The 70 Most Conservative Colleges in America

The 70 Most Conservative Colleges in America SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you hold strong political beliefs, you may want to go to a college where the students, faculty, and administration share your values. You’ll be more likely to find student groups that are aligned with your interests and beliefs. The values of the college will be more likely to coincide with your own, and you’ll probably have a more enjoyable college experience. In this article, I’ll give you the names of some of the most conservative colleges in the United States. Furthermore, I’ll detail the traits of conservative colleges, explain the possible advantages and disadvantages of attending a conservative college, and advise you on how to find a conservative college that's a good fit for you. Traits of the Most Conservative Colleges Conservative colleges are politically right-wing. The students tend to favor conservative positions like outlawing abortion, reducing the size of government, and protecting gun rights. Christian colleges are often more conservative. Many Christian colleges adhere to more traditional social views and rules that attract conservative Christian students and faculty. Furthermore, conservative colleges are more strict and regimented than liberal colleges. Conservative religious colleges like BYU and the College of the Ozarks have strict rules that all students must follow. At BYU, male students can’t have beards or long hair. These colleges are much less tolerant of alcohol and drug use than liberal colleges. Also, the armed service academies are known for being conservative. They have many more rules than the average college regarding personal appearance and conduct. Finally, the most conservative colleges often reflect the political leanings of their locations. Many of the most conservative colleges are located in conservative states. Examples of conservative colleges in conservative locations include Clemson University (South Carolina), Utah State, and the University of Alabama. However, there are conservative colleges in liberal states. Pepperdine and Thomas Aquinas College are conservative colleges in California, but they’re both Christian colleges. Possible Advantages of Attending a Conservative College If you're a self-described conservative, you may be more comfortable and happy at a college with many other conservative students. At very liberal colleges, students are often not that accepting and think negatively of conservatives. If you attend a conservative college, you’re more likely to meet people who share your political and social views, and you won't be ostracized for your beliefs. Also, at a conservative college, the faculty and administration are more likely to accept or believe in conservative values.Studies have shown that college faculty tend to be much more liberal. If you’re a conservative student, you may not prefer having your opinions evaluated by a professor who is likely to hold very different beliefs. Additionally, conservative colleges are generally more accepting of religious Christian students. Many of the most conservative colleges are Christian colleges that profess Christian values and attract Christian students. Even conservative colleges that are not Christian colleges have a larger proportion of Christian students than liberal colleges. Lastly, conservative colleges are more likely to stress discipline. The service academies require students to follow many rules regarding conduct and appearance. While young people often abhor rules, the discipline of service academy graduates may facilitate their success. The US Naval Academy and the US Military Academy both finished in the top 10 in Payscale’s rankings of the best colleges and universities by salary potential. Similarly, The College of the Ozarks makes all students work, but it’s a tuition-free college. US Military Academy Possible Disadvantages of Attending a Conservative College Depending on your beliefs and your ideal college experience, conservative colleges may not be a good fit for you. On issues of sexuality, conservative colleges are less likely to have resources for and be accepting of LGBT students. Similarly, the students at conservative colleges are more likely to be opposed to gay marriage. If you are looking for a college where LGBT students are welcome, you may feel like a misfit at a conservative college. Conservative colleges tend to have more structure. If you prefer more freedom and independence to direct your education and social lives, then you may feel restricted by the discipline of conservative colleges. For instance, some colleges have harsh rules regarding when you can have visitors in your dorm, drinking, and drug use. Finally, if you want a college where a wide range of students attend and where you can have your beliefs more regularly challenged, conservative colleges may be too homogeneous for your tastes. Conservative colleges tend to attract primarily students of conservative leanings. If you want a more liberal environment or a wide representation of beliefs, conservative colleges may feel one-note for you. Lists of the Most Conservative Colleges Niche Niche is a website that provides reviews, rankings, and statistics about neighborhoods and schools. It provides many different college ranking lists from the overall best colleges to the top party schools to the most liberal colleges. The Niche rankings of the most conservative colleges are based on a political poll of 50,000 students from 747 colleges. A full 80% of the rankings is based on student survey responses regarding the students' personal political leanings. The remaining 20% is based on student survey responses regarding the political leanings of other students at the college. The List Here are the top 50 most conservative colleges according to Niche, with #1 being the most conservative. There is a high percentage of private Christian colleges on the list. Most of the public colleges,such as Utah State, the University of Mississippi, and the University of Arkansas, are located in conservative states. University of Mississippi (JR P/Flickr) School Location Acceptance Rate 1. Liberty University Lynchburg, VA 24% 2. Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID 24% 3.Brigham Young University Provo, UT 48% 4.Cedarville University Cedarville, OH 69% 5.Bob Jones University Greenville, SC 87% 6.Franciscan University of Steubenville Steubenville, OH 79% 7.Colorado Christian University Lakewood, CO 94% 8.Utah State University Logan, UT 90% 9.Maranatha Baptist University Watertown, WI 68% 10.Biola University La Mirada, CA 65% 11.Oral Roberts University Tulsa, OK 68% 12.LeTourneau University Longview, TX 44% 13.Ouachita Baptist University Arkadelphia, AR 67% 14.Oklahoma Christian University Edmond, OK 61% 15.Samford University Birmingham, AL 91% 16.Cornerstone University Grand Rapids, MI 63% 17.Southwestern Assemblies of God University Waxahachie, TX 23% 18.Evangel University Springfield, MO 75% 19.University of Mississippi University, MS 78% 20.Weber State University Ogden, UT 100% 21.University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA 75% 22.Southeastern University Lakeland, FL 46% 23.Anderson University - South Carolina Anderson, SC 54% 24.Lee University Cleveland, TN 87% 25.Grove City College Grove City, PA 82% 26.Palm Beach Atlantic University West Palm Beach, FL 93% 27.Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX 50% 28.Crown College Saint Bonafacius, MN 54% 29.Oklahoma Baptist University Shawnee, OK 60% 30.Harding University Searcy, AR 70% 31.University of Northwestern - St. Paul Saint Paul, MN 87% 32.Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, WI 90% 33.Brigham Young University - Hawaii Laie, HI 27% 34.Dallas Baptist University Dallas, TX 43% 35.North Greenville University Tigerville, SC 59% 36.Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott Prescott, AZ 76% 37.Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA 63% 38.Union University Jackson, TN 63% 39.South Dakota State University Brookings, SD 91% 40.Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL 78% 41.Pittsburg State University Pittsburg, KS 87% 42.University of Dallas Irving, TX 80% 43.South Dakota School of Mines Technology Rapid City, SD 85% 44.Ohio Christian University Circleville, OH 65% 45.Southern Utah University Cedar City, UT 72% 46.Campbell University Buies Creek, NC 81% 47.University of Saint Francis - Indiana Fort Wayne, IN 97% 48.Northwestern College - Iowa Orange City, IA 66% 49.Wheaton College Wheaton, IL 79% 50.Asbury University Wilmore, KY 70% Brigham Young University Princeton Review The Princeton Review rankings for the most conservative colleges are based on students' responses to the question "Politically, are you left-wing, Democrat, middle, Republican, right-wing?" The List All of the colleges that made the Princeton Review list for the top 20 most conservative colleges are religious, located in conservative states, or service academies. The schools that made both the Niche and Princeton Review lists are the University of Dallas, Brigham Young University, Grove City College, and Wheaton College. School Location Acceptance Rate 1.Grove City College Grove City, PA 93% 2.College of the Ozarks Point Lookout, MO 16% 3.Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI 36% 4. University of Dallas Irving, TX 47% 5.Hapden-Sydney College Hampden-Sydney, VA 59% 6.Baylor University Waco, TX 39% 7.Wheaton College (IL) Wheaton, IL 85% 8. Auburn University Auburn, AL 84% 9.The University of Alabama - Tuscaloosa Tuscaloosa, AL 59% 10.Iowa State University Ames, IA 89% 11.Mercer University Macon, GA 73% 12.Brigham Young University (UT) Provo, UT 52% 13.United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO 12% 14.United States Military Academy West Point, NY 10% 15.Kansas State University Manhattan, KS 95% 16.Ohio Northern University Ada, OH 69% 17.Wofford College Spartanburg, SC 69% 18.University of Louisiana at Lafayette Lafayette, LA 56% 19.Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX 41% 20. Berry College Mount Berry, GA 66% Texas AM Cushing Memorial Library and Archives, Texas AM/Flickr Student Reviews Niche also offers student reviews of colleges. Here are some comments written by students of some of the most conservative colleges in the United States. I tried to include positive and negative aspects of each school related to its very conservative environment. Texas AM I absolutely love my school. There is a strong love and passion for the university reflected every day on campus. Most importantly, the importance of being honest and having strong character is reinforced at Texas AM University. I would not have wanted to have attended any other university. After receiving my undergraduate degree in Agricultural Economics-Finance and Real Estate, I decided my time here was not over. I will now be attending graduate school to pursue my Masters of Real Estate. If I could do it all over again, I would not change a thing. Texas AM has to have the most ignorant, absurdly extremist right-wing culture I have ever encountered. I consider myself a conservative, but the sheer amount of bigotry and intolerance at this school is simply unacceptable for what is supposed to be an educated environment. I was always told that college was meant to expose you to a diverse group of people and help you prepare for a globalized world. AM does the opposite. It is a sheltered bubble for racist, homophobic, ethnocentrism coupled with extreme Christian and Republican views. Any sense of worldly knowledge, open-mindedness, or cultural exposure is met with disdain if not outright hostility. Brigham Young University I love attending Brigham Young University because it provides a learning environment that is compatible with my religious beliefs. The surrounding mountains are spectacular, and there are plenty of museums, theaters and libraries nearby. I hate the lack of diversity. I feel like although my classes are amazing, I'm not learning real life lessons because I'm in a Mormon bubble. However, there are a lot of cool opportunities. I love my professors and it's easy to get involved. US Military Academy Excellent options. You'll be making a lot of money. And people will want to hire you after the army. Drug tests are monthly, no civilians are allowed in cadet area, you cannot leave post hardly ever unless you are a senior, and you better drive the speed limit on post or you'll get pulled over. Grove City College My school has high academic, extracurricular and moral expectations. While others may dislike the high pressure to excel in multiple areas, Grove pushes us to do our best - to strive to reach our potential. In addition, Grove has a close-knit community. The school promotes and provides many opportunities for forming close connections with others. The campus is beautiful and the professors are superior. Grove City is a great college. Inter-visitation hours (where boys can go into girls dorms and vice versa) include Wednesdays from 7-10 PM, Fridays from 7PM-12 AM, Saturdays from 1PM-12AM, and Sundays from 1-10PM. While a boy/girl is your room, the door must be open 4 inches and a light other than the TV has to be on. You may think that those are just rules and people probably don't follow them. You would be wrong. Everyone follows them. If you have a boy in your room, you have to sign him in with your RA and then they go around during their shift to check to make sure your door is open and they can see a light. If they don't, they knock and come in to tell you to keep the door open or to turn the light on. Time limits are strict too; you gotta have them out right on time or the RA will kick them out. I'm not joking. This really happens. I've heard of people sneaking in on other days, but I've never seen it myself. There's no alcohol on campus and even if there is it's hidden away in someone's room who probably isn 't going to share. Grove City College How Should You Use These Lists of the Most Conservative Colleges? If you want to go to a very conservative college, you should research the colleges that interest you on the Niche and Princeton Review lists to determine if they’re schools you should apply to or attend. There are many factors to consider to determine if a college is a good fit for you including location, selectivity, support services, and the majors offered.Look