Female Sexual Objectification In Advertisement Media Essay

Female Sexual Objectification In Advertisement Media Essay After the initial explosion of female sex appeal in advertisement and being a raging success, in the 1930s it stepped up and became much more visual and daring. The first advertisement with a nude was a color ad for Cannon towels in 1933, revealing the backside of a womans body (Lont, 1995: 115). Slowly and efficiently womens bodies were being used very objectively and advertisements were becoming much freer and much raunchier. A slight change of events happened during World War II (1939-1945) where women were portrayed as efficient workers and glamorous accessories while theyre husbands were at war. Oakley stated with the notable exception of the war years, womens role as housewife has been continuously affirmed as the proper use for female energy. Her dependence on men is an accepted fact (Oakley, 1974: 56). When the men would return, women would fall back into the role of a mother and a homemaker. Notably the advertisement changed to display how women should be acting and behaving while theyre husbands were at war, magazines particularly showed images of women carrying out such things as looking after their children and being the perfect mother. Moving into the 1950s after World War II had ended. The female housewife image slowly faded away from the advertisement scene. Studies have shown that women in magazine adverts prior to the 1970s were rarely shown to be in paid work, and when they were it would usually be a stereotypical role (the smiling secretary or hairdresser). The number of housewife images began to decline slowly after the 1950s, but the image was still common in the 1960s and 1970s (Gunter, 1995: 34). Linking in with my previous paragraph mentioning females from 1900 to 1920 were being shown as fragile and weak, it is evident that this was still present 50 years later. It shows that women were still being portrayed in a sexist and belittling manner. In modern methods female sex appeal in advertisement has become much more graphic due to technology and the advertisement industry expansion through the digital revolution. A common technique in modern advertisement is to ensure the males attention is not distracted and the objective of the advertisement stays intact. Advertising that depicts womens bodies without faces, heads, and feet implies that all that is really important about a woman lies between her neck and her knees. The lack of a head symbolizes a woman without a brain. A faceless woman has no individuality. A woman without feet is immobile and therefore submissive (Cortese, 2004: 38). So without a face it brings up the question of what is the advertisement showing, and what portrayal of the female is trying to be connected with the target audience at hand? Illustrated in appendix figure i, I found this to be a great example of how the male focus is purely on the female torso. The advertisement displays the words wash me on the females body to create a mental image in the males mind of cleaning the women. This also encourages the male to view the advertisement and connect no personality to the female, and purely as a sexual object. My attention was drawn to an advertisement for an American Burger King advertisement illustrated in appendix figure ii. Americas advertisement industry is enormous and I wanted to include this in my body of research to show the range of how female sexual objectification is used. My reason for focusing on this advertisement in particular was that it was advertising sex in a very abrupt and indirect manner. The woman is wearing lipstick and has a wide open mouth with red lip stick. Lipstick ads often use lipstick as a phallic symbol to represent oral or anal sex (Cortese, 2004: 33). The advertisement reads It will blow your mind away which is implying that eating the new burger will have similar effects to sexual pleasure. The advertisement gained negative responses and Mark Crispin Miller, a professor of media studies at New York University said the ad was very desperate. Miller said This is objectionable because its outrageously exaggerating the pleasure of Burger King. Its not that good, even as food, and therefore nowhere near as gratifying as an orgasm. Theres no doubt they intended a double entrendre. (Miller, 2009) Putting the desperate attempt aside this shows that female sex appeal has spread across a wide spectrum of advertisement and shows how it has adapted to modern culture. resulted in a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/ male and passive/ femalewomen are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness (Mulvey 1975 cited in Gauntlett, 2008: 41). men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only most relations between men and women but also the relation of women to themselves. The surveyor of woman in herself is male: the surveyed female. Thus she turns herself into an object and most particularly an object of vision: a sight (1972: 47). It is argued that women are perceived by men in two very simple watered down stereotypes, they are women into Madonna (pure, gentle, artless, white) and whore (passionate, temptress, red) (1985: 108). In modern advertisement the women commonly advertised as feminine and soft, but have been cleverly manipulated to hold sex appeal and still appear very appealing to the opposite sex. A typical modern display of female sexual objectification is to show a reflection of a males fantasy or a so called dream girl. The exemplary female prototype in advertising, regardless of product or service, displays youth (no lines or wrinkles), good looks, sexual seductiveness and perfection (Baudrillard, 1990 cited in Cortese, 2004: 53). This could be from a simple stereotypical dumb blonde to a busting brunette, as long as the characteristics is focused on the sexual objective and personality does not interfere, the advertisement speaks for itself. On May 1, 2007 CFA law firm released a series of billboard advertisements stating lifes short. Get a divorce. This is clearly illustrated in appendix figure iii. Although this falls into both the category of female and male sexual objectification, I found it a relevant and interesting advertisement which shows a very modern up-to-date method on how sex sells. There was a lot of reaction and business raised by almost 400% due to the advertisements, Corri Fetman, the woman behind the ads said If you think somebodys going to look at a billboard and go out and get a divorce as a result, youre insulting the intelligence of people. If thats the case, our next billboard is going to read, Gimme Your Money. (Corri Fetman 2007) Corrys outspoken behaviour and the publics mixed reactions caused discussions for the general public and the advertisement industry. In summary female sexual objectification in advertisement is used for males to stare and fantasise. It is purely a physical selling point, be it the stick thin blonde or the half-naked women selling a bar of soap, it is all for the purpose of sex selling a product. The ad spends no time discussing her qualifications for sexual desire her mere existence is enough (Sex Appeal in Advertising 1996). I think this quote summarises that a womens sex appeal is the selling point and the only importance for the nature of the advertisement.

