Format.

Humor is often derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin, and profession but drastically different in terms of personality or behavior. One member of the duo—the "straight man", "feed", "dead wood", or stooge—is often portrayed as reasonable and serious, while the other one—the funny man, "banana man", or comic—is portrayed as funny, less educated or less intelligent, silly, or unorthodox. When the audience identifies primarily with one character, the other is often referred to as a comic foil. The term "feed" comes from the way a straight man sets up jokes and then "feeds" them to his partner.  Despite the names often given to the roles, the straight man is not always humorless, nor is it always the comic who provides the act's humor. Sometimes the straight man gets laughs through sarcastic reactions to the comic's antics, such as Stewart Lee's deadpan, reasoned reactions to Richard Herring's ridiculous antics in their pairing. When the straight man serves no specific comic purpose, but acts as a device to make the comic look good, he is known as a stooge. Sometimes considered a derogatory term, "stooge" began to fall out of use by the 1930s with The Three Stooges. Most often, however, the humor in a double act comes from the way the two personalities play-off each other, rather than from the individual players. In many successful acts the roles are interchangeable.

History.

Early development.

The model for the modern double act began in the British music halls and the American vaudeville scene of the late nineteenth century. Here, the straight man was needed to repeat the lines of the comic because audiences were noisy. A dynamic soon developed in which the straight man was a more integral part of the act, setting up jokes for the comic to deliver a punch line. Popular draws included acts like George Burns and Gracie Allen (who initially operated with Burns as the comic but quickly switched roles when Gracie's greater appeal was recognized), Abbott and Costello, Flanagan and Allen, Gallagher and Shean, and Smith and Dale. The dynamic continued to evolve, with Abbott and Costello using a modern and recognizable formula in routines such as Who's on First? in the 1930s and Flanagan and Allen using "cross talking".  Though vaudeville lasted well into the 1930s, its popularity started to wane because of the gradual rise of motion pictures. Some failed to survive the transition to movies and disappeared. By the 1920s, double acts were beginning to attract worldwide fame more readily through the silent era. The comedy was not derived from "cross-talk" or clever verbal exchanges, however, but through slapstick routines and the actions of the characters.  The first double act to gain worldwide fame through film was Laurel and Hardy. The pair had never worked together on stage (they did as of 1940), though both had worked in vaudeville—Stan Laurel with Charlie Chaplin as part of Fred Karno's Army and Oliver Hardy as a singer. Laurel could loosely be described as the comic, though the pair were one of the first not to fit the mold in the way that many double acts do, with both taking a fairly equal share of the laughs. The pair first worked together as a double act in the 1927 film "Duck Soup". The first Laurel and Hardy film was called "Putting Pants on Philip" though their familiar characters had not yet been established. The first film they both appeared in was "Lucky Dog" in 1917. Laurel and Hardy adapted well to silent films, both being skilled at slapstick, and their nonverbal interplay with each other and the audience became famous—Laurel's cry and Hardy's downtrodden glances to the camera whenever something went wrong—and were carried over to their later talkies. Indeed, they were one of the few silent acts who made a very successful transition to spoken word pictures in the 1930s, showing themselves to be equally adept at verbal wordplay.

1940s–1960s.

The year 1940 saw the release of Laurel and Hardy's "Saps at Sea", their final film for long-term producer and collaborator Hal Roach. From here, their popularity began to decline. However, in 1940s America the double act remained a cinema draw, developing into the "buddy movie" genre, with Abbott and Costello making the transition from stage to screen and the first of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby's "Road to..." series in 1940. Further acts soon followed; for example, the first pairing of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis occurred in 1946. About the same time The Bickersons became popular on radio. Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner started their 2000 Year Old Man recordings and subsequent television appearances in 1961. The genre has continued to exist in cinema while making a successful transition to radio and later television via The Smothers Brothers and "Rowan and Martin's Laugh In".  In Britain, double acts were confined to theatres and radio until the late 1950s, when double acts such as Morecambe and Wise and Mike and Bernie Winters slowly began the transition to television on variety shows such as "Sunday Night at the London Palladium". These acts finally came into their own in the mid- to late-1960s. When Morecambe and Wise teamed up with writer Eddie Braben, they began to redefine what was meant by a double act, with Wise, the straight man, being developed into a comic character in his own right. They provided the link between music hall and modern comedy for double acts. As the two leading double acts of the day, Morecambe and Wise and the Winters brothers enjoyed a playful rivalry—the Winters mocked the slight edge Morecambe and Wise had over them in popularity, while Morecambe, when asked what he and Wise would have been if not comedians, replied ""Mike and Bernie Winters"".  Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the traditional formula was shunned by The Two Ronnies, who completely dispensed with the need for a straight man, and Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, two Oxbridge-educated comedians who used the double act to deliver satire and edgy comedy.

1970s.

Light entertainment in Britain in the 1970s was dominated by Morecambe and Wise, who enjoyed very impressive ratings, especially on their Christmas specials. Although Mike and Bernie Winters's popularity declined, The Two Ronnies' success grew greatly while Peter Cook and Dudley Moore sporadically produced acclaimed work, in particular, their controversial recordings as Derek and Clive from 1976 to 1978.  The mid-to-late 1970s saw a resurgence in American double acts. "Blazing Saddles" (1974) featured a memorable performance by Mel Brooks and Harvey Korman (who later teamed up again in Brooks's 1981 follow-up "History of the World, Part I"). "Saturday Night Live", first broadcast in 1975, provided an outlet for comedians to appear in sketches as double acts and continues to do so. In particular, it was here that Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi honed their characters The Blues Brothers, who were soon pulled to fame in the 1980 buddy movie of the same name. Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor also embarked on a string of successful buddy films in the 1970s. Cheech & Chong also gained massive popularity during this time.  Occasionally, the straight-man/funny-man dynamic appeared in unexpected contexts between characters not normally thought of as comics. This often appeared in the James T. Kirk (William Shatner)/Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) relationship in several episodes of the original "Star Trek" series.

1980s.

Morecambe and Wise had dominated British light entertainment throughout the 1970s, but their presence started to wane in the early 1980s. When Morecambe died moments after finishing a solo show in 1984 (his last words were 'I'm glad that's over'), the best-loved double act in British comedy came to an end, and several new acts emerged. However, the two distinct groups could not have been more different.  In the wake of "Not the Nine O'Clock News", "The Young Ones" and the breakthrough onto television of 'alternative comedy' came French and Saunders; Fry and Laurie; Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson; Hale and Pace; and Smith and Jones. These edgier comics were brasher and crude—comedy's answer to punk rock. They developed the satire and vulgarity of Peter Cook and Dudley Moore rather than the more gentle humour of Morecambe and Wise and The Two Ronnies. In fact, Smith and Jones showed blatant disregard for their predecessors, openly mocking the Two Ronnies (this may have been a factor in Ronnie Barker's decision to retire from comedy in the late 1980s.)

1990s–present day.

The early 1990s saw comedy become "the new rock and roll" in Britain and this was inherent in the work of Newman and Baddiel and Punt and Dennis on "The Mary Whitehouse Experience". Newman and Baddiel, in particular, symbolized this rock and roll attitude by playing the biggest ever British comedy gig at Wembley Arena. However, with this came tension. Newman and Baddiel fell out with Punt and Dennis, not wishing to share screen time with them, and then with each other. David Baddiel went on to form another successful double act with Frank Skinner.  The 1990s also saw the introduction of one of comedy's strangest yet most successful double acts in Reeves and Mortimer. They at the same time deconstructed light entertainment and paid homage to many of the classic double acts (Vic Reeves would even do an Eric Morecambe impression on "Vic Reeves Big Night Out"). They simultaneously used very bizarre, idiosyncratic humour and traditional double act staples (in later years they became increasingly reliant on violent slapstick).  Another double act that emerged in the mid to late 1990s was Lee & Herring, who combined a classic clash of personalities (downbeat and rational Lee contrasting with energetic, childish Herring) with very ironic, often satirical humour.  Also appearing in the latter half of the decade were Adam and Joe, whose low-budget, self-produced Channel 4 series "The Adam and Joe Show" was a very sharp combination of TV and movie parodies and satirical looks at various elements of youth culture.  Indian cinema also had its share of the double act, with Tamil cinema comedians Goundamani and Senthil teaming up for several films throughout the decade, similarly Kota Srinivasa Rao and Babu Mohan in Telugu Cinema.  In Sri Lankan cinema, the famous double act is found with Sri Lanka cinema comedians Bandu Samarasinghe and Tennyson Cooray where they pioneered Sri Lankan commercial film industry in the 2000s.  Mitchell and Webb are another successful double act from the 2000s onwards, having multiple sketch shows on both radio and TV as well as starring in the award-winning sitcom Peep Show.  However, most of the most successful double acts in the early 2000s take their inspiration from the odder strain of double-act comedy spearheaded by Reeves and Mortimer. Matt Lucas and David Walliams, who had previously worked with Reeves and Mortimer, also took inspiration from the Two Ronnies. The Mighty Boosh also played with the formula but essentially remained traditional at their roots. Another popular current light entertainment/presenting comedy act is Ant & Dec, who are a very basic yet effective example of a double act.  In early 2012, comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele appeared in a sketch comedy TV show titled Key & Peele airing on Comedy Central.  Many modern-day YouTube Channels like to use this trope to their advantage. Some examples include Smosh, Dan and Phil, the Game Grumps, and Rhett and Link of the YouTube channel Good Mythical Morning,

United Kingdom.

