“On the Money”, an article written by Allison Hope Weiner, is a brief article written as an effort to help explain the controversy surrounding the celebrity telethon that was held almost three months ago. The telethon, America: A Tribute to Heroes, ended up receiving donations totaling an estimated one hundred and fifty million dollars all put into a fund overseen by the United Way, called the September 11th Fund. This fund has received over three hundred and forty million dollars all from donators.
The controversy of the telethon arises with the distribution of the money. During the telethon, celebrities were stating that all of the money donated would go directly to the victims of September 11 and their families. Even though the charity supporting the event, the United Way, relinquished their administrative costs, the other organizations that were awarded donated money did use some of the donations to pay for their operating costs. The other controversial issue that is explained in this article is length of time taken to deliver the donated money to the victims of the national tragedy. The article explains that it takes time for charities to give money to disaster victims. Plans must be in place for who obtains the money and how much they receive. The last controversial issue examined in this article is the celebrities who encouraged people to donate to this fund and their role in how the money is spent. Bill O’Reilly has accused the celebrities of using the telethon to improve their public image instead of helping the victims of September 11. He also states that if celebrities put more pressure on the charities involved they would be better organized and aid the victims further.
I believed that this article was important to the entertainment industry in the segment of celebrity endorsements. When celebrities, such as George Clooney and Julia Roberts that are idolized by the American public, endorse a product, or give their opinion on a controversial subject, they usually have a following of their fans that agree with them. People tend to trust celebrities and their opinions on subjects. This very great power was illustrated well during the telethon in discussion. When this power is misused or used to benefit the celebrity at the cost of victims of a horrible tragedy, the public image of the celebrities involved becomes marred. During this telethon, many celebrities told us that one hundred percent of the money donated would go directly to the victims of September 11.
O’Neill would counter this attack by stating that few people would be willing to donate such an extortionate percentage of their revenue to individuals they have never even met. It is not always in people’s own best convenience to donate such a large amount of money if those closest to us need it just the same or if an unlikely event would call for them to need it even
Celebrities hold a strong power to influence the lifestyle trends of an audience. As members of the entertainment industry, celebrities are looked up to as role models by a large general public. With such high exposure, celebrities essentially hold the power to positively or negatively influence their followers, from fashion trends to behavioral tendencies, the attitudes and lifestyle habits of celebrities influence cultural qualities and the way in which many people function within society. Mindy Kaling’s career started when she became an intern on the popular show “Late Night with Conan O’ Brien”. Mindy was a 19-year-old sophomore at Dartmouth College when she first started her internship.
He continued to mention how Americas are greedy with their money and they can use it to save children’s lives instead of spending money on unnecessary things. Another story was mentioned about a guy named Bob. Bob had had a nice expensive car he had all his money invested into. One day it was parked on railroad tracks and a train was coming, Bob then saw a child also on the train tracks. He had a choice, to save the kid or to save his life investments. Bob had chosen to save his car in which he let the kid get hit. Therefore, only one kid was killed but there are even more kids dying across seas. Singer mentions many times throughout the article how to donate money to save lives. While also mentioning all the different organizations you can use to donate, and how much you should donate. Peter says that it only takes “$200 to save a child’s life. Singer also thinks that Americans should donate any extra money they have instead of going out to dinner or spending money on television’s. He explained that people should donate any income that they make that isn’t a necessity to
As technology has developed over the years, society has become extremely reliant and addicted to the media. According to A.C. Nielsen Co., a global information and measurement firm, the average American youth watches twenty eight hours of television per week. Within a sixty-five year timeframe an individual will have spent a total of nine years watching TV (Herr). Both of these sects contribute millions of jobs providing individuals with ample opportunities, a gateway to success. It certainly provided the break for one African American woman to attain a status she could have only dreamt of as a child growing up in an unstable, emotionally debilitating, and unpromising environment. Oprah Winfrey is arguably one of the most influential women in modern times. She sprang up from seemingly nowhere becoming a media mogul, named most influential and wealthiest woman numerous years in a row by both Forbes and The Time. Oprah was brought to fame for her critically acclaimed talk show, which swiftly boosted her from rags to riches, and over the years resulted in her crowning as the “Queen of Talk.” Oprah Gail Winfrey, named the first African American female billionaire, was nominated for an academy award in her performance in The Color Purple, and through hard work and persistence forged her way into a position as CEO of her own television network and production company. Her self-entitled talk show, which would become the highest rated of its kind, served as a pioneer for many TV shows that emerged in the late 1980’s following the premiered of her show on daytime television. “I’m Oprah Winfrey, and welcome to the very first national Oprah Winfrey Show!” she exclaimed as the studio audience cheered enthusiastically (Brown). However, what pe...
