Television and Film

The entertainment and informational roles that the cinema and television industries have played over the years have had a significant beneficial and harmful impact on society. For instance, some TV series have frequently received praise for their impact on kids, teens, and families, while others have received a great deal of criticism. The Wolf of Wall Street and Mad Men stand out as recent examples of movies and TV shows, respectively, whose plots mimic actual events in the financial sector. Both focus on unethical business practices by greedy individuals with the aim of generating profits and the poor treatment that is directed towards the women. Women are used as sex tools in the film, and this emphasizes male superiority and dominance. One lesson, however, that is common to the film and the TV series is that diversification of competence and maintaining a loyal team plays a critical role in promoting a business’ success rates.

Thesis statement

TV and film industries have over the years depicted misogyny and inappropriate behavior fueled by high-class citizens and powerful men to be acceptable. Apparently, the notion has spilled off the screen to the real world, and this is evidenced by the impact they have on the masses. Both industries have a large influence on people and how they act, but TV shows have allowed for more character development and show the possible consequences of these men’s actions—if any. The film has limited character development, and in the case of The Wolf of Wall Street, viewers see little to no repercussions of the behavior exhibited by men in the film.

Discussion

Summary of the TV series and film

The film The Wolf of the Wall Street is a story of Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker whose life changes from an innocent boy to a rich millionaire. He is a womanizer that engages in drug abuse, sex, and leads an extravagant life. On several occasions, he would motivate his loyal team members to defraud investors with several duplicitous stock sales and in the process make a lot of profits. At the end of the film, his luxurious life comes to a halt when he is arrested and convicted for his involvement in money launders and fraud (Scorsese Web). The film premiered in 2013 and received a lot of positive reviews around the world.

The Mad Men is a TV series that focuses on the Madison Avenue, particularly on the Sterling Cooper Company. The man at the heart of the story is Donald Dapper, the mastermind, and creator of the firm. In the increasingly competitive market, Dapper and his team come up with unethical business practices to survive. The series portrayed the men as pursuant to selfish interests and people that disregard the women (Weiner Web). It is marred by instances of infidelity and adultery, a depiction of the societal rot. The series first premiered in 2007, and the concluding episode aired in 2015.

Analysis of the TV series and the film

TV and Film industries have made a section of the global population have the notion that with a lack of business ethics and more so promoted by men, an organization can still enjoy sustainability in the market. However, this is not true since ethics form a foundation of any company. In both the TV series and the film, men take advantage of their success in promoting all the unethical enterprise practices. Firms are supposed to ensure that they are guided by an ethical code of conduct and values failure to which they may be subjected to penalties by the watchdogs and regulators. In both The Wolf of Wall Street and Mad Men, the audiences are made to believe that a company can make high profits without embracing business ethics.

According to The Wolf of Wall Street, the American dream is not for the middle-class population to have their kids going to college but to use any means, regardless of their consequences, in becoming super rich. Jordan Belfort, in the film, initially lacks resources and education but through unorthodox means, he gains immense wealth and success. He got to the top, and his life was suddenly extravagant; yachts, traveling, supermodels, drugs, and partying—all of which looked like it was accomplished with ease by out smarting the system. The ideology is supported by the Mad Men TV series where advertising firm that is run by men uses various unlawful practices with the aim of increasing its productivity. Just like the film, the TV series provides the audience with the notion that making it in life is only characterized by leading high-end lifestyles and disregarding all the business ethics and regulations as long as an organization generates improved sales and maximizes profitability.

In both the film and the television series, men take advantage of their power to disregard the women. When they premiered, cases of wealthy men in power mistreating and sexually assaulting women were on the rise around the world. Gender inequality is a social issue that affects several communities around the world (Kafarowski 54). Mad Men, for instance, presents a subculture where men, either married or not, frequently engage in sexual relationships. They are hardly fazed by the pain that their wives have to face on the realization that the husbands are cheats. Most of the naive women are sexually taken advantage of by the powerful men because they believe that they will gain a share of their success. The series tries to inform the audience, especially ladies, that power mostly comes from the powerful men, a notion that is false. Wild orgies and heavy sex are also portrayed in The Wolf of Wall Street. As part of the company’s celebrations for the profits realized, Jordan Belfort and his team are involved in sexual pleasures. Women hardly hold top positions in the organization but are marked as sex tools. At the helm and pinnacle of success, Belford, a womanizer, sexually exploits women and is a perfect example of a character that disregards the female gender (Scorsese Web). In both the TV series and the film, those men that are not a part of the team that disrespects the women and only consider them as tools for sexual pleasures are viewed as not being normal. They depict to the public that as long as a man is powerful, he is free to disregard women and exploit them anytime. Roman Abramovich’s ex-wife, Irina, is an example of a woman that was married to a rich man but was subjected to a lot of mistreatment. She filed for a divorce in 2013 and was awarded 150 million pounds. However, neither The Wolf of Wall Street nor Mad Men criticizes the improper conduct by the men in portraying the women as inferior beings whose primary role is to satisfy them sexually.

