Whenever a person gets sick, the first thing they do is go to the doctor. This is a normal thing that happens in society. A sick person visits the hospital and waits for treatment. When we go to a doctor, we respect him very much and expect him to carry out his duties. When our body starts having problems, we expect the doctor to fix the problems or refer us to another doctor for help. However, in the mid-1980s, the scientific world was shocked by a deadly disease. Doctors were no longer able to do their jobs because they could not help the victims of a rapidly spreading plague; they could no longer play their role in our society and this caused great panic. Around the world, scientists have concentrated their efforts on trying to isolate the virus without the collaboration of their colleagues. Eventually, French scientists worked to name this virus, only to have their work stolen by an American scientist named Bob Gallo. After years and years of research and after thousands and thousands of victims, then-President Ronald Reagan used the word "AIDS" in public for the first time. This was an epidemic recognized throughout the world and the money was finally coming to find a cure. Through a sociological analysis of the process, it was discovered that the AIDS crisis had an impact on all levels. In the film "And the Band Played On" the fundamental problems of our society are exposed and their effects during the AIDS crisis are shown. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay As in the film "Karl Marx: Politics of Revolting Bodies," "And the Band Played On" focuses on issues of mind, body and power. The sociologist Michel Foucault, a victim of AIDS, said that our bodies do not belong to us and this film reflects this. AIDS victims are subjected to numerous tests, investigations, examinations and samples: they are transformed from human beings into human guinea pigs. The institutions considered the victims not as human beings, but as machines through which profits could be made. Because of their sexual orientation, gays are isolated and shunned by society. Throughout the film, lines of power are depicted that intersect and push the individual in various directions. Problems arise when these lines begin to collide and conflict as overlapping spheres of influence. One area that overlaps is the interaction of organizations. These organizations, both political and scientific, played a fundamental role in the discovery of AIDS. The World Health Organization, the Food and Drug Administration, Congress, the National Cancer Institute, the Red Cross and others interacted in the making of this film. Some would say that these organizations are crucial to our society and how they interact. However, organizations are more in conflict with each other than in helping. By far the most important organization is the Centers for Disease Control; ironically, and unfortunately, this is also the most unstable and underfunded organization of all. Although it is structured hierarchically, it certainly does not fit Max Weber's ideal type of hierarchy. As much as this society prides itself on its acceptance of minorities, we see that prejudice is alive and well in this film. Many times throughout the film, AIDS is referred to as the "gay plague," producing a stigma that separates gays from "normal" people. Ministers preach on TV that gays suffer for their sins, but this prejudice manifests itself in a more subtle way. The lack of funding for AIDS research aside.