Ways of Racial Categorizing Essay -- Racial Relations, Discrimination

What is discrimination? Discrimination is a combination of representation, stereotyping and ideology set by society to rank different groups of people. In an excerpt of â€Å"The Woman in the Window†, Ramona Lowe shows that there is a racial discrimination toward African-Americans in America. The story focuses on Mrs. Jackson, an African-American who lives in the north, and the struggles she faces at her work place. She was hired to cook in front of a restaurant window dressing as a stereotypical â€Å"Southern mammy† (Lowe 3) to attract customers. While cooking in front of the restaurant window, Mrs. Jackson was laughed at by a group of white kids who called her â€Å"Aunt Jemima and nigger† (Lowe 3). Clearly, Mrs. Jackson was mistreated because the society she lives in ranks her race, Black, lower than her bosses', which is white. Lowe’s short story, â€Å"The Woman in the Window†, demonstrates a racial discrimination against Blacks during the 194 0s by incorporating representation, stereotyping and ideology in the text. In order to illustrate the segregation of African-American, Lowe uses representation in her work. The characters in the story represent a social status based on race: the owners, Mr. Parsons and Kraft, represent the high-class and Mrs. Jackson represents the low-class. First, let’s discuss how Lowe shows the audience that Mr. Parsons and Kraft represent the high-class. For instance, the narrator frequently refers to Mr. Parsons and Kraft as â€Å"the proprietor† (Lowe 2) but always refers to Mrs. Jackson as herself. By using the word â€Å"proprietor† instead of their names, Lowe shows a separation between Mrs. Jackson and Mr. Parsons and Kraft. This use of word declares that the owners are a representation of high-class. They are different... ... So by using ideology, Lowe can reveal the racial discrimination against Blacks. After the establishment of the Jim Crow law, America faces the problem of African-American segregation. An excerpt from Ramona Lowe’s short story, â€Å"The Woman in the Window†, demonstrates a racial discrimination against Blacks during the 1940s by incorporating representation, stereotyping and ideology. First of all, the representation of the owners as high-class and Mrs. Jackson as low-class shows that representation can be use to demonstrate racial discrimination. Secondly, the owners’ assumption that Mrs. Jackson is from Georgia and that she needs money proves that stereotyping can be use to demonstrate racial discrimination. Lastly, the white children laughing and calling Mrs. Jackson â€Å"Aunt Jimima and nigger† is evidence that ideology can be use to demonstrate racial discrimination.

Here is New York :: essays research papers

1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Close Up Picture Number: 1633 For this compositional strategy I chose a picture of a postcard of New York showing the skyline, twin towers included, being held by a steel fence. Above it is another picture showing Jesus kneeling. The two images are in the center of the picture creating a symmetrical balance. The repetitions of the fence forming the diamonds in the background dose not make it go unnoticed because you realize that without it the pictures could not be held up. Looking closer you see that the image of Jesus and of New York are overlapping, and that overall this picture shows a figure-ground relationship. To me this picture can be looked at in two different ways. The fact that Jesus is above the postcard of New York to me indicates that the photographer is trying to that even after this terrible tragedy that has happened to one of the worlds greatest cities, above all, we must have hope and faith that New York and America will recover. Because even though steel (hence the fence) could not hold up the towers our faith is stronger than steal and will overcome any obstacle. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Long-Shot Picture Number: 7274   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For the long shot I chose this pre 9/11 picture showing the New York city at night. It is not taken at ground view but instead is an aerial view. It looks as though every light in the city is on showing a full tonal range in this picture creating almost a glowing aura. The twin towers are located in the center of the picture and from it there are 2 beams of light, one for each tower, rising from the ground into space.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To me this picture puts emphasis on the twin Towers as being the heart and center of not only New York but perhaps of the entire earth. The light shining down on it looks like an energy source, or like it could be protecting it. The light to me can also be looked at as the souls of the people who died in the world trade center ascending to heaven, and perhaps the towers themselves as the soul of New York rising to heaven. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Isolation Picture Number: 7213   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The picture I chose to describe the Isolation compositional strategy is a picture that was taken of a very crowded area of new York. The entire picture is all kinds of people all heading in different direction, with their own adjendas.

