How the English Tell Jokes Essay Example for Free

How the English Tell Jokes Essay I assume that the reader of this essay may have had heard of the story of the tower of Babel. It is a story from the Bible (no intention of offense to those who aren’t supposed to read it) about men trying to reach the heavens by building a really, as in very tall tower. In the story, all men initially had one language that can be understood by all. God was offended and infuriated by the tower so He had effortlessly destroyed many years worth of efforts of all men back then. God had punished all men by giving them so many languages so that there was confusion because men can’t understand each other anymore. So those with the same languages had grouped together. I had assumed that in this story, the Englishmen were very easy to pinpoint among the crowd consisting of all of humanity. The Englishmen were probably the only race that was laughing about what happened to the tower. The Englishmen could have been joking about the tower looking like a Poseidon’s boner and consistently laughing at the ‘bloke’ who had thought of building such a tower. American comedy sure is popular around the globe, but people forget to give the credit to the ones that inspired some American comedians excel in the field of making people laugh until tears fall from their eyes while having stomach spasms from laughing uncontrollably. Who would forget the English classics like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Little England, not to mention contemporary shows like Mr. Bean, The Office, The Monty Phyton, and many more? (Taylor, 2004)There was certainly something special with English comedy for it to gain worldwide appreciation. Was it because there were something different in the way English people tell and deliver their jokes? Or is it that the English humor itself is very different thus making it a special kind of humor? Does the accent of the English people have something to do with their world-renowned good delivery of funny jokes? Of course these inquiries are quite improbable to arrive at single answers. But still, this essay will try to present the possible reasons why Englishmen are so funny. The essay will also strive to give the reader a concrete idea of the manner of how the Englishmen tell their funny jokes. The Englishmen, and that include women of course, take pride in being one of the happiest, if not craziest (in the most admirable sense of the word) cultures that has made this world laugh and laugh all over again. In fact, it is one of England’s best known positive traits, being funny like hell. There even exists such extreme notion that goes something like the country of England is the nation that has more humor than any other nation. But wait, that extreme notion doesn’t end there. The country of England even believes that they are consistently funnier too. For me, that notion doesn’t really give out a negative feel to it. Well, of course some other nations may have the same claims. But still, those other nations won’t have the archive of evidences of comedic superiority of the Englishmen. There even exist testimonies from foreigners that have set foot on England. They had testified that England is indeed a place wherein you’d be remembering jokes when you remember your stay there. England’s incomparable humor is something that every Englishmen should be proud and boast about their country. We can even consider that one of England’s best and highest-quality of imports is English humor. It is England’s gift to the world. It appears that the music wasn’t the only gift of England to the whole of the world, it was but laughter. Another almost equally admirable about the Englishmen is that they have this really commendable humor that can laugh at themselves and at their own failures. That trait gives a very positive and a cheerful quality to the Englishman, which are I believe necessary traits for every comedian regardless of race. But still of course, foreigners may have a very different reaction, since everything in this world is relative. Some foreigners wouldn’t even find the jokes of England as funny as their own personal taste won’t adhere to the mild dose of self-deprecation, hefty amount of sarcasm, and a barrage of irony and satire. These comedic elements are conventionally found in the jokes of Englishmen. Some people may find the English jokes as dry humor, at least, or humorless at worst. The reason behind this conflict in the differences of humor is that some people are conservative, while some are even more conservative beyond the word conservative can even define. Some English jokes go to the extent of being vulgar and green-mannered. Ergo, some of the non-English, or even some English conservatives, can’t help but be offended. But since England is such a fun loving nation, I guess the number of the â€Å"some† that got offended is not worth in comparison to making people laugh (Burton, 1857: 322). I certainly agree with the Englishmen with this kind of thinking since I also believe ethics, religion, and rules of conventions are what make this world a sad place. Why can’t we all not laugh about them just like the Englishmen do? The reason why I had spent almost half of the paper discussion about how a fun and humor loving nation England is, is because I believe that that is the main reason why English jokes are so funny. They are people who loves fun and they pass time making jokes and laughing at them. In that sense they have much practice in the field of humor more than any other country. Through that argument we can even call the people of England as experts of humor. Another reason of why is started praising England’s fun loving attitude is that they believe in their jokes, they are confident about it that is why these jokes are so effective. We all know that believing in something really makes that thing work. Just like how many high-school basketball team that doesn’t win a game tell its players to believe to achieve. But what make English humor so special is the people of England themselves. Since England really believes that they are the funniest people in the world, they become what they believe they really are. It is like some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy in the world of humor. I guess a comedian should be first convinced with one’s self that he or she is funny before that individual sets out to do something funny. England’s self-concept of being the funniest nation is really ideal for aspiring comedians. That maybe the why there are so many comedians in England, from the local comedy bar to the television (or telly as how they put it) to the streets or even in their politics. One of the most probable reason why England posses such good-humored self-concept (of the country) is because they had they had a rich and very interesting history. Instead of crying over sad parts of their history, the Englishmen had learned how to laugh at their own misfortunes. Here is an example of a joke that expresses England’s frustrations about their failures in the World Cup: Two Blokes talking while watching a soccer game†¦ Bloke 