Audience Studies in Media

Audience Studies in Media The study of the audience has been very important in the media studies, since the power of the media in relation to the media audience could form how the society would work, what the public opinion would be and what political ideals would dominate. That is why the relationship of the audience and the media has been studies by scholars and academics since a very long time ago, leading to many theories about the subject to be developed and to a certain debate between the conceptualizations of the media audience. This essays aims to give a brief explanation of what the audience is, why it should be studied and then critically compare two conceptualisations of the media audience, the passive and the active one. The comparing will be done by presenting each theory’s main thesis and comparing them by analysing specific studies and approaches that were conducted to support each theory. Any group of people who are gathered in the same place and act as observers or spectators of something are considered an audience (Media and Communications course, Lecture 6: Media Audiences/lecture slides). Audience has existed since ancient times, particularly in Ancient Greece where people gathered in town centres to discuss about community problems. What we nowadays refer to as a media audience has been developed through the years as a result of industrialization, technological developments and several changes in people’s everyday lives. When people started to massively move from villages to industrialised cities, a mass society began to develop so it also became important that this new form of audience had to be studied in relation to the media of its time. What influence the media had on the audience, how the audience used the media in their everyday lives and how the media industry could attract more audience for their own profit (Williams,2003, McCullagh,2002) The main views on the mass society or mass audience research, that first appeared in the 1920s-1930s (McCullagh, 2002) were that the audience was consisted of a large public of consumers of mainstream media texts who were influenced by the rapid changes in society, the unstable family ties due to urbanization and the anonymity of the crowds (McCullagh, 2002), thus they became a vulnerable mass of ‘isolated and defenceless individuals’ (Williams, 2003). This situation positioned the media in a place where it could easily manipulate the unsuspected audience. That is why the media were used by authoritarian governments, like Hitler’s Nazi Party, for propaganda purposes. They would pass on their ideologies, usually political ones, and the audience would believe them without questioning. People were so passive that they would easily believe anything they would hear on the radio or read in a newspaper. Probably the most famous incident that proves this was the public pa nic that occurred in Los Angeles, when a radio broadcast of a science-fiction book called War of the Worlds was aired in 1938 (McCullagh, 2002). When people heard the broadcast they actually believed that a Martian invasion was happening and some of them tried to escape and save themselves. This incident is a great example of the Hypodermic Needle Theory that existed at the time. This theory parallelises the media as a needle that injects a message straight into the passive audience, which is immediately affected by it (Croteu, Hoynes,1997) and like drug-users lose their control and judgement once they are injected with drugs, so does the audience lose its critical judgement when injected with ideas and beliefs by the media (McCullagh, 2002). As the years passed by though and even more technological developments were invented, like film and television, researchers started to question the traditional effects research of the mass society. New studies and experiments on how the audience interprets media texts resulted to several researchers to conclude that the audience is not passive and vulnerable but instead is an active and differentiated audience consisted of groups or individuals and not masses. This new theory, the Active Audience theory concentrated on how audience interprets and makes meaning of media texts based on several factors, such as gender, age, social background, education, ideals, beliefs or family position (Williams, 2003, McCullagh, 2002). As McCullagh put it ‘media audiences are consisted of different individuals who turn to the media to gratify their needs’ (2002). Gradually new theories were developed that replaced the Hypodermic Needle theory and made it antiquated. Stuart Hall developed the Encoding/Decoding theory in 1973, with which he questioned the traditional effects theory and concentrated more on how ‘the content of media texts is encoded ideologically by the audience’ (Williams, 2003). He suggested that media producers encoded what appeared to be a ‘preferred meaning’ in media messages and then the audience was supposed to understand and decode it (Williams, 2003), thus making the relationship between media and audience more like a collaboration or an interplay. As it was obvious though a media text could not be decoded the same way by everyone, due to people’s differences in several aspects, so he concluded that there were three kinds of decoding a media message: the dominant, the negotiated and the oppositional (Williams, 2003, McCullagh, 2002, Deveraux, 2003). As Williams puts it ‘this model emphasises the interaction between the audience and texts as well as the social context within which such interaction happens ’ (2003). The development of the new