Men in Black: Dem Aliens

“Men in Black”, a 1997 film about a secret organization to help protect the planet from aliens, was a very advanced movie both in special effects, and in content.  Many views of the movie have been established, and although the majority of them are positive, some extremists believe the portrayal of aliens in this movie create ethical issues. I however believe that the movie shows no signs of ethical dilemma and does not portray aliens in a negative light. Any mentions that the movie is unethical is most likely rooted from over-analyzing.

This secret organization was founded in the 1950’s after the first arrival of aliens on planet earth, however only few were told of it. Originally the Men in Black consisted of nine people. Tommy Lee Jones acts as Kay, one of the original nine to see the aliens. He was also the only one that was not working for the government at the time. He vowed to give up his life to help deal with the situation at hand. Will Smith, acting as an NYPD officer named James, will eventually become Jay, a replacement for Kay.

Aliens in this movie are not portrayed negatively. The only reason they are being held separately from the rest of the world is that they are visitors to this planet, and knowledge of their existence could seriously disrupt everyday life. They are being treated extremely ethically aside from limiting their traveling ranges. Most of the restrictions on the aliens are only security measures to prevent harm done to the civilians. The setup to bring aliens in the country is very similar to the immigration and visa process instituted internationally. They are brought in, checked for food and drugs, and then screened through. These checks are clearly routine methods that are used not as discrimination, but more as protection. Although it seems like having restricted range is a negative, they are contained to New York City which is hardly a constraint at all. Of the notable aliens, the majority are beneficial to our everyday life, working behind the scenes at a pawn shop or some other place. However, some well-known aliens include Sylvester Stallone, Newt Gengrich, and Dennis Rodman. Only the “bugs” are detrimental to the life of the average human.  “Bugs” have a belief that they are the most important and a superior being in the universe and it is their duty to control the rest of the universe. Saying that bugs are the negative portrayal is very similar to asserting that the world we live in is a utopia devoid of any groups that believe they are superior.

The plot is completely revealed about halfway through the movie, when it comes to light that there is a galaxy that has been held here on earth. When first hearing of a galaxy they are very dumbfound, but they eventually realize that there is a little crystal ball that contains a galaxy within it. An alien “bug” is trying to obtain the galaxy in order to use it as an almost infinite energy source. With the help of other aliens, they are able to stop him from escaping earth by first taking his spacecraft, and then destroying the second one he attempts to flee in.

The ethical issues brought up in this movie are very limited, if they are even existent. If an alien race were to exist that would cause problems if the public was to learn about them, then this is possibly how they would be treated. As aliens, they have rights and are treated normally when they enter the earth. In fact, they generally come to Earth as a vacation. This clearly means that the conditions they face on earth are favorable and in no way are detrimental to their way of life. It is almost a safe haven for them. They can visit the earth to get away from the constant harassment of problems on primarily alien planets. Also, their firepower can outmatch ours to the point where they could destroy our planet as a whole from one of their space crafts. The only thing stopping that was the return of this coveted galaxy.

In the end, although some of the restrictions on aliens seem harsh, the overall freedom they are given based on the fact that their existence must stay a secret is very substantial. They are able to walk around with the freedom of any other human so long as they disguise themselves as a human. They can own businesses, become actors, and pursue their dreams, or use the earth as a temporary hiding place. Regardless, although concerns and critics may say this movie portrays aliens negatively, I believe that it does the opposite. They are important, but are also only kept secret and restricted to protect the rest of the human race.

Works Cited

Berardinelli, James. "Review: Men In Black." Reelviews Movie Reviews. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 July 2011. <http://www.reelviews.net/movies/m/mib.html>.

Men in Black. Dir. Barry Sonnenfield. Perf. Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones. Columbia Pictures, 1997. DVD.

The Chinese Dragon

Karan Daftary's Photo [2]

