Money Is the Root of Evil Essay

Money is the root of evil It could be said that money is one of the greatest inventions of mankind, which affects and changes wide and deep whole human society. It occurred when people had demand to exchange merchandise. Together with the process of development of society, money changed from too simple to complex and sophisticated forms to meet people’s needs in settlement. In its dawn, money was very simple things such as shells, fur and salt etc. When metal was discovered; iron, bronze, silver and gold were used in turn as the role of money. And now, we can use coins, note, card, and check and letter of credit etc. to buy goods in supermarket, pay water, electricity bills or even to settle imports. Money – even of its forms – this is a general parity object, does the role as means in settlement of merchandise and services. Doing the role of intermediary instrument in settlement, money contributes to the development of human society quickly in two aspects: economy and culture. As we know, money made exchange of goods more quickly and conveniently than any direct exchange way; since then trading industry came out into society and developed. In cultural aspect, the most typical features of an ethnic group or a nation will be chosen to make signs on money so by regarding money; we can see the basic features of an ethnic group or a nation. Specially, in our global time, money can be moved very easily between almost nations, it makes cultural exchange more advantageous. How do people think about money? There is a truth that many people value money too high, they think money is all and believe that â€Å"money is a passport to anything†. So they can do anything, even immoral and illegal things in order to have money. Robbers are ready to kill others cruelly for some tens of thousands of dong. Traders are ready to cheat in commerce to appropriate more money. Officials, who have large power and influence on society, themselves trample on their honor, others’ interests, their nation’s future etc. to take dirty money. With those evil acts, they make people believe that money is a cause of evil. Although there are many bad acts related to money; I always think that money couldn’t be the root of evil, money is just a victim of some people’s greed. Some people, with cruel and greedy character, did anything to have money; but is it true that their purpose is only about money? No, I don’t think so. I believe that their last aim is about things money can bring to them. So the deep reason of evil in society is cruelty and greed. It means people must bear full responsibility for their evil and they can’t blame anyone or anything. Until now, money is just a means in settlement.

