Feminism and Misandry in Popular Culture Essay Example for Free

Feminism and Misandry in Popular Culture Essay Feminism is dead. What exactly do I mean? Feminism is meant to be about gender equality, but this is no longer true. Instead, feminism has become synonymous with misandry—the hatred of men. Men are society’s official scapegoats while women are portrayed as victims. Men are often penalized for the collective guilt of men throughout history, and women feel they deserve compensation for this perceived victimization in the past. While the early feminist movement ensured equal opportunity for women, it now serves women’s special interests. Popular opinion portrays men as violent and animalistic, while women are viewed as caring and matronly. This is a misnomer perpetuated by a gynocentric society. According to a 2003 study by the Domestic Violence Research Center, it is estimated that 6 million men are victims of domestic violence in Canada alone, accounting for nearly half of all instances of domestic violence. However, fewer than 100,000 cases of male domestic abuse were reported. While it is true that women make up a larger percentage of rape victims, one in thirty-three men is raped or attempted to be raped by a woman. Even more shocking is that less than 1% of all male rape cases are ever reported. Barbara Kay, a Canadian gender equalist, says that the disparity between the reported cases and estimated cases is†¦ â€Å"Due to cultural norms that require men to present a strong facade†¦ men are less likely to verbalize fear of any kind. † Further discrimination happens against fathers. It is commonly assumed that the best interests of the child coincide with the best interests of the mother, but this simply isn’t true. In the study conducted by Patrick Fagan and Dorothy Hanks published in The Child Abuse Crisis: The Disintegration of Marriage, Family, and the American Community, the most likely perpetrator of abuse to a child is the child’s mother. The father is the parent most likely to be the protector of children, and the same study found that the presence of a father greatly lessens the risk of child sexual abuse. Yet many child custody laws in Canada and the United States strongly favor women. Approximately 70% of all custody cases are awarded to women in Western culture, and this percentage drastically increases in America and in the South. Most significantly, though, is the guilt that men must endure. Masculine traits are considered shameful or low-brow, while feminine traits are viewed as refined or high-brow. Overt manliness is something likened to piggishness or idiocy. Male sexuality is depicted as lustful harassment, while female sexuality is flaunted as beautiful and elegant. The hatred of men has become so mainstream that even Hallmark—known for its politically correct sentiments—features cards reading â€Å"There are plenty of things easier than finding a good man†¦ Nailing Jell-O to a tree, for instance. † or â€Å"Men are scum†¦ Excuse me. For a second there, I was feeling generous. † Hallmark is not the only one making money off of popular prejudice: TV shows, books, comic strips and even the new media all pander to this sexist trend. Western culture is seen as the height of the civil rights movement. Great activists like Louisa G. Anderson and Susan B. Anthony revolutionized Britain, America and the rest of the world. Modern feminism, however, caters to the personal gain and special interests of women. Gender equality applies to men and women alike, despite efforts by feminist elitist to degrade and exclude the male gender. Men endure much of the same injustice as women. Misandry is of equal importance to misogyny, and should be treated with the same intolerance.

Desires for freedom :: essays research papers fc

Desire for Freedom and Desire for Limitations on Freedom   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People have the desire for freedom as well as a desire for limitations on their freedom. Freedom and the limitations on freedom are both needed to live peacefully. Absolute freedom cannot be achieved because when you take away limitations you take away a freedom. With out rules governing our society, people would be able to do what they want to each other with out fear of punishment. An examination of the advantages and disadvantages of both arguments helps this become clearer. One of the major reasons freedom is so desirable is because many of the limitations on freedom are disallowing humans the right to have control over their bodies. Control of the human body is the only thing that people have power over. A large number of the prohibited freedoms are crimes where the criminal makes himself the victim. For example, the use of drugs, prostitution, suicide, vagrancy, minor in possession, dodging the draft, entering the country illegally, and disregard for the age limits set on the purchase of pornographic materials. All of these crimes are punishable under the law. These crimes are set apart from most others because the person willingly chooses to victimize themselves (An exception can be made sometimes in the case of prostitution if they are being forced to prostitute against there own will). What people choose to do to themselves, in my opinion, is the least of our worries as a country. The last thing the government should have control over is what you c hoose to do to yourself. As long as you are not directly harming anyone else in the process, the government should not waste their time and money on something that is so trivial in comparison to crimes involving a victim. In general, people do not agree with the government controlling what they can and cannot do to themselves. It should be no one's decision but the people if they want to be homeless, drug addicted, or a prostitute. As long as the only damage done affects the self. These laws only exist in response to popular demand. An immense amount of money, time and labor goes to waste dealing with these types of crimes. It would be a lot more productive and profitable to let people have rule over what they do to our bodies. There is no reason why we need to put this much energy into people who will rid of themselves for us.