Out of all existent and mythical creatures in Asian history, the dragon was the most important and the creature with the most misinterpretations. Unlike European dragons, Chinese dragons are considered beneficial, lucky, and are assumed to hold auspicious powers over climate. I believe that the dragon draws the line between fantasy and science. The dragon was only a means of describing what science could not describe at the time. As like many other religions, there is a singular source or person that controls the universe and the inner-workings of that universe. In the case of Chinese history, the dragon took that role. They are said to breathe clouds, move seasons, and control the water of rivers, lakes, and seas. [1] They are linked with yang, the masculine principle of heat, light and action, and opposed to yin, the feminine principle of coolness, darkness, and repose. They also represent power, strength, and good luck. Dragons are said to be in the deep waters in winter and to rise to the heavens from those waters in spring. [4] These dragons are often shown to possess a “Precious Pearl” which can symbolize worldly occurrences such as thunder, or be a philosophical sign linked with ideas of the ever-changing. In historic times, the Chinese dynasties would refer to their emperor as the True Dragon. The first occurrence of this was with Zhu Yuanzhang, the founder of the Ming dynasty. In most portraits or paintings of Zhu, he is show to be wearing a dragon robe to symbolize his significance and his divine and omnipotent rule.  The dragon can also be a symbol of fertility and good fortune if represented amongst clouds. In essence, the dragon is one of the most important mythical creatures and has thoroughly influenced Chinese history. Dragons, like God, was responsible for all of the things that science at that time could not describe. Regardless of the true existence of such a being, there is still a fine line between science and religion. The same line can be even further defined when describing the dragons’ effects on science and fantasy. In a show called Dragon Ball, there exists a very notable dragon named Shenlong. He can be summoned if all seven of the dragon balls are united. Once summoned, he has the power to grant three wishes. Each of these wishes can also be something as serious as returning someone to life. [3] In a case like this, the dragon is clearly proven as fictitious. Clearly nothing has the ability to bring people back to life. Since science cannot support such an event, Akira Toriyama was easily able to turn to fantasy to include these events in his show. Most references to dragons nowadays are references to the Chinese industrial market, or to cultural events. For example, the dragon dance is part of festivals. These are performed as a tradition linked with the Lunar New Year. In Chinese communities all over the world, performers celebrate the season by parading through the streets moving a brightly colored dragon made of bamboo, cloth, and paper. This is the only lasting remnant of Chinese culture and tradition that even loosely implies the true existence of dragons. [4] Overall, I want to stress that dragons help clearly define the line between science and fantasy by assuming the role of fantasy when science cannot support certain events.

Works Cited

1. "Chinese dragon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., 7 June 2011. Web. 9 June 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Dragon>.

2. Daftary, Karan. Shenlong. 2011. Photograph. Fernbank Museum of Natural History's Mythich Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns and Mermaids, Atlanta, GA.

3. Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama, Akira. Fuji Television. 1986. Television.

4. Visser, Marinus Willem de. The dragon in China and Japan  . Amsterdam: J. Müller, 1913. Print.

Subway Runner

It had been a long year. Georgia Tech was everything it lived up to and more, but all good things must come to an end. It was time to get up and catch my 7AM flight back to Pittsburgh. I rolled out of bed, half asleep. Got my clothes, my shoes, my bags, and I left my room for the last time. Normally the fresh morning air would wake me up, but at 5AM in the coldest may you've experienced doesn't really do the trick. Luckily, the North Ave MARTA Station was only a few blocks away. As a very paranoid person, I power-walked my way to the station to avoid any confrontations. Everything was going fine. I was just going through the routine of getting to the airport. I added a trip to my breeze card, scanned myself through the gates, went down the escalator and waited for the train to come. Unfortunately, I had just missed the 5:00 train, so it would be quite a while till the next one. I was hoping there was someone else who could share my anger but I was alone. I hadn’t seen another person around since I had left my dorm save a few homeless people sitting outside the BP gas station. My impatience started to surface after the first 10 minutes, so I decided to pace back and forth to ease some of my frustration. After five or six more minutes I finally heard the train approach. I was relieved to finally continue on my way to the airport. I peeked over the tracks looking down the long tunnel for the train and saw its lights peering through the darkness. In a few moments the train would be here, so I turned to grab my bags from the bench behind me, but I tripped. I was in trouble. I watched as the train rapidly approached. The farther I fell, the closer it came. This was it, my life was over. 20 yards. I just wished there was something I could do. I was not ready to go yet. 15 yards. I had so many things I wanted to do with my life but I would never get to do. My bucket list would be left undone. 10 yards. Suddenly, I felt something pulling me back, almost like someone had grabbed my outstretched hand as I was falling. It pulled me back up to the edge, back to safety. The train flew by a few inches from my face. I was alive, someone had saved me. I could live to see another day. I immediately turned to thank the person who had just saved my life. But when I turned to look, no one was there. I was still alone. The whole platform was empty. I called out, but no answer. What had saved me? What had pulled me back in? Who was I supposed to thank for saving my life? Still to this day, I wonder what was responsible for 
that event.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9JcX2X7XnM