2005) Apparently, the moviegoing audiences agreed with Mr. Ebert, rewarding Warner Brothers with $205 million (U.S.) in box office receipts in the United States alone, and a similar – and still increasing – tally worldwide. The lesson here is that while an artistically unambitious and shallow film like Batman and Robin, which is more childish cartoon and marketing machine than serious filmmaking, can certainly turn a modest profit, it is entirely possible to be artistically ambitious and make plenty of money at the same time. One wonders why the latter is more often the exception rather than the rule, to the detriment of the integrity of comic books and their rich characters. In theory, the adaptation of comic books to the film and television arenas could have been a boon to not only the comic book industry, but a force for cultural good in the sense of spreading the subversive word to a larger audience. While there is no question that American and Western teenagers are far more aware of Batman and The X-Men than they were 30 years ago, the expansion of the audience has come at a price. First of all, the structures of film and television do not generally lend themselves well to the sort of narrative complexity that is a hallmark of comic books ongoing multi-character storylines. While the two X-Men films to date were generally well-received by fans of the comic books, many fans vociferously complained that many characters were either simply not included in the storylines, or they were altered to suit Hollywood norms in order to maximize audience appeal. While a third X-Men film is in the works, the simple truth is that 20th Century Fox, the movie studio that produced the films, simply cannot make any more than one X-Men film every two to three years and the complicated narrative history of over a dozen characters unspoiled over the course of 40 years of storytelling simply cannot be done adequate justice by a two-hour movies – as good as they may be – which get released only periodically. Secondly, for many young people, seeing an X-Men or Batman film may be their very first exposure to these universes, and depending on their reaction to the quality of the films and their natural consumer predilections, it is not certain that these teenagers are going to seek out the more dimensionalized, rich, and complex narrative universes to be found within the comic book series. In fact, given the immense popularity of video games among teenagers, who as a general rule spend as much, if not more time transfixed by their Playstations and Xboxes than they do reading, it is more likely that teenagers who see X-Men films will buy the video game adaptations of the X-Men comic books instead of investing in the comic books themselves. The statistics bear this out: in 2004, sales of comic books in the U.S. totaled $300 million – a considerable sum of money, but a far cry from the $850 million sum reached ten years earlier. Comic book money had, for better or for worse, flowed away from the comic books themselves and into the reinventions of the comic books – the movies, the video games. It is unfair, perhaps, to dismiss video games as worthless, but also difficult to avoid the conclusion that the X-Men video game, which is simply a violent combat simulation featuring the various mutant characters, carries more artistic and social worth than the comic books to which the video game owes its digital existence. Lastly, the value of ancillary X-Men merchandise, such as T-shirts, lunchboxes, and plastic soda cups from Burger King adorned with X-Men characters, is fleeting and thus fairly dubious in comparison to the lasting collectors item value of the comic books themselves, to say nothing of the inherent worth of the content of the books, and the visual and narrative artistry contained within them. Ultimately, and sadly, the postmodern machinery of consumer capitalism has appropriated comic book visuals and narratives and separated them from their inherent artistic value in order to make them both more appealing to a mainstream audience, usually children and younger teens, and more exploitable in terms of ancillary markets such as merchandising. The positive side of this equation is that the subversive art and storytelling found in comic books was brought to a larger audience, but may well have been eviscerated of its soul in the process. Films like Batman Begins, with its dark exploration of the recesses of Bruce Waynes psychology, and X-Men 2, with its unapologetic homosexual allegories, do their source material adequate justice and make their corporate masters a lot of money in the process. What can be hoped for the future is that movie studios see fit to release more films such as these and less of the vapid, lowest-common denominator special effects orgies that tend to predominate the box office landscape. Hellraiser and Constantine were met with outright hostility by fans of their comic book source material and performed poorly at the box office. It is no longer enough to simply adapt a comic book to guarantee success. Many audience members have grown more shrewd and sophisticated, and demand quality in storytelling. In the words of Nightcrawler in the film X-Men 2, â€Å"Most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes.† If this is true in a world where what is put before the eyes of teenagers is predominated by movies and video games, it is imperative that the content not merely reflect the status quo desired by consumer capitalism, but the thought-provoking stories and characters, daring and subversive thoughts, first brought to us decades ago in the best comic books. BIBLIOGRAPHY Sabin, Roger. Comics, Comix Graphic Novels A History of Comic Art. Phaidon Press, 1996. Robinson, Jerry. The Comics: An Illustrated History of Comic Strip Art. Putnam Publishers, 1974. Wertham, Fredric. Seduction of the Innocent. Amerion Publishers, 1954 (Reprint 1996). Tuzi, Marino. â€Å"Individualism and Marginality: From Comic Book to Film: Marvel Comics Superheroes† College Quarterly, Spring 2005 Volume 8 Number 2. Taken from: htt History of Artist Expression in Comic Books History of Artist Expression in Comic Books Comic books, like many art forms, have been co-opted by a hungry consumer capitalist economy which makes a Faustian bargain with its artistic meals: give me your subversive art forms and ideas, this economy says, and I will communicate them to a mass audience beyond your wildest dreams; however, in exchange, your art forms and ideas will often simultaneously be stripped of their dignity and uniqueness by becoming products of no less ubiquity and no more value than toothpaste – mere tools to sell, sell, sell, and make more, more, more money for gigantic multinational corporations. This phenomenology is the ultimate in postmodern recontextualization, the stripping of an objects original meaning and significance, and its endowment with a new purpose either heretofore considered or deemed ethically, morally, or artistically acceptable. We shall explore the unique nature and popularity of comic books, and the themes presented in their narratives and characters, as a quasi-underground phenomenon whose ever-increasing popularity from the 1940s to the 1980s left them perfectly positioned to be gobbled and turned into movies and merchandise by giant corporations eager to both exploit the devotees of comic books and expand their numbers. What has been the big deal, historically, about comic books? Though they are primarily a postmodern phenomenon localized in the latter half of the 20th century through to the present, their roots go as far back as the 17th century, when the English mass-produced woodcuts depicting ghastly public executions. Comics first reached mass popularity in the United States in the 1930s in the form of newspaper comics; then, the comic book as a separate, thriving, and sophisticated art form began to evolve from there. â€Å"The comic book has been one of our most familiar, yet least appreciated, popular art forms. As vehemently criticized as it is passionately defended†¦ [it is] a graphically sophisticated and culturally revealing medium.† (Sabin, 1996, p.1). After roughly a decade of occupying a comfortable place in the American pop culture mainstream, comics, and then comic books, began to take to reflect a less sanguine view of American society. Violent crime comics began to appear, and the more squeaky-clean comics of the 1930s and during World War II absorbed some of these same themes. In the so-called Silver Age of Comic Books, the 1950s through the 1970s, most characters and narratives began to take on a darker and more complex tone, mostly in response to plummeting sales after World War II that reflected an unsettled cultural undercurrent brewing in America. In this initial countercultural heyday of the 1950s and 1960s, comic books were sometimes dismissed, much like rock-and-roll music, as the juvenile, unsophisticated, and pulpy fantasies of hormone-addled adolescents. Sometimes, however, comic books were labeled as cultural filth that was an ongoing threat, destructive to teenage minds. In 1954, right-wing American psychiatrist Dr. Frederic Wertham published a book called Seduction of the Innocent, which was an all-out assault on the ostensible delinquency-inducing content of comic books, and which singled out Batman for special criticism, claiming â€Å"a subtle atmosphere of homoeroticism.† (Wertham, 1954, p. 189). Werthams criticism of comic book content led to the establishment of a censor organization known as the Comic Code Authority that same year, whose heavy-handed influence forced comic book writers and artists to go somewhat underground with their subversive themes. However, Batman (and Robin, whatever his relationship with Batman may or may not have been) has far outlived both Dr. Wertham and the chilling effect of his book, and in fact, the longevity and deceptively complex content of comic books have proven them to be much more powerful than anyone ever dreamed. They have for decades embodied striking artistic expressions of artists and authors, who collectively spoke for countless millions of young people who did not quite fit in to the mainstream of society. These millions were given voice by comic books such as The X-Men, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, from the Marvel Comics Company, and Batman and Superman from the DC Comics Company. Each of the aforementioned titles tells an extended set of stories about a character or characters who are misfits of some kind, whether it be physical, psychological, or emotional, and who take on a variety of preternatural and/or superhuman characteristics which allow them to not only address their own personal struggles with their differences from others in society, but to aid society itself in coming to better accept those who are different; or, alternately, the characters are either