In its British form, the two actors would usually be composed of a "straight man" or "feed" and a "comic", the purpose of the feed is to set up jokes for the comic. This would rely heavily on comic timing.  Morecambe and Wise are arguably the quintessential British double act. They followed the traditional formula with Eric Morecambe as the comic and Ernie Wise as the feed. However, other British acts such as The Two Ronnies, Hale and Pace, Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson, Reeves and Mortimer, French and Saunders, Mitchell and Webb, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones, Fry and Laurie, Lee and Herring, Armstrong and Miller, Peacock and Gamble, the role of "comic" and "straight man" are less obvious, largely interchangeable or dispensed with altogether. More obvious British examples of the comic-feed dynamic are Cannon and Ball, Little and Large or the children's entertainers The Chuckle Brothers, where the straight man acted largely as a humourless set up for the comic. Peter Cook and Dudley Moore were perhaps the first double act to go against the grain as turned their double act into a complex analysis of their relationship. In many of the sketches (especially the Pete and Dud exchanges) Cook played the domineering know-it-all (who knows nothing) and Moore the put-upon dimwit (who also knows nothing).  This dominance was accentuated by the difference in height between the two, and the speed of Cook's mind, which meant that he could ad lib and force Moore to corpse in a Pete and Dud dialogue, leaving him helpless to respond. As the partnership progressed into the often-improvised Derek and Clive dialogues, these light-hearted attempts to make Moore laugh became, as a result of Cook's growing insecurity and alcoholism, aggressive attacks on the defenseless Moore. However, carrying on the tradition of going against the grain of traditional double acts, when the partnership dissolved in the late 1970s, it was Cook whose career stalled due to boredom, alcoholism and lack of ambition, while Moore went on to become one of Hollywood's most unlikely leading men.

Sitcoms.

The double act has become a popular theme in British sitcoms. One of the earliest examples of this was the relationship between Tony Hancock and Sid James in the Galton and Simpson series "Hancock's Half Hour". James played a down-to-earth character while Hancock was pompous and had delusions of grandeur, and the comedy was derived from the two playing off each other's characteristics.  A common trend in sitcoms is to place the double act in a situation where they are forced together through uncontrollable circumstance. In another Galton and Simpson production, "Steptoe and Son", a son, with great ambition, was forced to live with his elderly, manipulative father as a rag and bone man. The comedy derives from the way the characters interact in their tempestuous relationship. The series also has more heart-rending moments as the son despairs at his inability to escape his needy, selfish, grasping father.  "Porridge" saw "an habitual criminal", Fletcher (played by Ronnie Barker, already famous for his comedy partnership with Ronnie Corbett) and a young, naive, first-time prisoner, Lennie Godber. The two would bicker but endured a relationship of mutual respect. Barker also formed a partnership with David Jason in Open All Hours, with Jason playing Granville while Barker played Albert Arkwright. Many don't see this as a comedy duo, but the straight-man element coupled with Barker's funny-man antics on the show are still compressed into the script.  Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson combined their success in sitcoms ("The Young Ones") and as a double act (The Dangerous Brothers) in 1991 when they created "Bottom". Their characters are a pair of sad, pathetic losers forced together by their mutual hopelessness. However, unlike earlier examples of such, the characters in "Bottom" absolutely hate each other, exacerbating their despair. This often leads to slapstick violence, such as hitting each other with frying pans. Mayall and Edmonson have said "Bottom" aimed to be more than just a series of toilet gags—it was meant to be a cruder cousin to plays like "Waiting for Godot" about the pointlessness of life.  Other popular double acts in British sitcoms include complex relationships involving status and superiority themes: in "Dad's Army", the social climbing envy of Captain George Mainwaring, to his right-hand man (Sergeant Arthur Wilson) who is of higher status than him; and in Red Dwarf, the working class everyman Dave Lister to the middle class but socially-awkward Arnold Rimmer. However, the most prominent double act is that of an intelligent person and his inferior sidekick, such as Basil and Manuel of "Fawlty Towers", Blackadder and Baldrick of "Blackadder", or Ted and Father Dougal of the Irish sitcom "Father Ted".  In recent years, double acts as sitcoms appear to have gone full circle, as illustrated by the cult success of "The Mighty Boosh". For the relationship between the two main characters this series uses a formula very similar to that between Sid and Tony in "Hancock's Half Hour" – that of a pompous character whose best friend can see right through him and brings him back down to earth. A similar dynamic is used in "Peep Show" in which the characters of Mitchell and Webb were adapted for the sitcom formula. However, in this case both characters suffer from pomposity; the difference between the pair is the laidback, cool arrogance (yet stupidity) of Jeremy and the intellectual arrogance (yet social-awkwardness) of Mark.

U.S. and Canada.

In the United States and Canada, the tradition was more popular in the earlier part of the 20th century with vaudeville-derived acts such as Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Burns and Allen, and Wheeler & Woolsey, and continuing into the television age with Martin and Lewis, Kenan & Kel, Bob and Ray, the Smothers Brothers, Wayne and Shuster, Allen and Rossi, Jack Burns and Avery Schreiber, Rowan and Martin, Mike Nichols and Elaine May, the Wayans Brothers, Troy and Abed from "Community" and Shawn and Gus in "Psych". The series "I Love Lucy" was known for its double acts, and Lucille Ball served as foil to both her husband Desi Arnaz and to Vivian Vance; Vance could also serve as foil to William Frawley when the situation required it. Vance and Ball would again serve as a double act in their next series "The Lucy Show".  More recently, the model has been largely supplanted by that of the "buddy movie" genre, which has introduced several notable comedy partnerships not formally billed as a single "act" in the traditional manner. The earliest example of such a team may have been Bob Hope and Bing Crosby; later examples include Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, David Spade and Chris Farley and child stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell. Based on the gag-man/straight-man concept, "Stoner" duos like Cheech and Chong, Jay & Silent Bob, and Harold and Kumar have also proven quite popular with audiences.  The double act format can also be used in presenting noncomedic information in an entertaining manner, such as Savage/Hyneman pair of the Discovery Channel's "MythBusters" (which Savage stated was unintentional when they began the series but naturally grew into a double act as the result of their own conflicting personalities). From 2006 to 2010, Apple used the double-act formula successfully in its popular series of "I'm a Mac/And I'm a PC" ads with John Hodgman and Justin Long.

China.

In China, xiangsheng (also known as crosstalk) is a traditional comedic performance usually in the form of a dialogue between two performers.

Japan.

In Japan the manzai tradition parallels that of the double although it is more formulaic. Here there is a distinguished straight man ("tsukkomi") and funny man ("boke") and the humor consists of quick jokes full of slapstick humor and social misunderstandings.

Germany.

In Germany Tünnes and Schäl (since 1803/1850s), two Cologne puppet theater characters, fit to the concept of fool and straight man.  During the Second World War Tran and Helle appeared in a number of short films to deter Germans from actions detrimental to Germany's war effort or security.  Between 1950 and 1980, the most popular comedy duo of East Germany, Herricht & Preil, ran a very successful double act, with Hans-Joachim Preil as the straight man and Rolf Herricht as the comic.

Interchangeable roles.

Double acts who do not use the "Straight Man/Funny Man" dynamic or whose roles are interchangeable – as well as notable examples:

A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act. Pairings are typically long-term, in some cases for the artists' entire careers. Double acts perform on the stage, television and film.

双人搭档(英语:Double act),又称喜剧双人组(英语:comedy duo)、双人喜剧,一种喜剧的演出形式,由两个演员组成搭档,利用两个人之间的对话与肢体动作进行演出。通常这两个搭档是同性别、同年纪、同种族、相同能力,但是在个性或行为上,有着戏剧性的相反、对立,利用这种落差来形成演出效果。在这种组合中的其中一个成员,他通常会表现的理性而严肃,演出直性子、容易爆怒、性急、没有幽默感、喜欢找碴、死硬或尖酸的个性;另一个成员,则是表现出有趣而轻佻的性格,演出一个搞笑、没有受过好的教育、不聪明,或是不太正经的人。


Background.

"Cherish" was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, and released as the third single from "Like a Prayer" (1989). The song is built around the themes of love and relationships, with William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" one of its major inspirations. Madonna was reading "Romeo and Juliet" during the breaks during rehearsals for "Speed the Plow", a Broadway show in which she was starring in 1988. On the third day of the "Like a Prayer" recording sessions, she presented Leonard with the lyrics of "Cherish", and explained that she had written the song "one sunny afternoon by the beach", but later confessed that it was actually written in her make-up room. "I wrote it in a superhyper-positive state of mind that I knew was not going to last", the singer recalled. Leonard introduced one line from the similar titled song by the 1960s band the Association, "Cherish is the word I use", after which Madonna decided to include it on "Like a Prayer". The B-side of the single release of "Cherish" was a previously unreleased track called "Supernatural", initially composed during the recording sessions of her third studio album, "True Blue" and later completed in 1989. In 2009, during an interview with "Rolling Stone", Madonna confessed that she had never been able to predict if her songs would be successful, irrespective of her personal opinion of them. As an example, she cited "Cherish" as one of the most "retarded" songs she had written, but noted it became a commercial success. The song was also included on the 1990 compilation album "The Immaculate Collection" and the two-disc edition of her 2009 compilation "Celebration".

Composition.

"Cherish" is a doo-wop style pop shuffle song and opened the second side of "Like a Prayer". It begins with the sound of synths and keyboard and Madonna repeatedly singing the words "cherish, cherish". This is followed by the sound from drum machine, as percussion and guitars accompany her voice. During the bridge, Madonna sings the line "Cupid please take your aim at me", as the keyboard sound becomes pronounced. The drum changes its rhythm and Madonna moves into the chorus, "Cherish the joy/of always having you here by my side", accompanied by background vocals and a bass guitar. The second verse continues in the same way, with Madonna singing the line "Romeo and Juliet/they never felt this way I bet/So don't underestimate my point of view."  As the second chorus ends, a saxophone starts playing as Madonna softly asks the listener, "Who? You! Can't get away, won't let you", followed by Leonard's Association-inspired line. Background vocals continue repeating words over a horn, playing in B minor. The drums and the percussion start again and the chorus is sung twice, before fading out. According to the sheet music published by Alfred Publishing Co. Inc., "Cherish" is composed in the time signature of common time, with a moderately fast tempo of 130 beats per minute. Set in the key of D major, "Cherish" has Madonna singing between the tonal nodes of A to D. The song follows the sequence of G/D–D–Em–D in the beginning as its chord progression, which changes to D–Dm–C–Em during the verses and shifts to G–D/G–A–D/F in the chorus.  The lyrics of "Cherish" makes it a simple love song, where Madonna talks about devotion and having her lover by her side, whom she would never leave. According to semiotician Thomas Sebeok, the backbone of "Cherish" is constructed by incorporating titles of previous romantic pop hits. Songs such as "Cupid" (Sam Cooke), "You Are My Destiny" (Paul Anka) and "I Can't Let Go" (The Hollies) are used within the first verse, while other verses use the words of such song titles as "Burning Love" (Elvis Presley) and "Two Hearts" (Bruce Springsteen). Other instances include the Association song reference and Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". Richard Burt, author of "Shakespeare After Mass Media", deduced that the lines on "Romeo and Juliet" and "I Can't Let Go" makes the speaker alternate between assertiveness and dependency. Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine felt that although "Cherish" was a "radiant" song invoking the pop music of the 60s, "in the grand pop scheme, [it] pales only in comparison to their glorious counterparts, making "Like a Prayer" one of the quintessential pop albums of all time."