Crafty madness Essay

Hamlet’s situation in the play concerning family and love for Ophelia is obviously going to affect him, however the term madness has been questioned as too dramatic and perhaps a more accurate condition to describe Hamlet’s behaviour is melancholic behaviour. Melancholic behaviour is a condition causing emotional insanity accompanied by extreme depression. Many incidents and speeches of Hamlet are similar to melancholic behaviour: King: † Was not like madness. There’s something in his soul, O’er which his melancholy sits on brood.† (Act 3, Scene 1) Although this term is not commonly used these days, in the past and still in Shakespeare’s period melancholic behaviour was a recognised condition. Further support that melancholic behaviour was commonly termed in the 16th century comes from Timothy Bright’s: ‘Treatise of Melancholy’ (1586): † The perturbations of melancholy are for the most part sad and fearful†¦as distrust, doubt, diffidence or despair sometimes furious and sometimes merry in appearance, through a kind of sardonic and false laughter as the humour is disposed that procureth these diversions.† Therefore not only would Shakespeare be familiar with this behaviour but the audience of the time would also identify it. This condition could be identified by symptoms Hamlet shows for example, Hamlet with good reason displays suits of woe, he sighs and his: ‘dejected ‘haviour of the visage’ (Act 1, scene 2) In particular after Hamlet has spoken to his father’s ghost he begins to feel paranoid, he even distrusts the ghost at first not only that but the purity of Ophelia and his own inability to act. Other relevant symptoms include the fury towards his Mother because of her marriage and his sardonic joking with the players from ‘The Murder of Gonzago’ and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The theory of melancholic behaviour is suggestible and rational especially as it was a recognised condition at the time the play was written, however, it doesn’t explain enough of Hamlet’s behaviour or the language, which is used to portray it. In some parts of the play Hamlet talks to other characters and appears to be ‘mad’ when he is obviously not. For example in Act 2, scene 2 Hamlet seems to patronize Polonius by answering his questions in a way he is clearly in control of: Polonius: â€Å"Do you know me my Lord?† Hamlet: â€Å"Excellent well, you are a fishmonger,† Hamlet obviously knows Polonius, but as Polonius has asked him this question as if he were mad Hamlet answers as if he were mad, but clearly just to humour him. This is supported by Hamlet’s statement as Polonius leaves the room: â€Å"These tedious old fools† (Line 219) Hamlet also taunts Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and leads them astray by what they realise as, â€Å"Crafty madness†. To add to this the way in which Hamlet expresses his feelings to his Mother all suggest his behaviour and the way he talks to people isn’t madness but excuse to act how he feels and speak his mind in a court where no one speaks the truth. This style of Hamlet’s is allusively presented in his language which also through his ‘madness’ is allowed to be more rich and creative rather than aristocratic like the other characters. Hamlet uses many proverbial sayings and puns in the play. The authenticity of Hamlet’s madness is a mystery that cannot be solved, this is perhaps why the play is enjoyed by the audience so much, the huge sense of mystery and uncertainty surrounding Hamlet’s madness is a main attraction of the play. It is possible that Hamlet is suffering from madness of some sort as my essay suggests perhaps ‘melancholic behaviour’, or the anger and jealousy Hamlet feels is just too much for him to conceal. However it is also possible that Hamlet’s behaviour is ‘madness’ put on by himself, there is evidence to support this theory as everyone in the play who states that Hamlet is mad has like himself got reason to imply this. Hamlet has stated that he would consider putting on an ‘antic disposition’ as a disguise to conceal his revenge plot against Claudius. It is also a very significant point that the play of Hamlet is not a true story and consequently Hamlet is not a real character/personality in real life, therefore Shakespeare was able to present him and make him seem however, he wished to. It is possible and likely that Shakespeare intended to present Hamlet’s madness in this ambiguous way giving almost equal reason for Hamlet to be genuinely mad as there is for him to be ‘acting mad.’

