Will 'Snow White' Beat Out 'Men In Black,' 'Avengers' At Weekend Box Office?

Experts weigh in on whether Kristen Stewart's star power can overtake current box-office champs leading up to the MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, June 3.
By Ryan J. Downey

Kristen Stewart as "Snow White"
Photo: Universal

Last weekend, "Men in Black 3" finally ended the box-office domination of "The Avengers," which saw the superhero team-up movie smashing world records with the combined might of Thor's hammer, Captain America's shield, Iron Man's snarky wit and the Hulk's green fists. During this MTV Movie Awards weekend, "Snow White and the Huntsman" will do battle against them both, with "Thor" himself, Chris Hemsworth, in one of the title roles alongside Kristen Stewart, best-known for a little franchise called "Twilight."

Will Stewart's vampire fanatic fanbase focus their attention on "Snow White"? Will Thor's Asgardian thunder rain down more box-office coin in this role? Keep in mind this isn't the first "Snow White"-centered movie to hit multiplexes this year. Julia Roberts flopped in "Mirror, Mirror" just two months ago. "Huntsman" is headed to theaters with similar reviews (50 percent on Rotten Tomatoes' "Tomatometer" at press time). So how will it do?

"It's going to be close, but 'Snow White' should edge out 'Men in Black 3,' " HitFix's Gregory Ellwood told MTV News.

MTV Next Movie Executive Editor Kevin Polowy concurred. "Its competition isn't that daunting. 'Men in Black' did well last weekend but hardly gangbusters. 'The Avengers,' which is still hanging ridiculously tough a month after opening, might actually be more of a threat than last week's big winner. But 'Snow White' has an alluring cast, the potential to draw all demographics, and most importantly for a summer blockbuster, a whole lotta action."

Jeff Bock, Exhibitor Relations Senior Box Office Analyst, gave the edge to "Huntsman" over "Mirror, Mirror," which opened at #3 at the box office with just $18.1 million. He credited the newer film's stronger chances to its tone, likening its style to box-office juggernaut "Alice in Wonderland."

"Universal's 'Snow White' is the one everyone was waiting for; [this one is] done on a much grander scale, more akin to 'Alice' and very dark, like the Brothers Grimm fairy tale it spawned from."

" 'Snow White' very clearly wants to be a 'Lord of the Rings'-like swashbuckling epic, which should draw a bigger, more enticed audience," agreed Polowy."

"The Avengers" is now the fourth-biggest movie ever, in terms of gross, domestically. The power of "Twilight," of course, continues. But what will the success or failure of "Snow White" mean for the careers of its respective stars outside of their tried-and-true franchises? "This movie has been sold as Charlize Theron as the evil queen," Ellwood pointed out. "You could argue that Universal hasn't done enough to showcase Hemsworth in the movie, especially after the success of 'The Avengers.' "

Bock was quick to note talk of a possible "Huntsman"-centered sequel. "Hollywood is pretty smitten with Hemsworth. In the end though, as an ensemble piece, this has very little risk involved for him. If it were to tank, the blame would likely fall on Kristen Stewart, with critics jumping on the 'she can't carry a film other than 'Twilight' bandwagon. It is quite apparent when watching the movie that the real stars are Hemsworth and Theron, who both give powerhouse performances."

"[The movie's success or failure] will be very important for Kristen Stewart," Polowy said. "This is Stewart's first high-profile starring role outside of 'Twilight,' and it's loaded with variables. Can she open a summer blockbuster? Can she do action? Can she do accents? Can she refrain from biting her lip so much?"

"Any opening over $30 million outside of 'Twilight' is good for Stewart," offered Ellwood. "If 'Snow White' has legs, it's a sign she's can easily transition as a leading lady in tentpole films once her days as Bella are over."

