It has been said that we are living in a period of the cult of the Essay

It has been said that we are living in a period of the cult of the personality. With specific examples, consider the emergence and criticisms of docusoaps and - Essay Example The contemporary media scene is such that the main focus is on vague and superficial qualities such as â€Å"the personality† and â€Å"the style† – a distinguishable shift from earlier programming that was more intellectually stimulating and culturally refined. Genres such as Reality shows, talent hunts, game shows, etc rule the roost in what is becoming an increasingly consolidated media space. Within an apparently diverse offering to the public, the issues and topics that find representation are very limited, more so in the news media (Marshall; 2004: 102). The rest of the essay will discuss the conditions that led to the present state of popular media, the direction it is headed and some possible remedies to reverse the situation. To begin with, let us consider the meaning of the phrase â€Å"the cult of the personality†. The phenomenon of people being famous for being famous, as commonly seen in popular media of today is an apt description of the term â€Å"personality cult† (Marshall; 2004: 102). Such factors as the famous person’s achievements, virtues, values, etc are pushed to the background and intellectually thin attributes such as aesthetic looks, eccentric lifestyles, etc are given greater importance. The end result is the manufacturing of celebrity figures, conjured up on the basis of some superficial merits; hog a large share of communication airwaves, depriving representation for more weighty public issues. So while a majority of the general public is addicted to the â€Å"often-grotesque desperation of the rich and the famous†, we have to ask who the real beneficiary of this enterprise is: â€Å"One of the attractions is the many, many levels of stardom. So, while at the top of the pile sit the Madonnas and the Tom Hankses of this world, at the bottom are the reality TV cast-offs that spend their day chasing agents to get them something - anything - that will allow them to strut around inquiring

Alternative Energy vs. Fossil Fuels Research Paper

Alternative Energy vs. Fossil Fuels - Research Paper Example Indeed, alternative energy sources provide both the environmental safety benefits and reliability of energy supply not provided by fossil fuels. Early human beings used various natural sources of energy for their activities, notably wind, solar and water. But with the Industrial Revolution came the dependence on coal as a source of energy for American factories and later adopted worldwide. According to Brazier, this dependence borrowed from the primary energy source which came about in the same period; petroleum. The European-Americans brought a new meaning to this resource which had previously been considered as a nuisance by farmers. Altogether, coal, natural gas, and oil, considered as fossil fuels from animals and plants that existed millions of years ago, which were then buried underneath the surface of the earth and due to pressure transformed into combustible materials have been largely used as fuel. The first deposits of fossil fuels were discovered in the Cambrian period. Bu t the modern world has become more aware on the non-renewable nature of these fossil fuels and the negative impact of its by-products and has hence appreciated the use of alternative sources of energy including solar, wind and water. The current debate that surrounds the use of either of these energy sources calls for elaborate evaluation so as to ensure the sustainability of the environment and continued effective industrial processes. The current generation and distribution of power in most areas have been operated on fossil fuels, popularly coal. The portability of fossil fuels makes it easy for organizations to easily store and transport the energy source when needed, be it fuel oil to be used in a furnace or coal to be used at a coal plant.