Eeoc V. Mims Distributing Company, Inc. Essay - 1691 Words

EEOC v. Mims Distributing Company, Inc., Civil Action No. 5:14-CV-00538 1. Who were the parties to the lawsuit? How were they related? The parties in this lawsuit are: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (plaintiff) and Mims Distributing Company, Inc (defendant), the EEOC is the plaintiff on behalf of Christopher Alston (Lally, 2015). Christopher Alston was a potential employee of the Mims Distributing Company, Inc. 2. What was the nature of the issue in the suit? The nature of this case concerns Christopher Alston, who was practicing Rastafarian (Lally, 2015). Rastafarian is a religion that began in Jamaica in the 1920s and 30s, believing that Haile Selassie was an emperor, a direct descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, whose death was a hoax and is still alive, living in protection awaiting the Day of Judgment (Rastafarianism). The Rastafarian’s hair is worn in dreadlocks, which is inspired by the Nazarites of the Bible and are symbolic to the Lion of Judah (Rastafarianism). Christopher applied for a job as a delivery driver for Mims Distributing Company in May 2014 (Lally, 2015). As a Rastafarian, Christopher was restricted from cutting his hair and hadn’t cut his hair since 2009 (Lally, 2015). Christopher was informed by Mims Distributing Company that he would have to cut his hair if he wanted the position (Lally, 2015). Because of his religious belief, he refused to cut his hair and the company was unable to hire him due to noncomplianceShow MoreRelatedEeoc V. Mims Distributing Company Essay1150 Words   |  5 Pagesin some cases of hairstyle based discrimination within the work place. Looking at the case of EEOC v. Mims Distributing Company, Inc., in regards to Christopher Alston, an African American man. This case was a hairstyle based discrimination, however it was based on the company not having a policy to addressed hairstyle as a religious practice. The outcome of this case ended with Mims Distributing Company paying $50,000 and adopting a formal religious accommodation policy that will address future issues

Illegally downloading music from the internet is one of...

Illegally downloading music from the internet is one of the leading topics in the world today, and especially targets the poor, busy college students of America. Let’s be honest, converting my favorite song from a YouTube video to an mp3 is extremely quick, convenient and above all else, it is entirely free. So bring on the million dollar question, why should we pay for music? Stealing music off the internet illegally, first off is against the law. Hence the terms â€Å"stealing† and â€Å"illegal†. Second, it betrays the songwriters and recording artists who create it as well as stifles the careers of new artists and up-and-coming bands. Not only that, but it threatens the livelihood of the thousands of working people, from the recording engineers†¦show more content†¦Real fans get the real thing. People who partake in the illegal downloading of music try to justify their behavior by arguing that the people who make these recordings are all rich anyway, and that music should be free. To insist that music should be free is the same as saying it has no value. That music is worthless. And it definitely is not. Music doesn’t just happen. It is made, beat by beat, note by note, by people who work hard to get each and every aspect of it right. The wishes of an artist should be respected by his/her fans. If a musician asks that fans pay for an album, they should respect the time and effort that went into its creation, and simply pay for it. These people altruistically gave something, is it so detrimental to give back? I acknowledge that paying for these tunes can add up overtime to be an expensive hassle, but the expenses required to download music are put towards a person’s income. Jobs, even careers are at risk. Consider that this is how songwriters â€Å"go to work,† the same as a secretary or a salesman. The difference is in how they get paid. Its your licensing fees that allow them to earn a living. The money you pay goes to songwriters. Writing a song can take days, weeks, or months, and recording it usually involves several musicians and singers, or a band, and often a recording studio and a producer, plus numerous more, all of whom require payment. Hands down the greatest wayShow MoreRelatedShould You Be Able to Download Music? Essay643 Words   |  3 PagesDownloading music from the internet, especially illegally, is one of the leading topics in the world today, mainly here in America. Almost every home in this country has a computer, and some, more than others, making it even easier to have access to the internet. Because of this, people seem to stay at home more and do everything from the computer like shopping for clothes, looking for a new car, or what most people are doing today, downloading music and/or other media. This topic becomes moreRead MoreEssay Piracy of Technology2843 Words   |  12 Pagesof Technology The topic that I chose for my website and thesis