Speaking of "biting" and "legs," there is another film swimming toward the box office: "Piranha 3DD." It's 2010 predecessor, "Piranha 3-D," was a surprise hit with critics (73 percent on the Tomatometer, which is like an Oscar for that type of horror flick). It didn't collect huge amounts of cash, but it certainly did well enough for the Weinstein Company/ Dimension Films to warrant a follow-up, for which director John Gulager ("Feast") took over for Alexandre Aja ("High Tension").

However, despite the critical love for the last one, "Piranha 3DD" sat at a lowly 20 percent on the Tomatometer at press time.

"Critics loved the first Piranha because it exploited everything cheesy about campy horror films — and 3-D flicks — in tongue-in-cheek style. The sequel is merely exploitation of that success," Bock said. "Based on the theater count of 75 theaters, you can see that this one will go belly up quick and flushed down the drain."

Flesh-eating fish and "Snow White" aside, the $600 million question, as Polowy put it, is whether anything will beat "The Avengers" in 2012. All three of the experts we contacted agreed that only one film stands a chance. Which film is that? Let's just say it involves a cape, a cowl and maybe a broken back.

"There's only one candidate who could come close, and its name is 'The Dark Knight Rises,' " Polowy said of the forthcoming flick, for which an exclusive clip will premiere at Sunday's MTV Movie Awards. "Assuming [filmmaker] Christopher Nolan recaptures the magic of his last Batman blockbuster, and Tom Hardy's Bane proves a viable replacement for Heath Ledger's Joker, it will be close."

"It will have to be as strong critically as 'The Dark Knight,' " said Ellwood. "That may be the only way to pull in [people who visit the movies four to six times per year]. Besides the added benefit of higher 3-D ticket prices, 'The Avengers' became a de facto family film, something 'The Dark Knight Rises' clearly isn't, which helped fuel its coffers. Warner Bros. will need strong repeat business and massive adoration for 'Rises' to overtake 'The Avengers.' It's arguably Batman's toughest challenge yet."

Bock agreed it's a huge challenge for Bats, one that may prove more defeating than anything Bane could cook up. "Even considering 'The Dark Knight Rises' is probably the most anticipated threequel since 'Return of the Jedi,' 'The Avengers' is playing like Earth's mightiest sequel. And that's exactly what it is."

"Sorry Batman, you've been busted by Hollywood's box-office brigade," he concluded.

Head over to MovieAwards.MTV.com to vote for your favorite flicks now! The 21st annual MTV Movie Awards air live this Sunday, June 3, at 9 p.m.

Related Photos

• 'Snow White And The Huntsman' World Premiere

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Tips on Evaluating Personal Finance Software

Jun 1, 2012 by admin

A person really don?t need to be making use of services really like: iforexnews.com, to make the most of small organisation of the personal finances. A lot of personal finance software users are simply in awe at how simple they are to use and how well they work at tracking a household budget. You want a software that will do everything you need it to do so be on the lookout for this since some are definitely better than others. You can choose between simpler and more advanced programs, software you download or web-based, and programs that are able to keep track of your investments. In this article we?ll be taking a look at some personal finance software programs and ways to choose the best one for you.

Before you buy any personal finance software programs, make sure that you understand the reasons you desire it. As an illustration, not all software consents you to keep an eye on your investments, so if this is something you desire, be sure that you are getting one that has this characteristic. You also may prefer an online based service rather than software you download. The positive thing about this is that you can have access to the program anywhere you are and you aren?t reliant upon your computer. Online services can also allow you to get immediate data. These are some of the things to bear in mind when selecting personal finance software programs.

One popular product you should consider is the You Need A Budget since it can be used on just about any operating system including Linux, Windows and Mac. You Need A Budget has been well reviewed by consumers for its apparent easy use and helpful features. It is of course more than just a program, it?s specifically designed to teach you all about budgeting from start to finish.

The program uses the Four Rules of Cash Flow to teach you how to take control of your finances, get out of debt and improve you financial situation. Live classes and tutorials are among the available support resources for this program. Given all that this program does the price is pretty economical at near $60.