1: Is there a difference between the country of England and a bag of tea? Bloke 2: I don’t know. What? Bloke 1: There is much chance that the bag of tea will stay longer in the cup. (The English Sense of Humor) If we really try to asses how the people of England tell their jokes, we are bound to discover that they just tell their jokes like most cultures do. The English humor is not much different with the whole of the world. If we dissect popular English jokes, we would discover that they also employ basic elements of comedy like proper timing, understatement and exaggeration. These elements are not even advanced techniques in the field of comedy. These are just basic elements that even a ten-year-old can employ with his jokes. These comedic elements are just common knowledge that we hear and even do execute on a daily basis without even knowing it. The English are just telling jokes just like everyone of us. The English also follow certain conventions of delivering good jokes. Among these conventions is the use of the situation, action, punch line technique. This technique is so familiar to us I believe that it doesn’t require elaboration. This is the comedic technique that is made popular especially by stand-up comedians. (Howe, 1898: 12) To give us more light regarding the issue of English humor, the essay of Nicholson, aptly given the title The English Sense of Humor, he had specified elements that he believes constitute the very funny English jokes. Some of these elements are kindliness, fancy, and laziness (Nicholson, 1946: 43). Setting aside the kindliness element, we can see that the other elements, fancy and laziness are giving out a negative connotation. I know that the author had no bad intention of portraying the people of England in a negative light, but it is beyond the control of the author to control the opinion of others who might interpret the essay as portraying English people as fanciful and lazy. One the main reason why the people of England are so good in delivering jokes is that they are honest people. Honest in terms of being comfortable to express their opinions and share their experiences, may it be sad or glad, through beautifully constructed and delivered jokes. I guess since I arrived to the conclusion that the humor of the English people is not much different from they the whole world is delivering their jokes. It guess that since we can’t arrive in a substantial concrete answers to the query, we will just have to go with the most practical explanation. We can conclude that the English are good at telling jokes because of their cheerful and fun loving attitude. They love to laugh, so they make jokes to continue the thing that they love. Also their unique accent is quite efficient for delivering jokes. List of References Burton, W. E. (1857)Cyclopedia of Wit and Humor, of America, Ireland, Scotland, and England. New York: D. Appleton Co. Howe, W. H. (1898)English Wit and Humor. Michigan: University of Michigan Press Nicholson, H. (1946)The English Sense of Humor: An Essay. London: Dropmore Publishing Taylor. I. (2004)Exploring Englishness. Available from: http://www. zyworld. com/albionmagazineonline/features2. htm The English Sense of Humor. [Internet Discussion]. Available from: http://www. anglik. net/britishjokes. htm [Accessed 8 March 2008]

Influence of Magazines on Beauty | Cross-Cultural Analysis

Influence of Magazines on Beauty | Cross-Cultural Analysis INTRODUCTION Beauty is not concrete and may vary from culture to culture changing over time and shifting according to location. Beauty is an image which has been created by society to which woman and men have had to subject themselves to be real. The ideology of beauty or what is accepted as being the right appearance has been created by society and largely propagated by media. For United States of the 1950s Marilyn Monroe was the pinnacle of beauty which soon changed to Twiggy in the 1960s. While porcelain skin is valued in China, scarification of the skin and decorating it with tattoos is considered as a status symbol in Africa. Thus the physical attributes and ideas attached to beauty vary across cultures. Womens magazine industry is understood as a monolithic meaning producer, circulating magazines that contain messages and signs about the nature of femininity that serve to promote and legitimate dominant interests. (Anna Gough- Yates). A majority of feminist critics argue that media is responsible for establishing and promoting gender differences and inequalities in society. In respect media persons are considered responsible for reinforcing capitalism and patriarchy; manipulating society to attain increased circulation figures. Magazines are a great source, to study the society. Recording changes, from the purely fashion magazine couture age of 1920s, to lifestyle and home of the 1940s when domestic help was rare and woman to a personal interest in their homes. To New woman of the 1980s when woman began to work alongside men in almost every field to do it yourself of the 20th century with soaring costs and economic downturn. Magazines reflect revolutions in society and influenced the opinion of women across nations. Given the increase in trade to Asia and the spread of the beauty industry across nations, there is limited study available on how people are depicted internationally in the fashion magazines. Previous research has established that womans magazines can act as agents of publicizing gender stereotypes and beauty ideals like size zero and institutionalizing conventions like photographic poses. (Rudman and Verdi, 1993; Griffin, Viswanath, Schwartz, 1994). Yet little research has been done on the differences in representation of women internationally and locally. POWER OF IMAGES One must establish what people are looking at before one can hope to understand why under the conditions peculiar to them, they see what they see Rudolf Arnhein (Arnhein 1977:4) An image is that stimulus or representation that compels us to cognition, interpretation and personal preference. If we understand that the market is image based than we also begin to understand the importance of vision in understanding management in the information society. Images are where visual communication starts. Jonathan E. Schroeder confirms in his study of media that visual consumption is critically important for understanding contemporary consumers. Today marketing professionals are sensitive towards global customers and realise that they are enthusiastic consumers of images. Brand image, corporate image and self image are significant economic and consumer values and that global market culture is largely the construction of symbolic environments. (S. E. Jonathan, 2002) This is of great importance especially in the 21st century as the importance of marketing management and consumer research in this century may shift from problem solving to problem recognition from productio n of goods to the production of images (S. E. Jonathan, 2002) Through time marketers have learnt that markets are global which should translate into local approach. But when companies globalise they become more production driven wanting to sell more thus having common promotional strategies across cultures, sticking to one single image, hardly realising that there may be global products, but there are no global people. There may be global brands but there are no common global motivators to buy those brands. (M. De Mooij, 2009). Many brands have with the help of technology and communication tried to globalise nations. But technology has not brought a global village in which consumers all behave the same. GLOBAL MEDIA Globalisation is best defined as the crystallization of the entire world as a single place (Robertson, Ronald. 