theories, not surprisingly, led to debates between the active audience theorists and the traditional effects theorists. The new theory of Uses and Gratifications was an approach to understand how and why people use the media to satisfy certain needs (McCullagh, 2002). In comparison with the Hypodermic Needle theory, the Uses and Gratifications not only does not ignore people’s free will, personality and cultural background (The New Audience Research in Media Studies, http://www.le.ac.uk/oerresources/media/ms7500/mod1unit6/page_02.htm, 05/01/2015), it considers them to be active with the power to choose what media they consume. The audience ‘use programme content for purposes other than what might be predicted from their content’ (McCullagh, 2002), which leads to media producers or industries to compete with each other over who will offer the best way for the users’ needs to be gratified. In that way the audience is definitely not considered a passive one which completely accepts the media’s intended message, as the Hypodermic Needle theory suggested. Nevertheless, the debate between the active audience and the traditional effects theorists still goes on, with some of the researchers arguing that the new active audience approaches are ‘too behaviourist and functionalist’ (McQuail, 2010) and that their conclusions lead to an elimination of media power, which was considered essential for ‘shaping the knowledge, understandings and beliefs of the audience’ (Williams, 2003). Also, Kitzinger(1999) wondered whether the audience’s resistance on media messages, as a form of resistance to the status quo, should be praised, since that way people would also easily reject good messages provided by the media, such as safe sex advertisements or campaigns against violence. Even though audience is not considered a mass of ‘couch potatoes’ (Williams, 2003) anymore, whether we are aware of it or not, we all have some certain beliefs and ideals that have been somehow shaped by different types of media, such as the idea of the perfect body that is being advertised today by several model agencies or women magazines. But that does not mean that people do not have the intelligence to make decisions for themselves about what to believe (Williams, 2003). Despite the on-going criticism by the traditional effects theorists, the new audience researchers developed new methods of studying the audience, which focused more on the qualitative rather than the quantitative approach (Williams, 2003). These methods, referred to as the ethnographic turn in media studies, concentrated more on how people were involved with the media and the research was done mostly with participant observation techniques. Unlike the traditional effects research that used surveys o r questionnaires, researchers spent time with the people they were investigating observing their experiences with the media (Williams, 2003). However, there has been criticism on this approach too. Ruddock (2001), for example noted that ‘ethnography requires participants to make personal feelings public. As a result there is a considerable tendency towards self-censorship’, implying that the conclusions resulting from ethnographic research could not possibly present the real truth from the audiences’ perspective. He also questioned how the research questions could be generated in a way that they would respect the natural world of the audience and be appropriate with the field of study in general (Ruddock, 2001). Even though there are many theories that support each thesis, the debate between the traditional effects studies and the active audience theory has been intense and is still on-going (McCullagh, 2002, Williams, 2003). If we were to think about which conceptualisation would best represent today’s society and people, I would say that the active theories concerning this study, including the Uses and Gratifications and the Encoding/Decoding model, position the audience in an active place, where not only it is not exploited by the media, it can even have power over it. Media producers take people’s preferences into consideration so they can produce what would satisfy their audience more (Williams, 2003, McCullagh, 2002, Deveraux, 2003, McQuail, 2010). And since there are arguments that suppose that media takes over people’s lives thus making them ‘couch potatoes’ in another sense of the term (Williams, 2003) the rebuttal would be that nowadays the audienc e knows what it wants in a way that the different types of media work as e ‘menu’ for them to choose from, in order to satisfy their needs to escape their daily routines, educate themselves or even interact socially (Williams, 2003, McCullagh, 2002). Always based on their individual needs and preferences, which is closer to our modern and liberal society. To sum things up, it is now obvious that the study of the audience has been a big chapter in the book of media studies, with many scholars and academics finding themselves engaging with this study. That explains all the experiments, studies and research that have been conducted on the subject, since it concentrates on two different types of audience, which in relation to the media could easily shape the way our society would work. Whether the media would dominate over the audience or the other way around. Since the debate of the subject is still on-going and the opinions diverge, the answer of which model would be the best cannot be absolute. Maybe a combination of the two could function well in the future, but until then the active audience theory seems to be the one closest to our society’s standards nowadays.

