South Park as Parody of Society

South Park began airing in 1997. The commercials that preceded it gave the impression of it beinganother stupid cartoon; however, when I began watching, I realized important issues were being covered through the repeated behaviors and actions of its characters, through the influences these actions could have on the viewers, through the reinforcement and rejections of certain stereotypes, through the long-term effects that could result from watching the program, and through its reflection of social reality. Some of the repeated behaviors and actions of the characters include one of the children (Kenny) dying during each episode (followed by Stan yelling, â€Å"Oh, my God! They've killed Kenny† (South Park); the children ragging the overweight kid; the African-American chef obsessing about sex; and the geneticist performing insane experiments in his spooky laboratory. Kenny has been shot, run over by a train, impaled on a flag pole, beheaded, crushed by Mir, and taken by Death himself–to name a few. Cartman, the overweight kid, has been called â€Å"fat ass,† â€Å"lard ass,† and â€Å"the fat kid† (South Park). There are numerous references to his weight throughout each episode; he eats continuously, thanks to his Mother's cooking and offering cookies, chocolate-chicken pot pies, and Cheesy Poofs. Each time Chef (voice of Isaac Hayes) offers to explain important issues to the kids, he breaks into a song about making â€Å"sweet love† to a woman. This leaves the children wondering just what the heck he is trying to say. There are references to his having sex with every available (and even unavailable) female in the town. There is a take-off of The Island of Dr. Moreau with a geneticist–mimicking Marlon Brando–conducting bizarre experiments: creating monkeys with four asses; creating mutant, militant turkeys; and bringing flesh-eating zombies to life. There are both negative and positive influences these repeated behaviors and actions could have on an audience. One negative effect could be the numbing of the viewer to children's deaths: it is such a common occurrence on the show until it is expected. Another effect could be the instilling of negative feelings toward the overweight; the audience could be learning that it is acceptable to verbally attack a person with a weight problem. Also, in a time of AIDS, promotion of sexual promiscuity is a dangerous thing: never have the writers mentioned the use of condoms by Chef during his encounters. Finally, because of the recent advances in genetic research and its awakening of new fears in the public, South Park's parody of the geneticist could further play on people's fears. Despite the potentially negative influences of these behaviors and actions, there could be a positive influence existing in the form of catharsis. American society has suffered from the rules of political correctness, the fear of AIDS, and the fear of knowledge (the fear of going too far into God's domain–thanks to our Puritanical background). Maybe South Park gives us release from repression by allowing us to laugh at the things we fear the most: death, ridicule of our differences by our peers, the contracting of deadly diseases, and advancements in science. (I am sure that most of us need release from the built-up tensions of daily life; South Park has given us this release. Despite South Park's cathartic influence, it reinforces several negative stereotypes: the promiscuous African-American male, the self-serving public official, and the gun-happy redneck. As I wrote above, Chef has little control over his libido; this is an extremely negative stereotype of the African-American male. If Chef were Caucasian (let us say an Irish-English-German-Swedish-Scottish-etc-American), the stereotype could be avoided entirely. The mayor's decisions are based solely on her looking good in the public eye. For example, when a volcano erupts, she uses fake concern for the children on the mountain to look like a caring person on Entertainment Tonight; she calls for continuous re-takes even though ET is broadcasting live. Uncle JimBo and Ned are the gun-toting Bubba types; when they take the kids on a camping trip, they get drunk and shoot at will. JimBo's philosophies are, â€Å"hunting without drinking is like fishing,† and â€Å"thanks to those damned Democrats, we can only shoot certain animals that impose a threat; therefore, when you see an animal, you have to yell, ‘it's comin' right for us'; then you shoot† (South Park). At least one episode attempted to reject a negative stereotype: homosexuality is a bad thing. Stan's dog, Sparky, turns out to be gay. Throughout the episode we hear the evils of homosexuality preached by the town's people; Sparky runs away. Stan realizes that his love for his dog is more important than society's negative views. Stan is counted on to win the big football game. He does not show up because he is searching for his dog (YES! What a message: football does not fit highly in the great scheme of things. He finds Sparky at Big Gay Al's â€Å"Big Gay Animal Sanctuary† and brings him home. Stan shares his newfound understanding with the citizens, and they accept his view. All the gay pets return from Al's to be with their owners. The owners apologize for being so narrow minded. This episode's message is quite profound. The gay episode is one episode which may be obvious in its message and is quite easy to grasp; however, the long-term effects from watching this program c ould go in two directions. First, there is the possibility that children (and adults) watching this show would imitate the bad language and sometimes antisocial behaviors of the characters without realizing the important subtexts of the episodes. For example, Kyle is labeled a â€Å"fecal-phile† in the Christmas episode. He has a friend he calls Mr. Hankey. Mr. Hankey comes out of the toilet to bring Christmas cheer to all the little Jewish boys. Unfortunately, Mr. Hankey is a piece of feces, and as he dances around, he leaves marks on the walls, floor, and sink; he, also, writes â€Å"NOEL† on the bathroom mirror. Of course, Kyle's parents blame Kyle–they do not believe in Mr. Hankey. Kyle is institutionalized for â€Å"fecal-philia. † Here, the problem could be kids thinking that it is cool to be in love with your own feces and cool to share it with others. They could miss the message found in the subtext: the fact that political correctness has gotten out of hand. This episode allows the inhabitants of South Park to express their dislikes over every aspect of Christmas–mainly, that each person's rights are being infringed upon by someone else's beliefs. The political correctness is what drives Kyle to his belief in Mr. Hankey, not the fun of playing in his own filth. Second, the audience could grasp the subtexts in these episodes and come to terms with their own morals and belief systems. There is a line spoken by Lex Luthor in Superman that makes good sense: â€Å"A man can read War and Peace and come away believing it is a simple adventure story; another man can read the ingredients on a chewing gum wrapper and unlock the secrets of the universe† (Superman). The fact is that South Park is out there; it is ultimately our responsibility to make of it what we will. It may be our responsibility to do with South Park what we will; however, this program reflects what already exists: â€Å"a society full of prejudices and fears which are embedded within its communities and how these human short-comings are passed on to children†( Hatley). Fortunately, in most of the episodes these negative actions and beliefs are dealt with in a manner that seeks to alleviate them. Unfortunately, this manner of lleviation is found in the subtext, and most people are not willing to look that far; it requires too much effort. Frighteningly, the show is a parody of society itself. In film, parody is usually the death-knell of a particular genre. Years ago, I read that Ren and Stimpy (another cartoon) was proof of the decline of our civilization because of its attacks on societal norms. â€Å"Could South Park be further proof of this decline, or is it just a funny cartoon that allows us to laugh at ourselves while dealing with our fears? †( Pineda)