Critical reception.

Wayne Robins from "Newsday" believed that "Cherish" exemplified the "kind of random pop we'd get if [postmodern author] William Burroughs were the program director of a Top 40 radio station." Burt compared the song and Madonna's delivery of the lyrics with the dialogues spoken by Shakespeare's Juliet, and found similarity in the, "Sweet so would I, Yet I should kill thee with much cherishing" from the play, with the lyrics of "Cherish". Allen Metz, one of the authors of "The Madonna Companion", felt that "Cherish" as the opening song of the B-side of "Like a Prayer", reaffirmed the sweet and happy romanticism that was missing from the A-side of the album adding, "As much a child of pop as of the church, Madonna is restored by music's healing power, in this case with a mixture of classic sweet soul and L.A. pop moderne."  Music critic J. D. Considine, while reviewing the "Like a Prayer" album for "Rolling Stone" complimented the song for creating an effective balance, contrasting its lighthearted nature with the trauma of "Oh Father", the next song. Considine also found retro-rock references in the song. Freya Jarman-Ivens, one of the authors of "Madonna's Drowned Worlds", felt that the song was one of the last works on pure romanticism by Madonna. "She should come back to the formula from time to time, but I guess she has moved beyond all of that", Jarman-Ivens added. Carol Clerk, author of "Madonnastyle" noted that the "refreshing" nature of the song was particularly noticeable if one follows Madonna's catalog chronologically, especially embedded between the anthem like nature of the previous release, "Express Yourself", and the lament of the succeeding release, "Oh Father".  Scholar Maria Raha wrote in her book "Cinderella's Big Score: Women of the Punk and Indie Underground" that the song was full of "trite" lyrics. Andy Goldberg from "The Jerusalem Post" said that "Cherish" took "Madonna back to her old stomping grounds, the lively bass line and lilting melodies of hit albums past." Kevin Phinney from "Austin American-Statesman" was surprised by Madonna's contribution to the song and confessed that he "[found] it difficult to be believe that she even wrote this?" Phinney continued that he wanted Madonna to go in a more mature direction and compose songs musically similar to "Cherish". Writing for "The Washington Post", Richard Harrington explained that "while songs on "Like a Prayer" dealt with matters opening her heart, with 'Cherish' Madonna dealt with matters which were close to her heart." This view was also shared by Ian Blair from "Chicago Tribune" who categorized the song as being sung for the "happy-go-lucky lovers and dreamers".  "The Dallas Morning News" Lennox Samuels appreciated the light-hearted theme of the song and complimented Madonna and Leonard for not sticking with personal subject matters only on the album. Dale Anderson from "The Buffalo News" opined that the song would become one of Madonna's most forgettable releases, but was also hopeful that it would not. This opinion was shared by Don McLeese of "Chicago Sun-Times", who added that "Cherish" was not something expected from Madonna at that point of time. McCleese was disappointed that Madonna went back to the "happy-go-lucky, lovey-dovey" kind of songs, which did not match her self-image. Dan DeLuca from "The Philadelphia Inquirer", while reviewing Madonna's Drowned World Tour in 2001, compared "Cherish" with songs by Chris Robinson, humorously adding that "only if he was gay he would sing something like that." Lucy O'Brien, author of "", felt that the song was typical of Madonna's previous musical endeavors, and would have been more suitable for her third studio album, "True Blue", whose songs mainly dealt with romance and relationships.

Chart performance.

In the United States, "Cherish" debuted at number 37 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 singles chart. The next week it moved to number 28 on the chart, becoming the week's "greatest gainer" song. After three weeks, as "Cherish" entered the top-five of "Billboard" Hot 100, music industry prognosticators theorized that the song would become Madonna's eighth number-one song on the Hot 100. However, the song started facing competition from fellow singer Janet Jackson's single "Miss You Much", which also moved into the top-ten the same week. The popular media pitted the two women against each other and tried to create rivalry between them. The song eventually peaked at number two on October 7, 1989, the same week "Miss You Much" topped the Hot 100. "Cherish" became Madonna's 16th consecutive top-five single, a record by any artist in Hot 100 chart history. It was present on the Hot 100 for a total of 15 weeks. Unlike previous Madonna singles, "Cherish" was not a dance hit and did not make an appearance on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, but was able to top the Adult Contemporary chart, her third after "Live to Tell" and "La Isla Bonita". "Cherish" also helped Madonna to win the Top Adult Contemporary Artist trophy at the 1989 "Billboard" Music Awards. On the year-end charts of "Billboard", "Cherish" ranked at number 59 on the Hot 100 and number 31 on the Adult Contemporary chart. In Canada, "Cherish" debuted at number 80 on the "RPM" Singles Chart on August 14, 1989. In its ninth week on the chart, the song reached number one, staying there for two weeks. "Cherish" was present on the chart for 17 weeks and was the ninth best-selling Canadian single for 1989. The track also reached number-one on the "RPM" Adult Contemporary chart in its seventh week.  On September 1, 1989, "Cherish" was released in the United Kingdom and entered the UK Singles Chart at number 16. The next week, the song moved to its peak position of number three, becoming Madonna's 21st top-ten single in the United Kingdom. According to the Official Charts Company, the song has sold 200,000 copies there. "Cherish" entered the Australian Singles Chart at number 17 on September 17, 1989, and reached a peak of number four, staying on the chart for 16 weeks. In the Netherlands, "Cherish" debuted at number 24 on the Dutch Top 40 chart, and reached a peak of number 15, the next week. "Cherish" also reached the top ten on the record charts across European nations, prompting it to reach number five on the European Hot 100 Singles chart. It also became the most played single on radio across Europe during the week of October 21, 1989.

Music video.

"Cherish" was promoted by a black-and-white music video that was directed by Herb Ritts and was filmed on July 22, 1989 at Paradise Cove Beach in Malibu, California. Its world premiere took place on MTV on August 21, 1989. Ritts was one of Madonna's preferred photographers at that time and so she asked him to direct the "Cherish" video. Ritts reportedly tried to talk her out of it by saying, "But I'm a still photographer. I don't know anything about film." Undaunted, Madonna replied simply, "Well you have a few weeks to learn." The director practised with a Super 8 film camera while working on a job in Hawaii and after returning confirmed to Madonna that he could helm the video. "Two weeks later, I was filming 'Cherish'. I directed it and did the camera work as well. It was invigorating," he told art curator François Quintin in a 1999 interview.  The video was conceptualized by Ritts, who wanted to portray mermen in their natural habitat, but Madonna baulked at the idea since she wanted to be portrayed as herself, but keep the mermen also. Four male performers were signed for this, one of them being Tony Ward who would become Madonna's boyfriend later, with the other three being water polo players from nearby Pepperdine University. There were four merman tails created by Global Effects in North Hollywood, California for the video. Three full-size tails for the mermen were cast in a solid highly flexible rubber, each weighing around. This was necessary to make them neutrally buoyant in water as lighter tails would have floated, causing the swimmers to be head-down in the sea. Once in these tails, the polo players needed to be carried to and from the water and once in it, they had tremendous swimming power and agility. This was partly due to a plastic spring-like armature cast into the flipper of each tail. One of the reasons this video was shot in black and white is because the water was very cold, causing Madonna's already pale complexion to look even whiter. According to Maura Johnston of "Rolling Stone", following its release "The playful video became an MTV staple, a light jaunt on the beach after the controversy-drenched [clips] for 'Like a Prayer' and the future-shocked 'Express Yourself'." Fouz-Hernandez deduced a relationship between the music and the images in the video for "Cherish", saying that they complemented each other; the author felt that this in turn encouraged the viewer to watch the video repeatedly. Fouz-Hernandez talked about the balancing of height and depth occurring in the video. The visual depictions of the mermen and the lighting used in the video were influenced by Ritts' still photograph known as "The Male Nude Bubble", which showed nude male models inside a giant water tank, with a white cloth entwined around them. Many of the qualities in the photos, including the floating nature of the models, were present during the swimming and the posing of the mermen.  Carol Vernallis, author of "Experiencing Music Video", found homoerotic connotations between Madonna and the mermen. The mermen in the video exist in a self-contained world of their own, where they procreate with their own kind, both biologically and socially. The fact that the mermen did not seem to possess genitalia led Vernallis to believe that the video associated them with other works by Ritts, namely homoerotic sculptural images without penises. Their tails drew different meanings, including sexual ones and Christian symbolism. Since in contemporary art, images of mermen are rare while mermaids are common, they are sometimes called fairies partly because it is not known how they came to be. Vernallis believed that the mysteriousness and the elusiveness of the mermen in the video played a crucial role. They never address the camera directly and are often shown disappearing from view. Since remaining invisible is a central theme in the homosexual community, for the author this actually portrayed oppression and the desire to watch but never be seen.

Live performance and covers.