Brian Mulroney tied Canada closer to the United States Essay

As the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, he developed a close relationship with U.S President Ronald Regan; both men shared a similar conservative philosophy. As Canada’s Prime Minister, Mulroney sought closer ties with the United States, on issues such as trade policies and North American Aerospace Defence Command system (NORAD). During the Mulroney era, Canada saw drastic changes in economy and foreign policies; at the same time Canada gained closer ties with the United States during his time in office. Some of his notable actions during his time in office include the involvement of Canada in the SDI and NORAD during the Cold War; furthermore, Mulroney made Canada part of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. It is evident that some of Brian Mulroney’s decisions during his time as Prime Minister are somewhat controversial; however, there is no denial that Mulroney had brought Canada to a closer cooperation with the United States, â€Å"becoming the first Prime Minister of Canada who did not see United States as a threat to Canadian nationhood.† One general concern for Canada during the election year of 1984 was that many Canadians wanted Mulroney to achieve harmony between Canada and United States. At the â€Å"Shamrock Summit† of 1985 in Quebec City, Mulroney and his wife Mila Mulroney joined U.S President Ronald Reagan in singing â€Å"When Irish Eyes are smiling.† It was meant to symbolize a new era of Canadian- American harmony after years of liberal prickliness. However, many Canadians were reticent with the direction Mulroney was leading this country, as many believed Mulroney was immensely pro-American. Back in  1973, the government under the control of Pierre Trudeau had formed the Foreign Investment Review Agency (FIRA); its purpose was to block any foreign investment seemed not to be in Canada’s interest. As Mulroney came to office in 1985, he dismantled the FIRA and replaced it with Investment Canada, a new system which he believed would encourage suitable foreign investment. FIRA was criticized by those who concerned about American economic influence, since it almost approved every application it received. At the time, in some industries, such as the petroleum and rubber products industries, foreign control exceeded ninety per cent. Over three-fourths of this control was held by United Sates investors.6 These new and old policies brought better and higher rate of business income between Canada and the United Sates, which resulted in closer ties between the two countries. In 1987, Mulroney opened up negotiations that would eventually lead to the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Canada and United States. The FTA was signed on October 4th, 1987 in hopes of improving trade transactions between the two countries (see fig2). Fig. 2. President Ronald Reagan (left) signing the FTA with Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (right)7 In the FTA, all tariffs on goods crossing the border were removed, and at the same time, opened Canada to U.S investment and vice versa. As suspected, the free trade issue was highly controversial among Canadians. Some Canadian businesses could not compete against U.S corporations, for these corporations were able to flood the Canadian market with cheap goods and services, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in Canada. However, there was no denial that by eliminating tariffs, Canada would attract more U.S. investment. This helped Canadian industry grow and benefit the whole economy. Furthermore, free trade also allowed access to the larger U.S market, which would increase Canada’s productivity and growth. During the cold war era, In order to defend North America against possible enemy attacks, Canada agreed to join the NORAD system, a joint air-defence system that would overlook soviet bombers in case of long distance attacks. On 19 March 1986, Mulroney and Regan sign the NORAD renewal agreement (see fig3); Fig. 3. Brian Mulroney (left) discussing the agreement with Michael Wilson (right) in the PM’s office in 19858 it officially became effective on 12 may 1986. This is not only a sign of military cooperation, but at the same time it shows Canada’s commitment in supporting Unites States during the Cold War. As Canada slowing became more involved during the cold war, this was sign that Canada had slowly risen up in terms of political and military stability on an international level.9 Furthermore Mulroney and successfully pulled in United States as one of Canada’s ally years to come; Mulroney not only connect Canada and U.S through controls of economy, but his wartime actions had also proved this close tie Canada and U.S had gained during Mulroney’s time in office. In retrospect, it is indisputable Mulroney’s time as the Prime Minister of Canada had linked Canada and Untied States as close ally for generations to come. Connecting the two countries through reformation of economy and involvement in the Cold War; it is clear, despite the fact Canadians believed Mulroney was pro-American, the undeniable fact that he’s policies regarding the economy of Canada not only brought greater transaction between the two countries, at the same time it brought hundreds of thousands of people out of unemployment.10 Furthermore, his signing of multiple agreements such as the NORAD agreements during the cold war with U.S brought military cooperation between two nations brought new heights in collegial ties. As an respected international figure, one probably more at ease abroad than at home, his government’s policies and prospects were the cornerstones of Canada and United States close ties in 1980s, his actions brought close international rel ationship between the two nations for years to come. Works Cited 7th Floor Media. â€Å"The Prime Ministers of Canada – Brian Mulroney Issues.† The Prime Ministers of Canada – Brian Mulroney Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 July 2014. . Badeaux, Guy , Mike Duffy, and Charles Gordon. Portfoolio ’88: the year in Canadian caricature. MontreÃŒ al: Eden Press, 1988. Print. Bothwell, Robert, Ian M. Drummond, and John English. Canada since 1945: power, politics, and provincialism. Rev. ed. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1989. Print. Brennan, Richard. â€Å"Good U.S. relations worth ‘weight in gold,’ Mulroney says | Toronto Star.† thestar.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 July 2014.