at the school’s website, and use guidebooks, college finders, search websites, and other ranking lists to help you in the college selection process. If possible, consult with teachers, counselors, parents, current students, and alumni. What If You Want to Go to a Conservative College, but a School You're Considering Isn't on the Lists? Just because a school didn’t make either list doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not conservative. Look at the school’s website to see if there are student groups that are aligned with your political and social views. There may be student groups for Republicans, conservative politicians, or members of the NRA. Sometimes, there will be an organization contact listed on the website. If so, you can contact a representative of the organization and ask about the atmosphere on campus. Also, you can consult other sources that evaluate or grade how conservative a college is. On the Niche profile for each college, under "diversity" for each school's guide, there is a category called "political activity" that describes the political activity on campus. For example, this is how Duke's political activity is described: Duke, like most universities, has a strong liberal streak, but conservatives have made their voices heard, as well. There are a variety of political organizations on campus that are populated by a significant percentage of the student body. Students advocate for a wide range of political causes, and the University regularly schedules guest political speakers, which are usually very well attended. For example, in 2010, more than 1,000 tickets to see Al Gore lecture sold out in a matter of minutes. Also, on the College View college finder, you can select that you’re â€Å"only interested in schools with a very conservative climate† and search for colleges that fit that criteria, and there are 20 other search categories to help you narrow your college search. Finally, remember that the political leaning of a college is often reflective of the area where the college is located. For example, colleges in the Northeast tend to be more liberal, and colleges in the South tend to be more conservative. You can determine if a specific city or town is liberal by looking up the candidates it supported in the last election and its views on various political and social issues. Keep in mind that there are conservative cities in liberal states and vice versa. Also, Christian colleges and service academies are typically more conservative regardless of their locations. Based on the past four presidential elections, the red states are the most conservative. What's Next? Because Christian colleges tend to be conservative, you may be interested in checking out my post on the best Christian schools. If you're applying to college soon, learn everything you need to know about the college essay. Finally, if you need to raise your SAT score to get into the college of your dreams, check out our 15 SAT tips to improve your SAT score. If you're taking the ACT, here are our tips to improve your ACT score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Pollution Prevention for Tannery Industry Essay Example

Pollution Prevention for Tannery Industry Essay Example Pollution Prevention for Tannery Industry Paper Pollution Prevention for Tannery Industry Paper Essay Topic: Water pollution The assessment identified following pollution prevention opportunities at this facility: recycling the spent chrome tanning wastes, oxidize the sulfide containing wastes, decreasing the volatile organic discharge by changing finishing materials, decreasing water use by batch washing, and using solid wastes from the waste stream as fertilizer. Chromium recycling. This step allows the collection of the spent chrome Nanning solutions, without dilution or contamination, for use in the pickle and tanning process. Since the tannery also tans splits, the spent chrome tanning solution can be used here as well. The tanning of splits results in very good fixation of chromium, so the concentration of chromium in the final effluent should meet effluent regulations. This system results in a saving of about 25 percent in the chromium chemicals used. Solvents. The suppliers of finishing products have developed water-based lacquers with significantly lower volatile solvent contents. These materials are now widely accepted as quality products, and their use is strongly advised. Process Water. In some hide wetting processes there is an opportunity to recycle the final rinses. The final rinse wastewater in this process is compatible with fluids used for the first wetting of the hides. Solid Waste. Elimination of solid leather waste discharges through the use optimizing in reconstituted leather will ease the burden on landfills. Capital Intensive Modifications. Eliminating sulfides from the effluent is very important, as they will corrode pipes, cause objectionable doors, and may cause fatal accidents. The sulfide-lime solution, and washes from this process, can be collected without contamination from other solutions. These collected wastes can be placed in a tank and the sulfides oxidized by air with a catalyst. This method is effective and can destroy the sulfide in 4-8 hours. At this point the lime waste, with high BODY and suspended solids, can be used to neutralize the acid wastes that are being continuously discharged. The acid and alkaline wastes from the tanning process will react to produce a expectoration of much of the suspended lids and BODY. This is done with a mixing tank and automatic pH control. Coagulants can also be added at this point. The neutral streams can then flow to a primary clarifier for the removal of suspended solids as sludge. The sludge can be dewatered in a sand bed to more than 50 percent solids for disposal. Although this effluent is somewhat high in BODY, over 80 percent of the pollution load have been removed. The sludge is a good soil conditioner, and if used as such, will eliminate possible high disposal costs. Secondary Treatment. In the future, a secondary treatment system can be added for BODY removal. The secondary system need only be as large as needed for the clarified wastes, and it may consist of a trickle filter, a secondary clarifier, and/ or a filter press. Environmental and Economic Benefits implementation of the suggestions will lead to a number of positive environmental and economic benefits. Chromium recycling will decrease the chromium in the discharge by 80-90 percent. It decreases chromium to less than 3 MGM/l. Costs were estimated at $20,000 (US), savings at $60,000 per year ND therefore payback period of 4 months. The reduction of volatile solvents will decrease VOCE releases to the atmosphere by 60-90 percent. Changes to water usage patterns will decrease effluent volume by 20-40 percent. Elimination of solid leather waste discharges through the use of trimmings in reconstituted leather eases the burden on landfills. This decrease leather waste by 60-80%. Costs were estimated at $1 0,000 (US). Destroy sulfides by air oxidation decreases sulfide wastes by 95- 98 percent. Costs were estimated at $30,000. (US) With primary and secondary treatment, the BODY an be reduced by 75 percent.

