What IS the big deal about the Hunger Games?
I mean, seriously. I get that it's the new thing. It's like what Harry Potter was in 1999 and Twilight in 2006. But honestly, we need to look at ourselves as a Christian and a modern society here: Why are the biggest things in our world wizards, witches, and sorcery? Then vampires are werewolves? And now KIDS KILLING OTHER KIDS?! I am confused. Extremely confused.
I read the first Harry Potter book a few months ago, and a little ways into Twilight about a year ago. (I still regret it to this day.) And I don't want to turn this into a bash-fest, but honestly, the writing wasn't that great. It wasn't quite hack writing, but pretty close. And now with this Hunger Games junk? I mean, we were into Wicca and witchcraft. Big deal. Then we were into vampires and the un-dead. Slightly more of a big deal. And now we enjoy dystopian novels about government-enforced slaughtering festivals where 24 kids fight to the death for entertainment.
American's teenagers have gone down the drain... the big Cornucopia-shaped one.
And now the movie? Released March 2012, The Hunger Games was lauded as "thrilling and superbly acted", according to Rotten Tomatoes, but PluggedIn.com doesn't describe it as a gore-fest. So the books may possibly be just a little more violent than the movie.
Speaking of the books, if you really are interested in this disturbing trend of child fighting, read the first book. Then stop.
(SPOILER ALERT: Okay, here's where I get to treat myself and rant about the books. If you've read them, please don't be offended. If you haven't, this will make no sense to you, but then again, it shouldn't. So just ignore this next paragraph unless you want to laugh at me and my inexplicable lameness.)
I'm going to assume you know who I'm talking about, because Katniss, Peeta, and Gale may possibly be the single thing your friends have talked about for the last three weeks-- and you probably have been asked "Peeta or Gale?" more times than the number of books I've read this year (which is 68 exactly). So anyways, in teh second book, about halfway through Katniss gets a little psycho. Oh, did I say psycho? I meant paranoid. (She's always been psycho. Okay, I lied, this is definitely a bash--fest.) She's always like "This person's gonna kill me, can't trust this person, can't be here or here or AHH IT'S A GIANT MONKEY!" and so on so forth. I believed that in the third book, Katniss should've died and it should have been her looking down at the Games below (or looking up, depending on what you think of Katniss). Too many people died thanks to her than I would've liked-- but she comes out unscathed at the end, to grow up, marry her true love (which should have been Finnick, if you ask me) and live happily ever after while the people and families she scarred are left behind. The end. (Both of the books and my self-indulgment. Thanks, guys, for listening.)
This may not be the raving review you've always heard, and it probably makes more sense to those who have read the books. If you feel as though you need to read them now, knock yourself out. Not literally, of course.
But we need to analyze these books as Christians, too. Twilight deeply scarred me as a naive 13-year-old, scaring me with the darkness Stephanie Meyer fans adore. While the Hunger Games might not be as dark and creepy, or dabble in witchcraft, it definitely gives a rebellious nod to what may (but most likely will not) be our future. From the romantic angle Suzanne Collins played in the first book to the gruesome details in the third, the unmarried sleeping-together, the blatant disregard for those in power above (no matter that they were evil), the Hunger Games is probably a book those who value values (and their sanity) can live without.
Today I felt like I needed to give some funny to offset this (hopefully non-offensive) sad review, so here's a couple writing prompts made up by yours truly.
It's time for the Hungry Hungry Games! If you're familiar with the Hunger Games, you won't want to miss this! Put 24 Hungry Hungry Hippos into the arena and see what hilarity ensues!
*Disclaimer: any unintentional or intentional maiming by the generally docile hippos is under no warranty to Milton Bradley or the Capitol. Take all risks as such.*
When I googled "when did Harry Potter became popular", this result popped up from stateofnature.org (of which I have no clue what it is). You know how Google, bless it's soul, only shows a few bits of the article with your key words? This is the result I got.