project is piracy of software, music, and video from the Internet and other digital sources. With technology growing at faster rates than ever, this has become a very large problem practically overnight. Even though software and video piracy has become a huge problem, music copyright infringement has by far overshadowed these two. You can find a new article in the news about it almost every day and every one has an opinion includingRead MoreThe Problem of Illegal Movie Downloads Essay2729 Words   |  11 PagesImagine an individual pouring every fiber of their being into something that they treasured and yielded great passion for. Now imagine the product of that person’s intensive work being stolen right out from under them by a complete stranger that they will never meet. This is the gut wrenching case that filmmakers face with illegal movie downloads. The fact is that movies are not only the collective work and effort of just a filmmaker, but rather the joint endeavor of many people. In the filmRead MoreSpeech to Inform8146 Words   |  33 Pagesan unimagined level after Euro-2012. It is true that football is very popular in Poland and in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Football teams have rich sponsors and good training centers. Their football stars for leading football clubs, like Andrei Shevchenko, a world-class star of the Ukrainian origin. Warsaws preparation for Euro-2012 is in full swing. The National Stadium in Warsaw is being constructed. Although the winter was not favorable for construction, much had been done to constructRead MoreThe Music Industrys Digital Revolution4674 Words   |  19 Pageschange from the days of buying records to, A-track and now in this digital age of streaming. The supplies and demand business has takeover music industries, it is now, how we get it, how fast you get it and at what cost you to the consumers for the music. The demand would be a more convent way of listing to your favorite artist and the supply would be for different companies to stream the music to the consumer to keeping it current, this was the birth of Napster (napster2004). The recorded music businessRead MoreCensorship Is A Violation Of Human Rights Essay3776 Words   |  16 PagesCensorship has been used since the beginning of man’s history and is still prevalent in today’s modern world. First it is important to have an agreed upon definition of what censorship is. To give a basic definition of what censorship is: the control of the information and ideas circulated within a society. Many believe and argue that censorship is a violation of human rights which include freedom of express and speech. Those that argue this viewpoint also believe it is a government’s job to ensureRead MoreManaging Strategic Change at the Hmv Group8681 Words   |  35 Pagesbusiness – A new HMV store layout offering internet access, digital delivery media purchase, pay-per-play gaming centres and 3 network concessions increasing footfall. Waterstone’s will do more to grow its share of the children’s book market and launch an innovat ive loyalty scheme for customers.    2. Grow revenue from new channels – Invest online; in its website and in a new social networking site aimed at uniting people with the same interests in music/film.   3. Drive cost efficiency – RestructureRead MoreDigital vs Print21238 Words   |  85 PagesBlekinge Institute of Technology   An Economic Perspective: The Future of Digital versus Print Media with a focus on the cultural products of books and music This thesis identifies two of the major media industries: Books and music and investigates the future of digital media and its implications on the printed media. By Imtiaz Lakhani Supervisor: Assistant Professor Philippe Rouchy Master’s Thesis in Business Administration, MBA programme Fall 2010 MBA  Thesis  2010  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚  Author:  Imtiaz  Lakhani  Read MoreImpact of Media on Socio-Cultural Values and Social Institution in Indian Society10316 Words   |  42 Pagesliterally governs the direction of our society today. It is the propeller as well as the direction provider of the society. Opinions can change overnight and celebrities can become infamous with just one wave by the media. The growth of media as an industry has accelerated over the past few years with new forms such as DVD and the internet changing the way we, the audience, consume and receive media. In an interdependent and globalized political world, the challenge of the media is to provide extensiveRead MoreMarketing and E-commerce Business65852 Words   |  264 PagesYour Privacy at the Door Insight on Business: Crowdfunding Takes Off Insight on Technology: Battle of the Titans: Music in the Cloud Case Study: Pandora and the Freemium Business Model CHAPTER 3 E-COMMERCE INFRASTRUCTURE: THE INTERNET, WEB, AND MOBILE PLATFORM Opening Case: Google Glass: Augment My Reality Insight on Society: Government Surveillance and Regulation of the Internet Insight on Technology: Is HTML5 Ready for Prime Time? Insight on Business: The Apps Ecosystem Case Study: Akamai