EXERCISE MODULE 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

EXERCISE MODULE 8 - Essay Example The company may need to finish the project according to a predefined deadline, it may be done to improve project cash flow, it may be a way of avoiding liquidation damages, it may be a way of recovering early days, it may also be a way of avoiding oncoming danger, for example adverse weather conditions that might affect the project’s progress, and it may also be a way of releasing key resources for an oncoming project (Kohli, 2007). It is also important to recognize that as projects continue, there are several indirect costs incurred that can be eliminated by shortening the duration time. These costs include; cost of equipment, interest on investment, machinery, facilities, personnel, labour, and the cost of time lost when some employees do not come regularly to work (Roy, 2005). Project duration can be reduced depending on the type of work being carried out, and the availability of resources. Projects involving installation or development of new software for a company’ s systems for example, may require a specific skill. This can only be obtained from specific persons. Reducing project duration considering this case will require additional labour time for the specialist. He or she will then be required to work overtime. This however, needs additional resources, for the specialist has to be paid for extra time worked. Project duration time can be reduced by: application of multiple-shifts work, offering incentive payments to increase the productivity, using additional resources when necessary, working extended hours, working on holidays and weekends, and using alternative methods and sequences among others (Roy, 2005). Reducing the time taken to complete a project involves reducing the activities’ duration, or adjusting overlaps between activities. This however, has an effect on the original plan in terms of the cost. Whenever activity duration is reduced, the cost increases. This is because, with reduced time for the activity, it means that additional resources were used to ensure a lot of work is done within a short period. Take an example of construction of a building. For a normal duration, there are seven workers employed to do specific duties. It is expected that their work will be completed in a month. Since the project duration has been reduced to two weeks, the company will have to employ additional workers with the same skills to speed up the work. The workers will have to be paid, therefore, additional resources. The tools and equipment used will also have to be added. A similar understanding can be obtained from overtime work. This requires additional wages, as well as costs used to correct quality problems (Kohli, 2007; Roy, 2005). This shows that there is a relationship between the direct cost, and time of completing an activity. The cheaper the resources, the longer the time they take to complete an activity. If the duration is shortened, there is an increase in direct costs. Direct costs are such as; th e cost of equipment, labour, and materials. This should however, not lead to an assumption that there is an automatic inverse relationship between the project duration and the quantity of resources deployed. This is because, not all activities are similar. There are those that can be done in a short time by deployment of more resources, and there are those that deployment of more resources does not reduce the time needed. For example, it should not be

In a study in this unit, you found an organizational improvement Term Paper

In a study in this unit, you found an organizational improvement model, process, or tool for addressing health care laws or poli - Term Paper Example The nurse supervisor studies surveys and other quantitative and qualitative data as a basis for implementing significant changes to improve the health care facilities’ current service quality. Currently, the changes in the present organization’s health care policies are to slow. This is understandable because some persons deter the unfavorable effects of change. On the other hand, some health care subordinates feel disgruntled with the disparity between current health care policies and the real situation in a typical patient – nurse relationship. The current policies are too outmoded or too general. The policies are made without regular consultation from the most affected persons – the nurse subordinates. The current health care policies are implemented without conducting an in-depth survey of the real situation within the wards and other departments of the health care facilities. Paul Bate (2007) reiterated the nurse supervisor should not focus on gatheri ng of data as an end. On the other hand, the nurse supervisor must implement a timely gathering of relevant data to update and enhance the health care facilities’ present patient-based policies.

Internet Technology, Marketing, and Security Assignment

Internet Technology, Marketing, and Security - Assignment Example 1). The reasons that have been identified for the overwhelming popularity of SMM among business are as follows: (1) Customer Interaction and Feedback. SMM offers opportunities for business organizations to directly encourage feedback from customers and therefore enable them to address any weaknesses noted or areas for improvement. As emphasized by Hastings and Saperstein (2010), â€Å"today, more than ever before, businesses can not only listen to customers, they can invite customers to help shape the company activities. Customers have input on which products to develop with which features, how events should be planned, and what kind of meaningful dialogue they’d like to have† (par. 5). This reason therefore assists business organizations in immediately determining the reaction of customers through solicitation of their feedback, which is one of the most beneficial uses and reasons for SMM’s popularity. (2) Generate Traffic to Social Networking Websites. Accordin g to Prince & Rodgers (2012), generating traffic to identified social networking sites is made possible through target customers’ sharing â€Å"branded and highly relevant content with users who, in turn, pass your content to like-minded people they’re connected to† (Prince & Rodgers, 2012, par. 1). ... Likewise, as noted: â€Å"there was 800% traffic gain to its website†¦Additionally, the number of live Tweeter feeds relating to the Pepsi Refresh Project being streamed across Google grew tremendously in a short time†. This reason has been proven, therefore, to be effective in increasing target audience reach at a relatively short span of time and minimal expense compared to other advertisements or promotional campaigns. (3) To achieve the goal that the organization is targetting on a least cost yet greater target audience reach. As emphasized by (Prince & Rodgers (2012), â€Å"a core objective of social media marketing — or of a thought leadership campaign, for that matter — is to gain â€Å"mindshare.† You want to be top-of-mind when potential clients or customers are interested in products or services you can deliver. You want to provide content your preferred audiences find so appealing and beneficial that they’re motivated to pass it onà ¢â‚¬  (par. 6). One of the goals of the SMM has been identified to â€Å"generate interest in your offerings† (Prince & Rodgers, 2012, par. 1). Through the use of this strategy, business organizations are able to achieve their organizational goals, as well as the objectives identified in the particular project or promotional campaign; thus, increasing its popularity among business organizations. 2. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of Social Media Marketing for business entrepreneurs. According to the Marketplace for Entrepreneurs (2012), there are seven benefits of SMM, to wit: â€Å"(1) increased customer acquisition; (2) powerful word-of-mouth marketing; (3) increased brand awareness; (4) customer retention; (5) market research; (6) keep an