Literature as Encounter and Discovery, as exemplified by Hahn Moo-Sook’

Literature as Encounter and Discovery, as exemplified by Hahn Moo-Sook’s novel Encounter The Italian explorer Columbus (1451-1506) discovered the American Continent in 1492. Of course, the unknown continent had existed even before he discovered it. But through Columbus’ discovery the unknown entity has emerged above the surface of the historical waters as a "New World." Literature is like a voyage in search of a new continent, and the author is like Columbus. In the course of our lives, undiscovered subject matters abound like countless islands in the gigantic ocean of awareness. If perchance such a continent is not discovered through the eyes of a writer, it would sink to eternal oblivion. An author, therefore, is like an explorer who, through an endless literary voyage, discovers and reveals a fascinating New World. Accordingly, an author may be called a christener of a particular subject matter just as Columbus who, upon discovery of an unknown continent, finally helped it exist by naming it America. Just as a conductor’s baton directs a violinist in an orchestra or a drummer’s dance, when a writer names something, he or she confers upon it both its existence and meaning. In classical Korean literature, two great literary pieces, The Tale of Ch'unhyang and The Tale of Shimchong, represent two prototypes to which modern Korean literature can be related. In the classical tale of Ch’unhyang, the important motif is none other than "encounter." Love sprouts from an encounter at the Kwanghan Pavilion in Namwon in the Southwestern Province of Cholla, between Yi Mong-nyong, son of the county magistrate, and Ch’unhyang, daughter of a retired kisaeng (a woman entertainer, similar to Japanese geisha). For them, their class... ...: Just as the moon is somewhere in the sky, even if it is sunken into the eastern mountain, my faith is constant in my heart. Just as the water is still in the pond, even if it is evaporated from the surface, my faith is constant. Saint Francis said the following: Flower petals fall, but the flowers never wither forever. Indeed, the author Hahn Moo-Sook has died and left us. However, just as the moon is still in the sky and the flowers come back every year, although flowers fall, she is still meeting us and she is living next to us through her work Encounter. The greatness of literature is none other than that. 1Encounter: A Novel of Nineteenth-Century Korea by Moo-Sook Hahn, Translated by Ok Young Kim Chang. Foreword by Don Baker. University of California Press, 1992. ISBN(s): Cloth-- 0520073800 Paper-- 0520073819

Mercury Drug Research Essay

Mercury Drug Corporation is the Philippines’ dominant pharmacy group. The Quezon City-based company operates a national chain of more than 450 drugstores, including company-owned and franchised stores. Mercury Drug is estimated to sell as much as 60 percent of all medicines sold each year in the Philippines (the country’s hospitals sell about 12 percent of medicines). Mercury Drug’s pharmacies follow the American model, combining drug and medical equipment sales with over-the-counter medicines, personal care items, basic household needs, cosmetics and other beauty products, and the like. Most of the company’s stores also are equipped to store and sell serums, blood plasma, albumin, and similar biologically active medical products. In addition to its drugstores, Mercury operates a chain of Mercury Drug Superstores. Generally attached to the company’s pharmacies, the Mercury Drug Superstores extend the group’s assortment to include convenience store and fast-food items. By the mid-2000s, Mercury Drug Corporation operated more than 150 Mercury Drug Superstores. Founded by Mariano Que, who first sold pills from a pushcart in the 1940s, Mercury Drug Corporation remains a privately held company. Leadership of the company also remains in the family: The company’s president is Mariano Que’s daughter, Vivian Que-Ascona. Mercury Drug is a subsidiary of the Mercury Group of Companies, which governs other Que family interests, including the 10*Q convenience store chain and the Tropical Hut fast-food group. In 2003, Mercury Drug’s revenues amounted to nearly PHP 43 billion ($8.8 billion). Founding a Filipino Pharmacy Giant in the 1940s Mariano Que started his career working in a Manila drugstore in prewar Philippines. There he came into contact with many medications, including the newly discovered class of sulfa drugs, including sulfathiazole. These new drugs, developed by German scientists in the early 1930s, were quickly hailed as new â€Å"miracle† drugs. Indeed, the sulfa drugs enabled the treatment of many illnesses, such as pneumonia, gonorrhea, and other bacterial infections, that previously had been difficult, if impossible, to treat. Despite the fact that the sulfa drugs later were shown to have a number of undesirable side effects (they formed deposits in the kidneys, and bacteria quickly became resistant), they were credited with saving millions of lives around the world through World War II. The end of the war and the liberation of the Philippines by U.S. forces brought new business opportunities in the country. During the occupation, supplies of medicines had become scarce, and the immediate postwar period saw a surge in demand