Horrible Bosses - Literature review Example

Horrible Bosses Introduction The piece of creative work chosen to be analyzed in this essay is horrible bosses, which is a comedy film that has been directed by Seth Gordon. It has three friends who decide to murder their three respective bosses. Aninson, Farell and Spacey are the three respective bosses and they are extremely abusive and overbearing to Nick, Dale and Kurt1 .These friends despises their bosses and they reach a consensus that their lives would be awesome only if their bosses were dead. This piece of art is very significant in labor studies. This is because it places special emphasis on the importance of having a warm relationship between the employees and their bosses. It enhances its audience to contemplate on the significance such as modesty and humility in work setting. The main aim of this essay is to critically analyze the way work is portrayed in the society we are living in today. Horrible Bosses In this film, Nick abhors his boss Mr. Harken. This is because his boss expects him to work for long hours, precisely before sunrise and after sunset. The boss also blackmails Nick so that he is unable to quit the job2. In case he is late with only a minute, Mr. Harken call him to rush to work. Dale also hates his boss, Dr Julia Harris. In fact Dale’s boss makes sexual advances tohim when he is about to marry. 1. Russel, Jesse. Horrible bosses. New York: Book on Demand, 2013. 2. Miller, Frederick P,.Horrible bosses. Chicago: VDM Publishing, 2010. In the beginning, Kurt likes his job and his boss too but it is not until his boss dies and his son takes over. His son who takes over is a cocaine addict and he is extremely stubborn. In fact, he hands his employees in extremely brutal ways3. These characters are stressed in their work environments but they wish not to quit. In this film, work is portrayed as a positive aspect on the people’s lives. This is because hard economic times require people to be persistent in their day-to-day challenges at work, to enable them to support their daily expenses.These characters are not pleased with working without happiness. The domineering nature of their bosses annoys the three friends and they are ready to murder their bosses to enjoy happiness at work1. The bosses in this film also enable the audience to view work differently. They create a perception that being always submissive to your boss may lead you to suffer oppression. The oppression that comes from bosses has turned out to be very derogatory to the quality of lives of the three friends. People work very hard to get promotions at work places. Although this is not guaranteed, it is essential to motivate hardworkingemployees. The opposite of this phenomenon occurs in the film. Nick is promised promotion that he never gets even after working so hard. 3. Daley, John Francis. Horrible bosses. White locked draft, July 6, 2010. ed. USA: Book on Demand, 2011. 1. Russel, Jesse. Horrible bosses. New York: Book on Demand, 2013. This film presents work as an area of conflict instead of social interaction. This ensues when the three friends plot to murder their bosses1. In fact, they even hire a murder consultant. They view their bosses as their obstacles to their career success and greatness. To achieve happiness, they plan to kill their bosses. The three employees a hit man, Mother Fucker Jones, who would help them execute their conspiracy. The intention of the three of them is to succeed in their mission and still stay as far away from the crime as possible. Even though they are guided by a hitman, the three still make errors. These errors occur because the hitman that these people decide to hire has actually never killed anyone. Nick works for Dave Harkin, an abusive, manipulating and a controlling psychopath. He is always out to make Nick miserable. Social class antagonism is depicted in the film when Jack Pellit died and his family chemical company is taken over by his son Bobby. This scene of the film also shows class antagonism when Harkin despises Nick because they do not belong to the same social class. Bobby, who has been born in a rich family, does not know how to manage his father’s company after his death. In fact, he plans to misuse every profit from the company2. The son does not even promote Kurt regardless of his hard work in the chemical family. In the real world, social class antagonism is very dangerous since it makes the worst working environment for very employee. Such employees are likely to suffer low self-esteem out of the derogatory remarks made against them by their employers. 1. Russel, Jesse. Horrible bosses. New York: Book on Demand, 2013. 