Madonna has performed "Cherish" live only during the 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour. Onstage, the performance mirrored the sequence from the music video, with the appearance of three of Madonna's dancers, dressed as mermen. Author Carol Clerk noted in her book "Madonnastyle" that the outfit worn by the singer during this sequence was the simplest and the softest costume of the show. It consisted of a black mini-dress trimmed and stitched with a stuffed West African stork, called the marabou. Madonna gyrated around her dancers, while playing with a harp. During the chorus, the dancers lifted their prosthetic fish-tails and joined them with each other. Guilbert felt that the performance de-sexualizes men, since they are relegated to objects of adoration, like the three mermen dancers. This view was shared by Mark Bego, author of "Madonna: Blonde Ambition", who said that "Madonna and her girls go into a very girlish mode, but they give the feeling that they are in charge, be it playing with the mermen, or teasing them." Two different performances were taped and released on video, the "Blond Ambition Japan Tour 90", taped in Yokohama, Japan, on April 27, 1990, and the "Blond Ambition World Tour Live", taped in Nice, France, on August 5, 1990.  The late Brazilian singer Renato Russo included an acoustic cover of the song on his 1994 album "The Stonewall Celebration Concert". His version was appreciated by Alvaro Neder of Allmusic. The 2000 compilation album "Virgin Voices: A Tribute To Madonna, Vol. 2" contains a cover by worldbeat group Loop Guru. An alternative rock cover of the song by The Prayers was included on the 2007 Madonna tribute compilation "Through the Wilderness".  Credits and personnel adapted from "Like a Prayer" album liner notes.

Certification and sales.

!scope="row"|United Kingdom

"Cherish" is a song by American singer Madonna from her fourth studio album, "Like a Prayer" (1989). It was written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, and was released by Sire Records as the album's third single on August 1, 1989. "Cherish" was built around the themes of love and relationships, with William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" being one of the major inspirations. The track also included a line from "Cherish" by the 1960s band the Association. Musically constructed as a doo-wop-style pop song, it is regarded as a light-hearted track by critics and includes instruments such as a drum machine, percussions, keyboards and a saxophone. Lyrically, it speaks of Madonna's devotion to her lover, and her promise to be always by his side. "Cherish" was included on Madonna's greatest hits compilations, "The Immaculate Collection" (1990) and "Celebration" (2009).

《Cherish》是美国女歌手玛丹娜在1989年8月发行的歌曲,为她第四张录音室专辑《宛如祈祷者》(英语:Like A Prayer)中所发行的第三首单曲,该单曲在告示牌单曲榜最高成绩为第2名。


2010年美国联盟分区赛

Tampa Bay vs. Texas.

Game 1, October 6.

1:30 p.m. (EDT) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida Rangers ace Cliff Lee dominated the American League East champions in Game 1. He struck out ten while allowing five hits. During one stretch, he retired sixteen of seventeen batters before giving up a home run to Ben Zobrist in the seventh. The win also snapped a nine-game postseason losing streak that began in 1996 for the Rangers.  Longtime Ranger Michael Young appeared in his first playoff game after playing in 1,508 games in his career. Only Randy Winn has played more games (1,717) without getting a shot in the postseason. Young was 0-for-4.  The Rangers got on the board in the second off of Rays ace David Price when Ian Kinsler hit a leadoff single and scored on Jeff Francoeur's double. After a strikeout, Francoeur scored on Bengie Molina's single. Nelson Cruz and Molina hit home runs in the third and fourth respectively and Vladimir Guerrero hit an RBI double in the fifth. In the ninth inning, pitching in a non-save situation, Rangers closer Neftalí Feliz walked the first two batters, but then settled down and induced a lineout from Ben Zobrist before striking out Reid Brignac and Matt Joyce to end the game.

Game 2, October 7.

2:30 p.m. (EDT) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida The Rays still had no answers for both the Rangers' starting pitching and their offense. Matt Treanor was hit by a pitch, and eventually scored on Shields' pickoff error to first base in the third. Ian Kinsler hit a homer in the fourth to make it 2–0.  In the top of the fifth inning, with one out and Julio Borbon on base, Elvis Andrus hit a single. Shields was pulled, replaced by Chad Qualls. After a controversial checked swing call, Michael Young hit a three-run home run to extend the lead to 5–0. Rays manager Joe Maddon was ejected after arguing that Young's prior swing on the 2–2 pitch should have been called strike three. Ian Kinsler's RBI single later in the same inning made it 6–0 Rangers.  The Rays had their best chances in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ben Zobrist walked then advanced to third base on Willy Aybar's double. However, Kelly Shoppach and Matt Joyce both struck out, then Jason Bartlett hit a fly ball to center field to end the threat.  C. J. Wilson pitched shutout innings for Texas, giving up two hits and striking out seven while walking two.

Game 3, October 9.

5:00 p.m. (EDT) at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas In seeking their first franchise postseason home game win and series sweep, the Rangers sent Colby Lewis to the mound to face the Rays' Matt Garza. The Rays were counting on the 2008 ALCS MVP to come through once again and prevent a sweep.  The Rangers struck first in the bottom of the third inning. Mitch Moreland hit a lead-off double in the bottom of the third inning, advanced to third on a passed ball by Rays catcher John Jaso, then scored on Elvis Andrus's RBI ground-out.  After being shut down for 16 consecutive innings in this series, the Rays finally came back to life. After walking Evan Longoria, Lewis was replaced by reliever Derek Holland. The next hitter Matt Joyce hit a ground ball to Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler. Longoria was out at second base, but Joyce was ruled safe at first on a close play. Dan Johnson singled, but Joyce was tagged out at second base after a failed attempt to advance to third. Holland was replaced by Alexi Ogando after walking Carlos Peña. Orgando gave up an RBI double to B. J. Upton that scored Johnson. The game was tied at 1–1.  Another controversial play occurred in the bottom of the sixth inning when Andrus stole second on Josh Hamilton's strikeout. Garza and Maddon argued with the second base umpire Jeff Kellogg that Andrus' right leg did not stay on base.  Ian Kinsler's go-ahead homer in the bottom of the seventh inning took the lead for the Rangers and also knocked Garza out of the game.  Rays designated hitter Dan Johnson doubled in the top of the eighth inning, then Peña's RBI single scored pinch-runner Desmond Jennings to tie the game at 2–2. Later, John Jaso hit a two-out RBI single that scored Peña. This was the Rays' first lead in the series.  Carl Crawford led off the top of the ninth inning with a home run. Later, Peña's two-run homer increased Rays' lead to four, which was enough for Rays closer Rafael Soriano, despite a home run by Nelson Cruz in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Game 4, October 10.

1:00 p.m. (EDT) at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas  The Rays scored first in the top of the second inning. Carlos Peña hit a triple that bounced over the head of Rangers center fielder Josh Hamilton, then scored on Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler's fielding error.  Back-to-back doubles by Evan Longoria and Peña in the top of the fourth inning brought in another run for the Rays. After two strikeouts, B. J. Upton hit the third double in this inning to score Peña.  Evan Longoria hit a two-run homer off Rangers reliever Derek Holland in the fifth inning to increase the Rays' lead to five.  The Rangers showed some sign of life when Nelson Cruz hit a home run, his third in this series, in the bottom of the sixth inning. Later Mitch Moreland's RBI double off Grant Balfour scored Ian Kinsler to make the score 5–2. After that, the Rays bullpen was excellent. Balfour got out of the inning and pitched a scoreless seventh, before handing it over to setup man Joaquín Benoit, a Ranger until this year. He worked a perfect eighth to pick up the hold.  Rays closer Rafael Soriano then pitched a perfect ninth for the save.  The series was tied at two and the Rangers were unable to notch their first postseason home game win. It marked the first time since 2005 that a Division Series in either league went the full five games.

Game 5, October 12.

8:00 p.m. (EDT) at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida Game 5 featured a rematch of Game 1's two aces, the Rangers' Cliff Lee versus the Rays' David Price.  Elvis Andrus led off the game with a single, later stole second, and scored for the Rangers on Josh Hamilton's RBI ground-out in the top of the first inning. Rays' pitcher David Price was covering first on the play and was unaware of the runner rounding third. The Rays tied up the game in the bottom of the third inning when Sean Rodriguez scored on Ben Zobrist's RBI single.  In the top of the fourth inning, Nelson Cruz hit a two-out double that barely missed being a home run in the deepest corner of the field, stole third, then scored on Rays' catcher Kelly Shoppach's throwing error.  The Rangers got another run in the top of the sixth on a similar play to the one that occurred in the first. Ian Kinsler grounded the ball to first and the Rays attempted to turn a double play, with Price covering first. Once again, Price seemed to forget about the runner coming from second when he turned to the umpire to see the call. Vladimir Guerrero barely beat Price's throw to the plate and the Rangers led, 3–1. All three Texas runs in the game to this point had been scored due to some sort of defensive miscue. Price was relieved by Grant Balfour in the seventh inning, having gone six innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on eight hits, a slightly better line than his first game but not good enough to match Cliff Lee. Lee dominated the Rays through nine innings, allowing one earned run on six hits, with eleven strikeouts.  The Rangers got another two runs in the top of the ninth on Kinsler's two-run homer off Rays closer Rafael Soriano. Cruz had singled before the homer, one of his three hits. Kinsler also had three hits for Texas.  Lee's complete game gem made this series the first MLB postseason series in which the visiting team won every game, and his 21 strikeouts in the two games combined set an ALDS record for most strikeouts in a series. Lee finished the series with a 1.13 ERA in the two games. It was the first playoff series the Texas Rangers had ever won.

Composite line score.

2010 ALDS (3–2): Texas Rangers over Tampa Bay Rays

Minnesota vs. New York.

Game 1, October 6.

8:30 p.m. (EDT) at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota Hoping to break their streak of postseason defeats against the Yankees, the Twins struck first in this first postseason game in Target Field. In the bottom of the second inning, Yankee starter CC Sabathia hit the leadoff hitter, Jim Thome, then allowed a two-run home run by Michael Cuddyer. Orlando Hudson scored on Jorge Posada's passed ball to make it 3–0 in the bottom of the third inning.  Francisco Liriano held the Yankees scoreless until the top of the sixth inning. Following Robinson Canó's and Jorge Posada's RBI singles, Curtis Granderson's RBI triple scored both Canó and Posada, made it 4–3 Yankees, and knocked Liriano out of the game.  In the bottom of the sixth inning, Danny Valencia's walk tied the game at 4–4.  The Yankees took the lead again in the top of the seventh inning as Mark Teixeira hit a two-run homer to right field. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera's four-out save (his 40th career postseason save) sealed the Game 1 win.