born with or afflicted by a condition which makes them a misfit and therefore different from others in society, and must adapt to life as such. These comic book stories generally involve a variety of morality plays, ranging from simple good vs. evil, to the exploration of antiheros, that enable the characters to attempt to effect positive change in the world, and provide both catharsis and inspiration for the readers. The X-Men, for example, were created by legendary comic book author Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby in 1963. They were /are a group of teenagers born with genetic mutations that have endowed them with a variety of superhuman characteristics, not all of which are necessarily constructive. In the Lee/Kirby universe, the X-Men are widely ostracized and discriminated against not only because they are different, but because non-mutant humans fear the X-Men are the next logical, superior step in human evolution and therefore could render normal humans obsolete. The teenagers stories often involved them attempting to come to terms with their powers and how to fit into the so-called normal human society. The X-Men were comprised of such characters as Iceman, a young man who could freeze objects at will; Wolverine, a foul-tempered young man whose skeleton is laced with a nearly indestructible metal alloy, including metal knives which he could extend and retract from his hands at will, albeit with considerable pain; Storm, a young black female who could control the weather, including the ability to summon storms at will; Nightcrawler, a young male born with blue fur who could become virtually invisible at night and teleport short distances; Cyclops, who could shoot beams of pure solar energy from his eyes, but not always control this power; Rogue, a young female possessing the hyper-empathic ability the feelings, memories, and abilities of other beings she touches —unfortunately, however, prolonged contact with others can weaken or kill them; Magneto, an older male survivor of the Nazi death camps who can manipulate magnetic forces, but whose psyche was so twisted by his experience at the hands of the Nazis that he has become an arch-nemesis of the X-Men; and Professor Xavier, an older male paraplegic with amazing telepathic abilities and a world-class intellect, who has dedicated his life to mentoring other mutants and defending them from themselves, unsympathetic humans, and the perennial machinations of Magneto. The X-Men and their stories were unabashedly allegorical and subversive in nature, content, and theme. Professor Xavier was modeled after civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sir Francis Xavier, Catholic missionary and founder of the Jesuit order. The sense of loneliness and isolation experienced by Rogue was a reflection of the near-universal teenage experience. The bigotry and intolerance of homosexuals is another allegorical component featured with the X-Men narratives, particularly in the film adaptations directed by openly gay Bryan Singer. In X-Men 2, the character of Bobby Drake characters comes out of the closet as a mutant to his parents, prompting them to ask if he has tried not being a mutant, parodying the oft-heard question of parents directed their gay children. Anti-Semitism, personal alienation, anti-Communist paranoia, and racism are also allegorical themes that X-Men comic narratives have explored in detail. And like The X-Men, Batman, Spiderman (also a Stan Lee creation), The Incredible Hulk and Superman all were dependent upon and explored the themes of what it meant for a person to be forced to hide or to be ashamed of a component of his or her true self, or to lead a dual existence – one private and personal, one public. Superman (created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster), known by millions as a mild-mannered reporter, socially maladroit nerd, and bearer of an unrequited love for Lois Lane, who happens to be a near-omnipotent superhero when called upon in extraordinary circumstances, is the perfect embodiment of both teenage reality and teenage wish fulfillment. The Incredible Hulk (another Stan Lee creation) gets angry like all of us, but has real power – scary power, often – to do something about it thanks to hi s green steroidal transformation. Batman (created by Bob Kane and fleshed out by Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson) lives a quiet, dark life of solitude contrasted with public works of enviable nobility and good. These feelings of powerlessness and awkwardness, combined with empowerment fantasies, were and continue to be direct reflections of the collective concerns of millions of young people, and perhaps many adults, as well – how to fit into a society that demanded conformity without losing the uniqueness that embodies ones individuality. Ironically, the collective popularity of all of these comic book titles has historically been so striking in terms of sales that it would not be an unfair question to wonder if it fact the teenage misfits who bought them were in fact the majority, not the minority in society. Comic book sales peaked in 1993 at a staggering $850 million (U.S. dollars) and are still very healthy, though currently, the popularity of comic book characters is as likely to be manifest in movie ticket and DVD sales of film adaptations of comic books as it is in comic book purchases. More on this later. The character archetypes and