Truman Show Essay Example for Free

Truman Show Essay Jim Carrey’s complex upbringing has led to a niche in cinema for him that can’t be described as anything else but one of a kind.   While he started his career in Hollywood off being recognized mostly as a funny man, he soon expanded this persona with his performances in such films as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Majestic, and recently the highly acclaimed 23.   Many critics consider Carey’s decision to take on the role of Truman in The Truman Show as the focal point of his expansion of the comedic archetype.    This essay attempts to assess what is so significant about Jim Carey and his particular performance in The Truman Show. Jim Carrey has been famous for his roles as a comedian since he first hit the big screen in the early 1990’s. He was born in Canada on January 17, 1962. He started working in the 80’s, at small comedy clubs. Carrey moved from Canada to Los Angeles in the 80’s to try and get more work. His biggest break was in 1994 with the comedy Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. He continued making slap stick comedies in the years to follow, including Dumb and Dumber, The Mask and Liar Liar. In 1998 Jim Carrey took on the role of Truman Burbank, a role that would change his career and audience perception of him. Not only was The Truman Show making Jim Carrey step away from his slap stick, low comedy side, he was experimenting with a much darker comedy. This shocked his audience at first because everyone assumed any film Jim Carrey was in, had to be laugh out loud funny. No one had seen a darker side of him. After The Truman Show, Jim Carrey accumulated a much larger fan base. People became fascinated by the ideas and themes that The Truman Show addressed. Jim Carrey continues making people laugh all over the world. People will flock to his comedic movies because they know that they will always have a sense of Jim Carrey humor. He has a way of acting that is all his own. The films he stars in, not only draw a huge audience, they also have an affect on his audience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay will look at Jim Carrey as a comedy comedian, with specific focus on his darker comedic role in The Truman Show and its affect on society. Although The Truman Show is considered a comedy, its themes touched on issues that in the 90’s were still unaware to most people. The idea that someone was always watching scared society. Webcams, and reality television was still new and being developed. The thought of watching other people’s lives wasn’t interesting to society yet. The only shows that were considered reality were â€Å"Cops† and MTV’s â€Å"The Real World.† These followed regular people around and showed them doing everyday normal things, like eating, shopping and seeing friends. This began to fascinate and attract people; and once The Truman Show came out it sparked a chain of shows surrounding the idea of ‘Big Brother,’ we are always being watched. Within a short people of time reality television and media started to run our lives. As the 90’s progressed Jim Carrey’s comedies went from slapstick humor to more serious humor. The Truman show questioned if Jim Carrey would remain a comedian comic or take on the role of more versatile actor. He was originally known as a funny guy, who couldn’t be taken seriously. Once he took on roles that still had comedic aspects but had a lot more depth he was able to reach a larger audience and impact more people with his versatility. He shows that there is humor in the most dramatic situations and his classic comedic timing only further enforces his ability as an actor.. All the reviews I read categorized The Truman Show as high comedy. Jim Carrey’s actions are funnier then what is actually happening. Very often his facial expressions and actions imply a deeper, or even darker meaning than what is on the surface.   The theme of the movie is much deeper and more profound than one might want to initially think.. This is partly why Jim Carey has been able to command so much money at the box office.   His ability to connect with audiences of all ages has much to do with his highly animated performances combined with their adult implications.   Reviewers were shocked at first to see Jim Carrey in such a serious role. In a review on time.com title â€Å"Smile! Your life’s on TV† the article said once the script was sold the producer took the script straight to Jim Carrey because â€Å"Jim had the kind of madness the project needed to ultimately get made. His warmth was a hedge against a movie that could have been on the cold side and needed someone with audience sympathy(Corliss). The underlining theme in the film is finding yourself and finding your true identity and Jim Carrey does this in a way that he brings comedy and seriousness to the role. This is a very mature concept, and one that might not always be expected from a comedian.   In most reviews, reviewers agree that Jim Carrey carries the movie. One reviewer said, â€Å"For Carrey detractors who are easily turned off by the comic’s rubber-faced antics, The Truman Show proves to be an eye-opener. Not only does Carrey remain rigidly-controlled and reigned in, but it would be fair to call his performance both understated and effective†(Berardinelli, James). When reviewers are commenting on comedy, especially any comedy Jim Carrey is in the reviewer assumes it is going to be a laugh out loud comedy. When they walk into a Jim Carrey movie, whether it is serious or not they are always in hopes of escaping into a world full of laughter. He turns every role he has into a character, because that is what a comedian comic does when he acts. Audiences always react positively to Jim Carrey’s comedic characters. It is only when he stars in serious roles that his audience begins to question him. In many reviews for The Truman Show rarely do any of them come out and say that the film is a comedy. One review I read brought up questions about the film and one of the questions was, â€Å"how badly will marketing The Truman Show as a comedy hurt the movie when viewers realize that’s not what it is†(Berardinelli, James)? Reviewers do not give an exact definition for comedy when they are talking about The Truman Show. On a review on IMDB a reviewer says, â€Å"No, it’s not a comedy, wellnot exactly.† I didn’t quite understand until I watched it myself. Truman takes on a tone quite different than any parody/comedies I’ve seen lately†(IMDB). Jim Carrey’s versatility draws even more audience and fans. He has now acquired an even larger fan base. The marketing controversy behind The Truman Show stems from the fact that western audiences are accustomed to seeing Jim Carey as a comedian.   