Perfume Essay

This essay will compare and contrast the various methods used by the author and director of the novel Perfume. Perfume, written by Patrick Suskind and adapted by Tom Tykwer, is a dramatic, crime thriller about the life of a murderer. Born and raised in Paris, Jean-Baptiste survives the most gruelling childhood; his father unknown and mother executed for attempting to kill him, rejected by the wet nurses in the village and when finally taken in by Madame Gaillard at the orphanage, the children endeavour to kill him. They fear he is dangerous because of his lack of personal scent. However Grenouille survives through even their best efforts, survives the measles, dysentery, chicken pox and cholera. It is clear that this child is special not only because of his amazing ability to endure the most appalling conditions but also because of his exceptionally talented sense of smell. The title â€Å"Perfume† gives the reader/viewer a good idea of what to expect from the very beginning. Trying to translate Grenouille’s olfactory language into visual picture was from the beginning a mammoth task than is expertly accomplished by the director through the use of audio and several visual components. It is however much easier to do in a book because the reader can be manipulated through their personal experience with smell. Therefore from this point the book is mildly better even though it is at a disadvantage because the reader has no visual aid. The main themes of Perfume are black humour, emotionally/mentally challenged people, hatred of humanity and seeing importance in others life only when they affect your own. These themes are portrayed well throughout both the book and film. The most prominent is seeing importance in others life only when they affect your own. For example, Madame Gaillard dies in a tragic way shortly after she sells Grenouille. In the book she dies of cancer in a crowded bed, in the film she is slit at the throat as she returns home. Monsieur Grimal falls into the river on his way home from celebrating the sale of Grenouille. Giuseppe Baldini’s house falls into the river not long after Grenouille leaves for Grasse. All these deaths symbolise that Grenouille can only value human life if it has something to reward him with; when this is done they no longer exist in his mind. This also explains why Grenouille can kill the innocent girls, take what he wants and leave without feeling any remorse for his actions. One of the best adapted scenes is the opening chapter, Grenouille’s birth. Suskind does an extended description of the putrid place where Grenouille was born. â€Å"The streets stank of manure, the courtyards of urine, the stairwells stank of mouldering wood and rat droppings, the kitchens of spoiled cabbage and mutton fat†, this quote goes on for a considerable amount of time yet it is necessary because there is so many rotten smells included that everyone can relate to at least one. This provokes the reader to think of the most revolting smells they have ever experienced and then try to imagine them worse. In the film, Tykwer uses a fast moving, rolling shot to show the reader the various scents that inhabit the area. And he uses shots of typically revolting objects such as rats, fish guts, sick and rotting vegetables. These smells are relatable to humans and so the viewer can appreciate how bad it smells, however this may not be as powerful as the smell that the human imagination can fabricate from the book. Also he employs the sound of a heartbeat and rapid breathing of the new-born babe to humanise the situation and to portray the struggle the baby has to survive. The heartbeat makes us anxious and so we wonder whether the baby will survive. The baby breathing rapidly makes us question if it can continue. However regardless of this the baby lets out a scream. The audio effects stop and this could symbolise that as soon as the baby chose to live it ended the life of his mother and shows that the world is not the same. Obviously some scenes from the book have had to be cut to stay within a reasonable screen time, one of the scenes cut is the scientific study that is carried out on Grenouille nevertheless this is not missed and the film makes up for such scenes in other aspects. One of the biggest advantages the film has over the book is that it can use the best actors suited to the role. The actor that plays Grenouille, Ben Whishaw is perfectly suited to the character. He has a childlike voice that represents his innocence, not that his soul is innocent but because he has been void of all love for his whole life. His life was only valued by those wanted something from him. His character is also very good because his expression can be changed in an instant. In one scene he can appear helpless and angelic while in another he can be closer to the devil than a human. The way he sets himself into the role is nothing less than perfect; he scuttles as he should, hunches as he should and does everything as weirdly as is should be. Grenouille is a disturbing character and this is very well portrayed by the actor. In the book Grenouille doesn’t say much because the book is written in third person. This is used so that the reader can get close into the minds of all the characters instead of being limited to one. This also means that we can observe events happening in all the different places. In the film this is done through the use of a narrator. However the narrator does tend to disclose information that as viewers might have preferred to interpret ourselves. So even though the narrator is used in both the book and film the effects are far better in the book. To conclude, there are many similarities between the book and film adaption of Perfume that are equally as good as each other but some aspects such as the narrator are stronger in the book. Equally particular aspects of the film are better, for instance the ability to use actors. One of the primary differences is the character change of Grenouille from book to film. The book shows him as a conniving parasite that is very good at manipulating people. The film shows a man who is unaware of the effects of his actions and is somewhat innocent. The strongest parts of the book are the descriptions of the in-depth break down of the various scents and how deep into Grenouille’s mind the reader gets, since spoken language is not Grenouilles strength. The best bits of the film are casting decisions and the superb adaption that captures the soul of the book and enhances it through captivating music and images. It’s like smelling with your eyes.