narrative themes of most of these original and ongoing comic book series were produced in the crucible of the fairly conformist sociocultural pressures of the modernist era in the United States. The teenagers of each successive decade, beginning with the 1950s and continuing to the present, have been characterized by isolation, disaffection, rebellion, disillusionment, all combined with the pressure to adapt without question to the relatively monolithic mores of the generation which preceded them, a generation for whom belonging to a larger social group, for whom the values of unquestioning self-sacrifice and acceptance of authority figures and establishment power structures were the norm. Men were called to duty, whether in World War II or in the burgeoning post-war corporate universe; many made the ultimate sacrifice – their lives, or worse, their souls. Women, too, had their duty – to support their men in discreet, subservient lives of quiet domestic efficiency. But as American young people began to question the assumptions behind the Cold War, and question the rational and wisdom behind the interminably bloody Vietnam War, their uncertainty on these issues led to a greater wholesale questioning of the mechanisms and assumptions of societys very foundations. (Even Batman, whose creation in 1940 arguably predates postmodernism, eventually took on countercultural subject matter and themes, to say nothing of the suggestion of a taboo homoeroticism in the relationship between Batman and Robin.) This rebellion was met with heavy disapproval and disappointment by parents, representing the previous generation. The ongoing schism between these two generations has caused huge cultural, social, and political conflicts that continue to be played out even in 2005. These conflicts have been vividly reflected in the artistic expressions of the times – literature, music, and films. From the standpoint of the older generations, comic books were perhaps never adequately understood, respected, or even recognized for the potent and unusual artistic and cultural forces that they have always represented certainly as potent as more conventional and commonplace means of artistic expression, high art and classical music, just to name two ossified examples. (And, incidentally, these generational clashes were not limited to the United States in terms of understanding the rise of the superhero comic books. The country of Japan, tiny as it is, has become its own powerhouse in terms of churning out groundbreaking styles of comics, such as Katsuhiro Otomo of Akira fame, reflecting generational struggles unique to the Japanese youth culture.) The artistic expressions that arose out of the clash between generations also represented an evolution in classifications and mechanisms of art itself – the evolution from modern art forms to postmodern art forms. Modern art, reflective of the cultures from which it sprung, was generally conformist, and adhered to classic rules of form, function, and design, and either explicitly or implicitly supported the symbols of establishment paradigms by exploiting binary oppositions of us vs. them (i.e., Americans vs. Communists). Postmodern art rejected the methodology of modern art on every level, deconstructing it to such an extent as to even question the basic psychological definitions of symbolism in human art forms. The discarding and combination of genres and forms, the pastiche of styles, the toying with unorthodox symbolism, and an active interest in subversion and smashing of establishment systems – rebellion itself are all manifestations of art evolving to postmodern form. And instead of existing to analyze, but ultimately reinforce the paradigms of patriarchal establishments, postmodern art analyzed and often sought to undermine these establishments and their conventions, if not destroy them altogether. As noted by postmodernism scholar Andreas Huyssen, â€Å"†¦contemporary postmodernism operates in a field of tension between tradition and innovation, conservation and renewal, mass culture and high art, in which the second terms are no longer automatically privileged over the first.† (Huyssen, 1986, p. 267). As such, any art form that has enjoyed longevity has internalized and incorporated this revolutionary and evolutionary process, or been discarded or fossilized. Comic books are no exception to this rule, and their staying power has manifested itself in the last 20 or so years by their translation to and eventual dominance of the genre of film. In fact, comic books in their Silver Age forms were arguably inherently post-modern in nature, as they combined complex and detailed visual artistry with complex and serialized narratives, an intermixing pastiche of separate genres which had never before been combined in such a unique form. Books had, of course, often featured illustrations in the past, but they were only to provide occasional support and dimensionalization of the narrative, as opposed to being as important a component of the medium as the narrative itself. The fantastical and stylized nature of many of the illustrations featured in comic books were often postmodern artistic explorations in their own right, seeking to push the boundaries of conventional illustrations. Their explorations of anti-heroes helped deconstruct the notion of simple constructs of good and evil. American consumer capitalism, which is inherently (though not necessarily benignly) postmodern in