Rhetorical Analysis Of John F. Kennedy s Inaugural Address

A Rhetorical Analysis of John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address By 1961, The United States of America was struggling with racial tension and social inequalities, while fighting communism internationally and protecting the public from the weapons and devices of our adversaries abroad. Confusion and fear had invaded the minds of the American people as the cold war neared its pinnacle; they were desperate for a strong, reassuring leader. John F. Kennedy provided this reassurance when he addressed the nation, after being sworn in as the 35th president of the United States. With severe consideration to the current national and international turmoil, Kennedy sought to invoke a sense of unity in the American people in order to attain a lasting peace. The inaugural address is imbued with rhetorical strategies to flatter and influence the emotions of the people through the use Kennedy’s ethos, pathos, and logos, without detracting from the truth and evidence expected from a national leader. Kennedy’s speech carries with it a dauntless rhythm of persuasiveness, emboldening and inspiring his audience through emotional conviction and personal attribution. With parallelism and juxtaposition, John F. Kennedy was able to capture the minds and hearts of the American people. During the vast majority of the address, he uses inclusivity (us, we, our) with the audience to show his personal dedication to the public and mankind as a whole. Kennedy’s dedication to his people and god was enough toShow MoreRelatedRhetorical Analysis Of John F. Kennedy s Inaugural Address Essay1566 Words   |  7 Pages NOT PRIDE BUT FREEDOM: Rhetorical Analysis of John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address Tanner A. Woody Anderson University On January 20, 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered a speech with a backdrop of snow and a twenty-degree wind blowing in his face in Washington D.C. In his speech, he starts off with saying that his victory is not for a party but it is for freedom. At the climax of his speech, JFK delivers a call to action which is also the most well-known line from his speech:Read MoreRhetorical Analysis Of John F. Kennedy s Inaugural Address892 Words   |  4 Pagessuccessfully covey messages to their audience. John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, Severn Cullis-Suzuki’s Address to the Plenary Session, Earth Summit and Charlie Chaplin’s Let us all unite, all provide excellent examples of a distinctive voice. Each of these distinctive voices is formed through the use of emotive language, tone, repetition and rhetorical devices. JFK’s, Inaugural address states President Kennedy’s vision and mission for his term in office. Kennedy discusses important topics such as humanRead MoreThe Inaugural Address Of John F. Kennedy1441 Words   |  6 PagesThe Pathway to Success â€Å"The Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy is considered one of the greatest speeches in twentieth-century American public address,† says Sara Ann Mehltretter from Penn State University. The 1960s was an important time period during American history. The speech was said to motivate Americans and unite them to successfully create a powerful government. In a time of desperation, the actions that the United States government would take to help come out successful was very importantRead MoreThe Inaugural Address Of John F. Kennedy1654 Words   |  7 PagesAn Effort Closer to A Better Country â€Å"The Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy is considered one of the greatest speeches in twentieth-century American public address,† says Sara Ann Mehltretter from Penn State University. The 1960s was an important time period during American history. The speech was said to motivate Americans and unite them to successfully create a powerful government. In a time of desperation, the actions that the United States government would take to help come out successfulRead MoreAnalysis of John F Kennedys Presidency870 Words   |  3 PagesIntroduction John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, has become one of the most famous presidents in the nations history due to his oratory skills and eloquence (Biane,2011). In this paper, we present an analysis the inaugural speech that he delivered in January 1961. Even though his Inaugural speech lasted less than fifteen minutes, the message that he saliently delivered was one that has continued to resonate in the very hearts of American citizens. The analysis An analysis of JohnRead MoreInspirational Tools Of An Inspiration Leader1531 Words   |  7 PagesPresident John F. Kennedy was sworn into office and delivered one of the most famous and remembered inaugural addresses in U.S. history. Kennedy was motivated to calm fears about the rise of Soviet power during the 1950`s. With his elaborated speech he called upon American citizens to act in support of their government. The motivation for American citizens to defend freedom and democracy introduced a challenge and an opportunity for Kennedy with his tactics for presidency. In his Inaugural Address, KennedyRead MoreSignificant Improvement : Things That I Have Learned From English 10101105 Words   |  5 Pagesstarted to now? Or have I remained the same or worse have I become a worse writer and reader? These are questions that need to be answered by a self-reflection and evaluation. One must always set goals and analyze their growth or the lack thereof. The analysis of progress helps sho w how far one has come, and it also helps the rate of improvement accelerate. Throughout this semester, I have improved my writing, reading, and critical thinking skills. I have accomplished this by effectively taking advantage