Men in both Mad Men TV series and The Wolf of Wall Street abuse their power by engaging in substance abuse. They believe that the success that they enjoy grants them the freedom to do anything whether legal or illegal. In the film, when Jordan Belfort acquires riches, his life is influenced by persons such as Mark Hanna, Danny Porush, and Nadine Belfort that resorted to narcotics due to pressures from the stocks. He is introduced to cocaine by his mentor Mark Hanna but later realizes that cocaine alone hardly satisfies his cravings. He, at some point, boasted that he uses more than seven drugs in a day including morphine, Adderall to boost his concentration, Xanax with the aim of taking the edge off, and Quaaludes to relieve his back pains (Scorsese Web). Apparently, the film shows that as one amasses wealth, so does his desire to break rules increase. The men are depicted as the key players in business success and at the same time persons whose lives are defined by drug abuse. This is supported by the Mad Men in various ways. In season 2 of the series, Freddy Rumsen, the advertising executive, is sent to rehab due to his excessive alcohol abuse, and he even urinates on himself (Weiner Web). Don Draper also has a serious drinking problem that interferes with his performance. Despite the fact that some of these men hold executive positions, they are involved in substance abuse and excessive use of alcohol. Both the film and the TV series are a reflection of some of those things that happen in the everyday lives of some of the powerful men across the globe. It is evident to the audience that with power comes a sense of irresponsibility and the failure to uphold the rule of law, thus the reason for their involvement in drug abuse.

Abuse of power may lead to the acquisition of wealth but may also lead an individual into the hands of the criminal and justice system. The men in both the film and the TV series are guided by their greed in engaging in unethical business practices and fraud. However, at the end of the tales, their high-end lifestyles reach a grinding halt in various ways. In the film The Wolf of Wall Street, men are the leaders of most business operations on Wall Street, and among them is Jordan Belfort. As a stock swindler, he uses all the fraudulent means to rise to success, including defrauding investors (Scorsese Web). He is also involved in money laundering, and this makes it easy for him to lead a wealthy life dotted with drug abuse. At the end of the debauchery tale, he is arrested and convicted for money laundering and defrauding investors. He is sentenced to an eighteen-month prison term. In the TV Series Mad Men, a similar ideology is portrayed, revealing that in as much as men lead good lifestyles, break set laws of the land, and disrespect women, they end up leading miserable lives. Don, for instance, is an executive at an advertising company but excessively consumes alcohol, he is engaged in uncouth business behavior, and has a long history of infidelity (Weiner Web). At the end of the series, he is forced to escape from his dysfunctional family and also faces a lot of friction from the colleagues at the workplace who aim at his ouster. Both the film and the TV show show that in as much as men may engage in the breakage of set rules and regulations and a lack of respect for women, things may end up not being rosy, especially when marriages fail or when they are arrested and convicted.

It should, however, be noted that, in as much as men are termed as drivers of inappropriate behavior, both the film and TV show reveal that they are bright and determined. The success of any business is dependent on the strategies that are put in place. Men are involved in the creation of core values that are essential in the running of the companies (Merino 89). The aspect of teamwork and the creation of expectations among the workers is critical in enhancing organizational performance. This is evident in The Wolf of Wall Street and the first three seasons of Mad Men. Don Draper and Jordan Belfort are depicted as two genius minds that play a critical role in ensuring that their companies beat the market competition and enjoy improved profitability. In the later episodes of the TV show, however, wrangles erupt with persons competing for leadership positions.

Conclusion

From the above argument, it is evident that men who hold a lot of power tend to lead high-end lives that are marred by disregarding women and the failure to comply with the laws of the land. Both the film and TV series show that such ill conduct that comes along with success ends up having devastating effects on the lives of men and the society in general.

Work Cited

Kafarowski, Joanna. Gender, Culture, And Northern Fisheries. Edmonton: CCI Press, 2009. Print.

Merino, Nol︠. Gender Roles. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Greenhaven Press, 2014. Print.

Scorsese, Martin. The Wolf Of Wall Street. United States: N.p., 2013. film.

Weiner, Matthew. Mad Men. United States: N.p., 2009. TV Series.