1990. Mapping the Global Condition: Globalization as the Central Concept. Theory, Culture and Society 7) Due to the success of global brands writers have predicted an unavoidable colonization of world culture by internationalised brands that would most definitely lead to demise of local cultures. However there is also evidence that suggests social relationships and values in local culture are resistant to the negative effects of globalization. On one hand globalisation is expected to destroy local cultures and bring about homogeneity while on the other hand it is also the reason for the revival of local cultural identities from various parts of the world. Today the expansion of western cultures values and ideas has reached the far corners of the world, right to Asian countries like India and China which have been dominant till the 21st century. Now that these countries have become important players in the world market, counter expansion of values and culture can also be seen. Over the past few decades there has been a rapid expansion of global brands in the media sector more than ever in the area of womans fashion magazines. Local editions of Elle, Harpers Baazar and Vogue are now being published in Asia. The internationalization of a magazine is not a new phenomenon although until quite recently the most popular womans magazines have been published locally. Harpers Bazaar, a U.S magazine launched itself in U.K. in 1929 (Anna Gough-Yates, 1993), Elle a European magazine began publishing its first edition in Japan in 1960s while Vogue a U.S magazine entered the Indian market in the 21st century. However the establishment of an integrated global media market only began in earnest in the late 1980s and did not reach its full potential until the 1990s. (Herman and Mc Chesney ,1997, p10) The latest NRS (National Readership Survey) figures suggest that the total readership market in U.K. for the months of July and December 2008 has risen by 10% since last year, while the total market for womens lifestyle and fashion magazines has grown by 7 %. (IPC Advertising) A similar trend was observed in USA where magazine subscription reached a ten year high in 2008 and with the total number of magazines published reaching 20,590 the total percentage of subscriptions also increased by 1.4% (MPA Magazine Publishers of America, ABC) Comparatively in Asia according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers the Asia/Pacific magazine market excluding Japan is projected to grow by 7.2% annually, reaching $20.7 billion by 2010, Advertising is also expected to rise by 5% annually to $8.1 billion in 2010. This means theres plenty of potential for countries in South Asia, where advertising spending is just about 0.34% of GDP. Until now foreign brands were allowed only 26% ownership when venturing into Asian countries. But in 2005 most of the Asian countries levelled the field for non news publications allowing 100% foreign direct investment. (D. Ruth, 2007, Forbes) In an age looking towards the internet for all information and goods there is a risk that print media and magazine subscriptions may fall contrary to predictions. A recent research conducted by PPA marketing suggests that the internet does not have any harmful effect on peoples desire to read offline, in fact in some cases reading websites encourages them to read magazines. Out of 1500 adults between the age of 18- 34 surveyed online revealed that peoples expectations and goals from each medium depends on the subject matter and for the subject of beauty and fashion print magazines are an obvious choice. Also the idea of owning a piece of fashion history through the beautifully photographed and styled images in fashion magazines makes print media a lucrative choice. With fashion going cross cultures, print media being the apparent choice of the masses to keep them in trend and the governments giving publication houses the clear there is nothing stopping international fashion magazines going local. Like all the other global media, magazines use many different strategies to cross the borders. The main reasons for crossing borders are saturation of home markets and to generate revenue by providing international consumer brands with advertising vehicles that reach into the expanding foreign markets'(Dr. Katherine Frith, 2006,pg4-5). For example Condà © Nast which has a portfolio of 127 magazines in 23 countries had to close down Mademoiselle in November 2001 due to competition, flagging sales and saturation of magazine houses. Markets with rising economic rates like Asia and Middle East, as a result have become a target for westerns producers of beauty and fashion magazines. FASHION MAGAZINES AND THEIR IMPACT Many women across cultures are influenced by general trends in fashion and follow although at a distance the fashion industry. The relationship between consumers and trends is complex but it is mediated by fashion magazines. The difference between international fashion magazines and their local versions is that the international issues tend to carry a predominance of images for multinational products. (Shaw, 1999). Such magazines are growing in popularity in Asia and this popularity has bought about a change in perspective regarding the depiction of woman and products in local magazines. Griffin, Viswanath, and Schwartz(1994) found in a study comparing images in weekly U.S. news magazines (Time and Life) to weekly Indian magazines (India Today and Illustrated weekly of India), that many of the western advertising principles and poses for women were being conveyed across nations. They confirmed that female models in India were taking on poses that related closely to gender portrayals of the advanced western nations. A recent analysis of magazines international and local in China by Frith, Cheng and Shaw (2004) suggests that Caucasian models are more frequently shown in seductive dresses than Asian models. Feminist critiques like Kates, Shaw and Garlock (1999) would argue that western magazines are cultural institutions that represent women in a problematic and often unacceptable way although attractive female bodies and sexual content have for long been used in the west to draw consumers to a product and generate interest. Comparing this to the representation of woman across cultures with reference to the few studies conducted on the topic; Griffin, Viswanath and Schwartz (1994) concluded that the use of Sexual pursuit as a theme was used three times more often in American magazines