MoneyStrands is a sort of online personal finance software, which is free of charge and tracks your money and presents you with effective money management recommendations. This program makes it simple to observe each of your financial accounts, such as checking and credit cards to provide you with an overall picture of your financial position. It also has a free iPhone app that allows you to access all your data from your phone. Aside from the financial tools, MoneyStrands is something of a social network, as it encourages you to communicate with other members and exchange information and advice. Plus, the service makes suggestions that are consistent with your way of living and your financial condition.

You now have many choices when it comes to personal finance software. Unless you get a very advanced program, such as one made for accounting or businesses, they?re mostly easy to understand and use. It may take you a little while to get accustomed to a new program, but in a short while you?ll find that it makes your financial life a lot easier.

Read more:

1. Tips on Evaluating Personal Finance Software
2. A Review of the Foremost Personal Finance Software
3. How to Find The Perfect Personal Finance Software
4. The Best Antivirus Software Of 2012
5. Tips for Saving Money Every Day
6. Save Money with These Good Tips
7. Save Money with These Good Tips
8. Why You Must Know These Useful Strategies To Succeed With A Small Business
9. 3 Practical Methods for Saving Funds

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For advanced prostate cancer, new drug slows disease

Public release date: 2-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elizabeth Fernandez
elizabeth.fernandez@ucsf.edu
415-502-6397
University of California - San Francisco

UCSF-led international study shows improved quality of life

A new medication proved effective in slowing the spread of metastatic prostate cancer, while helping to maintain the quality of life, in patients with advanced disease. The phase 3 study was unblinded midway, allowing patients receiving the placebo to instead take the drug because of the favorable results.

The study is the first randomized clinical trial to document expanded benefits among a particular group of prostate cancer patients in whom the disease had spread. The medication, abiraterone acetate -- marketed as Zytiga also delayed the development of pain and deterioration of the patients' overall condition.

The researchers say the medication could provide new treatment options.

"This drug extended lives and gave patients more time when they weren't experiencing significant pain from the disease,'' said the principal investigator of the international trial, Charles J. Ryan, MD, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

"This is an interim analysis, the final analysis should be available in 2014," he said. "But it appears that this medication may lay a foundation for the use of this drug at an earlier stage of prostate cancer, and its benefits may be able to be delivered to a much wider population of patients as a result.''

Ryan will present the data on June 2 at the 48th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer in men, with some 30,000 people annually dying from the disease. Approximately one-third of patients require no treatment, because their disease does not metastasize, or spread, while another third are treated and cured. But for the remaining patients, the cancer will recur following treatment or spread to the bones, lymph nodes or other parts of the body. Prostate cancer can turn lethal when it spreads and when it resists standard hormonal therapy.

"These results are the culmination of years of research, and will truly transform the way we take care of patients with advanced prostate cancer,'' said Eric J. Small, MD, a UCSF professor and chief of hematology and oncology at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. He and Ryan have collaborated on the research of this class of medication for about 9 years.

"This is a wonderful milestone in our progress in treating prostate cancer, and provides advanced prostate cancer patients everywhere with an important new weapon to fight their cancer,'' he said.

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved abiraterone acetate for men whose disease had spread and who also were resistant to standard hormonal therapy, known as castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and had received chemotherapy with docetaxel. The approval was based on a clinical trial that showed the effectiveness of the medication in post-chemotherapy patients with more advanced disease.

In the new trial, the patients' cancer had metastasized and had become resistant to initial hormone therapy, but they were not showing considerable symptoms from the disease and had not yet received any chemotherapy.

The study involved 1,088 men at 151 cancer facilities in North America, Europe and Australia. On average, the patients had been diagnosed with prostate cancer five years earlier.

The patients were administered Zytiga in combination with low-dose prednisone. The trial was unblinded in March after it was determined that the drug delayed the need for chemotherapy and for pain medications, improved survival and quality of life. Zytiga also slowed the spread of cancer from an average of 8 months in the placebo group compared to approximately double the time in the treatment group. The medication demonstrated such clear advantages to patients that an independent monitoring committee recommended that patients receiving the placebo be allowed to receive the active drug.

