Analysis of Family Guy Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Family Guy Essay Back in the eighth grade at the Pierce elementary school, a few of my friends and I sat around the circular lunch room tables, the same ones where we sat every day of the year. Our discussion shifted to our favorite TV. shows. At the time, I was a big Simpsons fan and I didnt really watch too many other shows regularly. We would go around blurting out funny lines and quotes from our favorite episodes or recall hilarious incidents. This was when two of my friends were talking about this show Family Guy. Even though I had never seen it, I could tell from their impersonations that it was a funny show. It had the same general theme as The Simpson, but had even crazier and funnier plots and adventures. When I finally saw my first episode in ninth grade, it was an instant classic in my list of favorite shows. From then on I would watch it as mush as it was on and I even got a collection of DVDs which I watch regularly. This show goes into the life of an average family in Rhode Island. The characters include a mother and father, three children including two awkward and socially challenged teenagers and a talking baby, as well as the talking family dog. It makes fun of things we do every day that may not seem stupid, but really they are unnecessary and pointless. This show is filled with hilarious flash backs to past events, and includes lots of sarcasm as well as some dumb comments and actions by the unintelligent father, Peter. One of my favorite episodes is Pre-Retarded, where Peter finds out hes retarded and goes around doing stupid, but hilarious things. He wins a game of Trivial Pursuit because his wife gave him ridiculously easy questions from the childrens version including What color are fire trucks? Peter struggles, but eventually gets it right and wins the game, convincing himself that hes a genius. When he takes the test, he finds out that not only is he not a genius, hes actually mentally retarded so he bulldozes the house in celebration. This episode is similar, but better than the rest of the episodes, because the plot is typical, but it is filled with more funny comments and random instances. Although this show may seem just like a basic comedy, meant to entertain children, it is really targeted at teens and young adults. The comedy makes fun of other stereotypes and gets away with things that may be considered racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic. It portrays these groups of people in the way they are supposed to be seen in society, but shows that the stereotypes arent true, by making the stereotypes seem stupid and exaggerated. In another episode when they are trying to get away from a bunch of southerners, the dog, Brian screams Look, its a newly-married, interracial, gay couple burning the American flag. It shows how ridiculous they look when they all scream, Oh lets getem!, and this way it makes fun of the stereotypes against southerners, and the group of people described in his remark, because the people would never actually do this. The reason I like Family Guy is because it is really one of the funniest, and most genius shows on television. The writers of the show are very intelligent, and smart about what they write. Although this show is hilariously funny, that is just one of its good qualities. It also sends an important ideas about how people are supposed to be seen, and tells us that stereotypes arent always true. It makes fun of average things and has long awkward pauses to show how funny our daily routines can be. Although this show may be offensive to some, I believe it is all in good humor. I am Jewish and in some episodes they do make fun of Jews reinforcing the stereotypes, that all Jews are rich accountants, lawyers, or doctors. This is just to make a point, and the writers do not really believe the things they show, because they exaggerate the stereotypes to make them look silly. In a way, this show is a lot like me. On the outside I really enjoy comedies, and basic entertainment that I can laugh about. There are also real issues that are important to me, and other things in my life that I care about besides just humor. This show is very provocative, but I believe it to be very funny as well as important, even if others may not share these same views. This program shows that I am a caring person and I am aware of the realities in life. Like Family Guy, I may be funny and joking on the outside, but we both go deeper on the inside.

Protecting The Symbol of Our Country :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

Protecting The Symbol of Our Country    On June 12,1997 the Flag Amendment was passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 310 to 114. The Amendment gives Congress the right to prevent the physical desecration of the American flag. â€Å"Today’s vote is strong evidence that the voice of the American people has been heard and heeded by the US House of Representatives†(Flag Alliance, Inc. 1), says Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady, who is the head of the Citizens Flag Alliance(CFA). Today, forty-nine state legislatures have made it clear to Congress that they want flag protection laws. However, not everyone is in favor of these laws. These â€Å"radicals† or â€Å"revolutionists† as they like to call themselves, feel that burning the flag is their constitutional right under the first amendment: freedom of speech. (You might want to go ahead and establish your thesis here.   It shows up in the next paragraph, and that's okay too though.)    I strongly support the flag protection amendment. â€Å"The flag is a symbol of our great nation and all that we stand for. No other American symbol has been as universally honored or has bestowed such honor as the flag†(Flag Alliance, Inc. 1), says Rep. William Lipinski of Illinois. Those who destroy the flag, or view it as just a design on a piece of cloth lack the understanding of our nations(AP) history, and take their American citizenship for granted. They burn the flag only to get attention, or because they are angry with the government, and see it as a way of getting back at them. My solution to these people who are aggravated with our government is to move somewhere else. Try living in China or Cuba, and see if you agree with the way they run their government. When you burn the flag you break the chains that holds you together in unity with the rest of the nation. (This is a pretty extreme metaphor.   You need to clearly establish why the desecration of the flag is s o damaging.   Also, look at your solution.   It is also extreme.   Will you effectively convince people who don't agree with you by being so extreme?   Some drama and emotion is good.   But remember that your audience will expect you to show open-mindedness as well.)    An astonishing eighty-one percent of Americans are in favor of the amendment.   This number shows how much of an affect the flag has on our country.