Game 2, October 7.

6:00 p.m. (EDT) at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota In Game 2, 17-game winner Carl Pavano started for the Twins, hoping to even the series. Pavano faced Yankee veteran Andy Pettitte. Like in Game 1, the Twins struck first in the second inning when Delmon Young scored on a Danny Valencia sacrifice fly.  The Yankees tied the game in the top of the fourth inning, as Curtis Granderson doubled, advanced to third base on Mark Teixeira's single, then scored on Alex Rodriguez's sacrifice fly.  Designated hitter Lance Berkman homered in the fifth inning to take the lead for the Yankees. However, Orlando Hudson tied it with a homer in the bottom of the sixth inning.  In the top of the seventh inning, Berkman's RBI double over the head of Twins center fielder Denard Span once again took the lead for the Yankees. Like Joe Maddon did earlier in the Rangers–Rays game, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire argued about the 1–2 borderline pitch right before Berkman's double and got ejected. Later, Derek Jeter's RBI single scored Berkman and made the score 4–2.  Granderson's RBI single scored Brett Gardner in the top of the ninth inning. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Mariano Rivera gave up a leadoff single to Joe Mauer, but got Delmon Young to ground into a double play and then induced a fly ball to left field from Jim Thome for the second consecutive save in the series.  This was Andy Pettitte's 19th career and final postseason win and Mariano Rivera's 41st postseason save; both are all-time postseason pitching records. Also, this was the 11th straight postseason loss for the Twins and eighth straight postseason loss against the Yankees.

Game 3, October 9.

8:30 p.m. (EDT) at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York The Yankees took an early lead this time in the bottom of the second inning when Robinson Canó hit a lead-off triple, later scored on Jorge Posada's RBI single. Nick Swisher hit a two-out double in the bottom of the third inning, then scored on Mark Teixeira's RBI single to increase their lead to two.  Canó singled again in the bottom of the fourth inning. The next batter, Marcus Thames, who had a successful record against left-hander Brian Duensing this year, hit the first pitch he saw into right field. Later, Curtis Granderson walked, stole second, and advanced to third on Joe Mauer's throwing error. Brett Gardner's RBI sacrifice fly scored Granderson to make the score 5–0. Nick Swisher's homer in the bottom of the seventh inning increased the lead to six.  After being shut down by Hughes for seven innings, the Twins finally got on board in the top of the eighth inning. Danny Valencia hit a lead-off double off Yankees reliever Kerry Wood. After J. J. Hardy flew out, both Denard Span and Orlando Hudson singled to score Valencia. Wood was removed from the game after walking Mauer. However, Yankees relievers Boone Logan and David Robertson induced a popout and a flyout respectively to get out of the one-out bases-loaded jam. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera pitched a scoreless ninth for the series sweep.  This was the first time that the Yankees advanced to the second round of the postseason as the Wild Card (they lost all three in 1995, 1997, and 2007), and this win marked the ninth time the Yankees advanced to the LCS since 1995, the most in MLB. The Minnesota Twins, with this loss, extended their postseason losing streak to twelve games, with nine of those coming against the Yankees.

Composite line score.

2010 ALDS (3–0): New York Yankees over Minnesota Twins

The 2010 American League Division Series (ALDS) were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 American League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth "Wild Card" team (the team with the best record among teams not winning their division) played in two series from October 6 to 12. TBS televised all games in the United States.

2010年美国联盟分区赛是美国联盟季后赛第一轮,采用的是5战3胜制,胜出的2支球队将会得到美联冠军赛的资格。3支分区冠军球队和1支外卡球队将参与此次赛事。本赛事在2010年10月7日至10月13日举行,参赛的4支球队是:


Career.

Hoon Thien How and Tan Boon Heong were the World Junior Champions in 2004. Their partnership continued until early 2006 when they won the silver medal at the 2006 Asian Badminton Championships. Shortly after, Tan was partnered with Koo Kien Keat and Hoon was briefly partnered with Chan Chong Ming and then, Ong Soon Hock.  Hoon and Ong participated in Indonesia Open 2008 and did their best as they became the semi-finalist, beaten by Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan. Latest, they played in China Masters 2008 but once again was beaten.  In 2010, Hoon and Ong were chosen to play for Malaysia Thomas Cup squad. From 2010 onward, he was paired with Tan Wee Kiong. Hoon and Tan broke into the top 10 in the world rankings on 20 December 2012. Together, their highest ranking was at No. 7. Hoon and Tan did not win any Super Series tournaments during their partnership. However, they often made it to the quarterfinals, semifinals or finals of the tournaments which contributed to their world ranking.  In May 2014, Hoon represented Malaysia at 2014 Thomas Cup with former partner, Tan Boon Heong as a scratch pair. They played first doubles and defeated World No. 1 pair, Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia in the semi finals but failed to defeat world No. 3 pair, Hiroyuki Endo and Kenichi Hayakawa of Japan in the finals. Malaysia lost narrowly 2-3 to Japan.  After 8 years since they last played together as official partners, Hoon's partnership with Tan Boon Heong was permanently resumed in September 2014. This was due to the resignation of Boon Heong's partner, Koo Kien Keat earlier that year along with Tan Wee Kiong's new partnership with Goh V Shem.

Achievements.

Asian Championships.

"Men's Doubles"

World Junior Championships.

"Boys' Doubles"

BWF Superseries.

The BWF Superseries has two level such as Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries features twelve tournaments around the world, which introduced since 2011, with successful players invited to the Superseries Finals held at the year end.  "Men's Doubles"

BWF Grand Prix.

The BWF Grand Prix has two levels: Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It is a series of badminton tournaments, sanctioned by Badminton World Federation (BWF) since 2007.  "Men's Doubles"

Hoon Thien How (born 24 December 1986) is a former badminton player from Malaysia who plays in the men's doubles category. Currently, he is one of the assistant coach for Malaysia men's doubles national team.

云天豪(英语:Hoon Thien How,1986年-12月24日),马来西亚男子羽毛球运动员。


Plot.

In 1976, in South Africa during apartheid, Ben Du Toit (Donald Sutherland) is a South African school teacher at a school for whites only. One day, the son of his gardener, Gordon Ngubene (Winston Ntshona), gets beaten by the white police after he gets caught by the police during a peaceful demonstration for a better education policy for black people in South Africa. Gordon asks Ben for help. After Ben refuses to help because of his trust in the police, Gordon gets caught by the police as well and is tortured by Captain Stolz (Jürgen Prochnow). Against the will of his family, Ben tries to find out more about the disappearance of his gardener by himself. Following the discoveries of the murders of both Gordon and his son by the police, Ben decides to bring this incident up before a court with Ian McKenzie (Marlon Brando) as lawyer but loses. Afterwards, he continues to act by himself and supports a small group of black people, including his driver Stanley Makhaya (Zakes Mokae), to interview others to promote social change.  The white police notice their intentions and detain some responsible persons. To file a civil suit, Ben collects affidavits and hides the information at his house. Ben lets his son in on his plans. His son and his daughter both get to know the hiding spots, and after the police search through Ben's house, there is an explosion next to the hiding spot because the daughter betrayed it to the police, but the son saved the documents. Gordon's wife, Emily (Thoko Ntshinga), is killed when she refuses to be evicted from her home. Ben's wife and daughter leave him. The daughter offers to her father to get the documents to a safer place.  They meet at a restaurant and Ben gives his daughter unbeknownst-to-her fake documents, which she delivers to Captain Stolz. Instead of giving her the documents, Ben passed her a book about art. At the end, Ben is run over by Stolz, who is later shot by Stanley in revenge.

Production.

Before production, Warner Brothers passed on the project and it went to MGM.  Director Euzhan Palcy was so passionate about creating an accurate portrayal on film that she traveled to Soweto undercover, posing as a recording artist, to research the riots. Actor Brando was so moved by Palcy's commitment to social change that he came out of a self-imposed retirement to play the role of the human rights lawyer; he also agreed to work for union scale ($4,000), far below his usual fee. The salaries of Sutherland and Sarandon were also reduced and the film was budgeted at only $9 million.  The film was shot at Pinewood Studios, Buckinghamshire, England and on location in Zimbabwe.

Soundtrack.

Dave Grusin composed the score that is mostly on the subtle side for the movie. There is no major theme here other than South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela's mournful flugelhorn passages during the film's saddest scenes. Kritzerland released the soundtrack on CD, featuring 15 songs from the film's soundtrack and four added "bonus tracks" (two alternative takes and two source cues). The CD of the soundtrack fails to mention contributing musicians, including Hugh Masekela, nor includes any of the three Ladysmith Black Mambazo songs (written by Joseph Tshabalala) used so prominently in the film.

Reception.

The film was released at a time when South Africa was undergoing great political upheaval and regular demonstrations. The film itself was initially banned by South African censors, who said it could harm President F.W. de Klerk's attempts at apartheid reform. The ban was later lifted in September 1989 and the movie was screened at the Weekly Mail Film Festival in Johannesburg.  Brando's performance in the movie earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and he received the Best Actor Award at the Tokyo Film Festival. For her outstanding cinematic achievement, Palcy received the "Orson Welles Award" in Los Angeles.

Box office.

"A Dry White Season" earned $3.8 million in the United States, against a budget of $9 million.

Critical reception.

The film received mostly positive reviews from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 81% of 36 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.1 out of 10. Brando, in his first film since 1980, was particularly praised for his small but key role as human rights attorney Ian McKenzie.  "Chicago Sun-Times" critic Roger Ebert called "A Dry White Season" "an effective, emotional, angry, subtle movie." The "Washington Post<nowiki>'</nowiki>"s Rita Kempley wrote that ""A Dry White Season" is political cinema so deeply felt it attains a moral grace. A bitter medicine, a painful reminder, it grieves for South Africa as it recounts the atrocities of apartheid. Yes, it is a story already told on a grander scale, but never with such fervor." And "Rolling Stone"'s Peter Travers wrote that director Palcy, "a remarkable talent, has kept her undeniably powerful film ablaze with ferocity and feeling."  Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare "A+" grade on an A+ to F scale.