2. Miller, Frederick P..Horrible bosses. Chicago: VDM Publishing, 2010. In the work setting, ethics dictate that it is unlawful to make sexual advances to workers if you are a boss. However, Julia Jennifer who is Dale’s boss sexually harasses him. She threatens to tell Dale’s girlfriend that they had sexual intercourse if Dale did not consent. The nature of blackmail that Dale received from her boss made the working environment to be uncomfortable for him2. According to labor studies, employers should relate well with their employees to ensure that they motivate their employees. Employee satisfaction is also a critical issue in the work setting to enhance quality performance of the employees. Therefore, the three bosses in the film behaved in extremely unprofessional ways. Their behavior lowers the quality of the performance of the employees in their respective institutions. Instead, they demotivate their employees with their derogatory commands. For example, Nick’s boss told him that he owns him. This film depicts the unfairness that occurs in most work places during the times of high un employment. This mostly occurs because there is excess labor force in the market. The employers therefore treat their workers anyhow just because substitutes are readily available. The bosses who already have power resort to taking advantage of the situation to their advantage. In fact, the bosses begin being racist since they have the power to hire and fire workers4. Harken continues to release Nick with a promotion that is never meant to be. Farrell’s son who inherits the chemical company is extremely irresponsible. The escalating sexual harassment that Dale encounters is also a sickening effect of misuse of power by his boss at work. 2. Miller, Frederick P..Horrible bosses. Chicago: VDM Publishing, 2010. 4. Ebert, Roger .Roger Eberts Movie Yearbook 2013: 25th Anniversary Edition. Chicago: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2012. The workers in this film may also be criticized3. This is because they do not go to court or any labor union after suffering harassments from their bosses. The idea of labor unions does not ensue anywhere in the film. Instead, they conspire to murder their bosses and keep away from it as much as possible. The unity of these workers could possibly lead to more productive legal results if it is used appropriately. This representation has intense effect on the people’s perception towards work. First and fore most it makes people perceive their bosses in a completely new dimension. The people view their bosses as people who are only up to drain their energy. This shows that the people with good bosses are made to appreciate the admirable personalities of their employers. The unity of the three Kurt, Nick and Dale in this film also makes some effect to its viewers. The effect is the emphasis placed on the importance of unity between workers who are suffering problems of the same nature. The people’s expectation of work is also changed by this presentation. This is because most people do not understand that there are so any challenges in work. These challenges exist in the work setting and it is important for the individuals to prepare psychologically to handle them in various ways. Thisfilm is filled with sexual encounters and death threats between employees and employers4. These encounters do not augur well with the attitude of the workers towards their jobs. The three workers probably get into trouble with the police for their attempts to kill their bosses because they used the wrong way to solve the problem. Julia not only sexually harasses Dale, but she has also done the same to other of her dental patients. 3. Daley, John F. Horrible bosses. LA: Bradcom Publishing, 2011. 4. Ebert, Roger .Roger Eberts Movie Yearbook 2013: 25th Anniversary Edition. Chicago: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2012. Conclusion From the foregoing, it is indisputably vivid and clear from the presentation that the film showmany work issues and controversies. It successfully shows work related problems such as sexual harassment, racism, oppression and blackmail. This presentation has developed a critical eye to learners that they should be psychologically prepared to meet any boss, and they should appreciate in instances where they find good bosses5. The perception of work in the outside world has been shown well in this paper alongside some critical analysis of the way it occurs in the film. Perhaps employers should watch this film so that they can see how dangerous it is to relate poorly with employees. The effect of blackmailing employees or being abusive may turn out to be the cause of the failure of the employers and their companies. In fact, employees may even conspire to take their lives. In this film, work has been brought out as a daily activity for the individuals and it has appeared that happiness at the work place is everyone’s wish. In fact, Nick, Dale and Kurt are ready to do anything just to have their freedom and happiness at work. 5. Daley, John Francis. Horrible bosses. White locked draft, July 6, 2010. ed. USA: Book on Demand, 2011. Bibliography Daley, John Francis. Horrible bosses. White locked draft, July 6, 2010. ed. USA: Book on Demand, 2011. Russel, Jesse. Horrible bosses. New York: Book on Demand, 2013. Miller, Frederick P..Horrible bosses. Chicago: VDM Publishing, 2010. Daley, John F. Horrible bosses. LA: Bradcom Publishing, 2011. Ebert, Roger .Roger Eberts Movie Yearbook 2013: 25th Anniversary Edition. Chicago: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2012. Read More