for sulfa drugs, and sulfathiazole, considered by many to be a virtual cure-all. With most of the country’s businesses, including its pharmacies, destroyed during the war, much of the country’s trade shifted to its busy marketplaces. Mariano Que, inspired by the new entrepreneurial spirit, used his drugstore experience to launch his own business. At first, Que bought and sold medical vials and capsules. After he had generated sufficient savings, however, he took PHP 100 (worth about $1.50 at the time) and bought a bottle of sulfathiazole tablets. Que brought the sulfathiazole bottle to Manila’s busy Banbang market and sold the pills—in single doses. The method of selling, known as â€Å"Tingi-tingi,† became extremely popular in the poverty-stricken Philippines, bringing life-saving medications within financial reach of many more people than before. Que invested his profits in purchasing more pills, and before long he had generated enough revenue to buy a pushcart, which he filled with an expanding assortment of pharmaceuticals. The unregulated nature of the country’s drug market, especially its pharmaceutical black market, led to abuses by sellers, who sometimes peddled fake or dangerous formulations, or sold medications long out of date, often at extortionist prices. Que, however, built a reputation for the quality and freshness of his products, and also for the fairness of his prices. Before too long, he had built up a steady clientele, and in March 1945, Que opened his first store. Que named the Bambang-located store Mercury Drug, after the Roman god and bearer of the caduceus, the symbol of the medical profession. Branching Out in the 1970s Mercury Drug remained a one-store operation into the 1960s. In the meantime, Que continued to drive innovations in the Filipino pharmacy sector. In 1948, for example, Que began a drug delivery service, becoming the first to use motorized vehicles for swifter delivery times. In the 1950s, Que expanded his store hours, introducing a 17-hour-per-day, seven-days-per-week opening schedule. Part of the motivation behind the move came in recognition of a Filipino tendency to auto-medicate their illnesses. By remaining open  longer, Mercury Drug responded to its clients’ demands for increased access to pharmaceutical products. Launched in 1952, the new opening schedule was expanded to 24 hours per day in 1965. Mercury Drug began its drive to become the Philippines’ dominant drugstore group in the next decade. At the beginning of the 1960s, the company was contacted by the Ayala Corporation, which was building a shopping center in Makati. Ayala offered to lease space to Mercury, in order to include drugstore services at the center. Mercury agreed, and once again revealed its penchant for innovation, opening the country’s first self-service pharmacy in 1963. Two years later, Mercury opened its third drugstore, in Quiapo, which became the company’s flagship and set the model for its further development. In 1967, the company opened a centralized warehouse to serve its growing store chain, introducing computer-guided temperature controls to safeguard its products. Then, in 1969, the company became the first to introduce biological refrigerators in its stores. This permitted the company to assure the quality of its life-saving medicines. Mercury Drug began building out its n etwork of drugstores, staying close to the Manila market for much of the early 1970s. The company also began branching out beyond pharmaceutical sales. A significant early purchase was that of Medical Center Drug Corporation (MCDC). Founded in 1946, MCDC focused on sales of pharmaceutical supplies, equipment, and basic surgical instruments. The purchase of MCDC, complementary to its existing drugstore business, led Mercury Drug to change its structure. In 1972, Que created the Mercury Group of Companies, Inc., which in turn oversaw Mercury Drug and MCDC. Both companies remained independent of the other; in 1980, MCDC changed its name, to Medical Center Trading Corporation (MCTC), in order to highlight its difference from Mercury Drug. MCTC then grew into the Philippines’ leading importer and distributor of medical, hospital, laboratory, and related equipment, with branches throughout the Metro Manila and surrounding region. MCTC was not the only venture by Que (who was joined by daughter Vivian Que-Ascona, later president of Mercury Drug) to expand beyond his drugstore empire. The introduction of the convenience store concept in the Philippines in the early 1980s represented both a new source of competition for Mercury Drug and a new opportunity. Mercury developed its own convenience format in response to the growth of competitors such as 7-11. Typically located next to its drugstores, the Mercury Drug Superstores expanded the company’s range of goods beyond drugs and into wider consumer categories, such as beauty and personal care products, fast-foods, and the like. Separately, the Que family added other interests, including the Q*10 convenience store format and the Tropical Hut fast-food restaurant chain. Nonetheless, Mercury Drug Corporation remained the focus of the family’s holdings. â€Å"Oligopoly† in the New Century Mercury Drug, meanwhile, continued to grow strongly. In 1976, the company expanded beyond the Metro Manila market for the first time, and over