Coca Cola – Organization Management

Abstract This paper is about â€Å"Coca-Cola† company which produces and manufactures soft drinks, and this product is well known all around the world for many decades. The materials used to get the information about the company are from the internet, newspaper and the bottle itself. The paper will speak about how the product came to the final result as an output and what does it take to manufacture it. INTRODUCTION Coca-Cola is the most popular and biggest-selling soft drink in history, as well as the best-known product in the world.It is sold in more and more markets, creating thousands of new jobs in the local economies. The brand is owned by The Coca-Cola Company which works with franchisees across the world. These franchisees perform the bottling and canning operations and are also known as packagers. This paper will discuss the following: * What are the stages of manufacturing? * How does the company guarantee the quality of the products to reach customers satisfaction? * What are the steps after guaranteeing the product so that the product to be introduced to the markets? * Conclusion * Important keywords – Stages of manufacturing -Transforming resources Coca-Cola’s bottlers and canners are concerned with a range of processes involved in transforming resources into the bottles and cans of drink that we are familiar with. There is a difference between transforming resources and transformed resources: * The transforming resources are the managers, employees, machinery and equipment used by The Coca-Cola Company and its franchisees. * The transformed resources are the materials (the cans, bottles, liquids, etc. ) and the information which are processed to create the finished product. Manufacturing Coca-Cola Primarily, Coca-Cola is manufactured by franchisees who are the world’s leading bottling and canning companies. This franchise business is strictly controlled by The Coca-Cola Company. Soft drinks manufacture is a competitive business. Manufacturing techniques are continually improved. This helps meet the highest quality standards for its products using the most cost effective production techniques. For example, very small changes in the shape of the can could save a canning factory millions of dollars in production costs. The production of Coca-Cola involves two major operations: Creating the packaging material * Bottling and canning the finished drink. -Packaging For many years, Coca-Cola was produced in glass bottles. Because of the high cost of distributing bulky bottles, they had to be manufactured close to where the bottling took place. Today, this is no longer so important since new packaging methods have revolutionized the process. Advanced bottling and canning technology makes Coca-Cola cans and bottles very light but extremely strong. The Company has invested a lot of time and money in research and development to ensure the most effective life cycle impact of its packaging.By using the minimum quantities of materials in packaging, the cans and plastic bottles are simple to crush or to reprocess at the end of the initial life cycle. -Preparing to fill cans Cans are delivered in bulk to a canning plant. At this stage the cans are shaped like an open cup ready to receive the liquid drink. They are not fully formed because the ring pull end has still to be fitted. After they have been inspected to check that there are no faults, each can goes through a rinsing machine to make sure it is clean and ready for filling. Preparing the drink Coca-Cola consists of a concentrated beverage base and a liquid sweetener which are combined to form the syrup from which the drink is made. The Company ships the concentrate to bottling and canning plants where the franchisees mix it with sugar and local water. The water is passed through a number of filters to make sure it is absolutely pure. Carbon dioxide, which makes it fizzy, is also delivered to the canning plant where it is stored and th en piped into the manufacturing process through a carbonator and cooler.The Company specifies what equipment franchisees will use to carry out these processes. Samples are taken regularly for chemical analysis, and staff makes frequent spot checks to ensure that plants are maintaining the Company’s standards of cleanliness and quality. The Company provides its franchisees with the most up-to-date technology available and many of them use the latest computer technology and statistical process control methods. -Filling the cans The packaging and the finished drink are combined by a rapid filling process.Every minute hundreds of cans pass along an automated production line and are filled with a precise amount of Coca-Cola. As the cans move along the production line, they are seamed to include the ring pull end and produce the finished can. The ends are inspected to make sure they are smooth and do not have any gaps or leaks. An individual code is stamped on the cans so that each one can be traced back to the point and time of production. A date code ensures product freshness. Cans now look like those you will see in the shops. – Guaranteeing the quality of the product The manufacture of Coca-Cola is carried out by a set of processes called continuous flow production. On a production line, a process is continually repeated and identical products go through the same sequence of operations. Continuous flow production takes this one step further by using computer-controlled automatic equipment to produce goods 24 hours a day. The