than magazines in India. In conservative Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia only Caucasian women were used in Lingerie advertisements (Frith and Mueller, 2003). Any magazine wanting to be resonant with its target audience needs to represent the social norms and cultural values of the given society. International magazines like Vogue and Elle although have publishing houses in Asian countries most often train their employees in the west. The result being that the forms of representation and especially that of woman can take on a globalized look. As Kyung-Ja Lee,(2000, pg 86) has rightly said for thirty years, media have been taken to task for reproducing and reinforcing stereotyped images of woman. Yet unfair representation of woman in media still prevails worldwide. Sex stereotyping has been so deeply ingrained, even glorified, that the woman themselves have become desensitised to their own inferior portrayal. The prospects appear even gloomier as the globalisation of media progresses Previous researchers have noted that the images of models used in magazines have been extensively retouched to represent the ideal of beauty that is unattainable for all but a very few people.(Greer,1999). By showing models that are uniformly thin, flawless and perfectly proportioned the media may contribute towards low self esteem and unhappiness among woman and give rise to problems like eating disorders.( Gauntlett, 2002) Media is also considered a large contributor to the global increase in plastic surgery to change physical appearance among young girls (Lee, 2007). With most models used in international magazines being white the publications are rarefying the ethnic beauty ideals. In fact the obsession with whitening products may be a result of this overuse of White models in Asian publications. Finally as global media takes readers away from local publications and changing Asian beauty ideals it is important to study the impact of international beauty ideal on local consumers. The Asian society has predominantly been a conservative society yet with the onset of westernisation this society is changing and adapting itself. But as Marieke de Mooij states, product usage or acceptance does not change overnight, as peoples behaviour is stable . A new idea or concept is only accepted when it is consistent to a change in society and does not imply a fundamental change in culture. Essay 2: THE VOGUE IMPACT This essay will discuss Vogue magazines cover page and its relationship with its brand identity. Can the brand successfully globalised by altering its cover page image, based on cultural and social variants in each of its markets? Would standardisation of the brands cover page images and visual identity help to avoid criticism on its entry into a new market? VOGUE BEGINING Started in 1982 Vogue magazine is predominantly an American cultural phenomenon. It began as a social weekly periodical and nurtured into a professional and confident monthly publication under the leadership of Condà © Nast which took over vogue in 1909. Primarily as a lifestyle magazine catering to both men and woman Vogue has come a long way to be at the pinnacle as the fashion magazine for woman in vogue (David, A., 2006). In an age where French fashion was considered the ultimate Vogue managed to put American Couture on the map. Under the Condà © Nast umbrella the magazine not only managed to become a brand name in its own country but also exported fashion ideas to the world. Today Condà © Nast which has a portfolio of 127 magazines in 23 countries believes Vogue to be its cash cow. At present there are a million fashion and beauty magazines such as In Style, Elle and Cosmopolitan circulated around the globe, but in times of crises citizens all over turn to Vogue to confirm the latest fashion news. With readership and subscription levels of about 220,000 a month for the British Vogues, 133,000 a month for the French Vogue and American Vogue, at 1.2 million a month Vogue is the leading magazine in the business of fashion. (IPC Advertising reports) The once small publication eventually became an international phenomenon with issues being published in more than 12 countries. YEAR OF LAUNCH COUNTRY /EDITION 1916 British Vogue 1918 Spanish Vogue 1920 French Vogue 1924-1926 Argentinean Vogue 1928 German Vogue 1964 Italian Vogue 1975 Brazilian Vogue 1994 Singapore Vogue 1996 Korean Vogue 1996 Taiwanese Vogue 1999 Japanese Vogue 1999 Latin American Vogue 2000 Greek Vogue 2005 Chinese Vogue 2007 Indian Vogue Since its birth the magazine has strived to serve the society by portraying an example of proper etiquette, beauty, composure and fashion. The magazine not only plays a role in setting latest trends but also records the changes in cultural thinking, actions and clothing through its images. Looking at Vogue through the ages it can be clearly seen that it is also a documentation of the changing roles of woman, and the influences of cultural ideas and politics over time. The power the Vogue magazine has over generations of women has inspired many new magazines like Cosmopolitan and Glamour; all interested in its market share. In spite of this great quantity of magazines circulating around the globe, considering circulation figures and media impact no other publication has managed to accomplish the lasting power and success of Vogue. (David, R., 2007) VOGUE IMAGE Self definition has always been crucial to vogue. (David, A., 2006). Throughout its first 30 years vogue editors and illustrators made use of the French meaning of vogue, defined in the first dictionary of the Acadà ©mie Franà §aise (1694) as the impulsion or movement of a galley or other ship by the force of rowing. It was only in the 18th century that vogue and fashion were listed as synonyms (Fà ©raud 1787–8). Since its first issue Vogue magazine has been personified as a youthful young woman. The magazines first cover presented itself in the disguise of a debutante, a young socialite. When Condà © Nast bought the magazine in 1909 he brought it into line with other successful publishing ventures and in just over a decade, circulation went from 14,000 to 150,000 while advertising revenue soared from $76,111 to two million dollars (Robinson 1923: 170). He modernised the magazine not just the content but also the cover. He replaced the black and white drawings of the front cover with commissioned, lavish, stylised and signed illustrations. This change helped to attract attention to the magazine and increase circulations. As an advertising man, he understood the value of having a visual brand or logo and Nast revived the original Vogue trademark, a distinguished little sketch which immediately became known as the Vogue girl (David, A., 2006). This first Vogue girl was just an illustration cla d in a fancy dress with the than fashionable leg-o-mutton sleeves. Her unnatural ivory white skin, snow white wig, tiny waist and voluptuous bosom, was directed at the fantasies of the magazines readers (David, A., 2006).The Vogue girl represented the heritage of those Americans who wished to be different from the New World Americans