Literature Review on Marketing Myopia free essay sample

It is because there has been a failure of management. 1. An industry is a customer-satisfying process, not a goods-producing process. Businesses will do better in the end if they concentrate on meeting customers’ needs rather than on selling products. 2. Companies stop growing because of a failure in management, not because the market is saturated but because of MYOPIA. Example: Railroads declined because they â€Å"were railroad oriented instead of transportation oriented; they were product oriented instead of customer oriented. They declined not because of cars, trucks, airplanes, and even telephones, but because of their own myopia. The article is as much about strategy as it is about marketing, but it also introduced the most influential marketing idea of the past half century: that businesses will do better in the end if they concentrate on meeting customers needs rather than on selling products. ? Article 2: An Integrated View of Marketing Myopia The article brings out the types of Marketing Myopia in a classification scheme. It highlights the importance of cross-fertilization ideas and innovative marketing strategies. Marketing Myopia was initially described as a firm’s short-sightedness or narrowness when it is attempting to define its business. Marketing Myopia can be classified along two-dimensions: (1) Management’s definition of the firm (2) The firm’s business environment perspective. Firms with a single-industry perspective are preoccupied with the actions and reactions of immediate competitors. Firms with a multi-industry perspective, on the other hand, have a broader outlook of the market. Railroading declined, Levitt said, because railroaders thought their job was to be railroaders, to run trains. They failed to realize they were in the transportation business. Or, perhaps more correctly, their industry was, as we say today, a logistics service involved in supply chain management. The article goes on to talk about one portion of the rail network increasingly recognized as not being myopic: the small railroads (called regionals if they are more than a few hundred miles long). Since 1970, shortlines and regionals have demonstrated that they are in the transportation or logistics business; they know they cannot survive with the mentality of simply running trains. Many of them offer value-added services, including learning customers supply chain needs to the point of being able to act as logistics consultants providing solutions. The article analyzes the example of June 1970 when Penn Central ran out of money and launched the largest bankruptcy case in US history. ? Article 4: Futuristics: Reducing Marketing Myopia Futuristics is the study of the future. Marketing is one discipline which can benefit greatly from futuristics. Futuristics can be used to generate new product ideas. Also, a market planner with a solid knowledge of futuristics and prepare more useful marketing plans than one without this knowledge. After all, every firm can be affected by some change in its technological, economic, sociological, cultural, legal, political, or competitive environment. At the very least, futuristics encourages a future orientation. Indeed, many large corporations, including General Electric, General Foods, IBM, and Mobil, are involved to some extent in future research. Marketing myopia occurs not only when a firm defines itself too narrowly – that is, in terms of what it produces rather than the need it satisfies-but also when a firm persists in being present-oriented. Firms that are not cognizant of the changes and threats the future might bring may find themselves in danger of early obsolescence. The railroads, which Levitt accused of suffering from marketing myopia, suffered from future myopia as well. The railroads refused to believe that the future might bring a superior means of moving people and freight and consequently were unprepared for the onslaught of the automobile, truck, and airplane. The author believes that the high rate of product failure, which for some product categories may be as high as 80 percent, may be due to future myopia, the inability or refusal of a firm to forecast the future. Consequently, products are introduced in a business environment which may be very different from the one anticipated by the firm. Small wonder that many products are doomed to failure. Every firm should