A Dry White Season is a 1989 American drama-historical film directed by Euzhan Palcy and starring Donald Sutherland, Jürgen Prochnow, Marlon Brando, Janet Suzman, Zakes Mokae and Susan Sarandon. It was written by Colin Welland and Palcy, based upon André Brink's novel "A Dry White Season". Robert Bolt also contributed uncredited revisions of the screenplay. It is set in South Africa in 1976 and deals with the subject of apartheid. Brando was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.

《血染的季节》(英语:"A Dry White Season")是一套1989年电影的美国剧情片,由尤桑·巴尔琪执导,当奴·修打兰等主演。电影改编自安德烈·布林克1979年的同名小说,两者均以1970年代仍在实行种族隔离政策的南非为背景,描述一名白人老师因黑人校工而展开的政治觉醒历程。


Background.

With the support and assistance of minority political party People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), Mohammed Daoud Khan had taken power in the 1973 Afghan coup d'état by overthrowing the monarchy of King Zahir Shah, and had established the first Republic of Afghanistan.  President Daoud was convinced that closer ties and military support from the Soviet Union would allow Afghanistan to take control of Pashtun lands in northwest Pakistan. However, Daoud, who was ostensibly committed to a policy of non-alignment, became uneasy over Soviet attempts to dictate Afghanistan's foreign policy, and relations between the two countries deteriorated.  Under the secular government of Daoud, factionalism and rivalry developed in the PDPA, with two main factions being the Parcham and Khalq factions. On 17 April 1978, a prominent member of the Parcham, Mir Akbar Khyber, was murdered. Although the government issued a statement deploring the assassination, Nur Mohammad Taraki of the PDPA charged that the government itself was responsible, a belief that was shared by much of the Kabul intelligentsia. PDPA leaders apparently feared that Daoud was planning to eliminate them.  During the funeral ceremonies for Khyber a protest against the government occurred, and shortly thereafter most of the leaders of PDPA, including Babrak Karmal, were arrested by the government. Hafizullah Amin, was put under house arrest, which gave him a chance to order an uprising, one that had been slowly coalescing for more than two years. Amin, without having the authority, instructed the Khalqist army officers to overthrow the government.

The revolution.

Preliminary steps for the coup came in April, when a tank commander under Daoud warned of intelligence suggesting an attack on Kabul in the near future, specifically April 27th. On the commander's recommendation, tanks were positioned around the Arg, the national palace. On the 27th, the tanks turned their guns on the palace. The tank commander who made the request had, in secret, defected to Khalq beforehand.  According to an eyewitness, the first signs of the impending coup in Kabul, about noon on 27 April, were reports of a tank column headed toward the city, smoke of unknown origin near the Ministry of Defense, and armed men, some in military uniform, guarding Ariana Circle, a major intersection. The first shots heard were near the Ministry of Interior in the downtown Shahr-e Naw section of Kabul, where a company of policemen apparently confronted an advancing tank column. From there the fighting spread to other areas of the city. Later that afternoon, the first fighter planes, Sukhoi Su-7s, came in low and fired rockets at the national palace in the center of the city. In early evening, an announcement was broadcast on government-owned Radio Afghanistan that the "Khalq" were overthrowing the Daoud government. The use of the word "Khalq", and its traditional association with the communists in Afghanistan, made clear that the PDPA was leading the coup, and also that the rebels had captured the radio station.  The aerial attacks on the palace intensified about midnight as six Su-7s made repeated rocket attacks, lighting up the city. The next morning, 28 April, Kabul was mostly quiet, although the sound of gunfire could still be heard on the southern side of the city. As the people of Kabul ventured out of their homes they realized that the rebels were in complete control of the city and learned that President Daoud Khan and his brother Naim had been killed early that morning. A group of soldiers had surrounded the heavily-damaged palace and demanded their surrender. Instead, Daoud and Naim, pistols in hand, charged out of the palace at the soldiers, and were shot and killed. In addition, the Defense Minister of Daoud's cabinet Ghulam Haidar Rasuli, Interor Minister Abdul Qadir Nuristani, and Vice President Sayyid Abdullah were also killed.  The coup marked the end of power of the Barakzai dynasty after 152 years.

International reaction.

In a May 28, 1978 US cable addressed to its embassies and Secretory of States, Chinese ambassador Huang Ming-Ta is quoted characterizing the new regime as ""undeniably controlled by pro-soviet communists"," and that chairman Taraki and Hafizullah Amin had expressed intentions to be nonaligned. Huang Ming-Ta observed that the Soviet Union had great influence in Afghanistan, and would provide any assistance it might need, but speculated Soviet Union might find it an expensive venture. Huang Ming-Ta expressed ""that there might be some changes in Afghanistan within the next years, and that American programs should continue in Afghanistan"."

Government after the revolution.

The revolution was initially welcomed by many people in Kabul, who were dissatisfied with the Daoud government. Before the civilian government was established, Afghan National Army Air Corps colonel Abdul Qadir and the PDPA Revolutionary Council led the country for three days, starting from 27 April 1978. Eventually a civilian government under the leadership of Nur Muhammad Taraki of the Khalq faction was formed. In Kabul, the initial cabinet appeared to be carefully constructed to alternate ranking positions between Khalqists and Parchamites. Taraki (a Khalqist) was Prime Minister, Karmal (a Parchamite) was senior Deputy Prime Minister, and Hafizullah Amin (a Khalqist) was foreign minister. The unity, however, between Khalq and Parcham lasted only briefly. Taraki and Amin in early July relieved most of the Parchamites from their government positions. Karmal was sent abroad as Ambassador to Czechoslovakia. In August 1978, Taraki and Amin claimed to have uncovered a plot and executed or imprisoned several cabinet members, even imprisoning General Abdul Qadir, the military leader of the Saur revolution until the Soviet invasion and subsequent change in leadership in late 1979. In September 1979, it was Taraki's turn to become a victim of the Revolution, as Amin overthrew and executed him.  Once in power, the PDPA implemented a socialist agenda. At first they had a moderate approach and reforms were not strongly felt; however from late October the PDPA launched drastic reforms that struck the socioeconomic tribal structure of rural Afghanistan. In a "disastrous symbolic move", it changed the national flag from the traditional black, red and Islamic green color to a near-copy of the red flag of the Soviet Union, a provocative affront to the people of this conservative country. It prohibited usury, without having in place any alternative for peasants who relied on the traditional, if exploitative, credit system in the countryside. That led to an agricultural crisis and a fall in agricultural production. Such reforms were abruptly introduced and enforced, without preliminary pilots. Land reform was criticized by one journalist as "confiscating land in a haphazard manner that enraged everyone, benefited no one, and reduced food production," and the "first instance of organized, nationwide repression in Afghanistan's modern history."

Women's rights.

The PDPA, an advocate of equal rights for women, declared the equality of the sexes. The PDPA made a number of statements on women's rights, declaring equality of the sexes and introduced women to political life. A prominent example was Anahita Ratebzad, who was a major Marxist leader and a member of the Revolutionary Council. Ratebzad wrote the famous May 28, 1978 "New Kabul Times" editorial, which declared: "Privileges which women, by right, must have are equal education, job security, health services, and free time to rear a healthy generation for building the future of the country... Educating and enlightening women is now the subject of close government attention." Women were already guaranteed freedoms under the 1964 Constitution, but the PDPA went further by declaring full equality.

Human rights.

The revolution also introduced severe repression of a kind previously unknown in Afghanistan. According to journalist Robert D. Kaplan, while Afghanistan had historically been extremely poor and underdeveloped, it "had never known very much political repression" until 1978.  Kaplan states that it was the Saur Revolution and its harsh land reform program, rather than the December 1979 Soviet invasion "as most people in the West suppose", that "ignited" the mujahidin revolt against the Kabul authorities and prompted the refugee exodus to Pakistan.

Legacy.

The Khalqist regime pushed hard for socialist reforms and was brutal in its repression of opposition, arresting many without charge. The regime alienated a wide variety of people, including tribal and clan leaders, Islamists, Maoists, Western-educated teachers, and traditional religious leaders, all becoming victims of the Khalqists. Discontent fomented amongst the people of Afghanistan, and after several uprisings the following year—March in the town of Herat, June in the Chindawol district of Kabul, August at the fortress of Bala Hissar—troops from the USSR entered Afghanistan in December 1979, citing the Brezhnev Doctrine as basis for their intervention. Insurgent groups fought Soviet troops and the PDPA government for more than nine years until the final withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in February 1989. Instability remained in Afghanistan, with war still continuing to plague the country for more than four decades after the revolution.  In 1991, PDPA member Babrak Karmal from the moderate Parcham faction denounced the revolution, saying:

The Saur Revolution (; or (literally "7th Saur"); ), also romanized Sowr Revolution, and alternatively called the April Revolution or April Coup, was a coup d'état (or self-proclaimed revolution) led by the Soviet-backed People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) against the rule of Afghan President Mohammed Daoud Khan on 27–28 April 1978. Daoud Khan and most of his family were killed at the presidential palace. The revolution resulted in the creation of a government with Nur Muhammad Taraki as President (General Secretary of the Revolutionary Council), and was the precursor to the 1979 intervention by the Soviets and the 1979–1989 Soviet–Afghan War against the Mujahideen.

沙尔革命 (; or (literally "7th Saur"); ), 也被称为四月革命或四月政变,是由苏联支持的阿富汗人民民主党领导的反对阿富汗总统穆罕默德·达乌德·汗统治的政变(或自称的革命)。达乌德和他的大多数家人在总统府被杀。 革命后成立了一个以努尔·穆罕默德·塔拉基为总统(革命委员会主席团主席)的政府。


Medical uses.