and was constantly seen as wearing historical costumes and heirlooms. Than too the new world American woman aspired to look like her. All this changed in the 1920s when the Vogue girl was changed to an illustration by Georges Lepape. This new image was more streamlined and represented the woman at the heights of fashion in the 1920s. Vogue had gone from importing fashion to exporting it. As times changed so did the magazine cover from illustrations to photographs, making models like Cindy Crawford and celebrities like Madonna a household name. This change in its image was a response to the internationalisation of the magazine. Today the vogue cover girls are the most glamorous, exotic, unusual and popular persons of the moment. The trend being more towards actresses than models dressed in the heights of fashion, styled by the best stylist and clicked by A-list photographers they are every girls aspiration and every boys fantasy. Like its cover girls the magazines is considered to be glamorous, glossy and trendy. (Alexandra Shulman, Vogue U.K. editor). Despite of having these factors common among them, the vogue covers are dissimilar in many aspects depending upon its country of publication. CULTURE AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR Anglo –Saxon psychological research states that the concept of self and personality are the basis of Western consumer behaviour. The words identity or personality have no fixed meaning in the Asian culture. A global brand needs to consider the cultural differences to truly succeed in the world field. A number of research experts and cultural studies suggest that a brand should think global, act local. This is based upon the theory that the way people think and perceive any brand or image is guided by the framework of their own culture (Mooij, M, 2009). The observation of Japanese individuality as a sign of westernisation of the country is a misconception of many global brands. For more than a decade international magazines have been accused of standardising a beauty ideal across the globe with disregard to the individual cultural and beauty ideals of the host country. For a short duration the values and attributes of a foreign or global personality might have a strong attraction, but ultimately people return to their own local values and culture. For a Brazilian woman the emphasis is on her bottom, um corpo de violà £o which literally means a guitar shaped body is most desirable. No matter how many international magazines showcase buxom beauties, the Brazilian woman would ultimately want a bigger bottom as the point of attraction is the sweet swing of the hips. The illustration of a desirable Japanese woman in The memoirs of a Gesha suggest, that the Japanese appreciate soft delicate feminine features, small feet and long hair cut in layers. A slim slender graceful body is more desirable than a curvaceous one. In Islamic countries the body is considered a n obstacle in viewing ones true beauty. Any bodily decorations or changes are considered a veil over the inner beauty and the Hijab is another veil to conceal these changes so that the womans only public identity would be her inner self. For the Greek it has been symmetry in structure and features, based on Platos ideas that, beauty is that which irradiates symmetry rather than symmetry itself. The Nuba tribe in Sudan like dark skin and hairlessness. On studying traditional Indian paintings it can be concluded that the Indian ideals of beauty in a woman is voluptuousness, with the belly and hips being of prominence.( Ei, 2008) The image and identity associated with woman of different geographical locations are deep rooted in their respective cultures. The beauty ideals and a womans self image in any culture can be understood by studying its paintings, sculpture and artistic representations. Today the artistic or idealistic representations of women are magazine covers, images and pho to spreads. These covers are also considered a mode of advertisement for the magazine within that culture. As Steve Taylor has rightly put in his book 100 years of magazine covers it is hard to identify another cultural artefact which embodies an advertisement for itself in such a powerful way. Magazine covers can be breathtaking, beautiful, confrontational, resonant, heartbreaking, stimulating, irritating and uplifting. At their best they come together as a kind of spontaneous street level exhibition, publicly displaying the work of some of our best creative talent, featuring what is most admirable and dismissible about the modern world, communicating the people and events that shape our culture. Apart from a mode of advertisement of todays culture a magazine cover plays a dual function of advertising the magazine brand itself. An impressive cover encourages people to flip through the magazine and buy it. (Alexandra Shulman, British Vogue editor). Getting the magazine cover right is not only ethically important but also financially important to the magazine in order to develop brand loyalty and increased circulations. Thus making it important to study magazine covers as a mode of advertisement and part of the marketing mix, for a magazine publication. MAGAZINE COVERS AS BRAND VISUAL IDENTITY It is a common assumption that an advertisement would be effective if the viewer decodes the advertisement successfully, if there is a significant transfer of attributes. (Mooij, M., 2009). Thus while developing one idea for a global brand or one single motivator for different cultures, one should not assume that the responses would be alike too. An idea being interpreted accurately by the consumers would only happen if the senders and receivers share one culture. If they do not share the same cultural values it may result in misunderstandings and demeaning of brand value within that culture. For example consider the inaugural Vogue covers of India and China. The Indian Vogue cover was styled by the magazines British fashion director while the Chinese vogue was styled by French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld (China economic net and Fashion week daily dispatch). The covers were not rightly decoded by the consumers and received much criticism. Whereas the covers for the preceding months styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania the fashion director for Vogue India was highly appreciated.