"This trial with a well-tolerated oral agent slowed the progression of the disease while helping to delay suffering and maintaining quality of life in patients with advanced prostate cancer,'' said Ryan who has been researching the drug since 2004 and helped design the phase 3 study. "These are the goals that we are moving toward in cancer treatment. The treatment of advanced prostate cancer is undergoing a rapid transformation, and this drug is a key component of that transformation.''

The medication, by Janssen Research & Development, LLC targets prostate cancer by blocking the production of hormones produced by the cancer that can stimulate its growth. The medication was first created in a British lab in the 1990s. The manufacturer warns that it should be used with caution in patients who have a history of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, low blood potassium, and fluid retention.

###

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

Follow UCSF
UCSF.edu | Facebook.com/ucsf | Twitter.com/ucsf | YouTube.com/ucsf

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 2-Jun-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Elizabeth Fernandez
elizabeth.fernandez@ucsf.edu
415-502-6397
University of California - San Francisco

UCSF-led international study shows improved quality of life

A new medication proved effective in slowing the spread of metastatic prostate cancer, while helping to maintain the quality of life, in patients with advanced disease. The phase 3 study was unblinded midway, allowing patients receiving the placebo to instead take the drug because of the favorable results.

The study is the first randomized clinical trial to document expanded benefits among a particular group of prostate cancer patients in whom the disease had spread. The medication, abiraterone acetate -- marketed as Zytiga also delayed the development of pain and deterioration of the patients' overall condition.

The researchers say the medication could provide new treatment options.

"This drug extended lives and gave patients more time when they weren't experiencing significant pain from the disease,'' said the principal investigator of the international trial, Charles J. Ryan, MD, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

"This is an interim analysis, the final analysis should be available in 2014," he said. "But it appears that this medication may lay a foundation for the use of this drug at an earlier stage of prostate cancer, and its benefits may be able to be delivered to a much wider population of patients as a result.''

Ryan will present the data on June 2 at the 48th annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

Prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer in men, with some 30,000 people annually dying from the disease. Approximately one-third of patients require no treatment, because their disease does not metastasize, or spread, while another third are treated and cured. But for the remaining patients, the cancer will recur following treatment or spread to the bones, lymph nodes or other parts of the body. Prostate cancer can turn lethal when it spreads and when it resists standard hormonal therapy.

"These results are the culmination of years of research, and will truly transform the way we take care of patients with advanced prostate cancer,'' said Eric J. Small, MD, a UCSF professor and chief of hematology and oncology at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. He and Ryan have collaborated on the research of this class of medication for about 9 years.

"This is a wonderful milestone in our progress in treating prostate cancer, and provides advanced prostate cancer patients everywhere with an important new weapon to fight their cancer,'' he said.

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved abiraterone acetate for men whose disease had spread and who also were resistant to standard hormonal therapy, known as castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and had received chemotherapy with docetaxel. The approval was based on a clinical trial that showed the effectiveness of the medication in post-chemotherapy patients with more advanced disease.

In the new trial, the patients' cancer had metastasized and had become resistant to initial hormone therapy, but they were not showing considerable symptoms from the disease and had not yet received any chemotherapy.

The study involved 1,088 men at 151 cancer facilities in North America, Europe and Australia. On average, the patients had been diagnosed with prostate cancer five years earlier.

The patients were administered Zytiga in combination with low-dose prednisone. The trial was unblinded in March after it was determined that the drug delayed the need for chemotherapy and for pain medications, improved survival and quality of life. Zytiga also slowed the spread of cancer from an average of 8 months in the placebo group compared to approximately double the time in the treatment group. The medication demonstrated such clear advantages to patients that an independent monitoring committee recommended that patients receiving the placebo be allowed to receive the active drug.