the next decades added locations in the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regions of the Philippines as well. Supporting this network was the implementation of a fully computerized warehousing, inventory, and order processing system, installed in 1985. Mercury Drug’s growth was impressive: By 1995, the company operated more than 270 stores. Less than ten years later, Mercury had expanded its number of branches to more than 450, giving it a near monopoly grip on the country’s drug sales. By 2004, Mercury controlled as much as 60 percent of all drug sales in the Philippines. Ironically, Mercury’s dominant position led the group, which had achieved its early growth based on its low prices, to be criticized for what many considered as its restrictively high prices. Indeed, as some critics pointed out, similar drugs could be purchased in India and other markets for as much as one-third the price Mercury Drug charged. In the early 2000s, the government began taking action to force the Philippines’ drug industry, including Mercury Drug, to lower prices on many life-saving medicines. As part of that effort, the country’s Trade and Industry and Health departments began encouraging the parallel importation of pharmaceutical generics from India, which had earned worldwide recognition for the quality of its generic equivalents. Company Perspectives: The company’s mission is continuously be the leading, trusted and caring drugstore. In 2004, the government stepped up its pressure. In September of the year, the government passed legislation expanding drug discounts for the country’s senior citizens. The country’s smaller independent drugstore owners protested the decision, in part because it was expected to serve only to increase Mercury’s dominance over the market—as the country’s largest retailer of pharmaceutical products, Mercury was easily able to negotiate discounted prices from its supplies. Also in that year, President Arroyo established the lowering of drug prices as one of the government’s priorities. In December 2004, the Filipino government announced a new plan to break what some were calling Mercury’s â€Å"oligopoly† on the country’s retail market. The Philippine International Trading Corp. (PICT), owned and run by the Filipino government, announced its intention to organize up to 300 of the country’s independent pharmacies into a new network of privately owned and operated drugstores, dubbed â€Å"Botika ng Bayan.† The new network would then sell drugs, sourced by PICT directly from drug companies, at prices as much as six times less expensive than â€Å"market†Ã¢â‚¬â€i.e., Mercury’s—rates. Despite these pressures, Mercury Drug Corporation remained a fixture on the Philippines pharmacy market. The company also remained one of the Philippines’ largest corporations, ranking in eighth place among the country’s largest corporations and third place among the corporations in the high-quality services/products br acket. Mercury Drug appeared to have discovered its own â€Å"miracle drug† for success. Principal Subsidiaries Mercury Drug Superstore. Principal Competitors Caltex; I-Mart International Corporation; Phils. Corporation; Easy Mart; Petron Corporation; Philippine Seven Corporation; Robinsons Convenience Store Inc.; Seaoil Philippines Inc.; Shell Philippines Inc.; Philippines Corporation. How did Mercury Drug Started? From its humble beginnings, Mercury Drug has gone beyond expectations. Shortly after the liberation of Manila from Japanese occupation, Mariano Que, realizing the need of the people for medicines, bought with his hard earned savings of P100 a bottle of 1000 tablets of Sulfathiazole and sold it â€Å"patingi-tingi† for P1.00 per tablet in the sidewalks of Bambang, Manila. Sulfathiazole is a wonder drug that cures all during that time. From pushcart – peddling and with his previous working experience in a drugstore before the war, he eventually opened his first small drugstore in Bambang Street. Mercury Drug has today grown into a vast network of over 700 company-owned and franchised stores nationwide. Mercury Drug Stores Success Mercury Drug believes that it owes its success to the millions of customers who have trusted and patronized the drugstore chain all throughout these years. Its feat could also not have been possible without its pool of professional and dedicated staff numbering close to 9,000 today. As a way of giving back to the people, Mercury Drug vows to bring quality, safe and affordable health-enhancing and life-saving medicines closer to the public. In the first place, it is what the name Mercury Drug stands for. In Roman mythology, Mercury is known as the god of commerce and manual skill. Being the messenger of gods, Mercury needed a winged feet for his swift flights. Mercury Drug remains committed to its name as seen on its corporate philosophy of total and speedy customer service: â€Å"To serve you, to have what you want, when you want it.