19th Century Welfare Provision History Essay

19th Century Welfare Provision History Essay In what ways was 19th century welfare provision shaped by the socially constructed distinction between the deserving and undeserving poor and with what consequences for these different groups in terms of the type of welfare assistance available to them?. The origins of the Welfare State in the United Kingdom go back to Elizabethan times. The introduction of the Poor Laws was the first legislative attempt to ensure that the poor had the means to live. This method continued until the Industrial Revolution, when provision for the poor changed. The Welfare State in its modern form began with the introduction of reforms between 1906 and 1914 by the Liberal Government. These reforms included the introduction of National Insurance, Old Age Pensions and Free School Meals. In the increasingly complex society that emerged in the 19th century industrialised Britain, there was , and has continued t be, a need to support people who are unable to cope without state social welfare provision and br ing order to social life. The Second World War then led to the development of welfare legislation designed to ensure that everybody in the United Kingdom had access to quality healthcare. This resulted in the introduction of the National Health Service and a range of health education and disease prevention measures being introduced in post war Britain. In the period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the enactment of the first Elizabethan Poor Law in 1601 philanthropy was characterized by various hierarchical relationships within the feudal structure.   Help for others was pre-eminently a matter of royal contributions, but was also greatly supplemented by personal charity on the part of the wealthy.   Religion and concerns about life after death drove many to charitable works.   Churches continually increased their position in society and began to take a prominent role in philanthropic endeavours. Over time the church’s role evolved, becoming one of the main instr uments of charitable actions.   A historical perspective is important in understanding british social policy development. Loking at the influence of 19th century social, economic and political change, particularly the A wide range of personal motivations contributed to philanthropic participation, as helping others was seen as emotionally and socially stimulating. While much was accomplished in this period, charity was often erratic and did not always fully meet the needs of the recipients. Robert Morris (1986) Philanthropy can be defined as the provision of financial, material, and ideal resources for cultural, social, and educational institutions.   During the course the 19th century these aims increasingly came to fruition through foundations, limited dividend companies, membership organizations, or by bequests and donations, and were generally facilitated by middle to upper class people. Thomas Adam (2001) Charity organization movements were one of the key characteristics of Victorian era philanthropists. With the emergence of nation states prior to and during this period, poverty and social welfare gradually became embodied in law. State advocated reform was often frenzied, highly bureaucratic, and humiliating to the poor who received aid.   However, as the duties of governments increased, aid societies and philanthropists also expanded their organizational efforts.

IT Journal Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

IT Journal Article - Essay Example rms is the use of electronic health record that provides a streamlined communication system between the physicians through use of universal records of the patient. The EHRs make the clinical guidelines available when care is being provided. Reviews on EHRs have shown that there is improved adherence to the set clinical guidelines (Ballard, 2012). The research carried out took place in 2006 in health Texas provider network that was already implementing the EHR system. The data was collected analyzed and conclusions made from the results. From the results, it was clear that implementing EHR had an immense impact on documented care and outcomes on the diabetic patients. The exposure of the system was associated with improvement on optimal care and individual process and outcome measures. However, the results did not show evidence that use of EHR has effects on the most important measure of diabetes care. The study had a limitation of lack of randomization that prevented ruling out effects because of the unobserved differences between groups. Despite the limitations of the research, the assessment on the effect of E H R implementation shows optimal care is significant with the use of EHR (Ballard,

Quantitative Methods Portfolio Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Quantitative Methods Portfolio - Assignment Example This report has selected Mercure London Bridge Hotel to find the trend of its customers, their perceptions and views of the hotel services (Prospects, 2013). The objective here is to apply statistical methods to assess the position of the Mercure London Bridge Hotel in terms of delivering good quality services to its customers. The paper will use descriptive statistics, cross tabulation method and t-test to present comprehensive findings and discussion. The study has adapted the quantitative research method, which implies the statistical approach of analysis and assessment. Using a primary source of data collection that is by conducting a sirvey of customers of Mercure London Bridge Hotel, this study is based on a primary research design. The approach adapted is deductive and therefore, follows a pattern of conclusiveness and close understanding (Noorossana et al., 2012). The sampling technique applied in the study is a random sampling, which brought to a sample of 100 visitors of the Mercure London Bridge Hotel from the population of total number of guests staying at the hotel (Abbott & McKinney, 2013). The questionnaire for the study is comprised of 20 questions in which 9 questions are based on demographics of the participants and 11 questions are in regard of the hotel service quality. Each question is from a different segment of assessment including reservation, room, staff, food and web service quality respectively. The questionnaire covers participants’ point of opinion with respect to their age, gender, and income differences. The primary data was collected at Mercure London Bridge Hotel, where guests were quested to participate in the survey at their own will. This primary data is utilized to bring out findings and discussions from the study. To conduct this quantitative study, the approach of statistical analysis is adopted. Descriptive statistics, cross tabulation, and T-Tests are tools applied in the study. For comparative analysis, cross