"This trial with a well-tolerated oral agent slowed the progression of the disease while helping to delay suffering and maintaining quality of life in patients with advanced prostate cancer,'' said Ryan who has been researching the drug since 2004 and helped design the phase 3 study. "These are the goals that we are moving toward in cancer treatment. The treatment of advanced prostate cancer is undergoing a rapid transformation, and this drug is a key component of that transformation.''

The medication, by Janssen Research & Development, LLC targets prostate cancer by blocking the production of hormones produced by the cancer that can stimulate its growth. The medication was first created in a British lab in the 1990s. The manufacturer warns that it should be used with caution in patients who have a history of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, low blood potassium, and fluid retention.

###

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

Follow UCSF
UCSF.edu | Facebook.com/ucsf | Twitter.com/ucsf | YouTube.com/ucsf

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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New Zealand builds field hockey Olympic momentum

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Travel insurance, Allianz Global Assistance USA | Travel Agent ...

June 1, 2012 By: Susan Young Travel Agent

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Having worked in travel insurance for several decades, Beth Godlin, president and CEO, Allianz Global Assistance USA, formerly known as Access America, has seen a lot of changes. Overall, though, Godlin says: ?The thing that jumps out at me is increased awareness on the part of travel agents. I dare you to find a travel agent today who isn?t selling travel insurance.?

That?s changed greatly from 10 or 15 years ago, due in great part to the world?s volatile events, both man-made and natural. Last year certainly presented challenges on the event side, she said, as did the Costa Concordia mishap early this year. For Godlin, 2010 was a standout year but certainly not in a good way for travelers. ?It was very volatile with hurricanes, blizzards and snowstorms on the busiest travel days of the year. Volcanoes just kept on giving. There was a nuclear accident.?

Godlin says there is a direct relationship between the volatility of the travel landscape and people?s interest in buying travel insurance as a protector against travel mishaps. So, how many people actually buy insurance? That?s difficult to determine, as the industry isn?t able to really pin down the number of travelers who take international flights for leisure purposes. ?The number we use to benchmark is about 30 percent overall,? Godlin said.

More travelers are purchasing more insurance, though. Why? People are more educated about the need for insurance, more insurance products are sold and more travel agents sell insurance, according to Godlin. Also, alternative distribution channels such as social networking and blogs have emerged.

?

?

In the past, the consumers just bought the product and really didn?t spend much time looking at what they were buying, according to Godlin. Now, she says many customers, or agents on behalf of their clients, call Allianz to go through ?what if scenarios,? really trying to understand the benefits, whether a certain medical condition is covered, and whether a particular policy is the best.

Godlin also says clients are definitely buying more medical evacuation and medical transportation insurance than in the past. ?People are going to more far-reaching places,? Godlin stresses. And, as a sign of the times, ?we?ve seen an increase in travel delay claims,? she says. ?That?s increased substantially.? When things go wrong at an airport, when flights are cancelled, when clients miss their cruise or when their luggage is suddenly gone, insurance can help.

Portal for Agent Purchases

Godlin says 80 percent of all travel agents book Allianz?s products online. Allianz has an agent portal for retailers to book insurance purchases. To handle the burgeoning sales of travel insurance and the servicing and claim process, more than 10,000 people are employed by Allianz Global Assistance globally. Godlin says 1,000 or so are based in the firm?s Richmond, VA, office.

Allianz Travel Insurance is the travel insurance brand of Allianz Global Assistance, which is a global provider of travel insurance and has offices in 28 countries. It?s owned by Allianz, the world?s largest insurance company as per Fortune magazine. Allianz is the 30th largest business in Richmond, says Godlin.

As a provider of travel insurance, corporate assistance and concierge services, Allianz?s partnerships number in the thousands and include travel agencies, airlines, resorts, websites, event ticket brokers, corporations, universities, and credit card companies. ?We have thousands of agencies that are partners with us?a lot going back 10, 15 or 20 years?very long-standing relationships,? says Godlin. The average consortia relationship is 12 years.