† Aside from bringing its chain of stores closer to the homes of the people, Mercury Drug has constantly endeavored to reach the hearts of the customers. To achieve this, Mercury Drug has taken pride in the introduction of many firsts in the drug retailing business —all in an effort to satisfy, please and further serve the people. Mercury Drug Innovations In 1945, it opened a drugstore and one of its innovations is to sell â€Å"tingi-tingi† or piece by piece to those who could not afford to buy a whole bottle of medicine. Realizing that not everyone could go to the drugstore, Mercury Drug introduced the first motorized customer delivery service in 1948. Four years later, it commenced the 17-hour, 7 days a week drugstore service; in 1963, the country’s first self-service drugstore; in 1965, the 24-hour, 7 days a week service; in 1967, the first computerized temperature-controlled central warehouse; in 1969, the first drugstore chain to use biological refrigerators to preserve life-saving medicines and in 1976, the first drugstore chain to expand throughout Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Mercury Drug believes that quality and life-saving medicines made affordable and accessible are as important today as it was then. Now more than ever, it is committed to introducing enhanced services to better serve the customers farther and wider, whoever and wherever they may be. For instance, Mercury Drug makes certain the availability of less common but life-saving medical products such as serum, blood plasma, albumin and the like that are stored in a Bio-refrigerator. This would require Mercury Drug to invest on modern technology and to continuously upgrade its facilities in its head office, stores and distribution centers. Aside from pharmaceutical products, it now carries basic household necessities such as food, health and personal care products and others for the buying convenience of its customers. It has also incorporated value added facilities and services in many of its drugstores. More and more branches are open on a 24-hour service all days of the week. Aside from cons istently complying with the 20% discounts to senior citizens, Mercury Drug has also launched its †Suki† card, a customer program as a way of expressing gratitude to its loyal customers. As a drugstore with a heart, Mercury Drug has been conducting â€Å"Operation Bigay Lunas† every March 1, on their anniversary day together with its business associates. For the past decade, this annual and all-day free clinic catering to the less-privileged provides medical consultations and free medicines to indigent patients in selected cities and municipalities nationwide. This year alone, it served more than 130,000 beneficiaries in around 63 cities and municipalities. In 2002, Mercury Drug, in partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), has launched a program that has been helping rural and urban marginalized communities nationwide to have access to potable water system within their communities through the Artesian Well Project. The installation of this potable water system helped improved the quality of life of the beneficiaries by promoting better health and sanitation practices. Mercury Drug Perspectives and its Struggles with the Philippine Government In 2004, the government stepped up its pressure. In September of the year, the government passed legislation expanding drug discounts for the country’s senior citizens. The country’s smaller independent drugstore owners protested the decision, in part because it was expected to serve only to increase Mercury’s dominance over the market—as the country’s largest retailer of pharmaceutical products, Mercury was easily able to negotiate discounted prices from its supplies. Also in that year, President Arroyo established the lowering of drug prices as one of the government’s priorities. In December 2004, the Filipino government announced a new plan to break what some were calling Mercury’s â€Å"oligopoly† on the country’s retail market. The Philippine International Trading Corp. (PICT), owned and run by the Filipino government, announced its intention to organize up to 300 of the country’s independent pharmacies into a new network of privately owned and operated drugstores, dubbed â€Å"Botika ng Bayan.† The new network would then sell drugs, sourced by PICT directly from drug companies, at prices as much as six times less expensive than â€Å"market†Ã¢â‚¬â€i.e., Mercury’s—rates. Despite these pressures, Mercury Drug Corporation remained a fixture on the Philippines pharmacy market. The company also remained one of the Philippines’ largest corporations, ranking in eighth place among the country’s largest corporations and third place among the corporations in the high-quality services/products bracket. Mercury Drug appeared to have discovered its own â€Å"miracle drug† for success. Mercury Drug Mission Statement â€Å"Continuously be the leading, trusted and caring drugstore.