(Fashion week daily dispatch) The essence of a brand is that it is a name in the memory of consumers. It is a perceptual map of positive and negative associations, a symbolic language, and a network of associations. (Mooij, M.,2009). Vogue with its launch in many Asian countries received much negative associations with its local issues. The local Asian issues of Vogue are considered small ripples in the big pond of Fashion magazines (Armstrong ,L, 2009) and they could never manage to create the impact that American vogue or Italian Vogue have managed to create world over. Vogue India or Vogue China might be sold worldwide but it is not necessary that consumers in all countries consider them global brands. One theory suggests that a global brand is a brand that is strongly associated with its country of origin (Mooij, M., 2009) and for Vogue its been America. This can be considered positive if the country of origin has a stable global identity. With American values becoming ambiguous and Vogue bifurcating into mul tiple countries over time its core identity may be threatened. The idea of incorporating local aesthetics with their global image might dilute the brands global image. STANDARDISATION A multinational companys personality and identity are the biggest factors influencing consumer (Eales, 1990 as cited in Melewar,T.C, Saunders, J., 1998). Unrestricted global trade, a competitive marketplace and the fast technological developments have created a situation where consumers dont just buy the product they also buy the company that produces it. The brands character, its identity, its image and the confidence it inspires in them help in making the choice between two almost similar product offerings in the market. At the centre of any business and its projected image is its corporate visual identity system. The elements of this system are: name, symbol, and/or logo, typography, colour and slogan (Dowling, 1994). These elements help to sell the company to consumers and its stakeholders. Corporate identity programs have risen due to globalisation (Ind, 1992). The changing business tactics, geographical locations, variations in cultures and changing markets have all encouraged companies to change their corporate identity. As companies begin to operate on an international basis, the image that they acquired as national producers often becomes inappropriate (Mills, 1988 as cited in Melewar,T.C, Saunders, J., 1998). Some international companies adopt a unified brand image in spite of government and consumer displeasure. The degree of de-standardisation of any company depends upon the strength of the host countries culture, government policies and target market. (Mooij, M., 2009). The decision to standardise a brand image also depends upon the competitive edge derived in either keeping activities central or decentralizing them. However a brand like Vogue that has a truly global orientation needs to express consistent brand values wherever it chooses to compete. Thus making its worldwide image more recognisable for its homogeneity than not. A major component of a corporate identity is the corporate structure. (Strong, 1987) According to Ind (1992) there exist two corporate identities, one that is the organisational structure and the other that is the visual structure. The Visual structure is concerned with the branding of the product, and how it appears to the consumers. (Gray Smeltzer, 1985 as cited in Melewar, T.C., Saunders, J., 1998). The basic concern with the visual structure is the degree of centralisation and decentralisation. Thus the basic problem faced by Vogue is whether to sell an identical product image to all its consumers or to make modifications as per the local differences. A global brand can be a mass brand satisfying a common product need in all the countries or it can be a brand catering to a common niche in all the countries. Vogue magazine has two options, being a global brand it could standardize the brand and the brand image across the globe so that the Indian woman reading the Indian Vogue would feel equal to the French or American woman reading their respective Vogues. The other option it has is to go local, differentiate between its offerings and treat each market as an individual and not a global product while standardising its visual image, giving the impression of a common brand. Researchers argue that standardisation of a brand helps the company to achieve a uniform image internationally which in turn increases sales.(Buzzell, 1968, Hovells Walters, 1972 as cited in Melewar, T.C., Saunders, J., 1998) . Others were of the opinion that standardisation makes consumers familiar with the product, its services, business diversities and competitive distinction thus helping to establish a uniform corporate image.(Peebles et al ,1977 as cited in Melewar, T.C., Saunders, J., 1998). Cosmopolitan for example is known around the globe to address personal and sex related issues as it does not change its editorials and articles depending on culture. The band logo/ font type, position or style does not differ according to geographical locations. The brand has achieved a sense of standardisation by not having a distinct country name printed on its cover unlike Vogue. The research on global corporate visual identity systems by T.C. Melewar and John Saunders (1998) proved that firms with highly standardised corporate visual identity systems (CVIS) saw themselves reaping more reward from their CVIS than did those with low CVIS standardisation. All custom

Shah’s Fables in The Way of Sufi :: Way of Sufi Essays

Shah’s Fables in The Way of Sufi  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   When most people answer the question, "What is a fable?" they usually define it as a story with talking animals that teaches readers a lesson or moral. Although most fables do fit into this category, Idries Shah, an author of many fables, believes that there is more to a fable than just being an interesting story that teaches a lesson. In fact, Shah writes in the "Forward" of his book Reflections, "Do you imagine that fables exist only to amuse or to instruct, and are based upon fiction? The best ones are delineations of what happens in real life, in the community, and in the individual’s mental processes" (1, 2). What Shah means is that the best fables describe life, one’s mental processes, and the surrounding community to the fullest. In "The Man, the Snake, and the Stone," from his book Caravan of Dreams, Shaw gives insight to the way humans’ mental processes are and how they should be. The fable seems to be a tale about a curious, yet ignorant, man who desperately tries to justify his action of releasing the snake from under the stone so that the snake does not kill him. However, this fable shows the reader how selfish, inconsiderate, and unreasonable humans are with their animal "friends." One thing this fable demonstrates to the reader is how selfish humans are in their ways. The fable starts with the man who picks up a stone and releases a venomous snake. The snake, of course, threatens to kill the man, but the man pleas for his life because he claims he set the snake free. The man cries, "Give me one more chance. Please let us find someone else to give an opinion, so that my life may be spared" (904). The man cares nothing about how the snake has been inconvenienced. All he cares about is trying to keep the snake from killing him. Another issue this fable addresses is how inconsiderate man is to the animals of this planet. The fable gives two examples of animals that are treated unfairly. The first example tells of a flock of sheep which have provided humans with wool for many years. Now, after all the years of helping the humans, the humans turn around and repay the favor by killing the sheep for mutton. A sheep sarcastically adds, "That is the measure of generosity of men" (904).