She estimates that more than 20,000 agents sell the company?s insurance policies. Allianz offers a travel agent guide available for download on its website. Agents interested in becoming a partner can also go to the site to fill out a participation agreement. The company has an agent-training program?designed to help agents understand the company?s policies and what activities are licensable. The company?s sales force spends much time out face-to-face with retailers. It also has webinars, which consortia partners put on their own agent sites for 24/7 viewing.

Allianz offers custom marketing materials that feature an agency?s logo, agency contact information, and cover designs to match the specific type of client trip. The agent simply replaces Allianz?s contact information and then clients return to the agency to purchase?allowing the agent to control the order method and commission. Electronic orders pay the best agent commissions, Allianz says.

Allianz has online claim filing and permits online policy modification. But while the firm has a slew of agent-friendly technological resources, Godlin cites her firm?s friendly, multilingual employees who speak to agents or consumers on the phone as the best resources. Sometimes, she notes, the customers are trying to secure local resources if they?re stranded on an off-the-beaten path: ?Sometimes it just means reimbursing costs you didn?t expect; sometimes it means saving a life.?

How can agents earn more revenue? The number one practice is to offer travel insurance product with every booking you make, according to Allianz officials, who note that the time it takes to book travel insurance is just 1 percent of the total booking process.

Brad Gray, Allianz?s director of retail channel management, says the best time to have the insurance talk is during the invoice process, not when the clients are excited and immersed in planning where to go. So when an agent is quoting the cost for airfare, cruise, hotel, and so on, just add the travel insurance as a separate item on the invoice and say, ?I?ve taken the liberty of including travel insurance, which I strongly believe in to protect your vacation investment.?

If clients say they have medical insurance, ask them to call their insurer to be sure it is valid outside the U.S. Also important to ask is, if the insurance is international, does it cover emergency medical evacuation? Often it doesn?t.

Allianz has made enhancements to its policies recently. ?We just revamped our Basic, Classic and Deluxe package plans based on what agents and consumers said they wanted,? said Godlin. In addition, previously, if a client cancelled, Allianz paid only 10 percent of the cost of the trip to protect the agent?s commission; now it pays up to 20 percent.

As for ?cancel any time? policies, Allianz now has a new procedure. For example, clients who buy the Classic plan and pay 30 percent more get that coverage all bundled in one policy instead of having to buy an add-on. That assures they will get virtually 80 percent cash back.

In 2000, the company became part of Mondial. Access America remained as a brand, ?but now that we?re more global it just made more sense to support one global brand? said Godlin. ?Mondial has some 15 different brands throughout the world.? So now they?re Allianz Global Assistance USA. Visit the company website for more information.

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Keith Dromm on Sexual Harassment | Broadview Press Publisher's ...

Keith Dromm, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Louisiana Scholars? College at Northwestern University and author of the recently published Sexual Harassment: An Introduction to the Conceptual and Ethical Issues, sat down with Alex Sager, Acquiring Editor for the Broadview Guides to Business and Professional Ethics series, to answer a few questions on the corporate, legal, and philosophical issues surrounding sexual harassment.

Interview with Keith Dromm:

1. The title of your book is Sexual Harassment: An Introduction to the Conceptual and Ethical Issues. What makes sexual harassment a conceptual issue?

Before we can try to prevent sexual harassment we need to understand what it is. For example, without a good understanding, we might try to prevent actions that are not sexual harassment?or even illegal or wrong in some other way?or fail to prevent actions that are sexual harassment. Unfortunately, a single, stable definition of sexual harassment is elusive. Part of the challenge of defining sexual harassment occurs because there are three different sources of definitions: legal, descriptive, and normative.

The legal understanding of sexual harassment arises from a number of lawsuits in the 1970s. It was during this period that a single term emerged for describing the various behaviors that constitute it and that they became illegal. As I discuss below, in the United States this litigation led to an understanding of sexual harassment based on anti-discrimination law.