† In the years to come, Mercury Drug will keep on looking for opportunities to further enable customers to have more access to quality, safe and life-saving medicines, thus enabling them to have more meaningful, healthier and longer lives. It will always pursue its commitment to better and further serve its customers whose trust and loyal patronage has allowed Mercury Drug to be of continued service to the nation. Mercury Drug Official Website: https://www.mercurydrug.com Mercury Drugstore| â€Å"This drugstore as I believe have also started as a small pharmacy and they grew to be a big chain of drugstores†inquire| â€Å"I like the idea of what they have presented to their clients and customers, you can have this Suki Card and earn points as you purchase in the mercury drugstores†inquire| â€Å"The best thing about mercury drugstores is that there are branches, usually near residential areas that have extended operating hours†inquire| â€Å"Mercury drugstore branches are also strategically placed in some shopping malls that is convenient for customers†inquire| | | | People in the Philippines, especially those who live in the urban areas are very much exposed to the drugstores called Mercury Drug. This is a local drugstorechain in the country that has quite a number of branches throughout the country. This drugstore as I believe have also started as a small pharmacy and they grew to be a big chain of drugstores. I like the idea of what they have presented to their clients and customers, you can  have this Suki Card and earn points as you purchase in the mercury drugstores; these points are then converted to cash to be used for your succeeding purchases. Known for having the most complete varieties of medicines, even those that are not very common, mercury drug sure has made their way to the top of the pharmaceutical industry as a retailer. Just a few years back, they have also put up some retail products sold in their bigger shops which is also good, since you can use your membership card with supermarket items like household products, or bread s, and chips. The best thing about mercury drugstores is that there are branches, usually near residential areas that have extended operating hours. This helps a lot to those families who will have emergencies and would need to buy medicines during these hours. They open early too, for those who will be going to the office, so they can purchase what they need first prior to their work time. Mercury drugstore branches are also strategically placed in some shopping malls that is convenient for customers; not only that, aside from the usual medicine, and healthcare products, Mercury Drug also are selling some medical equipments common to hospital patients and practitioners. The first Mercury Drug drive-thru The company began in 1945 with a single store. Today, Mercury Drug has more than 700 stores. Even with a wide lead over competitors, Mercury Drug still aspires to reinvent itself. I happen to pass by Madison St. in San Juan Greenhills and was surprised to see a Mercury with a drive-thru. Terms of UseCLOSE Please read this agreement carefully before accessing or using this site and its mobile applications. By accessing or using this site, you agree to be bound by this agreement. The information and services on this site are provided by Mercury Drug and its suppliers, subject to your agreement to the terms and conditions below. Use of Information and Services. The information (including without limitation advice and recommendations) and services on the site are intended solely as a general educational aid and are neither medical nor health care advice for any individual problem nor a  substitute for medical or other professional advice and services from a qualified health care provider familiar with your unique facts. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider on any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and prior to starting any new treatment. Nothing contained in this site is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. 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You can also use our web site, without disclosing your identity and without revealing any personally identifiable information, to learn more about Mercury Drug Corporation including but not limited to our products and services, promotions, company updates, special product offers and customer feedback. The personal information you provide when using the Mercury Drug web site such as your name, password, age, civil status, gender, mailing address, email address, telephone number, mobile number, Suki Card number, credit card information and other personal details are necessary information to allow you to use certain features and tools in our web site and for us to respond individually to your queries, provide  your required service, inform you of special product offers, process your order, conduct surveys or administer contests, if any. Disclosure of information All your personal information is not shared with or sold to any other third party entity or individual. We will not share or intentionally disclose your personal information other than to you, Mercury Drug Corporation, its subsidiaries and affiliates, your authorized representative(s) and agents, including medical professionals and our agents who are engaged or hired to perform functions on our behalf. These functions may include sending postal mails and e-mails, delivering packages, fulfilling orders, analysing information or processing payments. Our agents will not use your personal information for any purpose other than in performing their legitimate functions for Mercury Drug. By way of exception, we may share information about you with a third party whenever mandated or compelled by law, judicial proceeding or valid legal process (i.e. court warrants or subpoenas) , or to prevent harm or injury (such as product recalls or other circumstances). Links to Other Sites Mercury Drug’s web site may have links to other sites. 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What is an Interest Group?