have at least one planner who is very future oriented. Someone must look ahead to possible future environments that might result in the obsolescence of a firms products/services-perhaps even the death of the firm itself. Article 5: Reconsidering the Classics: Reader Response to Marketing Myopia This paper examines consumer reactions to a much-admired article, Marketing Myopia by Theodore Levitt. More famously, the article argued that top management suffers from marketing myopia. Senior executives focus on the products their company produces, not the customer needs they serve, and consequently tend to define the business too narrowly railroads instead of transport, movies instead of entertainment, oil instead of energy, buggy whips instead of sex toys. Such short-sightedness, he went on, begets blindness, and blindness begets extinction. Failure is unavoidable. Only customer orientation can save the day. Although customer centricity is the centrepiece of Levitts conceptual cosmology and, indeed, of the marketing discipline as a whole it is fair to say that marketing academics have been slow to enact the principles of customer sovereignty when it comes to their own products and offerings. That is, their publications. The question, nevertheless, must be asked: What do our customers actually think of our output? What do readers make of our writings? Are the marketing classics considered classics by the people who really matter our customers or are we deluding ourselves? Are we suffering from marketing manuscript myopia? The purpose of this paper is to find out. It does so by applying Reader-Response Theory, a prominent school of literary criticism, to Theodore Levitts timeless classic. The results are somewhat surprising. Article 6: Global Marketing Myopia The objective of this paper is to expand the concept of global marketing strategy beyond its current myopic focus on product positioning and branding. Emphasis on these issues tends to lead to the conclusion that standardization is the most desirable global strategy. However a successful global marketing strategy needs to be developed and evaluated within the broader context of the overall strategy of the firm, rather than being based purely on customer-market considerations. This calls for examination of resource allocation across countries, market segments and products, the integration of sourcing activities and production, management and logistical systems into global marketing strategy. A narrow focus on the marketing aspects of global strategy can thus give rise to global marketing myopia. Emphasis on issues related to branding and product image, typically leads to the conclusion that standardization is the most desirable strategy in overseas markets. Furthermore, it implies a tacit belief that marketing considerations are the key or even sole factors to be taken into account in formulating marketing strategies relative to the countries and markets worldwide. Frequently, however, the forces militating against global standardization are stronger than those which press for such a strategy. In brief, a successful global marketing strategy needs to be developed and assessed within the broader context of the overall business strategy of the firm rather than based solely on customer market considerations. This implies examination of resource allocation across countries and market segments as well as across products, and the integration and co-ordination of sourcing activities, as well as production, management and logistical systems, into global marketing strategy. Only a careful consideration of all such factors will permit formulation of an effective strategy combining an appropriate balance between standardization and adaptation. Article 7: Editorial: Marketing Myopia Since the publications of V. Packard’s (1957) Hidden Persuaders and Levitt’s (1960) â€Å"Marketing Myopia†, Marketing as both an academic and business discipline has become more sophisticated in its methods and delivery, contributing to increasing prosperity. Yet to its detractors, Marketing should shoulder its share of blame for the growth of the excesses of consumerism and consumption, the widening gap between what the rich can and the poor cannot afford plus the problems created in cultural and lifestyle changes. Examples include the emergence of shopaholics, the slavish adulation to buying products on the basis of their leading brand names, violation of the environment, problems of pollution, wastage of resources and global warming. Are organizations so myopic in their marketing that they have become too self-interested in what they produce for profit? Headline grabbing news in the media about anti-corporate protesters and consumer groups attract more attention than cool objective statements from organizations in defence of their products, services and corporate entities. Are some organizations becoming product-oriented by believing their own marketing communications about their brands and paying lip service to growing consumer antipathy? Or is there too much subjectivity in the criticisms of the marketing of