E-commerce managent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

E-commerce managent - Essay Example Now, â€Å"E-commerce is the function of creating exchange i.e., buying and selling over digital media† (Kalakota and Robinson 1999). Once it was interchangeable in meaning with e-business. Now, the term e-commerce has come of age by not just exchanging business but beyond that – comprising e-marketing, e-franchising, e-mailing and much more. Corporate success has to be essentially a strategic application based on entrepreneurial principles. Traditionally, strategy was formulated and implemented on Solution-Based Logic. Senior members of companies used to spend days in suggesting strategies to increase profits. Strategies suggested by board members served personal interest more than real work, questioning and ridiculing others’ ideas. All members had different perspectives of evaluating the proposed strategy. It was an amalgam of conflicting strategies, where finding a consensus was just a formality. Politics played a major role in zeroing on a strategy. Customer satisfaction on adopting a strategy based on traditional method was not beyond 5% to 15% better than earlier solutions. (Anthony, 1999) Advanced strategy, on the other hand, involves thinking process applied at senior level, called Outcome-Based Logic. It provides solutions, satisfying 80% more customers than the earlier solutions, performing ten times better than traditional strategies. Due to the fast changing IT environment, advanced business strategy needs to be formulated to convert new opportunities and add value to turn corporate investment into appealing propositions, remaining in the competition by providing durable benefits to business units. The fast pace of technological development has changed the ways of doing business on the global platform. The World Wide Web has changed the strategic mindset of companies to exploit the vast market potential, earlier unavailable. The major challenge of this dynamic business world is to run durable profit-earning

Vodun and the related Voodoo religions of the African culture Essay

Vodun and the related Voodoo religions of the African culture - Essay Example None of the part of this great continent can claim absolute ownership regarding the origination of Voodoo. However the Voodoo in its present form had been originated in Haiti when the Europeans colonized the Hispaniola. The origination of Voodoo has strong connection and interlink with the transportation of African slaves to the other parts of the world. When Africa first came under the European domination; the Africans were readily started to be considered as cheap labor and worthy of transportation as slaves. The European colonists were confident that since these slaves belonged to different ethnic groups hence, they can never come together and build any resistance against their so called white rulers (Chesi, 6-7; Louis, 47). Interestingly Voodoo evolved as a phenomenon within unity in diversity. The continuous oppression of the European rulers and the misery of slavery created a common thread among those who were oppressed and in search of salvation they created a religion that wa s a mix of different faiths and practises; cumulatively referred as Voodoo (Christoph and Oberlander). The term Voodoo has evolved from the West African term Vodun and is a fusion of different beliefs that came from various African Ethnic groups namely â€Å"Fon, the Nago, the Ibos, Dahomeans, Congos , Senegalese, Haussars, Caplaous, Mondungues, Mandinge, Angolese, Libyans, Ethiopians, and the Malgaches.† (Voodoo)... Such rituals are a culmination of â€Å"prayers, drumming, dancing, singing and animal sacrifice† (Edwards, 296). Among many other animals; serpent holds the prime spot in Voodoo rituals. The importance of serpent in Voodoo rituals can be easily grasped through the fact that the word Voodoo means â€Å"the snake under whose auspices gathers all who share the faith† (Voodoo). The serpent expresses his immense power through the Papa or Maman who is the high priest. Among all other deities Bon Dieu is considered as most powerful and prime of them all. In Voodoo spirits are called Loa who on one hand controls Mother Nature and on the other determines human fate through influencing their health, financial prosperity and happiness. Some important deities in Voodoo are Damballah, Ezil, Ogu, Agwe and Legba (Michel, 63; Owusu, 43). In Voodoo ceremony the spirit or the Loa occupies the soul and body of the faithful participants and delivers his advice, warnings and desires throug h them. Voodoo is closely associated with nature and every possible natural phenomenon is considered to be the act of a Loa. In western culture there is a misconception regarding Voodoo dance that forms an important part of any Voodoo ceremony (Owusu). Such dance as described by the western experts is sexual expression. In reality they are just the opposite; these dances are spiritual expression and an attempt to get connected with the divine being. Unlike many other religions Voodoo is mainly based on practical experience and is deeply routed with the family and the community. An excellent example of that might be considering the dead ancestors as a part of the Loas (Rigaud, 50). Somewhere such belief is deeply routed with history