The irony of this that it creates a dual conflict of identity both for Truman and for Carey and the way he is perceived by the public.   The film has multiple layers of understanding of what it means to be both a comedian and a hero. In Krutnicks, Hollywood Comedians, The Film Reader the Steve Seidman essay â€Å"Performance, Enuciation, and Self-Reference in Hollywood Comedian Comedy† talks about Comedian comics. The essays talks about the origins of the comedian comedic. Comedian comedy comes from show business, such as vaudeville. This type of performance acknowledges the audience. Where as a film draws the audience into another world, vaudeville included the audience or made the audience aware that they were watching a show. This is the way a comedian comic acts. They use a lot of big over the top gestures to make something comedic. In The Truman Show Jim Carrey begins to suspect something is weird in his life and begins acting strange. He starts to speak to the ‘camera’ although he doesn’t realize it is a camera. He is acting towards the audience and making them realize they are watching a movie. Jim Carrey does an excellent job at this because he has worked as a show business performer since he first started as a stand up comedian. Jim Carrey is a comedian comic and he steps outside his usual comedic role to play Truman Burbank. He tries his hand at playing a darker comedian. This sparked a series of films were Jim Carrey took on less comedian comedy films. In the end, Carey’s experimental work enhances the depth of his comedic performances.   Carey’s wide eyed zaney antics come off as borderline rational when he is put into situations similar to the Truman character.   In many of his films he has the boyish charm of a man discovering the world for the first time.   In The Truman Show this is exactly what. The Truman Show brought about a lot of controversy after it’s debut. It questioned the sanctity of identity. In Gary Panton’s review on The Truman Show he says, â€Å"It’s an exploration into the idea that we always accept the reality of our surroundings without question.† Once the movie came out people began to question their place, role, and effect in life. They wanted to find their own identities and who they were, because Truman is searching for his identity throughout the whole movie. It raised a lot of questions about who we where and who was watching us. It questioned society’s identity and whether they were safe. They used dark comedy to bring light on an important issue. Having Jim Carrey in the movie alone made viewers assume the film would be comedic. I think by him being in it, it was a comedy. His body language and acting is always comedic. Throughout the course of the film they used comedic tricks to make Truman question where he is. At one point a piece of the lighting set falls from the sky on to Truman’s street. Another example of comedy that they use is when Truman is on the beach and it starts to rain, but to Truman’s surprise the rain storm is only over him and if he walks a couple of feet away he is out of the rain. The Truman Show came out before the huge increase of reality television. After the movie came out reality television skyrocketed. Many of the shows were based on the ideas that came from The Truman Show. As opposed to people not knowing they were being filmed, they knew and were trying to find their identity in front of a camera crew. Most shows set up cameras all over a house or had camera crews follow a person around. This reflects the actions of when Truman finally realizes he is being filmed. He behaves as though he is aware of the camera. This is what reality television stars do. None of these shows are seen as being serious.   Much of this parallels the relationship between the media and the public a complex conflict that has undergone much scholarly debate. One scholar in particular who is considered an expert on many of the conflicts depicted in The Truman Show is Pierre Bourdieu. In all of Bourdieu’s beliefs, his most popular is his assertion that the public does not exist (1984).   This concept is addressed in his book, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste, in that he feels there is a different of class taste between the ruling class and popular culture.   But, within this conflict, there is no public, only a media mediating between the two and a culture to which they often cater to do so.     In John Fiske’s critique on television, Television Culture he analyzes the nature of what makes popular television.   He concludes that the shows that succeed in gaining popularity tend to have many symbols and plot lines containing multiple meanings.   He also states that remain within a duality of containment and resistance (1987). This idea basically revolves around the fact that television producers, who are viewed as the upper class and political elite, are expected to produce material that correspond with popular culture.   This material that the elite minority culture produces for the popular culture contradicts elitist ideals but allows the status quo to remain intact.   This means the political elite can only remain the elite so long as they humor the beliefs and ideals of their less powerful but more dominant counterparts. The rules Fiske establishes for television shows can very easily be applied to the media.   They present the media as a tool being used to prey on the wants and needs of different cultures.   Another media technology that isn’t always addressed is the literary outlets in societies.   This is undoubtedly the reason that Pierre Bourdieu is an acclaimed literary theorist as well, addressing such theorist as reader response theory. The Truman Show talks about social power. It talks about the power that the media have over people. The show is controlling on a larger scale to peoples lives, who spend their life watching it and on a smaller scale the people creating the show and controlling everything Jim Carrey does. The Truman shows creator Christof is controlling what everyone is seeing and saying. He plays the â€Å"God† of Seahaven, the made up town that Truman lives in. There is the outside â€Å"real audience† watching the show and then there are the actors in the show and then there is us, the audience watching the â€Å"real† actors, watching Truman. We are always being controlled. David Thomas and Garry Gillard’ article titled, â€Å"The Truman Show and the programming of reality,† mention this when they say that the film â€Å"poses important questions of identity and reality, because of the way the film uses both diegetic and non-diegetic audiences. This highlights the boundaries between real people, actors, fictional audiences and ‘real’ audiences, and how they are skewed and confused by The Truman Show.†Ã‚   The film also addresses certain concepts of national identity. The idea behind national identity is that one defines their self through the identity of their nation.   In their article, National Identity and Self-Esteem, Jeff Spinner-Halev and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse analyze the nature of national identity.   