Fave Ford Case Study Analysis

External logistic suppliers are used to manage inbound supply chain. Customers are encouraged to use computers to balance supply and demand. Both companies are focused on strategic partnership with Its suppliers. There might be some escalates between Dell and Ford there are some difference In the operation of the companies. B) Dell forecast its demand with short term forecast and any change in instantly shared within the company and its suppliers. Ford relies on long term forecasting. C) Ford supply chain is more complex then dell.Following are the alternatives and options ford can apply Alternative 1 Design a mixture of online and offline operations and form procedures to enable customization and ordering by customers over the internet but maintain physical dealerships as well. Advantages: a) Customization to customers, start a supply chain vertical integration business model. B) Open new market segment and attract clients who like online shopping. C) Reduction in overhead and inven tory carrying costs. D) Direct control on customer service experience.Disadvantages: a) Costly, time consuming that requires internal and external changes which are not easy to handle and integrate with other operations. B) Independent dealers will complain due to internal competition. ) Suppliers' inability to keep up to speed with Fords modern IT technology. Alternative 2 Create a virtually integrated supply chain based on Dell's model. Ford and all its suppliers would share information between their systems and the Internet to coordinate the flow of materials and production. All customer orders would be taken Page 2 either via Ford's web site or by phone and then build.A pull system would be implemented completely. A) Customization to clients, start of vertical integration in the supply chain. B) Customers' needs are met faster at higher profits due the elimination of reseller's ark-ups. C) Directly control customer service. D) Minimal inventory carrying costs and higher order le ad time. E) The ability to forecast demand is significantly better. F) Improved relationships with both customers and suppliers. Disadvantages: a) Ford's traditional processes and production methods would have to be changed to take advantage of this new form of supply-chain management.Since it is a Very costly and time consuming activity, the difference in the two industries makes it a risky option. C) Change management h as to take off etc w hi chi I s costs y and emotional y sensitive. Recommendation and Implementation: Keeping the existing supply chain would continue to deliver the same dismal results and declining profits for the company. After careful examination and review of the alternatives, we came to conclude that the long term implication of the second alternative is the company going out of business, which eliminates option 2.This option seems illogical when we take into account the fact that Ford is an automobile manufacturing company and Dell assembles customized compu ters for its customers via the internet, eliminating dealerships all across and relying only on their website or its sales will put it at a great disadvantage with competitors. So we would recommend Ford to extend its Virtual-business strategy by partially implementing the Dell's model of supply chain (Alternative 1).The part of the Dell's model which does not fit with Ford need to be discarded. The dealers would still play a role in the distribution since the buying experience of a car from a dealer cannot be substituted by something virtual like a ad model on a computer or images and description online. Implementation In order for Ford to implement option 1, their IT systems should be centralized and hared with suppliers since its Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers might not be able to update their IT infrastructure as often as Ford.Suppliers can have access to central design database while Ford controls the access and functionality as per Management Information System-Ford Case Study An alysis Page 3 the operational requirements. The whole coordinated system would ensure a smooth flow of materials and reduced bottlenecks and enhance the efficiency of the supply chain giving a competitive edge to Ford. And lastly, we feel that dealerships can play a more involved role in forecasting customer demand and Ford should explore the option of outsourcing it to a firm which specializes in forecasting demand and can work with each dealer or network of dealers.Monitoring and Control In order for the new system to function appropriately as intended, Ford must perform the following functions: 1 . Appoint an IT specialist as a liaison to coordinate all IT activities with all suppliers in order to insure a smooth flow of information among the supply chain partners and immediately resolve issues as they arise. 