Popular Music Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Popular Music - Dissertation Example The following research questions will be used to frame the study and develop research on the topic of popular music as an appropriate medium for re-engaging youths from the inner city London boroughs. 1. How would the popular music industry benefit young people from the inner city London boroughs? 2. What risks would be involved in trying to re-engage young people from the inner city London boroughs? 3. What would be the projected success rate of working towards discovering young people in the inner city London boroughs who had talent that could compete in the professional world of popular music? 4. Is popular music an appropriate way to re-engage unfortunate young people from the inner city London boroughs? Through these preliminary research questions this study intends to discover means and methods of re-engaging inner city youths through organisations that can provide services that support entry into the popular music business. In addition, the appropriateness of this medium as a way to re-engage young people will be examined and defined so that risk can be minimized and appropriate support provided through the methods discovered in this research. The Ocean Music Venue is located at 270 Mare Street in London. This venue provides an appropriate local space in which music can be played by musicians that are growing their music (Cylex 2013). Bigga Fish (2013) provides for opportunities for up and coming artists age 14-21 so that they can have experiences such as playing next to experienced artists.

Democracy and Development Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Democracy and Development - Research Paper Example   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Globalization has become the dominant factor in the development of civilization of the world in the XXI century. Globalization is the process of market-driven, rather than government forces. Globalization is a fusion of national economies into a single, global system based on ease of movement of capital, on transparency, on the technological revolution. The contours of global consolidation are business in the distant future. In this context, the role of national states to regulate economic and social processes will continue for many years.( Acemoglu,Robinson 2006) A testament of the nation-state activity is the activity of the "Group of Eight" - the U.S., UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, Russia. At its annual meeting of leaders of the "Group of Eight" the global economy is discussed, poverty and wealth, and environmental problems. In the past three years, the leaders of the "Group of Eight" discussed the issues of nuclear security and disarmament, i nternational terrorism. Polar position in relation to a group of rich countries have the least developed countries (LDCs). Since the beginning of the 70s that number had increased to 40 in 1986. The countries LDCs are characterized by extremely low standard of living. Geographically, the majority of poor countries are a countries in Asia and Africa. But a number of states in Asia managed to make significant progress. In 80-90s were often mentioned the so-called Asian dragons (Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia). A whole group of Asian and African countries can not escape from the clutches of poverty. Among these countries there are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Gambia, Djibouti, Mali, Tanzania, Togo, Chad, Ethiopia, etc. The question of Romania and Poland After the Revolution of National Salvation Front, led by Ion Iliescu, took partial multi-party democratic arrangements and the free market. There were revived several major political parties, of the pre- war era, such as the Christian-Democratic National Peasants, the National Liberal Party and the Romanian Social Democrat Party. After several major political rallies, in April 1990, a protest sit-in, challenging the results of the recent parliamentary elections began in University Square, Bucharest accusing the Front to be composed of former Communists and members of the Securitate. The protesters did not recognize the election results, considering them as undemocratic and requested exclusion from the political life of former high-ranking participants of the Communist Party. The protest quickly grew to become an ongoing demonstration (known as Golaniad). Peaceful demonstrations deteriorated into violence, and strong intervention of miners from Jiu Valley has led to what is remembered as the June 1990 Mineriad. (Iliescu, Tismaneanu 2006) Subsequent decay of the Front has made several political parties including the Romanian Democrat Social Party (later the Social Democratic Party), D emocratic Party, and (the Union for Romania). First Romania run from 1990 until 1996 through several coalitions and governments with Ion Iliescu, and as head of state. Since then there have been three democratic changes of government: in 1996, the democratic-liberal opposition and its leader Emil Konstentinesku took power, in 2000 the Social Democra