Descriptive definitions simply record how the term is typically used in society. Though they are influenced by law, they often differ from legal definitions in important respects. For example, many people would consider it sexual harassment to yell sexually suggestive comments to passing strangers even if it might not legally constitute sexual harassment.

Both legal and descriptive definitions might ignore some actions that ought to constitute sexual harassment. We thus need a normative definition of sexual harassment that tells us what is wrong about it. Normative definitions may then be used to criticize legal and descriptive definitions. Since moral theorists disagree about the nature of sexual harassment, one of my goals in the book is to argue for a ?core? definition that contains the common and essential elements of different legal, descriptive, and normative definitions. According to this definition, sexual harassment is unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature, and the persons responsible for this behavior have power over its target.

A definition of sexual harassment can allow us to answer other important conceptual questions related to sexual harassment, such as those that serve as the titles to two of the book?s other chapters, ?Where can sexual harassment occur?? and ?How can sexual harassment occur?? These chapters examine, respectively, the contexts in which sexual harassment can take place and the behaviors, sometimes subtle or in other ways difficult to recognize, that can constitute sexual harassment. Only a good grasp of the concept of sexual harassment can allow us to answer these and similar questions.

2. You are critical of sexual harassment law, particularly in the United States where it is considered to be an issue of sex discrimination. In your view, is discrimination the primary issue in sexual harassment? What alternative legal frameworks exist? What recommendations would you have to a country that is drafting new sexual harassment legislation?

Sexual harassment law in the United States arises out of anti-discrimination law; there is no federal law that specifically targets the behaviors that constitute sexual harassment. The law reflects the recognition that sexual harassment can be used as a tool of discrimination, one that has been wielded primarily against women to limit their opportunities in employment and education. One problem, however, is that not all cases of sexual harassment are cases of discrimination. The most notorious example is the so-called ?equal-opportunity harasser,? someone who harasses men and women equally, so doesn?t discriminate in his or her harassment. The victims of these forms of sexual harassment are harmed, but not because they are discriminated against. There is harm, for one thing, to their dignity. But there is little legal protection against such harms.

It is important to recognize, both conceptually and legally, how sexual harassment can be a form of discrimination. However, workers have the right to be protected from other forms of sexual harassment. I discuss in my book various alternative legal approaches but do not come out strongly in favor of any one of them. They all involve separating sexual harassment law from anti-discrimination law, although without necessarily abandoning the latter. We still need laws to protect us from discrimination. Protection from other forms of sexual harassment might not need new laws directed specifically at them. Laws that grant greater overall protection to workers might be sufficient. For example, in the United States, the employment relationship is governed by the at-will doctrine, which allows employees to be fired without just cause. I endorse the view of many legal scholars and others that the at-will doctrine weakens the power of workers, including making them less able to resist sexual harassment. Abandoning or relaxing the doctrine would grant greater protection to workers against all forms of harassment.

It is also important to recognize that the law is not an effective or otherwise appropriate remedy for all forms of sexual harassment. It also cannot provide a complete solution to sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is caused by beliefs about the worth and dignity of individuals and groups of people that cannot be modified by the law alone. Deeper cultural changes are required to change these beliefs. One of these changes, of course, is affording equal opportunities to women in our workplaces and schools by eliminating discrimination.

3. You state in your introduction that many employees resent sexual harassment training and that it is often poorly implemented. What thoughts do you have on how to make sexual harassment training more effective?