its relentless desire to commodify anything and everything, particularly that which can be packaged as new, hip, and edgy – and thus desirable – has hungrily devoured comic books and the films which come from them. In doing so, the artistic and societal merit of comic books, in particular their subversive characteristics, have become themselves subverted by the deity of consumer capitalist commodification. The ultimate dream, for example, of fans of the X-Men comic books, that their beloved misfit characters would reach movie theatres and therefore a larger audience for their collective angst, has come true but that dream has also become a nightmare for some fans, as these same subversive misfit X-Men have also become action figures, clothing lines, cartoons on the side of fast food lunch bags and boxes all mass marketed to mass audiences in order to maximize profits for corporations that are more interested in shareholder earnings than they are the artistic merit of airing the collective voices of disaffected teen angst. If the phenomenology of disaffected teen angst can be appropriated to make a profit from teenagers, then corporations will be chasing the teens and their money incessantly. However, corporate interest in teenagers as a demographic generally has little to do with sociocultural altruism. In fact, cultural observers should take heed – â€Å"ventilation of genuinely alternative social visions collide directly with the underpinnings of power in the economy at large. (Schiller, 1986, p. 152) The trade-off is as follows: as long as such ventilation of alternative social visions makes a profit, it will be tolerated. But in the consumer capitalist corporate universe of today, art for arts sake, particularly if the art does not reinforce the machinery of consumer capitalism, will never generate much more than limited enthusiasm, and is more likely to meet with insidious hostility. The primary perpetrators in this arena are the behemoth corporate conglomerates that own the media, and the acquisitive way in which they manage their film and television divisions. In the 1960s and 1970s, film studios and television networks existed as independent business entities whose sole focus was the creation of films and television shows – nothing more, nothing less. While these companies were undisputedly interested in profits, the process was far more artist-centered and quality-driven than they are today. The presumption was that quality films would result in box-office successes, though the expectations of profit were relatively modest compared to todays standards. Then, in 1977, a watershed moment in film history arrived in the form of the blockbuster Star Wars, a comic-bookish story in its own right despite being an original creation of writer/director George Lucas. The film was not only the most financially successful phenomenon in movie history, but it alerted movie studios to a whole new economic model, centered around the notion of ancillary profits. Most notably in the case of Star Wars, the ancillary profits came in the form of merchandising. Inexplicably, before the films release, executives at 20th Century Fox, the films distributor, were convinced the film would be a flop, and in contract negotiations with Lucas, acceded to his unusual request to receive 100% of profits derived from sales of merchandise inspired and/or derived from the film, for example action figures and lunchboxes. The Fox executives surely rued the day they signed over these rights to Mr. Lucas, as Star Wars merchandise generated $1 billion in profits for the shrewd filmmaker. Another lesson learned by Fox, and other studios hungry to recreate the fiscal orgy of Star Wars, was that films targeted directly at children could be extremely lucrative at the box office, beyond profit margins to which they had become accustomed. Movies were no longer mostly the artistic or escapist purview of an audience comprised largely of adults. Their children came to be seen as a previously under-exploited source of bonanza profits. Lastly, movie studios began to rethink their conventional economic model, which was to produce modestly-budgeted films and reliably make modest profits. What Star Wars ignited was a phenomenon known as the blockbuster mentality, a hunger for epic profits from so-called event films, on which the studios became willing to gamble heretofore-unprecedented sums of money in hopes of hitting the proverbial jackpot. George Lucas, who began his career as a subversive filmmaker of eccentric tastes with critically acclaimed films such as THX-1138 and American Graffiti, unwittingly created a perfect storm that turned the film industry on its head. Star Wars was no fluke, as it turned out, and it was not long before the greedy capitalistic corporate culture of the 1980s began entertaining, no pun intended, the notion that film studio and television networks could be glamorous cash cows. In short order, huge companies whose core business usually had nothing to do with the entertainment industry were battling it out to see who could get into show business the fastest. Coca-Cola acquired movie studio Columbia/Tri-Star, which was later sold to Japanese electronics giant Sony; General Electric acquired the NBC television network; Capital Cities acquired the ABC Television network, and News Corporation acquired 20th Century Fox and the Fox Broadcasting Company; Gulf + Western acquired Paramount Pictures, etc. The