A hero is defined as someone who completes brave acts and or possesses admirable qualities. During the storms of Hurricane Katrina, many heroic figures emerged, ranging from individuals concerned with the medical aspect of the survivors’ health to individuals focused on feeding the general public displaced from their homes. All of these figures worked towards the same outcome: assisting the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The main difference is how the general public perceived these heroic individuals. Welcome to New Orleans, a documentary following the story of Malik Rahim and the Common Ground Organization’s efforts to feed and provide health care for the survivors, and Five Days at Memorial, a book focused on the events taking place in Memorial
"Harlem was like a great magnet for the Negro intellectual, pulling him from everywhere. Or perhaps the magnet was New York, but once in New York, he had to live in Harlem"(Hughes, The Big Sea 1940). When one is describing a “fresh and brilliant portrait of African American art and culture in the 1920s (Rampersad 1994),” the Harlem Renaissance would be the most precise postulation. The Harlem Renaissance proved to America that African Americans also have specialized talents and should also be able to exhibit their gifts. The Harlem Renaissance also obtained the notoriety expeditiously that participants of this movement needed to modify America’s perspective of black environments. To sum up, the Harlem Renaissance “New Negro Movement” was a cultural movement that celebrated black life and culture. This movement assisted in gaining a new significance and vigorous race relation in the United States; it awakened black communities all over the world-- especially Harlem to utilize their gifts and talents and make the best of it.
During the Great Migration, an influx of African Americans fled to Northern cities from the South wishing to flee oppression and the harshness of life as sharecroppers. They brought about a new, black social and cultural identity- a period that later became known as the Harlem Renaissance. Originally the Harlem Renaissance was referred to as the “New Negro Movement” (Reader’s Companion.) It made a huge impact on urban life. The Harlem Renaissance played a major role in African American art, music, poetic writing styles, culture and society.
...tunities, the Harlem Renaissance spanned a cultural movement which flourished art, music, and literature within the African-American community. When World War I ended, many African-American soldiers struggled with respect from white Americans when they returned home from days of battling and hard work they served developing an identity of the “New Negro.” The “New Negro” attitude challenged the intrusiveness and racism African-Americans encountered from the stereotypes white people shamed upon them. By rejecting and refusing to imitate the styles of Europeans and white Americans, the Harlem Renaissance was a movement to celebrate creativity and nobility throughout African-Americans. Without the powerful influences and creativity of the Harlem Renaissance, we wouldn’t have the films, music, fashion, excitement, and entertainment we see throughout the world every day.
The Harlem renaissance represents an enduring hope that free people can claim their birthright. (2) This was a major event in the African American community because it exposed harsh treatment in the south through Jim Crow laws when they moved to the north, furthermore this movement also helped with political equality. (3-4,40,12-15) Harlem, in the heart of Manhattan, was the nicest place the negro people were ever allowed to live; it was a place that continued to grow with their people and the jobs they were able to acquire payed them wages that they could never dreamed of receiving.(47) This renaissance was an artistic and political outpouring during the 1920s through the late 1930s, centered in New York, but reaching around the globe. (1) Places such as Boston, Chicago,
The deception of media consumers allows for the abuse of economic infrastructures of society. An obsession with celebrities’ lives passifies ordinary people in accepting the stratification of the elite businesses and the ordinary citizens. Though pseudo-events and celebrity worship may not be exactly complementary, the similarities of both leaves the public to be utterly vulnerable unless they begin to critically think for themselves.
Television has always been an industry whose profit has always been gained through ads. But in chapter 2 of Jason Mittell’s book, Television and American Culture, Mittell argues that the rise of the profit-driven advertising television model can be traced back through American television history, and that the rise of the profit-driven advertising model of television actually helped to mold American culture both from a historical standpoint and from a social standpoint.
The Harlem Renaissance was a movement where Black Americans culture flourished and became a significant part of the American identity. This movement consisted of African American writers, artists, musicians, etc. who wanted to embrace black heritage in America. The hardships African Americans faced became a way for artists of the Harlem Renaissance to bring black culture from the status of folk art to a position of built-in worth. Music of Harlem Renaissance paved the way for African Americans and music in today’s society.
The Harlem Renaissance, also known as “The New Negro Movement” was a cultural movement that spanned the1920’s. The Harlem Renaissance was a defining moment in African American literature causing an outburst of creative activity in black writers and artists in New York City. The Harlem Renaissance was influenced by the migration of African Americans from the South seeking better opportunities for themselves.
Napoleon Hill once said, “Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.” This quote should be frequently used in society’s everyday lives. Celebrities influence people’s lives on a day-to-day basis and they do not even realize it. People use reality T.V. and commercials to figure out what they are supposed to wear or how they are supposed to live, but what they do not realize, is that the majority of media is fake. As a whole, we need to figure out how to tell if what the media is portraying is realistic. Adults and children cannot be comparing their lives to millionaires.
Every morning along with my alarm, I am greeted by notifications from the news, social media, and celebrities. Throughout my day I continue to experience literature, news, and social media. Before bed, like countless other teenagers, I like to relax by watching a TV show on the ever-popular streaming website, Netflix. Needless to say, entertainment is always present in today 's society. Entertainment has the capacity to be informative and enjoyable: a source of relaxation and mindless fun. However, it is what we, as members of society, do with entertainment that determines the impact it will have on our society. While it can be beneficial, entertainment does indeed have the capacity to “ruin.” Not only does the broader entertainment industry