Darwins Theory of Evolution :: Natural Selection, Evolution Essays

"On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life," usually shortened to "the Origin of Species," is the full title of Charles Darwin's book, first published in 1859, in which Darwin formalized what we know today as the Theory of Evolution. Although Darwin is the most famous exponent of this theory, he was by no means the first person to suspect the workings of evolution. In fact, Charles owed a considerable debt to his grandfather Erasmus, a leading scientist and intellectual, who published a paper in 1794, calledZoonomia, or, The Laws of Organic Life. This set down many of the ideas that his grandson elaborated on 70 years later. However, it was Darwin that formalized the theory, and presented the most convincing case for the theory. Charles Darwin was born on the 12th of February 1809 (incidentally, the same day and year as Abraham Lincoln), in Shrewsbury, England. He had a privileged upbringing, and enjoyed science - particularly biology. He graduated from Cambridge University in 1831, and on December the 27th of that year, he set off for a five-year journey aboard the Beagle, a ship bound for South America. His voyage was long and eventful, including once, in Chile, encountering both an earthquake and a tidal wave in a single day! He spent the entire journey sea-sick, but found an interest in naturalism, and began to think about evolution. Using the evidence he found during his tour of South America to back up the basic theories set down by his predecessors, and making his own adjustments and discoveries. Finally, the Beagle arrived home on October the 2nd, 1836. During his travels, Darwin kept five note-books, marked A to E, in which he recorded what he found, made sketches and wrote about his observations and theories. These later became the basis of his book, though in a "condensed and corrected" version, to "render the volume more fitted for popular reading," as Charles stated in the preface to

Healthcare, Medicare, and Medicaid Essay -- Health Medicine Government

Healthcare, Medicare, and Medicaid The U.S. health care system is a scrutinized issue that affects everyone: young, old, rich, and poor. The health care system is comprised of three major components. Since 1973, most Americans have turned to managed-care programs, known as HMOs. The second type of health care offered to Americans is Medicare, health care for the elderly. The third type of health care is Medicaid, a health care program for the poor. Why is our health care system made up of three components, and how did the U.S. health care system develop? A Historical View The idea of prepaid health care dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The first HMOs were started in the 1920s in Elk City, Oklahoma as a farmers’ cooperative. In Los Angeles, California the Ross-Loos Medical Group offered prepaid medical services to employees and families of the Los Angeles County Department of Water and Power. Other large prepaid group practices originated in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1942 employee health premiums were made tax deductible to employers, not individuals. By this time, many individuals were discouraged from buying health insurance. In 1965 Congress created Medicare. Subsidized, unrestricted health care for the elderly led to enormous spending by patients and doctors. As a result, health care costs went up, making it impossible for individual health insurance. Many liberals in Congress believed that having the government pay for everyone’s health care could control costs. They promoted the idea of health maintenance organizations. President Nixon proposed the HMO Act. In 1973 Congress passed it. Legal impediments were removed to increase the growth of HMOs. HMOs were developed as pa... ... which the federal government should contribute. The block grant program has gained popularity because the federal government, simply, transfers Medicaid money to the state to distribute it accordingly. Between 1987 and 1992, thirty mandates were issued to states that related to program eligibility, reimbursements, and services. Works Cited: â€Å"Medicaid Reform-Introduction.† The Century Foundation: Policy in Perspective. 06 Oct. 2003 . â€Å"Medicaid Reform-What’s Right with Medicaid?† The Century Foundation: Policy in Perspective. 06 Oct. 2003 . Medicaid Reform-What’s Wrong with Medicaid? The Century Foundation: Policy in Perspective. 06 Oct. 2003 . Healthcare, Medicare, and Medicaid Essay -- Health Medicine Government Healthcare, Medicare, and Medicaid The U.S. health care system is a scrutinized issue that affects everyone: young, old, rich, and poor. The health care system is comprised of three major components. Since 1973, most Americans have turned to managed-care programs, known as HMOs. The second type of health care offered to Americans is Medicare, health care for the elderly. The third type of health care is Medicaid, a health care program for the poor. Why is our health care system made up of three components, and how did the U.S. health care system develop? A Historical View The idea of prepaid health care dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The first HMOs were started in the 1920s in Elk City, Oklahoma as a farmers’ cooperative. In Los Angeles, California the Ross-Loos Medical Group offered prepaid medical services to employees and families of the Los Angeles County Department of Water and Power. Other large prepaid group practices originated in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1942 employee health premiums were made tax deductible to employers, not individuals. By this time, many individuals were discouraged from buying health insurance. In 1965 Congress created Medicare. Subsidized, unrestricted health care for the elderly led to enormous spending by patients and doctors. As a result, health care costs went up, making it impossible for individual health insurance. Many liberals in Congress believed that having the government pay for everyone’s health care could control costs. They promoted the idea of health maintenance organizations. President Nixon proposed the HMO Act. In 1973 Congress passed it. Legal impediments were removed to increase the growth of HMOs. HMOs were developed as pa... ... which the federal government should contribute. The block grant program has gained popularity because the federal government, simply, transfers Medicaid money to the state to distribute it accordingly. Between 1987 and 1992, thirty mandates were issued to states that related to program eligibility, reimbursements, and services. Works Cited: â€Å"Medicaid Reform-Introduction.