unfortunate side effect of these mergers was the infusion of bottom-line, short-term profit-hungry thinking, as well as corporate models of branding and marketing products. These large corporations viewed films and television shows, and the intellectual properties that underlied them, as products, pure and simple, no different from mouthwash, shoes, soda drinks, or cosmetics. They expected their new acquisitions to transition from being art-focused and letting profits flow from quality, to simply making whatever sold the most tickets and had the most lucrative ancillary market potential. There was no single identifiable point, such a historical date or a press conference, when the critical link between art and commerce was separated, or the historical deference of profit to art was inverted (themselves postmodern phenomena, incidentally), but the entrà ©e of comic books into the world of film and television, which has become a powerful, dominating presence of comic books in film and television, followed and was directly related to this paradigm shift in the economics of the entertainment industry. The adaptation of comic books into film and television properties has been an exercise in creative cannibalism in some sense. Increasingly, film and television studios have taken on the risk-averse mentality of their corporate masters, and one of the effects of this has been to seek out intellectual property that might guarantee the fiscal success of a film or television show adaptation of said property. To the extent that a wildly successful book was often adapted for films geared towards adults, wildly successful comic book series were seen as a surefire way to guarantee a teen audience and the disposable income purchasing power of them and their parents. Movie executives sought to acquire the rights to comic book characters and stories which they could exploit – actual film industry terminology – and build into franchises – also actual film industry terminology, particularly creepy given the obvious parallels to McDonalds or Gap store franchise business models. For the most part, these franchises have been wildly successful from a financial point of view, though perhaps not from an artistic standpoint. There have been six Batman films made by Warner Brothers movie studio (owned by corporate behemoth AOL Time Warner, who not coincidentally own DC Comics, the original home of the Batman characters and comic books): 1989s Batman, 1992s Batman Returns, 1995s Batman Forever, 1997s Batman and Robin, 2004s Catwoman, and 2005s Batman Begins. Each film sported star casting of the highest caliber; however, perhaps with the exception of the first film, were special effects showcases first and artistically ambitious second, if at all. Nor were they particularly true to the time-honored complexities and lingering darkness of the comic books. Iconic film critic Roger Ebert (a devoted fan of the Batman comic books), in his review of Batman and Robin, took a forlorn swipe at each of the films to date: †¦ my delight began to fade at about the 30-minute mark when it became clear that this new movie, like its predecessors, was not *really* going to explore the bizarre world of its heroes, but would settle down safely into a special effects extravaganza. Batman Robin, like the first three films in the series, is wonderful to look at, and has nothing authentic at its core†¦ Watching it, I realized why it makes absolutely no difference who plays Batman: Theres nobody at home†¦ Give the foreground to the characters, not the special effects. And ask the hard questions about Bruce Wayne. (Ebert, 1997) Eberts last line refers to the perennial rumors that perennial bachelor Bruce Wayne might actually be a homosexual, or failing that, possess some unusual sexual fetishes that might not comprise the sort of fare that young children should be seeing at the movie theatre or on DVD. But this topic, as well as any serious exploration of Bruce Waynes psyche, was not been considered particularly lucrative by the marketing machines at Warner Brothers until the franchise was on the verge of death after the box office mediocrity of Batman and Robin and the outright box office disaster of Catwoman, which cost $85 million (U.S.) to produce and only made $40 million (U.S.) at the box office. 2005s Batman Begins was an unapologetically dark and complex film. Roger Eberts review may well have spoken for many Batman fans who ached for more substance and less pure style: The character resonates more deeply with me than the other comic superheroes, perhaps because when I discovered him as a child, he seemed darker and more grown-up than the cheerful Superman. He has secrets. As Alfred muses: Strange injuries and a nonexistent social life. These things beg the question, what does Bruce Wayne do with his time? (Ebert, 2005) Apparently, the moviegoing audiences agreed with Mr. Ebert, rewarding Warner Brothers with $205 million (U.S.) in box office receipts in the United States alone, and a similar – and still increasing – tally worldwide. The lesson here is that while an artistically unambitious and shallow film like Batman and Robin, which is more childish cartoon and marketing machine than serious filmmaking, can certainly turn a modest profit, it is entirely possible to be artistically ambitious and make plenty of money at the same time. One wonders why the latter is more often the exception rather than the rule, to the detriment of the