Teriparatide has been FDA-approved since 2002. It is effective in growing bone (e.g., 8% increase in bone density in the spine after one year) and reducing the risk of fragility fractures. When studied, teriparatide only showed bone mineral density (BMD) improvement during the first 18 months of use. Teriparatide should only be used for a period of 2 years maximum. After 2 years, another agent such a bisphosphonate or denosumab should be used in cases of osteoporosis.  Teriparatide cuts the risk of hip fracture by more than half but does not reduce the risk of arm or wrist fracture.

Other.

Teriparatide can be used off-label to speed fracture repair and treat fracture nonunions. It has been reported to have been successfully used to heal fracture nonunions. Generally, due to HIPAA regulations, it is not publicized when American athletes receive this treatment to improve fracture recovery. But an Italian football player, Francesco Totti, was given teriparatide after a tibia/fibula fracture, and he unexpectedly recovered in time for the 2006 World Cup. It has been reported that Mark Mulder used it to recover from a hip fracture Oakland A's for the 2003 MLB playoffs and Terrell Owens to recover from an ankle fracture before the 2005 Super Bowl.

Administration.

Teriparatide is administered by injection once a day in the thigh or abdomen.

Contraindications.

Teriparatide should not be prescribed for people who are at increased risks for osteosarcoma. This includes those with Paget's Disease of bone or unexplained elevations of serum alkaline phosphate, open epiphysis, or prior radiation therapy involving the skeleton. In the animal studies and in one human case report, it was found to potentially be associated with developing osteosarcoma in test subjects after over 2 years of use.  Patients should not start teriparatide until any vitamin D deficiency is corrected.

Adverse effects.

Adverse effects of teriparatide include headache, nausea, dizziness, and limb pain. Teriparatide has a theoretical risk of osteosarcoma, which was found in rat studies but not confirmed in humans. This may be because unlike humans, rat bones grow for their entire life. The tumors found in the rat studies were located on the end of the bones which grew after the injections began. After nine years on the market, there were only two cases of osteosarcoma reported. This risk was considered by the FDA as "extremely rare" (1 in 100,000 people) and is only slightly more than the incidence in the population over 60 years old (0.4 in 100,000).

Mechanism of action.

Teriparatide is a portion of human parathyroid hormone (PTH), amino acid sequence 1 through 34, of the complete molecule (containing 84 amino acids). Endogenous PTH is the primary regulator of calcium and phosphate metabolism in bone and kidney. PTH increases serum calcium, partially accomplishing this by increasing bone resorption. Thus, chronically elevated PTH will deplete bone stores. However, intermittent exposure to PTH will activate osteoblasts more than osteoclasts. Thus, once-daily injections of teriparatide have a net effect of stimulating new bone formation leading to increased bone mineral density.  Teriparatide is the first FDA approved agent for the treatment of osteoporosis that stimulates new bone formation.

FDA approval.

Teriparatide was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 26 November 2002, for the treatment of osteoporosis in men and postmenopausal women who are at high risk for having a fracture. The drug is also approved to increase bone mass in men with primary or hypogonadal osteoporosis who are at high risk for fracture. On October 4, 2019 the US FDA approved a recombinant teriparatide product, Teriparatide Injection (previously referred to as PF708 and Bonsity) from Pfenex Inc. Teriparatide Injection is the first FDA approved proposed therapeutic equivalent candidate to Forteo.

Combined teriparatide and denosumab.

Combined teriparatide and denosumab increased BMD more than either agent alone and more than has been reported with approved therapies. Combination treatment might, therefore, be useful to treat patients at high risk of fracture by increasing BMD. However, there is no evidence of fracture rate reduction in patients taking a teriparatide and denosumab combination. Moreover, the combination therapy group showed a significant decrease in their bone formation marker, indicating that denosumab, an antiresorptive agent, might actually counteract the effect of teriparatide, a bone formation anabolic agent, in bone formation.

Teriparatide is a form of parathyroid hormone consisting of the first (N-terminus) 34 amino acids, which is the bioactive portion of the hormone. It is an effective anabolic (promoting bone formation) agent used in the treatment of some forms of osteoporosis. It is also occasionally used off-label to speed fracture healing. Teriparatide is identical to a portion of human parathyroid hormone (PTH) and intermittent use activates osteoblasts more than osteoclasts, which leads to an overall increase in bone.

特立帕肽(Forteo)为重组的甲状旁腺激素,用于治疗一些类型的骨质疏松。


荣誉勋章 (2010年游戏)

Gameplay.

Gameplay focuses on portraying operations in Afghanistan. Typical in-game objectives include raiding enemy hideouts, hostage rescues and undercover operations. The modification of Unreal Engine 3.0 allows players to slide to cover and other combat moves. Players can request ammo from teammates in the single-player campaign, though this is limited.

Single-player.

The game's single-player campaign was developed by newly named EA Los Angeles studio Danger Close Games, which was a rebranding of the old EA LA Medal of Honor Airborne team. The campaign takes place in Afghanistan, in 2002. For half of the game, players assume the role of a Navy SEAL DEVGRU operator codenamed Rabbit. For the remainder, the player alternates between the roles of a Delta Force sniper codenamed Deuce, as well as U.S. Army Ranger Specialist Dante Adams of the 75th Ranger Regiment, and AH-64 Apache gunner Brad "Hawk" Hawkins.

Multiplayer.

"Medal of Honor"s multiplayer was developed by EA DICE. Multiplayer is class based, with three classes available – "Rifleman", "Special Ops", and "Sniper". The player earns experience during gameplay to level up and unlock additional weapons and weapon accessories. For example, at the start of the game the sniper class does not have a proper sniper scope available, and the player must reach level 3 to unlock a combat scope. If a player earns a certain number of points before dying, called a score chain, he or she earns a choice of an offensive support action such as a mortar strike or missile attack or a defensive support action such as intel or ammo. The player is not limited to one support action per life and can earn them continuously.  Gameplay features two opposing sides, the "Coalition", usually referred by the in-game battle chatter to as "Python 1", against the "Opposing Forces". The Coalition troops use American equipment such as the M16A4, M4A1, M21, AT4 and M9 pistol, while the Opposing Forces represent forces similar to the Taliban and use according equipment such as the AK-47, AKS-74U, SVD, RPG-7 and Tariq pistol. Each weapon is designed to have a counterpart on both teams, although that counterpart may or may not have the same stats. Initially, the weapons are team-specific. However, as the player progresses, they will unlock weapons that are available for both sides, as well as unlocking the ability to use enemy weapons. Once reaching level 8 in any one class the player is considered Tier 1 and assumes a different appearance, and when killed the tier 1 player's killer receives 5 extra points for killing a tier 1 player.  On November 2, 2010, DICE released two DLCs for multiplayer—a game type called "Hot Zone", which is a king-of-the-hill style mode and another game type called "Clean Sweep", a last-man-standing game type.

Synopsis.

Plot.

The story begins in late 2001 during the opening days of the invasion of Afghanistan. Tier 1 operatives of a Navy SEAL squad from DEVGRU, call sign Neptune, composed of operatives code-named Mother, Voodoo, Preacher and Rabbit are sent to meet with an Afghan informant named Tariq, who has intelligence on the Taliban. "Neptune" is ambushed by Chechen forces, and fights their way through the village to recover Tariq. Shortly after extraction, Tariq informs them that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda have a significant force composed of 500 to 1,000 combatants in the Shah-i-Kot Valley. "Neptune" is tasked to secure Bagram Airfield with a contingent from the ANA. By March 2002, the airfield is re-purposed as a forward operating base by NATO forces. U.S. Army Colonel R. Drucker commands all local assets, is shown as a cautious and competent officer, in contrast to his commanding officer, General Flagg, who works in an office in the United States and is ignorant of the AFO teams' role in the operation. While Drucker plans to use Tier 1 operatives to reconnoiter insurgent positions in the valley and Northern Alliance soldiers to eliminate them, Flagg is mistrusting of the locals and gives the Colonel a 24-hour deadline to deploy the 10th Mountain Division, the 101st Airborne Division, and U.S. Army Rangers.  Meanwhile, Tier 1 teams are inserted into the area to perform reconnaissance and coordinate fire support. AFO Wolfpack, consisting of four Delta Force operators code-named Panther, Vegas, Deuce and Dusty eliminate enemy positions in two small villages and travel to their observation point "Clementine" while "Neptune" does the same to "OP Dorothy". After completing their mission ahead of schedule, Drucker sends Northern Alliance soldiers to eliminate several insurgent positions. Flagg calls in a rage, and unknowingly orders an AC-130U crew to open fire on friendly forces. The surviving Northern Alliance forces panic and withdraw, leaving the Colonel no choice but to deploy the Rangers as ordered. During insertion into the Sha-i-kot Valley, the Rangers come under heavy fire and a Chinook is shot down. The Rangers are pinned down by heavy machine guns, so a fireteam led by Sergeant Patterson consisting of Specialist Dante Adams, Corporal Hernandez and US Air Force Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) Tech Sergeant Ybarra flank the enemy positions and destroy the machine guns. They move to secure another landing zone, but are ambushed by insurgents, who arrive in overwhelming numbers. Surrounded, and running out of ammunition, Ybarra radios Bagram for reinforcements, which arrive in the form of a pair of AH-64 Apaches, facilitating the Rangers’ extraction. The Apaches move through the mountains destroying a Taliban armory and enemy mortar positions. As they return to base, a Taliban Anti-Aircraft Gun crew attempts to destroy the helicopters; however, the AA gunner is killed by Deuce.  Deuce and Dusty move up the mountains and ambush enemy patrols and mortar teams, providing sniper support for "Neptune", who is in heavy contact on the adjacent mountain, Takur Ghar. "Neptune" withdraws over the ridge line, and fights their way to the extraction point. Mother and Rabbit make it to the helicopter, but the Chinook lifts off early due to heavy enemy fire, leaving Voodoo and Preacher behind. Defying orders to return to base, Mother and Rabbit re-insert at nighttime, barely escaping death when their Chinook comes under fire. They evade hostile patrols while searching for Voodoo and Preacher. However, the two operators are eventually compromised and forced to jump off a cliff in an attempt to escape, with Rabbit sustaining multiple injuries in the jump and multiple wounds from close RPG fire beforehand at the top of the cliff and in the hut. Both suffer injuries and are captured by insurgents. Back at Bagram, Colonel Drucker attempts to organize forces to extract "Neptune". "Wolfpack" is too far to provide assistance. General Flagg refuses to risk additional losses, and only assigns an AC-130U gunship, which can only stay on station for 15 more minutes. Drucker defies orders and sends in a Ranger Quick Reaction Force to extract "Neptune".  The Chinook is hit by heavy fire, three Rangers and a crew member are killed, and four more are injured. After securing the crash site for the wounded and medics, Hernandez, Ybarra, Adams and Patterson head for the mountain pass. Hernandez is wounded while attempting to find the entrance of a spider-hole and Ybarra brings him back to the landing zone. Adams and Patterson link up with Preacher and Voodoo and continue searching for Mother and Rabbit. After the four of them together assaulted two enemy strongholds with the help of a CIA Predator drone, they eventually locate the two missing operators tied up in a remote bunker, who were tortured by the insurgents. Rabbit is dying from his wounds as his teammates evacuate him. The team calls for extraction, but the nearest helicopters are flying from Kandahar, some distance away. Rabbit's condition worsens and, despite his squad-mates' attempts, he succumbs to his wounds and dies before extraction arrives. The seven survivors are safely extracted, along with the remaining Ranger QRF. While observing a pair of F-15Es bombing the remaining insurgent bunkers, Preacher collects a rabbit's foot charm from Rabbit's body, with Mother and Preacher noting that the war is far from over.  The game ends with a scene of Ajab and Preacher, sitting on a street in a town, conversing with each other in the Pashto dialect. As they converse about the quality of the tea they are drinking, they identify a man they are looking out for and stand to approach him. This leads directly into a mission in the next game, "".

