A few words

On Hunger Games mania.

Have you seen this video?

http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6743777/the-hunger-games-game

This is exactly what the book is about. Did anyone else read the book and have the following two thoughts enter their brain simultaneously? 1) THIS BOOK IS AWESOME! The pacing is phenomenal. It's so fast, but slows down beautifully to capture moments (like Rue's death, para examplar). I love the first person perspective-- I feel like I am in the book! And why doesn't she love PEETA? and 2) WHOA SOCIAL COMMENTARY.

'Tis the social commentary part that I want to discuss here.

The book is merely a futuristic gladiator-based society. The rich live in luxurious wealth and they do strange things to their bodies for beauty, fashion, and ever-changing trends. The poor live in subservience to the wealthy-- not necessarily because the wealthy watch them all day and tell them what to do-- but they are prevented from making any forward progression, and their supplies are so limited that they have no choice but to do only what they can to survive (not get ahead). The rich (and poor for that matter) all watch the gladiatorial Hunger Games competitions. They are fascinated by the drama, the suspense, the violence, the potential romance, the larger-than-life situations combined with human reality.

Any of this sound familiar? Does it, perhaps, sound eerily similar to our world?

Americans pride themselves on the American Dream; the idea that in America one can accomplish his or her dreams through hard work and endless opportunity. I believe that still exists-- I really do. But I think that too often the American Dream is crippled by government aid and lack of education, among other things (including, but not limited to, the ruination of the nuclear family and basic morals). Poverty runs in a cycle, and there is a reason for that. People have a hard time getting out--- just like the citizens of District 12.

We follow gimmicks and trends so closely these days that a one-finger nail-a-different-color trend can begin on Pinterest and be nationwide in like a month. The model on the Pitbull "Rain Over Me" video even subscribes. Music trends move so quickly that a UK-based boy band can enter the United States one week and have their album debut on Billboard at #1 the next (speaking of which, that One Direction broke all kinds of records this week. They were the first foreign entity to debut at #1. Not even the Beatles did that). It's miraculous. And not all bad. The information revolution is amazing. It has given a lot to the world. I'm just saying that we are slaves to trends. And they are often body-changing kinds of trends. Remember when it was cool in the 90s to have 2 earrings? That hasn't been cool (even outside of Utah) for the past 10 years. Little boys even used to have 1 earring. No longer. And people have surgeries to change their bodies. They get tattoos and piercings all over the place-- because they want to look different and they want to look cool (I am by no means supposing that I know and/or can identify all the reasons that people alter their bodies. All I'm saying is that they are often for shallow and/or self-conscious reasons). There is a standard for beauty in our society just like there is in Panem. And Suzanne Collins is able to lay out the situation in Panem in such a way that it seems totally realistic-- but altogether so far-fetched that many people (particularly the series' target audience, YAs) would not compare the Capitol to our society. But is that what Ms. Collins is trying to do? I think so.

And then we come to the Games. Have you ever watched Reality TV? Is it not virtually the same thing? Have you ever been to any sort of entertainment event (live) where the potential of someone participating could get hurt? And when they do, you stare, fascinated, and can't look away? Examples: rodeos. extreme sports. the average American football game. boxing. wrestling. anything that incudes stunts-circus acts, acrobats. gymnastics. The list is endless. And most of the time, it's pure fun. No one gets hurt, and it's just cool. But at the same time. We stare. We watch. We love it. And we follow reality shows--and talk about them--like they are part of our lives. Like we know the people involved. And it's so fun. The Hunger Games are OBVIOUSLY MUCH MORE BARBARIC AND MUCH MORE DRAMATIC. I don't deny that. But they are a type and shadow. They are an exaggerated example. Our society is obsessed with drama, violence, and sex. And Ms. Collins typifies that. She illustrates it. Paints a lovely little picture.

And her point is proved-- wait for it--- with the success of these novels. We absorb and love it. Drink it all up-- and because of the way it's displayed, it seems okay-- which exaggerates her point even more. This is portrayed, quite comically, in the video embedded above. It is also starkly visible in the fact that my baby sister is currently at what my mother called a "reaping." I'm not sure what this entails. All I know is that a "reaping" as described in the Hunger Games is something that no one should ever want to attend.

And these are my few words. on hunger games mania.