† The Century Foundation: Policy in Perspective. 06 Oct. 2003 . â€Å"Medicaid Reform-What’s Right with Medicaid?† The Century Foundation: Policy in Perspective. 06 Oct. 2003 . Medicaid Reform-What’s Wrong with Medicaid? The Century Foundation: Policy in Perspective. 06 Oct. 2003 .

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One of the reasons is the increase in accessibility of formula. Breastfeeding rates declined sharply because of the widespread belief that pastured cows milk eliminated the differences between human and cow's milk feeding' (Wolf 2003 [as cited in DAD, 2009]). Many organizations are in support and promote breastfeeding for example, Center for Disease Control and Healthy people with goals Of increasing the rate of breastfeeding mothers. Multiple benefits result from breastfeeding for both infant and mother.The DAD (2009) list multiple benefits; for example, bonding between mother and infant, essential trident, immunity properties, decrease in allergies and other intolerance's, decrease in sudden infant death and long term affect of decrease in type 1 and 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity and high cholesterol. There are also positive effects for the mother. For example, low risk in chronic diseases and other physical benefits as well as financial. The benefits are overwhelming for both mother and infant. In regards to benefits to society, according to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (2014), breast-feeding can reduce infant mortality, less medical cost, more productive work force and good for the environment. It is our responsibility to assist and educate new mothers on the benefits by promoting and encouraging short term and long-term benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and infant (DAD, 2009). In order to provide effective teaching to a new mother, I must take into consideration the health literacy of the mother and any cultural beliefs she may have. The educational approach must be culturally sensitive and set in an environment that is conducive to learning.An assessment made on preferred learning can assist the new mom in adhering to breastfeeding and setting aside any misconceptions, she may have. I would involve the mom and family with creating short and long-term goals and implementing strategies. This article is an excellent article th at provides all the benefits for both her and her infant. An excellent resource to provide this new mom with up to date information is La Lech League. This website provides information on techniques, other resources, publications and tips on breastfeeding.

Development in a Country Cause Significant Damage to the Environment? Essay

In this essay I am going to examine whether development in a country causes significant damage to the environment. Firstly, when a country becomes developed, they have to become industrialised first. This means that the country changes from being mainly an agricultural production and people living in the countryside, to the people flocking to the newly increasing cities, in search of more money and work from the factories that have been put there. With lots of people living in one area, things and places start to become contaminated, such as rivers as many cities are based around them. Fish that would once have lived in the river would be extinct due to the boats driving up the river to take or deliver supplies to the city. This is a serious issue for the world as for humans to wipe out an entire specie can have serious consequences, for example people further up the river might depend on the fish to eat, and just because the city being there, could threaten the existence of the community. Secondly, TNC’s will move their factories to developing countries due to lower tax laws which will boost their overall profits. When they build these factories the amount of pollution that is produced will be incredible that it is visible when you look at them. This causes the air that people breathe when they are at work and for the people are living in the surrounding areas to be very dangerous and contaminated, with some cases of people becoming very ill. In a country such as china for example, lung cancer is more common here than anywhere else in the world; and this is caused by the amount off pollution produced by the factories. Also, whole cities in china have been built in china where practically no one lives in, so people can go and live their to work in the factories, however, as no one lives there the raw materials have been wasted and caused pollution being made, but being useless. Finally, in developing countries, their natural resources are usually drained by western countries or TNC’s who exploit the developing countries for the materials that they desperately need. However when the resources have run out, if the world doesn’t have another energy resource other than oil, then the world will go backwards in time and technology, because we won’t be able to run simple things like radiators for example. In conclusion, I feel TNC’s are a major part to blame in the damage to environments, especially in certain areas like Asia, as they the exploit the easy law on pollution ect. to maximise their profits, but however don’t think of the effects and consequences. Natural resources – going to run out soon – be moving backwards instead of forwards