organizations? This special issue aims to explore the consequences of Marketing Myopia for marketing academics and practitioners. ? Article 8: Extending the marketing myopia concept to promote strategic agility This paper proposes that many firms suffer from ‘self-concept specificity’. This is an unconsciously self-imposed restriction on creative strategy formulation that is the result of a highly bounded concept of a firm held by its senior management. Recognizing that this concept resonates with Levitt’s seminal Marketing Myopia concept, the paper draws on Resource-based View and Network Organizations literature to add two further dimensions, Capability Myopia and Boundary Myopia respectively. The paper then explores insights that systems thinking and organizational learning literature may provide to help firms to escape the paradox of adaptation in which conflicting imperatives drive both specialization and variety. Such insights may allow strategic managers to be made more aware of their current organizational self-concept and its constraints, to challenge its assumptions and to reframe it, so generating more innovative strategic options. New schools of strategic thought and new organizational forms have the potential to increase greatly an organization’s ‘degrees of freedom’ for strategy formulation in comparison to the rigidities and determinism of vertical integration and the Industrial Organization school. In an ecosystem of network organizations the capability set of a firm is potentially broadened through access to external competences and new ideas for value creation may be more readily generated. That potential may never be realized if a highly bounded concept of a firm is held by its senior management that results in cognitive myopia. Through insights provided by systems thinking and organizational learning, senior management may be made aware of their current organizational self-concept and its constraints, to challenge its assumptions, to reframe it and so generate more innovative strategic options. This paper proposes a conceptual framework to support discussion. The framework may provide the basis for the development of metrics. ? Article 9: The New Marketing Myopia During the past half century, in general, marketers have heeded Levitt’s (1960) advice to avoid â€Å"marketing myopia† by focusing on customers. In this article, the authors argue that marketers have learned this lesson too well, resulting today in a new form of marketing myopia, which also causes distortions in strategic vision and can lead to business failure. This â€Å"new marketing myopia† stems from three related phenomena: (1) a single-minded focus on the customer to the exclusion of other stakeholders, (2) an overly narrow definition of the customer and his or her needs, and (3) a failure to recognize the changed societal context of business that necessitates addressing multiple stakeholders. The authors illustrate these phenomena and then offer a vision of marketing management as an activity that engages multiple stakeholders in value creation, suggesting that marketing can bring a particular expertise to bear. They offer five propositions for practice that will help marketers correct the myopia: (1) map the company’s stakeholders, (2) determine stakeholder salience, (3) research stakeholder issues and expectations and measure impact, (4) engage with stakeholders, and (5) embed a stakeholder orientation. The authors conclude by noting the implications for research. ? Article 10: Corporate marketing myopia and the inexorable rise of a corporate marketing logic: Perspectives from identity-based views of the firm This article outlines the nature of corporate marketing myopia and details the salient characteristics of a corporate marketing logic. The notion of identity-based views of the firm is held to be highly meaningful to the comprehension of corporate marketing. In addition, the paper aims to broaden the understanding of the antecedents of corporate marketing by making reference to earlier, integrative endeavours (sensory integration, design integration, communications integration, branding integration and identity integration). A corporate marketing logic characterizes those organizations which realize their institutions and corporate brands can be important sources of differentiation. Moreover, it is held that organizations need to be involved in multi-lateral relationships vis-a-vis customers, other stakeholders and with society at large. It is also mindful that an organizational marketing orientation should accord sensitivity to CSR/ethical concerns. A key precept of the corporate marketing logic is that it is institution-wide ethos which is enacted via an organization’s culture. A long and a short definition of corporate marketing are enumerated. Perceiving organizational marketing via the prism of identity-based views of the firm and utilizing the new corporate marketing mix (the 8Cs of corporate marketing) affords a practical and pragmatic means by which senior managers can foster and maintain a corporate marketing ethos and culture.