2. Moon tort customers' only I nee orders by revive ewe Eng all order I dead times. The it me f mom the customer order initiation to delivery must not exceed a standard peri od of 3.Initiate an online customer satisfaction program in which customers will evaluate and rate their customer experience with Ford. 4. After every 6-8 month, review the performance and make recommendations on improvements to the appropriate authority. 5. Annual executive meetings should be held to review the progress of the business model. As well, review the shareholder value to check whether it's increasing or decreasing. Conclusion: Dell has focused on entrepreneurial and flexible approach; any chance can be embedded instantly across the organization.Ford is much bigger organization as compared to dell and has developed its operation capabilities over the period of time. Virtual integration should be implemented by ford more efficiently. It will help ford to be more efficient in term of production and quick to respond for any change in the real time. By virtual integration ford can look forward for more profitability as their overhead and inventory carrying cost will decrease . Furthermore, the over all success of this business model will depend mainly on the performance of their shareholder value. Page 4

Disney World Essay

Looking out the window of the airplane as we landed in Orlando, Florida, I felt anticipation, excitement, and exhaustion. It was July 2003 and we were on a family vacation to Walt Disney World. The plane had departed from Philadelphia International Airport at 8 a.m. My parents slept soundly and my younger brother and sister were so excited because like me, it was their first trip to Disney World as well, that they couldn’t even sit still on the plane. Soon, we would all be experiencing the thrill of the Magic Kingdom. My siblings could barely contain their enthusiasm as we drove in our rented Ford minivan to the hotel. After freshening up at the hotel, all five of us climbed into the minivan and headed to Walt Disney World. After maneuvering through a maze of on ramps and off ramps, we were finally at the Magic Kingdom. By the time we were actually inside the theme park, it was lunch time so we decided to eat first before going on our adventures. We were told there were some very nice restaurants outside the Magic Kingdom, a boat ride away; but since my siblings and I were so eager to go on the rides, my parents decided to go with fast food within the theme park. The greatest disappointment of the day was the missing rides. Hannah’s favorite ride is Alice in Wonderland; she can and has ridden it ten times in a row at Disneyland. It doesn’t exist at the Magic Kingdom. Megan’s favorite Disneyland ride was also absent, Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon spin. After all the anticipation, to have the two rides which mattered most to the twins missing, was quite a let down. We couldn’t find Indiana Jones or Star Tours, either, so Bill asked an employee about the missing rides. It turns out, you can experience those â€Å"movie type† rides at Disney’s MGM studios, for a separate admission price. We were stunned. Bill and I found our mounting discontent compounded by the physical discomfort we felt standing in lines in 90-degree temperatures with 90% humidity. Disneyland with its California location has dry, comfortable weather most of the year. Disneyland is also blessed with a wonderful sea breeze during the hot summers. The Magic Kingdom is located inland with muggy, hot conditions year round. We felt the Magic Kingdom was a waste of time and money. Disneyland is far superior to the Magic Kingdom. I think it was insulting to the customers to charge more in admission than Disneyland and offer significantly less in the form of entertainment. I felt Disney management was greedy. The kids did enjoy themselves, but we adults left the theme park feeling â€Å"ripped off†. As a general rule we never take the kids to Disneyland more than once a year. But so much was missing from the Magic Kingdom Experience; we took them three months later to Disneyland and had a great time. On the first day in Disney World, my dad and I went on all of the Mountain rides like Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain. My favorite was Space Mountain because the ride is inside, and there are no lights so you cannot see at all. I also won a stuffed dog at a game stand.