An interest group (also referred to as advocacy groups) is an organization organized by a special set of people with specific skills to lobby for or against a specific interest to benefit their cause. They usually lobby for one or more shared concerns to manipulate public policy and opinion especially in the U. S. Congress to benefit their cause, supporters, or one segment of society. They include a vast array of organizations such as: charitable organizations, civil right groups, corporations, professional and trade organizations, etc. Their main goal is to publicly or discreetly promoting and creating an advantage for its cause. Different types of Interest Groups There are a variety of interest groups such as business/trade organization, agricultural groups, professional groups, labor groups, promote causes groups, promote the welfare groups, religious groups and last but definitely not leads public interest groups. A business/trade organization is created by merchants, business personal’s or owner’s and commercial organizations to represent both small and large business groups. An ideal example of these groups are the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, American Bankers Association, National Association of Manufacturers or N. A. M. (www. srvhs. org. Aug 26th, 2012). The sole objective of an agricultural group is to sort and look after the interest of farmers and farming policy. They represent a variety of farmers in the agricultural sector in the work force who specialize in diary, grain, fruit, livestock etc. Anything pertaining to farming and their specialized products. Arguable the most known agricu ltural groups are the National Farmers Union, The National Grange, and the National Farmers Bureau. Professional groups are classified as occupations that require extensive training through a certificate or higher education such as education, medicine and law. They are created to promote and protect their member’s occupational interests and safety. Examples include The American Medical Association or AMA, The American Bar Associate (ABA) , and The National Education Association (NEA). One of the well known interest groups is labor unions. It is an organization of workers who share the same type of jobs or work in the same industry. (www. srvhs. org. Aug 26th, 2012). They press the government to formulate policies that will be beneficial to their members. The largest and most well known labor union is the AFL-CIO (The American Federation of Labor Congress of Industrial Organizations). Organized labor unions usually advocate with one voice on issues ranging from welfare to Social Security, employment and wages, etc. Promote causes groups are a large number of groups that either promote or advocate against a specific their members demand to be voiced upon. Examples include and not excluding the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), The National Right-to-Life Committee, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), Planned Parent and the National Rifle Association (NRA). Promote the welfare groups are defined as interest groups seeking promote interest of a certain segment of the population and its welfare like minority groups. They include the American Legion, Vetarens of Foreign Wars, American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Religious groups are interest that try to persuade policy in the favor of religious matters. Examples include the National Council of Churches, the Christian Coalition, the National Catholic Welfare Council, the American Jewish Congress, and the Anti-Defamation League.

Monitoring Internet Communication

The Internet has for many become a symbol of freedom – freedom of communication, human interaction, and flow of information. People all over the world can with ease submit their ideas and feelings to this virtual medium and retrieve from it the equally free ideas of other people. However, some claim that Internet communication does not have to be as free as it is. Instead, it needs to be monitored to prevent its usage as a medium for terrorist organisations, drug dealers, fraudsters, and other criminal or unlawful groupings. Others point out that Internet is virtually the only way for people with oppressive regimes to access information that will present them with an objective picture of the outside world. While there are reasons for both points, free speech should take precedence in democratic nations, and therefore Internet monitoring is a harmful practice. Such monitoring is in fact a violation of free speech, one of the inalienable human rights. Generations of thinkers and revolutionaries lost their lives for the triumph of democracy that is only possible with free speech as one of its cornerstones. If the American journalists, for instance, had been deprived of the right to criticise Presidents, senators, congressmen, and other political leaders, it is hard to imagine what the nation would have turned into. Constant monitoring of political leaders is what gives the nation a chance to remain democratic. On the other hand, nations like China are banning certain websites to blind their citizens to what is going on in the rest of the world. This shows that freedom of speech is a hallmark of a democratic nation, and monitoring Internet communication violates these rights. Giving an individual person the right to know constitutes the respect of the autonomy of an individual. A human being has the right to access information pertaining to different spheres of life and should not be restricted in this ability by the opinion of the few. Since, if Internet communication is to be monitored to ban, for instance, pornographic material, the question arises: who will be the people that will decide what is pornography and what is not? The Ancient Greek statues could easily be termed inappropriate by some medieval priest. Putting access to information at the judgement of a few obscure individuals will make these people make decisions for all, and there is no guarantee that their judgement will help society make better choices. A popular objection that without monitoring Internet content someone â€Å"might unknowingly visit a Web site with this material and cause him- or herself mental harm† does not seem valid either (Garlock, 1999). The problem is that Internet is like life in the sense that it encompasses a great deal of its variety and glory. You cannot shield yourself from harmful influences in life any more than you can on the Internet. If someone is disgusted, for instance, by the site of the sick and the crippled, no one will remove them from streets just to please the person. Similarly, the Internet has to contain images and information about the outside world that reflects its diversity. Therefore, no one can isolate oneself from harmful influence on the Internet since they reflect real life. Thus, monitoring Internet communication is hardly a valid idea. In the political realm, it will lead to restriction of freedom that can bring about the emergence of un-democratic regimes oppressing ill-informed citizens. On the other hand, giving people a free medium is one of the ways to save them from the state’s propaganda machine by letting them see alternative viewpoints. Monitoring is also a bad idea because it will put the individual at the mercy of a select group that will perform the monitoring in accordance with their own ideas and perceptions. Finally, the idea of using Internet as a means of protecting people from undesirable content does not hold simply because no one can hide in a ‘hole’ from real life. The only option is to go to sites that you yourself think proper for you and avoid troublesome content. With respect to others, one can paraphrase Voltaire’s words: â€Å"I disapprove of what you post, but I will defend to the death your right to place it online†. References Garlock, A. (1999). Internet Censorship. Retrieved April 25, 2006 Wollstein, J. Freedom of Speech Under Siege. Retrieved April 25, 2006, from http://www.serendipity.li/cda/freespee.html