integrity of comic books and their rich characters. In theory, the adaptation of comic books to the film and television arenas could have been a boon to not only the comic book industry, but a force for cultural good in the sense of spreading the subversive word to a larger audience. While there is no question that American and Western teenagers are far more aware of Batman and The X-Men than they were 30 years ago, the expansion of the audience has come at a price. First of all, the structures of film and television do not generally lend themselves well to the sort of narrative complexity that is a hallmark of comic books ongoing multi-character storylines. While the two X-Men films to date were generally well-received by fans of the comic books, many fans vociferously complained that many characters were either simply not included in the storylines, or they were altered to suit Hollywood norms in order to maximize audience appeal. While a third X-Men film is in the works, the simple truth is that 20th Century Fox, the movie studio that produced the films, simply cannot make any more than one X-Men film every two to three years and the complicated narrative history of over a dozen characters unspoiled over the course of 40 years of storytelling simply cannot be done adequate justice by a two-hour movies – as good as they may be – which get released only periodically. Secondly, for many young people, seeing an X-Men or Batman film may be their very first exposure to these universes, and depending on their reaction to the quality of the films and their natural consumer predilections, it is not certain that these teenagers are going to seek out the more dimensionalized, rich, and complex narrative universes to be found within the comic book series. In fact, given the immense popularity of video games among teenagers, who as a general rule spend as much, if not more time transfixed by their Playstations and Xboxes than they do reading, it is more likely that teenagers who see X-Men films will buy the video game adaptations of the X-Men comic books instead of investing in the comic books themselves. The statistics bear this out: in 2004, sales of comic books in the U.S. totaled $300 million – a considerable sum of money, but a far cry from the $850 million sum reached ten years earlier. Comic book money had, for better or for worse, flowed away from the comic books themselves and into the reinventions of the comic books – the movies, the video games. It is unfair, perhaps, to dismiss video games as worthless, but also difficult to avoid the conclusion that the X-Men video game, which is simply a violent combat simulation featuring the various mutant characters, carries more artistic and social worth than the comic books to which the video game owes its digital existence. Lastly, the value of ancillary X-Men merchandise, such as T-shirts, lunchboxes, and plastic soda cups from Burger King adorned with X-Men characters, is fleeting and thus fairly dubious in comparison to the lasting collectors item value of the comic books themselves, to say nothing of the inherent worth of the content of the books, and the visual and narrative artistry contained within them. Ultimately, and sadly, the postmodern machinery of consumer capitalism has appropriated comic book visuals and narratives and separated them from their inherent artistic value in order to make them both more appealing to a mainstream audience, usually children and younger teens, and more exploitable in terms of ancillary markets such as merchandising. The positive side of this equation is that the subversive art and storytelling found in comic books was brought to a larger audience, but may well have been eviscerated of its soul in the process. Films like Batman Begins, with its dark exploration of the recesses of Bruce Waynes psychology, and X-Men 2, with its unapologetic homosexual allegories, do their source material adequate justice and make their corporate masters a lot of money in the process. What can be hoped for the future is that movie studios see fit to release more films such as these and less of the vapid, lowest-common denominator special effects orgies that tend to predominate the box office landscape. Hellraiser and Constantine were met with outright hostility by fans of their comic book source material and performed poorly at the box office. It is no longer enough to simply adapt a comic book to guarantee success. Many audience members have grown more shrewd and sophisticated, and demand quality in storytelling. In the words of Nightcrawler in the film X-Men 2, â€Å"Most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes.† If this is true in a world where what is put before the eyes of teenagers is predominated by movies and video games, it is imperative that the content not merely reflect the status quo desired by consumer capitalism, but the thought-provoking stories and characters, daring and subversive thoughts, first brought to us decades ago in the best comic books. BIBLIOGRAPHY Sabin, Roger. Comics, Comix Graphic Novels A History of Comic Art. Phaidon Press, 1996. Robinson, Jerry. The Comics: An Illustrated History of Comic Strip Art. Putnam Publishers, 1974. Wertham, Fredric. Seduction of the Innocent. Amerion Publishers, 1954 (Reprint 1996). Tuzi, Marino. â€Å"Individualism and Marginality: From Comic Book to Film: Marvel Comics Superheroes† College Quarterly, Spring 2005 Volume 8 Number 2. Taken from: htt