They adopt the theory that if the self-esteem of an individual is tied to their nation than it’s the perfect proponent to maintain safe and secure nations.   They feel that there is an immediate connection between self respect and group identity; so much so, it could lead to one sacrificing their own personal needs for the good of the group.   They also acknowledge that there is a competitive nature within group self esteem; this meaning that most groups want their group to do better than others.    This is often seen in the patriotic nature of political propaganda, carried out by many countries to convince soldiers to go to war.   This system of control is one known for cajoling groups to fallow a certain program or way of thinking by catering to individuals’ wants, needs, or taking advantage of their fears.   This complex of national identity is a major aspect of a government’s societal control, as well as a significant ideal satirized in The Truman Show. It is most visibly personified in the character of the show’s producer Christof.   He argues that human beings accept the world in which they are presented, and uses this to justify why Truman hasn’t figured out his predicament up to this point.   All of the employees, of the studio, acting as Truman’s family, friends and extras living within the town, can all be viewed as nationalists to the studio’s regime. The National Identity of these films can be directly corresponded to the culture and history of New Zealand.   In 1945, the New Zealand Film Critic Gordon Mirams argued that if there was a New Zealand culture, it was a mostly a Hollywood creation. The only thing more popular than going to the movies, in New Zealand, was drinking tea, during that time period. This idea is supported by the statistic that for many years New Zealanders were the most frequenters of the movie world.   In their book New Zealand Film 1912-1996 Helen Martin and Sam Edwards analyze the filmography of many films produced during this century in New Zealand. This book basically analyzes the entire history of film in New Zealand.   The two authors managed to find more than 162 films.   In formulating their list and deciding on what they would identify as New Zealand Films, they decided the film had to have a significant connection to the location in terms of the film’s creators, cast, copyright holder, financiers, production team, and technical equipment. They also felt that a film that holds a sociological connection to New Zealand should be categorized as a New Zealand films as well.   Thus, they included The Piano in their list of films pointing out that though it was not filmed in New Zealand, its story was still set there.   The authors also felt it the film addressed social issues pertaining to the history of New Zealand within the time frame it was set. In the 90’s when The Truman Show first came out reality television was very rare. No one put their videos on the Internet or had video chats. In one article I read â€Å"The world is watching† by Jennifer Tanaka she writes about a couple who place a web cam in their new born daughters crib. They connect it to the Internet so their friends can go online and see the baby and watch her grow. They didn’t think anything of it until they began receiving emails from people they didn’t know telling them how cute their baby was and how they loved the idea of the wed cam. They still didn’t really think anything of it, except it was flattering. They watch The Truman Show and immediately disconnected their web cam. They realized what they were doing and didn’t want their baby to have people watching her like Truman. It wasn’t until a movie like The Truman Show that brought light on a media obsessed and driven world. It has only gotten worse from there. With the increase in a media obsessed culture, reality television has become a historical landmark of our generation today. In Gary Panton’s review, I think he makes a good point when he says, â€Å"The scary thing is that for us, the â€Å"Big Brother† generation, the notion of a 24-hour TV prisoner really isn’t all that far-fetched. Perhaps the birth of a real Truman isn’t as far into the future as we might like to think.† The Truman Show poses an argument larger than itself in respect to national identity, only this film speaks more metaphorically.   The idea previously posed in National Identity and Self Esteem, was that national identity is largely the product of a model that is followed by a group of people.   These people are so caught up in the ideals of the group, they rather sacrifice their own individual comforts for the good of the team.   The authors found that these groups are also very competitive with one another, identifying their identity with that of the group and basing the groups identity on their contrast from other groups.    This becomes very relative to some of Rene Girard’s views.   In his seminal theory of mediated desire Rene Girard argues that human desire is imitative.   His views is that the goals we hold most personal are actually the desires of others which we want to achieve because others want to achieve them. This is very compatible with the ideals of national culture and the cult group fallowing it incites.   This is also seen constantly in The Truman Show, the main motivation for Truman to escape the studio/town is to travel to Fiji after his one true love.   If the character personifying his school crush had never desired to move there, Truman would have never desired to follow.   This is a direct personification of Girard’s theory, as well as an example of Morse and Halev’s version of national identity. Work Cited Adorno, Theodor W. and Max Horkheimer. Dialectic of Enlightenment: Philosophical Fragments. 1947. Trans. Edmund Jephcott. Stanford: Stanford UP, 2002. Belton, John. American Cinema/American Culture. New York: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting and New York Center for Visual History, 1994. Bourdieu, Pierre. (1984) Distinction, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Chatman, Seymour (1978) Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press). Cheshire, Ellen. Jane Campion. Great Britain: Pocket Essentials, 2000. Eric Young (Executive Producer). (1998). Hows It Going To End? The Making of The Truman Show, Part II [DVD (Special Feature)]. Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment. Fiske, John (1987) Television Culture, London: Methuen. Fiske, John (1992)  ªPopularity and the Politics of Information º in P. Dahlgren and C. Sanes, Ken. Truman as Archetype. Transparencynow.com. 1996-2001. 29 July 2004. http://www.transparencynow.com/truman.htm. Simons, Jon (1997)  ªThe Dialectics of Diana as Empty Signifier º , Theory Event, 1(4). http: //muse.jhu.edu/journals/theory_and_event Simons, Jon (2000) Ideology, Imagology, and Critical Thought: The Impoverishment of Politics, Journal of Political Ideology, 5(1), 81 ± 103 Slavin, John (2002) Lost causes : the ideology of national identity in Australian cinema. PhD thesis, Department of English, University of Melbourne. Sparkes (eds) Journalism and Popular Culture, London: Sage. Minow, Martha. (2006) Not Only for Myself Identity, Politics, and the Law. New P, 1997. Chapter 2, Identities. 8 Dec. 2006.