Effects of Jejemon Essay Example for Free

Effects of Jejemon Essay Jejemons, are you one of them? Recently, someone tagged me in a weird photo in facebook showing Jejemon†¦I never knew that freakin word and didn’t care until I saw on the news what they are, what it means and why the hell it’s being aired everywhere. Well, at least in Phil. This hub is all about Jejemon. What is Jejemon? What is Jejemon really? It was derived from two words jeje (from â€Å"hehe† means laughter) and mon (a Japanese-influenced suffix in Pokemon)Jejemons are the people who laugh â€Å"Jejejeje† instead of â€Å"heheheh† in Pinoy SMS. Jejemons has multiplied through chatrooms, online games, social networks and widely in mobile texting. They became a popular subculture because they make their own rules of spelling, punctuation and grammar. They type words in the virtual world by alternating capital and small letters, adding H, Z etc. So weird that only their group could understand. dHeY tYpe wOrdz lYk diZs **To view their website visit Jejemon.com Jejemon became so controversial and often, it creates debates discussing the advantages anddisadvantages of Jejemon. Good Effects of Jejemon * Gives pleasure to a social group. Jejemons became a tribe, so if you are one of them, you tend to enjoy like them. I can’t object and I’m not against them but I know every gang or sorority brings pleasure to anyone in a way he feels he belongs†¦ * Secret codes. If you’re a Jejemon, you definitely know how to speak and how to communicate with them. Only you and your folks can understand each other pretty well. So maybe, in times of secrecy, you can converse using your special terms. * The feeling of freedom. If  you’re a proud Jejemon, it also means you don’t care about anti-Jejemon critics. It’s a sign that you are liberated from what others would think. Bad Effects of Jejemon * You forget your main language. Whatever it is, English or Filipino, if you’re a Jejemon, you always speak with it, so you get used to it. Your other dialects are set aside. Oftentimes, it will let you forget the right spelling or grammar in English or Filipino. * Jologs status. (Ok Jejemons don’t freak out) Jologs, just like Jejemon, is a term used to denote low class group who are majority from the province towns, often times termed as â€Å"tambay† Jologs is a label of no-care to the world of etiquette or whatever is prim and proper for that matter. * Outcast. Jejemons unfortunately are not widely accepted in the nation so if someone sort of suspects he’s talking to one, he won’t talk with him again or be a friend with him. A perfect example would be what I’ve read from a site that says, â€Å"OMG you’re a Jejemon! Bye!† Because of it, Jejemon has been a big social issue. * Difficult to read. All would agree it’s frea king hard to read Jejemon words. Sample Jejemon words and phrases eOw poHw! (hello po) xInU pOe xLa? (sino po sila) jejejeje (heheheh) Do Jejemons annoy you? - Top of Form * Yup so annoying! * No, they are cool. Bottom of Form See results without voting Do Jejemons annoy you? DepEd (Department of Education) discourage everyone using such grammar because of the obvious effects. A lot of groups have grown also to combat Jejemons, they areJejebusters, Anti-jeje, GOTTA KILL ‘EM ALL JEJEMON and many more. Surprisingly, the term â€Å"Jejemon† won the word of the year inSawikaan 2010 over nine other entries, by the University of the Philippines academic group in Diliman, Quezon City organized by the Filipinas Institute of Translation. I have no problem with Jejemons and they don’t annoy me at all because I don’t talk/text to anyone of their kind.