Alcohol Prevention

There is a rich body of literature that deals with intervention approaches for the large population that have problems with alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse appears to be a grave situation, considering the huge number of adolescents who have a problem with alcohol and substance abuse.Thus, â€Å"[i]n 2002, an estimated 10.7 million American youths, 28.8% of total youths 12–20 years old, were current drinkers† (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004).The gravity of the problem is underscored by the huge part of the statistics to belong to binge and heavy drinkers. The â€Å"US National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2002† estimated that 7.2 million adolescents are binge drinkers, while 2.3 million adolescents are heavy drinkers. Heavy drinkers are those who consumed more than four drinks in five different days in the past 30 days.The staggering figures lead to the conclusion that there is serious public health problem among the youth with respect to their alcohol consumption.This problem extends to serious behavioral disorders resulting from alcohol consumption, such as alcoholism. The problem is even more serious because disorders that are related to alcohol abuse are likely to become â€Å"chronic and to persist into adulthood† (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004).The problem with adolescent alcohol abuse has led to the development of various treatments, both in the private and public healthcare systems. These treatments often range from adolescent to adult care.However, treatment cares often result in relapse in 50-70 percent of affected adolescents. Therefore, there is a need for systematic approaches that are tailored to meet the specific needs and limitations of the target population, which is the youth (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004).Treatments require appropriate diagnostic criteria in assessing alcohol use patterns of adolescents. For example, current drinkers may be determined by using the criterion that the person â€Å"consumed at least one drink in the past 30 days† (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004).Moreover, there is a need to develop a framework within which â€Å"alcohol-related pathology† could be accounted for in the adolescent stage of a person's life (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004).The literature on the subject also has a huge space for the role of support groups in the prevention and therapy for people who have problems with alcohol abuse.Literature ReviewThe article entitled Society for the Study of Addiction (2004) cites Liddle (2004), who reviewed therapies involving the family of the adolescent who has problems in alcohol and drug abuse. There are suggestions to develop   â€Å"adolescent focused, family-based therapies for substance abuse† (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004).Family-based therapies are believed to be effective for the helpful recovery of alcohol-dependent adolescent. Family-based therapies often analyze à ¢â‚¬Å"videotaped in-therapy sessions.† Such records help in the identification of problems and issues, and serve as bases for change and treatment (Society for the Study of Addiction, 2004).This article is useful because it points out how important it is to first determine the extent of the problem before attempting to solve it. In the case of alcoholic adolescents, there is a need to first know the needs and limitations of each person and proceed from there. Intervention strategies, such as family-based therapies, should factor in such details in order to be effective.Videotaped therapy sessions are also helpful because they allow all stakeholders, such as the alcohol-dependent person, his family, and the therapist, to have a clear perspective of the situation, through observation from a different angle. Finally, family members could be effective in helping adolescent alcohol dependents by providing moral support.Another article focuses on the â€Å"pragmatic aspect of the t herapeutic process taking place† in the weekly-held meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. It also discusses how the fellowship had grown into a worldwide phenomenon since its inception in the 1930s (Arminen, 1998).Alcoholics Anonymous, which is described as a â€Å"therapeutic fellowship for those who are prone to addictions and over consumption of alcohol and other substances† (Arminen, 1998), encourages therapy through situated interaction. It’s motto is â€Å"one day at a time†, which emphasizes that the attainment of sobriety is uncertain, but reachable (Arminen, 1998).Analysis of the style of sharing implemented in meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous led to the observation that speakers refer to speakers in previous meetings to show how the speakers are aligned. Moreover, this style has significant value as social devices that maintain the fragile relationship between members (Arminen, 1998).This article is useful in showing effective methods of dealing with alcoholism as a group, rather than as individuals. It shows how a method that deals with the problem one day at a time could achieve results. Furthermore, this article points out how Alcoholics Anonymous uses social devices to meet the goal of addressing alcoholism.Another article on the subject was written by Linsky in 1970 – 1971. It is an exposition of the public's views on alcoholism, as manifested by themes of articles and images featured in popular magazines. Generally, alcoholism was viewed as a form of social deviance. However, in the twentieth century, society's views on alcoholics were redefined. The article notes that changes in society’s views on alcoholism also influenced the treatment options available to alcoholics (Linsky, 1970-1971).