I?d like to see some research that attempts to explain the negative attitude employees have towards sexual harassment training, but I suspect that many simply find it insulting. Training of any sort implies some sort of deficiency, but there are some deficiencies we?re more willing to admit to than others. If a company implements new software or machinery, most employees would willingly admit their ignorance about it and gladly accept training to help them use it. Training in sexual harassment, however, implies that a person?s social skills need to be improved. Most people are reluctant to admit to this and would understandably resist training on how to behave better towards others (even though many of these people might need this sort of training). More effective training would attempt to deemphasize, if not eliminate, this implication. One way to do this would be to make the training interactive. Rather than being ?lectured to? by speakers or videos about how to treat others, the training could involve soliciting from employees their ideas about how to reduce sexual harassment in the workplace. It would draw on the employees? own expertise on how to treat others, rather than presupposing that they need some training in this. Some of the ideas generated in these sessions could even be incorporated into the workplace?s sexual harassment policy. Research has shown that interactive training is more likely to change positively the behavior and attitudes of trainees. It can also improve employees? attitudes towards training by getting rid of the implication that their interpersonal skills need to be improved. To go along with this, it would probably be helpful if the word ?training? were dropped and replaced with something like ?workshop.?

There are other problems with sexual harassment training. For example, many workplaces institute training in order to comply with state laws or as a protection against lawsuits. Research has shown that when these are its only motivations, the training tends to be less effective in reducing incidences of sexual harassment. So, the training should be guided by a sincere concern to reduce sexual harassment. I discuss more ideas for improving sexual harassment training in the final chapter of my book, ?How to Prevent Sexual Harassment.?

4. Vicki Schultz has argued that sexual harassment policies often lead to a ?sanitized workplace? in which employers prohibit sexuality in the workplace even if it is benign or positive. Do you share Schultz?s concern and do you think there are ways of implementing sexual harassment policies that avoid her objections?

Schultz believes that sexual harassment law could be used by employers as an excuse to more tightly control employees? behavior. She is concerned particularly about prohibitions on romantic or sexual relationships between employees or the use of so-called ?love contracts? that require workers to acknowledge their consent before entering such relationships. While the ostensible goal of such policies is the prevention of sexual harassment, they inhibit the development of both sexual and non-sexual consensual relationships between employees. Given the amount of time that employees spend at work, the workplace is for many of them a primary source of social relationships. So, these policies will have deleterious consequences on their social lives. These are legitimate concerns. Schultz correctly observes that it impossible to eradicate sexuality entirely from the workplace and the result of policies that control employees? interpersonal relationships will only be increased surveillance of workers? behavior. The workers might also develop a negative attitude generally towards efforts to combat sexual harassment because of policies like these. Nevertheless, there remains a need for sexual harassment policies in workplaces. When properly designed, they can protect both employers and employees. The policies need to be targeted towards the behaviors that can constitute sexual harassment and the relationships in which it can occur. Policies that prohibit or tightly regulate all sexual or romantic relationships in a workplace are overkill and will have those negative consequences about which Schultz warns.

5. Much of your teaching and writing explores topics in popular culture?in fact, your earlier published work on sexual harassment appeared in The Office and Philosophy. You?ve also contributed articles to a number of collections on philosophy and popular topics such as the television show The X-Files, the film Inception, and the films of Steven Spielberg. What led you to regularly contribute to books aimed at the general reader?

Philosophy books aimed at the general reader are valuable. They can introduce a wider audience to philosophy than more academic books, which is important since there are decreasing opportunities to study philosophy in schools. Such books are also capable of demonstrating the relevance of philosophy. They can show that philosophy has something to say even about, for example, popular culture, as well as the problems?sometimes fantastical, but also often ordinary?that are the subjects of popular culture (my book includes an appendix of popular films and television shows that deal with sexual harassment).

I have the same aspirations for my book. It is written for a general audience. But like the books I?ve contributed to, its purpose is not to instruct readers about philosophy. Instead, it uses philosophy to help clarify and in other ways illuminate its topic. It hopefully demonstrates how philosophy can be used to increase our understanding of sexual harassment, and how this understanding is essential to our efforts to reduce it.

Keith Dromm is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Louisiana Scholars? College at Northwestern State University. He is the author of Sexual Harassment: An Introduction to the Conceptual and Ethical Issues (Broadview, 2012).

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