Development.

The game was formerly known as "Medal of Honor: Operation Anaconda".  At the Game Developers Conference 2010 it was announced that the PS3 would be the lead development platform.  Electronic Arts released multiplayer beta keys for the PlayStation 3 and PC on June 21, 2010. The Xbox 360 beta was initially delayed, but eventually opened on July 20, 2010. This featured 3 different weapon classes, two different maps and two different game modes. EA announced a PC open beta for Medal of Honor. It started on October 4, 2010 and ran until October 7, 2010 11:59 PDT.

Marketing and release.

Linkin Park's "New Divide" was featured in the 2010 E3 multiplayer trailer. Another Linkin Park song, entitled "The Catalyst", was featured in the final "Medal of Honor" trailer set released on August 1, 2010. The trailer featuring the song was directed by Linkin Park's own Joe Hahn. The song was featured in the end credits of the game. The music for the game was composed by Emmy-nominated composer Ramin Djawadi, who recorded his score with ethnic instruments, electronics and a string orchestra in Los Angeles. A soundtrack album was released on iTunes on October 5, 2010. A book was released around the time the game was released, written by Chris Ryan and of the same name as the game, which explains the backstory of the game. Through the EA Gun Club website players who registered on the site and bought the VIP version of "" were granted the M24 Sniper Weapon System sniper rifle for multiplayer immediately upon the game's release.

Editions.

The Limited Edition version of "Medal of Honor" includes an invite to the "Battlefield 3" beta and a token to download "". "Frontline" is available only in the PlayStation 3 version. The Limited Edition will also feature content out-of-the-box such as early access to weapons attainable only via upgrades and a Limited Edition exclusive Heckler & Koch MP7 personal defense weapon and the M60 Light Machine Gun.  After the announcement of the Limited Edition, EA Los Angeles stated that they would release a special Tier 1 Edition in Europe. The Tier 1 edition costs the same as the Limited Edition and features the same benefits as the Limited Edition (including the "Battlefield 3" Beta Key). Additionally, owners of the Tier 1 Edition will receive a code to have access to the Class Operational Tier 1, "a select group of soldiers in order to unlock the M60 Light Machine Gun". The Tier 1 Edition was released in Europe, on October 15, for all three platforms.

Music.

The official soundtrack was released on September 28, 2010. An extended version of the soundtrack was released in the "Medal of Honor Soundtrack Collection" (which contains all of the music in the "Medal of Honor" franchise released up to that point) which was released on March 1, 2011.

Reception.

Sales.

At the time of the release, "Medal of Honor" had the highest number of pre-orders in the series. On October 19, 2010, GameSpy reported that the game topped 1.5 million in sales on its first week and went on to sell 2 million copies on its second week. "Medal of Honor" set a new record the franchise, but it was lower than "", and "". The game was very successful in the United Kingdom, debuting at #1 on the UK sales chart, beating out "FIFA 11" and "Just Dance 2". In the United States, "Medal of Honor" was the third best-selling game behind "Just Dance 2" and "FIFA 11". On February 1, 2011, EA reported that the reboot of "Medal of Honor" was a commercial success with over 5 million copies sold from October to November along with "". "It's on a sharp uptick the last couple of years as we've driven high-quality titles ever higher in the charts, particularly in Europe but also in North America," John Riccitiello, EA CEO, said during the publisher's overnight Q3 earnings call. The game was later released as a part of three budget lines: Greatest Hits and Platinum Range for the PlayStation 3 and Platinum Hits for the Xbox 360.

Critical response.

"Medal of Honor" has received generally positive reviews from critics, praising the game's engaging multiplayer, audio and voice acting but criticized minor technical issues, and resemblances to other similar games like "Call of Duty" and EA's very own "Battlefield" series. Aggregating review website Metacritic gave the PlayStation 3 version 75/100, the Xbox 360 version 74/100, and the PC version 72/100. "Game Informer" scored it a 7 out of 10. "Eurogamer" acknowledged that "Medal of Honor" has "a solid multiplayer accessory that owes a lot to "Bad Company 2"", and gave it an 8/10. "Joystiq" commended the single player experience but faulted the game's graphical power: "The framerate is shaky, and the lackluster texture work certainly doesn't help", stating that the singleplayer is ultimately enjoyable. However, Joystiq states that the game's "initial impressions coupled with the obvious lack of features give me little reason to abandon Call of Duty's multiplayer offerings.", and gives it a 4 out of 5 stars. According to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, "Shares [are] down because apparently some investors are disappointed by these early reviews." In a return statement, EA reminded the investors that critic's reviews are "highly subjective" and that "This is an essentially big achievement considering Medal of Honor has been dormant for several years. This is the first year in rebooting the franchise. Medal of Honor is part of a larger EA strategy to take share in the shooter category. This is a marathon, not a sprint – today’s Medal of Honor launch represents a step forward in that race."

Taliban player choice controversy.

The online mode created a controversy when it was revealed that in the multiplayer mode of "Medal of Honor", players could play as the Taliban. The developers responded by stating the reality of the game necessitated it. "Most of us having been doing this since we were 7 – if someone's the cop, someone's gotta be the robber, someone's gotta be the pirate and someone's gotta be the alien", Amanda Taggart, senior PR manager for EA, told AOL News. "In "Medal of Honor" multiplayer, someone's gotta be the Taliban." The UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox criticized the game in advance of its release stating that it was "shocking that someone would think it acceptable to recreate the acts of the Taliban against British soldiers". "At the hands of the Taliban, children have lost fathers and wives have lost husbands". "It's hard to believe any citizen of our country would wish to buy such a thoroughly un-British game. I would urge retailers to show their support for our armed forces and ban this tasteless product."  Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay has also criticized the game, saying he "finds it wrong that anyone, children in particular, would be playing the role of Taliban" and that "Canada and its allies have fought far too long in Afghanistan and it's not a game". Some Danish veterans were appalled by the game that takes place in the Helmand province where Danish troops are stationed. Danish Defense Minister Gitte Lillelund Bech finds it "tasteless" and supports Danish veterans who oppose the game. However she has said she will not legislate on the subject and has confidence in the ability of Danish youth to discriminate between right and wrong. Various branches of the US military, including the US Navy and US Army and Air Force Exchange Services have banned the sale of the game on all United States military bases worldwide, but military personnel can still buy the game off base and it will be allowed on base. The reason given by a spokesperson for the US Navy was that it is, "out of respect for the men and women serving and their families."  Due to pressure from various military officials and veterans organizations, the word Taliban was removed from the multiplayer part of the game in which players would directly play as the Taliban, instead replaced with the term "Opposing Force." The singleplayer campaign as well as overall gameplay will not be affected by the change. However, even in light of this change, the game will still not be sold on military bases. The AAFES Commander Maj. Gen. Bruce Casella said, "Out of respect to those touched by the ongoing, real-life events presented as a game, Exchanges will not be carrying this product." He continued, "I expect the military families who are authorized to shop the Exchange are aware, and understanding, of the decision not to carry this particular offering."

Sequel.

A sequel to "Medal of Honor", "Medal of Honor: Warfighter" was released on October 23, 2012. The sequel received mixed to negative reviews and was a commercial disappointment.

Medal of Honor is a first-person shooter video game developed by Danger Close Games and EA DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It is the thirteenth installment in the "Medal of Honor" series and a reboot of the series. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on October 12, 2010. While the previous titles were set during World War II, "Medal of Honor" takes place during the War in Afghanistan. The game is loosely based on parts of Operation Anaconda; specifically, the events surrounding the Battle of Roberts Ridge.

《荣誉勋章》(英语:"Medal Of Honor")为美商艺电于2010年10月在PlayStation 3、Xbox 360与PC上推出的一款第一人称动作射击游戏,游戏在台湾由美商艺电台湾分公司代理。在暌违3年后重启系列的第一款续作,并且把战场从第二次世界大战带到了现代的阿富汗地区,在单人战役模式中整个故事是在叙述主打由在阿富汗当地值勤过的一级战士真人真事改编的射击游戏,并请来美军一级战士来对游戏进行监督开发,描述两组一级战士小队 AFO狼群与AFO海王在当今战火依旧猛烈的中东阿富汗地区执行任务的过程,并让玩家体会到这群美军中菁英中的菁英为他们的国家,为他们的袍泽以及为他们的家庭所做的一切努力。