Rush Hour Movie Analysis Film Studies Essay

Rush Hour Movie Analysis Film Studies Essay Rush Hour, directed by Brett Ratner one of Hollywoods most successful directors stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. It achieved commercial success and became the 7th top grossing film of 1998. The plot of the film centers on the kidnapping of the daughter of the Chinese Consol. Inspector Lee, played by Jackie Chan, is called to assist in the investigation because it is believed that the mysterious Crime Lord Juntao is behind the kidnapping. Lee finds himself paired with Detective James Carter of the Los Angeles Police Department, played by Chris Tucker. They gradually learn to work together and are able to reunite the family as well as discover the identity of Juntao. Rush Hour disrupts Hollywoods racial hierarchy by removing white culture and focusing on Asian American and African American culture. The film is able to break down the boundaries between races and change hierarchies, but the enjoyment of numerous racial ideologies that are integrated within the dialogue and scenes, p rove that the jokes influence the audience to reify their own racial beliefs. The film gained positive reviews about Tuckers comedic performance and how Chan and Tucker work very well together. This fact supports my thesis of how race-based humor naturalizes racial differences, so the audience is more likely to focus on the true aspects of a stereotype rather than challenge the exaggerated portrayal. The positive reception proves that there is a paradox between racist representations and widespread approval and acceptance. The movie targets teenagers and adults because they have preconceived notions about different racial groups. Without these conceptions, the film would not be able to garner laughter but rather offense. Rush Hour 2, directed by Brett Ratner one of Hollywoods most successful directors stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. It received high box-office revenues and is considered one of the highest grossing martial arts films of all time. This sequel to the 1998 film Rush Hour follows Inspector Lee, played by Chan, and Los Angeles Police Detective James Carter, played by Tucker, and the adventures that they have. Carter is on vacation visiting Lee in Hong Kong, but they soon find themselves implicated in a scandal that involves counterfeit money, which brings them from Hong Kong to Los Angeles and then finally to Las Vegas. Although this movie is a comedic action film, it challenges typical Hollywood films by starring two minorities. While minorities have traditionally been casted in the roles of a sidekick or villain, Chan and Tucker are the main protagonists. By challenging the popular notion that the leading role features an individual from the dominant white race, Rush Hour 2 propose s the possibility of a cross-racial bonding between an Asian and an African American. Chan and Tucker both embody the stereotype of their particular race: Chan is a serious Asian man yet extremely skilled in Kung Fu, while Tucker is a tall African American who acts childish and seems very impulsive. To the everyday viewer, this movie serves as an entertaining comedy, but for such representations of race to be humorous, the audience must unconsciously accept or believe the stereotypes to be somewhat true. Thus, supporting my thesis that besides entertainment, the movie proves that race in comedy generalizes and influences people to accept racially defined characteristics. The movie targets teenagers and adults because it implies that a previous understanding of stereotypes is needed for the jokes to make sense and have their intended response, which is laughter. This scholarly article, written by Sheng-mei Ma professor at Michigan State University who specializes in Asian American studies and East-West comparative studies documents the start of the phenomenon of pairing an Asian martial artist with an African American comedian. Ma provides a historical context to movies such as the Rush Hour series, which combine yellow kung fu and black jokes (241). He begins by noting that the genre of kung fu was introduced to the West by Bruce Lee. Although there was no prominence on black jokes in earlier kung fu films that starred Lee, The Last Dragon marks the development of racial depictions. In this film a young African American bows, meditates, and wears the stereotypical Chinese dress (240). The Asian Americans, on the other hand, take on black dialect and body rhythm (240). Ma considers the joining of yellow kung fu and black jokes a marriage of convenience for box office profit in which the public supports this collaboration. Films such as Rus h Hour contain jokes that include the common prevailing notions of Asians and blacks in American mass media, which would render yellow yellower and black blacker. However, this odd couple is able to blend with each other, creating a racial hybridity. Rush Hour focuses on the relationship between the Asian and African American stars; therefore, the film offers the likelihood of cross-racial identification. The article provides film theorists and scholars