Gender Gap - 1785 Words

Gender Wage Gap Awareness Tell a story here for context and interest We have all heard about the gender wage gap on the news or in the current debates, but why is it any concern to you? I understand that this issue might not apply to a college student; however, you need to be aware of this issue since it could affect your major and future profession. Surprisingly, this issue even applies to males. Some argue that women are facing a wage gap because they choose more flexible professions, lack negotiation skills, and produce less as many hours as men mostly because they are assumed to devote more time to children. I disagree, because women should have the right to earn same amount of money as a man regardless of their personality,†¦show more content†¦Childfree women are also being offered more career promotions than women with children. The pay gap might also increase with age because women hit the infamous â€Å"glass ceiling† at the top of their professions. The â€Å"glass ceiling† is the highest level they can obtain in the ir careers’. In supporting my statement, many women hit the â€Å"maternal wall† of discrimination before they ever reach the â€Å"glass ceiling.† Sarah Glazer provides a perfect example, â€Å"A civil engineer in Pennsylvania was awarded $3 million in a lawsuit because she was passed over a promotion after the birth of her son. She testified that the president of the company asked her if she wanted a career here of if she wanted to have babies† (Glazer 36). The president of this particular company obviously came to the assumption that her level of production in her chosen profession would decrease due to raising her child. The woman in Pennsylvania is just one example of discrimination that is happening currently nation wide. My argument is that women should not be put into the situation to choose between advancements in their careers’ or children. Women constitute natural personal choices, which causes them to earn less in comparison to men with the same skill and experience. This lower salary wage is not only affecting this now, but it is also affecting their future finances. TheShow MoreRelatedGender Gap2092 Words   |  9 Pages31 October 2013 The Gender Gap in the Business World Throughout history, gender inequality has shown to be an issue across the globe, especially in the workplace. Men have always had a greater and more powerful presence in careers of all kinds. Today, in the sports marketing industry, this proves to be true as women constantly battle to make advances within their companies and outshine their male colleagues. The purpose of this paper is to explore the issue of the â€Å"gender gap† in the business worldRead MoreThe Gap Of Gender Income Gap886 Words   |  4 Pagesmany people are now bringing up a pay gap between genders, there is something being over looked that proves there isn’t a pay gap, but something else. The Gender Income Gap is a supposed payment gap between men and women, stating that to every man’s dollar a woman only gets payed seventy cents. Statements like theses can grab people’s attention and get them to believe this without much proof of it actually existing. Most people get there informatio n about the gap from surveys over all women and menRead MoreGender And Gender Pay Gap1173 Words   |  5 Pages Gender pay gaps have been a hot topic over the last several years. In my findings, I found three articles that stood out the most to me, as well as some statistical information. 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Relatedly, Barsh (2012) identified a disparity of gender representation in seniorRead MoreGender Gap In Pay1574 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Gender Pay Gap also referred to as Gender wage gap, gender income difference or male-female income difference refers to the difference between the earning of men and women (Victoria, 2006). The European Union defines the Gender Pay gap as the difference between men and women’s hourly earnings (OECD, 2012). The difference may be measured on hourly, weekly, monthly, or yearly earning. The difference is expressed as a percentage of the men’s earning. However, the difference varies fromRead MoreGender Wage Gap And Gender Inequality Essay912 Words   |  4 Pagespay† by Lanier Isom is about the gender wage gap. The gender wage gap is the difference between male and female earnings. Isom basically states in this article that the wage gap exists because of gender, however many experts state that the wage gap simple does exists do to a factor such as gender, but of multiple factors. These factors being that the statistics presented in favor of a Wage gap are incorrect an d manipulated to seem correct. That the so called wage gap may be in fact do to the choiceRead MoreGender Wage Gap And Gender Inequality855 Words   |  4 Pages In general, the wage gap has narrowed at a slow, and uneven, pace over last three decades. Recent data shows that women in the American workforce earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns (Trevino). The existence of this â€Å"gender wage gap† has been an issue since women entered the workforce. The ongoing issue of the past has now become an apparent problem in our modern-day, progressive society. Women nowadays have opportunities that were not obtainable in past decades but must overcome, or ignoreRead MoreGender Income Gap2396 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿ Gender Income Gap Diane Smith ENG 122 English Composition II Instructor Stephanie Derisi August 30, 2014 Gender Income Gap In American society today there is an imbalance in the gender income gap between men and women in the work force. Many factors such as discrimination, productivity, educational background and disproportional hours worked contribute to this ongoing challenge. While many are skeptical, others remain to have strong beliefs that women and men are treated equallyRead MoreGender Inequality And Gender Pay Gap1543 Words   |  7 Pagesthe gender pay gap in the UK. These theories are taste discrimination, statistical discrimination, human capital and occupational segregation. Other research and data are included in this essay as evidence to support the different theories. The four theories covered in this essay all provide some explanation for the gender pay gap in the UK, some more than others – statistical discrimination theory having the highest explanatory power for the magnitude of this pay gap. The gender pay gap can beRead MoreIs The Gender Pay Gap?1880 Words   |  8 Pagesthe gender pay gap. Most people who use this phrase in casual conversation do not really know what this entails. It is much more than men earning more than women. The significance of this pay discrepancy becomes much more apparent when looking at the bigger picture. Over an entire lifetime of working, a woman making only 77 cents to the male dollar loses a total of $1.2 million dollars over the course of her working life (Murphy Graff, 2005). A risk of poverty for women living with a pay gap is