Coping with e-commerce (look at firm's distribution strategy in Essay

Coping with e-commerce (look at firm's distribution strategy in meeting delivery performance) - Essay Example To deliver aptly to all these customer sets, Amazon has put in place the largest warehouse and distribution systems for a e-commerce company in the world. Utilizing this extensive and efficient system, Amazon has bee able to improve its delivery performance optimally, even becoming a role model for other companies. â€Å"In the US, more and more traditional retailers are seeking to compete with the efficiency and shipping speed of online.† (Virtual Strategy 2011). E-Bay, which facilitates transactions between sellers and buyers of wide range of products, also exhibit good delivery performance, but not up to the levels of Amazon. However, lately it is trying to improve its delivery performance by adopting various measures. For example, for the sellers, who have optimum delivery performance or times, it offers financial discounts and better placements for their products. In addition, it also added shipment tracking codes, so as to prove that they have shipped the products on tim e. This way, e-Bay could match Amazon in delivery performance. "This is part of the whole picture of [eBay] getting more involved and more controlled like Amazon," (trendbird.biz). 2. B2B and B2C It becomes clear that the World Wide Web, unconstrained by the geographical territories and boundaries, allows the businesses to operate in a truly globalized scale. A business which not only takes orders for products online from its merchants or suppliers or the direct consumer customers, but also completes the transaction is a true example of B2B and B2C commerce. Business-to-business or â€Å"B2B† for short, is a term which is commonly used to explain the electronic form of business transactions that takes place between businesses (with minimum role for customers). B2B commerce website will serve as channels that will permit coordination between different businesses and outsourcing companies. Thus, the companies adopting this form or e-commerce will have online outlets, and throug h which they will prefer to deal with other companies only to sell their products and services, instead of directly offering it to the consumers. On the other hand, companies adopting Business to Consumer, or B2C for short, will put in place online portals, which offer products and services directly to the consumers. Many companies or retailers or online retailers all adopt this method, as they reach the product directly to the customer through their own network of supply chain and distribution centers. â€Å"B2C has grown to include services such as online banking, travel services, online auctions, health information and real estate sites† (Bajaj and Nag 2005). Apart from the basic difference in ‘end users’, the difference between B2B and B2C is B2B involves more long-term relationship than B2C, which is maximally one-off. That is, in the case of B2C, after the transaction is over, there may not be continual relationship, however in the case of B2B, the transact ions and relationship could continue for a longer time, if everything works out well. 3. Buy-side and Sell-side As stated by Chaffey (2002), â€Å"when evaluating the impact of e-commerce on an organisation, it is Instructive to identify opportunities; for buy-side and sell-side transactions". Only if those opportunities and the related challenges are identified, organizations can optimally tune its strategies and its organizational processes.

Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Project - Assignment Example I want to become the next Conrad Nicholson Hilton. Although there are already many hotel companies which are doing quite successfully these days, I believe I can be in the competition and come out successful in the end as Hilton did during the great depression. I am confident that project management will prepare me for the humungous task before me. I know that this course will develop my planning skills which are very important for efficiency in the things that I need to do in the business. Planning is necessary in determining the crucial actions and to avoid frivolous ideas. Moreover, my organizational skills will also be reinforced as I study about theories and their applications which may have been successfully practiced by earlier businessmen or which could be developed even further to adapt to the changing demands of the modern world. Lastly, I believe this course will teach me to be wise in making decisions so that I will avoid common mistakes in doing business and will develop better ways to