I Am Legend | An analysis

I Am Legend | An analysis When you are the last of the species reaching out for help, looking for someone that does not live a nocturnal existence, you need to have faith in God. The novel version of I Am Legend is better then the motion picture because the information slowly leaks out about Nevilles past, present, and specifics about the vampires. Robert Neville is a scientist who is unable to stop the spread of the horrifying virus that is fatal, incurable, and man-made. For three years, Robert has sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other survivor who might be out there. Robert obtains books and other research materials to discover the cure of the disease which is a strain of bacteria capable of infecting both deceased and living hosts. The virus has mutated everyone except one survivor which is Robert Neville. Robert is confused about his faith in God due to the situations he had to face. The characters usually depend on one another because it defines their true character in the end. Robert is trying to find the specifics about the vampires, so he can find a cure A virus can be spread really fast from one person to another. Robert Neville might be the only survivor of an incurable plague that has mutated everyone into bloodthirsty creatures who are determined to destroy him. There is always a solution to a conflict in which Robert believes he can find a resolution. Robert is trying to find a cure for the virus that has infected everyone in the world. The novel describes the situation that Robert is facing is very risky and in the motion picture it seems as if his everyday life is not too bad. His everyday target is to be back home before sunset. Usually there are a lot of difficulties that people face to find an explanation to a problem. Robert came up with a plan to capture a vampire because he wants to try different experiments to find the cure. Generally to accomplish a goal there is always some problem that interferes but never give up too fast. Robert accomp lished to trap an infected woman but the other vampires watched his every step and played the same trick on him. The novel didnt have much detail on how Robert trapped the vampire but the motion picture demonstrates the pain and the risk he had to go through. Robert put his life in danger, knowing the consequences. Putting in all the effort and not giving up is the first step to success. Robert was doing an experiment on the infected women and it slowly began to show good results. Working to the best of someones ability always receives an award at the end. The therapy Robert gave to the woman who is infected by the virus, slowly started to work. The motion picture has a very intense situation because Robert wants to help all the other vampires who have been infected but none of them are ready to listen to him. The novel shows Robert as the only survivor left of his own race. Robert didnt give up and took every step very carefully, which helped him achieve his goal. People believe in God but the terrible situations that they face are because of their own mistakes. Robert thinks the problem that he is going through is because of people being lazy and not taking a serious action right away. Most people believe that people impose disasters on themselves. Robert believes in God and also believes that the circumstances every one is going through is because of their blunder. The novel doesnt clearly state about Robert believing in God but in the movie it displays an clear image of Robert believing in God. Depending on someone too much is not good because when he/she lets the person down, it really hurts. Neville is depending on Ruth because she can help him out of jail. Sometimes people face problems that they shouldnt be punished for and dealing with it patiently is the best way. After a few years of loneliness and fear in a civilization devoid of civilized people, Robert struggled with his beliefs. Robert slowly started to loose his faith because fo r three years he has been trying his best to find a cure but its doing him no good. In the novel Robert is in prison and the only person who can get him out is Ruth. Usually people just accept their faith and try to live it happily. Robert accepts his faith and tearfully asks Ruth not to let this society get too ruthless. It is hard to count on someone who has let you down or tests a persons patience more than they should. A woman named Anna saves Robert from an accident and claims God guided her to find him just in time. In the movie it shows that it is hard for Robert to forget all the nasty problems that he had to face all by himself and in the novel he just accepts his faith because whatever he tried was no good. At first many people think God doesnt resist but the problems that people deal with, slowly realize that he is always there for everyone. To find out more about a character there is always more than one person in a novel or a movie. Not knowing anyone can make a persons life miserable. Robert is trying to find a cure without anyones help and he believes he will accomplish in his task. Listening to someone who a person does not know too much about can sometimes be very dangerous. Roberts neighbor Ben Cortman is always yelling Roberts name during the evening, trying to convince him to come out just so he can harm him. The movie shows Robert in a high degree of loneliness because everyone around him is trying to destroy him but in the novel Robert has his wife and daughter with him with some time and then he is all by himself trying to find a cure for the virus. When a person is stuck in a situation that no one can help him/her out with, the best thing to do is have faith in God. Robert is in jail and the only person who can help him out is Ruth. When a person is saved from a big problem, he/ she has done good deeds. Robe rt had a huge accident but Anna saved his life due to the radio messages Robert sent out. The novel and movie both show that when Robert needed the most help, someone is there for him because he has a good intention and he has waited patiently to find a cure to the virus. There is always more then one character in a story because thats the only way to find out more about the character itself. Overall I think the novel is better than the movie because the author slowly leaks out the information. Robert Neville found out the cure all by himself and had to deal with very difficult problem, he is the only survivor. Robert sent out radio messages for three years desperate to find another survivor but he lost his faith in God because he patiently waited for a few years and whatever step he took would end up being difficult and bad for him. It is hard to know about a character who does not depend on one another. Therefore Robert is a legend because he found the cure to the virus and all the problems he went through, he didnt give up. To achieve something in life keep trying and never give up because at the end it is always worth it.