with new understandings of race-based comedy. Mas writings reinforce my thesis for the buddy-cop genre has a history of interracial partnerships where race is explicitly shown. Thus, besides validating racial differences, such performances further hybridize todays multicultural society. This expository piece, written by LeiLani Nishime Assistant Professor in the Department of Communications at the University of Washington who specializes in multiracial and interracial studies, Asian American media representations, and Asian American sub cultural production analyzes the history of Asian American and African American relations. The chapter explains how Rush Hour breaks the general conventions of a buddy-cop film and defies the norms of Hollywood film and generic character stereotype. She utilizes the film Rush Hour as an example for its portrayal of race relations with its removal of the white male character. By including Chan as well as Tucker, the film appeals to a wider range of audiences. The purpose is primarily to inform, but it also encourages the reader to examine certain films for comedic relief as well as social and cultural commentary. Rush Hour is a comedy yet it helps the audience to notice the concept of racial power. In most buddy-cop films, there is always someone in control and someone who is simply the follower. The white male will never be the buddy but with Chan and Tucker, they are almost equals. Nishime is most likely targeting Asian Americans because for an Asian American, America is characterized by both African American and Euro-American society. Rush Hour offers a vision of cross-racial identification and the idea of hybrid identities for there is a convergence of culture in music and film (48). This builds upon my thesis in that besides an acceptance of racially defined differences, race-based humor can provide a possible changing of racial hierarchy and the questioning of racial tolerance. Such a composition is more geared towards academia instead of garnering attention from the general public because it provides background information about Asian/Black relations, applies elevated language, and creates a possibility of a future state of relations. This research article, written by Ji Hoon Park Assistant Professor in Communication at Hope College who specializes in Asian stereotypes in the media- analyzes the ideological implications of racial stereotyping. The article, which is a result of sociology study, explains that though minorities are starring in more mainstream films, a racial hierarchy is still evident. The study included a focus group of whites, black, and Asians in order to analyze subtle reactions and responses to the films implicit stereotypes. Minorities continue to inhibit negative stereotypes but the contradiction that arises is that these stereotypical portrayals have commercial viability. Rush Hour 2 is an example of this incongruity between racism in comedy and widespread popularity. Park discusses how the genre of comedy allows for its audience to make an interpretation of racial jokes as harmless for stereotypes are an important element of comedy in that they help establish specific character classificati ons that are based on some truth that has been exaggerated. This supports my thesis because I contend that race-based humor influences the audience to not challenge the established assumptions of race. His study supports this belief since the focus group was able to laugh throughout the entire movie. Most participants did not find the humor personally offensive but they do acknowledge that the racial humor has the possibility of becoming prejudiced. In comedy, Park notes that a joke is conceived of as racist based on whether a minority is telling it or a white person. Another aspect that creates success for this film is that all races are objects of mockery and bias. Parks conclusion is that racial stereotypes are problematic because realism in the media encourages viewers to incorporate on-screen attitudes and beliefs into the real world (172). The purpose is primarily to inform since the study examines how race is configured within the dialogue. Racial ideology is also embedded in Jackie Chans performance of the racial myth of an Asian man who excels in kung fu but is culturally ignorant as well as Chris Tucker personifying a coon. Furthermore, with the study, it becomes clear that the comedic portrayals of racial traits encourage participants to see the small truths in racial stereotypes rather than dispute these distortions. It does prompt the audience to consider that when viewing a comedy, critical analysis is usually absent and this can lead to believe that racial differences are natural and not culturally created. Park is targeting teenagers and adults because they are able to apply actuality to racial myths and hence find amusement in the satirical portrayals of race. The anticipated audience could also include scholars since this composition was published in the Journal of Communication and scholars will be more interested in learning about the responses of black, white, and Asian viewers and how they make sense of racial differences.