Company and its franchisees use Total Quality Management procedures that encourage everyone in the plant to think about quality in every-thing they do.Every employee sets out to satisfy customers and places them at the heart of the production process. By continually seeking to improve every aspect of production, employees are able to eliminate problems. Throughout the production process, quality control personnel monitor the pr oduct and take test samples. Guarantee that there are no errors; quality control inspectors take statistically selected samples at the end of the production line. Using chemical analysis, these inspectors can guarantee that the product meets the exact specifications; they also check that there are no faults in the packaging.A ‘fill height detector’ uses an electronic eye to ensure that the cans are filled to the right quantity. Cans that are not properly filled are rejected. 3- Introducing the product to the markets Packing the end product into cases The canners then prepare the cans for distribution to retailers such as super-markets, shops and garages. A machine called a case former creates the casing that protects the cans as they are sorted onto pallets. The cans are stored temporarily in a warehouse before they are collected by large distribution trucks. Bottling Coca-ColaSo far this case study has focused on the canning process for Coca-Cola. The bottling process, whether in glass or PET (plastic), is very similar. Each plastic bottle starts as test-tube size is blown up like a balloon into the final bottle shape. Whereas franchisees receive cans that already have the logo and any promotional details on them, bottlers apply the labels from large reels once the bottles have been formed. At the end of the bottling line, bottles are automatically sealed with a cap immediately after they have been filled. Just-in-time Canners and bottlers process vast quantities of materials each week.Receiving the raw materials and delivering the finished products involves a complex sequence of actions. The ideal solution is to make sure that the inputs for the process arrive ‘just-in-time’ so they can be transformed into a finished product ready for transportation ‘just-in-time’ to meet the needs of the retailers. At modern canning plants, the cans maker is often located in an adjoining facility, with delivery through a ‘Hole in the wall’ operation. The packagers are involved created supply chain networks with the supermarket chains and other outlets ensure that this process runs smoothly.Canners and bottlers must ensure that they do not build up large stockpiles of cans waiting to be sold but they must also make sure that deliveries are not late. This is where they benefit from advanced information technology that rapidly relays figures about the demand for Coca-Cola. For example, this demand usually rises in periods of hotter weather so the packagers need to plan increased production. Canners and bottlers work closely with The Coca-Cola Company and other suppliers to provide a smooth running supply chain so that consumers are always within ‘an arm’s reach of desire’ and can always buy a drink when they want one.Performance feedback to canners and bottlers In addition to each canner or bottler’s own quality assurance procedures, sample bottles and cans from each market ar e tested regularly by The Coca-Cola Company. The results are then reported back to the packagers. This feedback helps The Coca-Cola Company and the franchisee to work together and identify opportunities for improvement. Franchisees undergo constant training and retraining in quality assurance, and can always ask for help and advice about ongoing improvement. 4- ConclusionTo produce the world’s best known product, The Coca-Cola Company has to employ the highest quality processes and establish standards which guarantee the production of a standardized product which meets consumers’ high expectations each and every time they drink a bottle or can of Coca-Cola. In order to guarantee these standards the Company has had to develop a close relationship with its franchisees based on a mutual concern for quality. Total Quality management lies at the heart of this process involving a continuous emphasis on getting quality standards right every time and on continually seeking new ways to improve performance. – Keywords Continuous flow production: An ongoing twenty-four hour production cycle in which partly finished and finished products pass along a production line. Cost effective: It’s an approach that minimizes or significantly reduces the cost of operations. Franchisee: An individual (Or organization) that is licensed to produce and/or sell a named product in a given area, in return for a fee, a share of the profits or sales. Global brand: A product that is recognizable across the world by its logo, packaging or distinctive trade mark. Inputs:They are Materials and labor that go into a production process. Just-in-time: Supplies for manufacturing processes are received just as they are needed, and the end product reaches the consumer just when it is wanted. ‘Just-in-time’ reduces the need to carry large stocks of materials or finished goods helping cash flow. Life cycle impact: Examining the impact of a product from the point at which the raw materials start to be produced and assembled, through the manufacturing process, right up to the time at which the consumer finally disposes of the packaging of the product. Operations:The processes involved in the production of a product, such as filling a can, checking that the can is sufficiently filled, etc. Outputs: Goods and services that are produced once raw materials have gone through a transformation process. Performance feedback: It’s about providing information on the success of performances so that improvements can be made. For example, if a weakness is spotted in quality standards, then it would be necessary to inform the packager so that these could be rectified immediately. Statistical process control: The use of mathematical and statistical control processes in the manufacture of products e. . by measuring quantities of fluid used in given processes, measuring quantities of materials used, etc. to ensure that inputs and outputs always meet spec ified quantitative standards. Supply chain: It is the chain of processes that links a manufacturer through a distributor to a customer. Total Quality Management: It is an approach that ensures quality at every stage of production, rather than just at the end of the production cycle. Transformed resources: They are resources, such as raw materials and information that are modified in the process of production by the transforming resources.Transforming resources: They are resources that are used to transform other inputs. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/coca-cola-great-britain/making-the-worlds-best-known-product/transforming-resources. html#axzz2EDxPK7W6 [ 2 ]. http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/coca-cola-great-britain/making-the-worlds-best-known-product/manufacturing-coca-cola. html#axzz2EDxPK7W6 [ 3 ]. http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/coca-cola-great -britain/making-the-worlds-best-known-product/packaging. html#axzz2EDxPK7W6 [ 4 ]. http://businesscasestudies. co. k/coca-cola-great-britain/making-the-worlds-best-known-product/filling-the-cans. html#axzz2EDxPK7W6 [ 5 ]. http://asq. org/blog/2011/11/coca-colas-quality-culture/ [ 6 ]. http://www. supplychaindigital. com/warehousing_storage/supply-tech-coca-colas-plantbottle [ 7 ]. http://www. supplychaindigital. com/warehousing_storage/supply-tech-coca-colas-plantbottle [ 8 ]. http://www. studymode. com/subjects/coca-cola-just-in-time-case-study-page1. html [ 9 ]. http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/coca-cola-great-britain/making-the-worlds-best-known-product/performance-feedback-to-canners-and-bottlers. html#axzz2EDxPK7W6

Literary Frenemies

What is a friend? For most people, the answer to this question will be something along the following lines: it is a person who is ready to reassure you when you feel down, who supports you in all your undertakings, always has a kind word for you, provides a shoulder to cry on, helps you in an hour of need and so on. Lars Iyer, a philosophy lecturer at the University of Newcastle and an author of two novels, thinks differently, citing Friedrich Nietzsche: â€Å"In your friend you should possess your best enemy†. Compare this idea with social network hive minds whose members feel obliged to express admiration about every word each of their innumerable â€Å"friends† say, expecting them to pay back in kind. Probably in the past it was a more usual phenomenon; modern world, however, calls for a different word to distinguish it from what we are more and more used to associate with the concept of friendship. And, as usual, English language obliged, forming a new term: â€Å"frenemy†. Frenemies are very close, but their closeness is of unusual kind. They annoy, berate, insult and enrage each other. They would have been enemies, but they like each other too much to stay apart. And, according to literature, this relationship is as interesting to read about as it is interesting to experience. Sometimes this frenmity appears when fate clashes together two people from completely different social, educational or ideological backgrounds. Such is the relationship between Don Quixote and Sancho Panza from the famous novel by Cervantes. Don Quixote is an anachronistic, idealistic and, frankly speaking, stark raving mad nobleman, while his frenemy Sancho Panza is a an uneducated and ignorant yet extremely shrewd and realistic peasant who sees the world for what it is but has to follow his extravagant master. Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson come to mind as well. Holmes never shies from showing off his mental superiority or making an ironic remark concerning Watson’s writing describing their adventures, Watson constantly complains about his friend’s eccentric habits like shooting indoors and keeping a chemical laboratory at home, but it is just a backdrop for their friendship. Sometimes frenmity comes, vice versa, as a result of both characters being too alike: Trurl and Klapaucius from Stanislaw Lem’s Cyberiad are two nigh-omnipotent Constructors who constantly try to surpass each other, are always the first to make a snarky remark about one another’s failure but also the first to come to help when one of them really gets into trouble. All in all, writers, irrespectively of whether they experienced this in life or not, seem to understand that frenmity is fascinating to explore. And it is quite natural: it provides a dynamic relationship, it allows bringing together people who are completely unlike each other; it is, after all, simply much more interesting than friends who feel obliged to agree with everything you say lest they insult or discourage you. It is, in a word, unusual – unusual enough to become a rarity in modern world.