"The enormous scale of the sale of Harry Potter is undoubtedly due to the changed ...
In the nearby Khan Market, buyers were provided breakfast to refresh ...
Notwithstanding all the precautionary steps, pirated copies did appear on the market..."
Take one of these sentences and finish it. I guarantee everything you come up with will have at least a small degree of funniness! Mine are:
"The enormous scale of the sale of Harry Potter is undoubtedly due to the changed military tactics of the attacking life-sized Lego men."
"In the nearby Khan Market, buyers were provided breakfast to refresh after one unfortunate incident including a fainting woman, a beard, and a stick of butter laced with dynamite."
"Notwithstanding all the precautionary steps, pirated copies did appear on the market, if only by accident because the pirates usually don't enjoy just anyone seeing their special red and white skull-and-pineapples cover design."
Enjoy! I'm sure I will... :) Sorry this was so long, but I felt I owed ya'll one.
(Okay, just wanted to say: If you have any questions regarding my views on the Hunger Games, as well as where to find good, Christian resources about them, feel free to contact me, if only to rag me for being so against it!! Also, if you have any good arguments against it, please let me know. I am losing this battle completely to my Hunger Games-fanatic, Josh Hutcherson-crazed friends. Please, help!) Although I am known to just be a tad Josh Hutcherson-crazed myself... but it's to be expected, right?
Hi Writeress! Again, this is starcross3 from NaNo.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your opinion on the Hunger Games. I appreciate the fact that you took the time to read the books before making an opinion. I think Suzanne Collins meant for the Hunger Games to be a shock to people, and would cause them to analyze the society around them. Unfortunately, I don't think it is working. All of my friends have become so obsessed with the silly Gale/Peeta thing, they have lost sight of what the Hunger Games was supposed to be.
I doubt our government would inflict a gladiator type death fight in our society...but would they? The books caused me to think about it. I mean, the government recently demanded that a Catholic hospital carry abortions. Isn't that adults killing children? The Hunger Games were very thought provoking to me, I just wish Suzanne Collins had not added romance to it when there is nothing romantic about it.
Anyway, sorry for the long comment! I wrote a bunch of blogposts about it on my blog...www.kkpeanutgallery.blogspot.com
Your blog is awesome!
-Kaycee
Thanks, Kaycee! I really tried hard not to offend anyone, as this is MY opinion (and probably not anyone else's!!!). I'm trying not to call judgement on the movie as I have yet to see it, so... :)
ReplyDeleteThat's very true, and I understand that!! But most people are just making a hype about the romantic angle, and I think that Suzanne Collins putting that in pulled away the focus from the society. Although I do believe that the second book really was thought-provoking (it was to me, at least), but it also seems to be instilling a rebellion against the government, because of Suzanne's portrayal of the Capitol. And our leaders now are NOT what they are in the books, although they could be in the future. But really, are we any different in supporting abortion, the killing of babies? Real babies? (Although this is adults killing children, not children killing children, but they shouldn't be so shockingly different.)
Thanks for expressing your views! That's horrible that Catholic hospitals are required to do that, I hadn't heard of that one before. But still, many places still perform abortions, even ones that aren't run by medical practitioners, just regular employees. Scary, huh, especially since parental consent isn't required to get one. Isn't it weird that you can't get your ears pierced unless you have parental consent, but you can get an abortion without one?
When I first heard that about the ear piercing/abortion thing, I did not think it was real. Its really sad that it is true. You didn't offend me at all! In fact, I was quite pleased to find someone with your opinion!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't think Suzanne Collins is a Christian. If she was, she could have done so much more with this story! Think of all the moral choices and lessons that could be taught through it. It would have been a constant battle in Katniss' mind, her trying to do the right thing, but also wanting to get back to her sister. But since Collins is probably not a Christian (I'm not judging her, I'm just going off the "morals" in the book) Katniss decided that the right thing was to get back to her sister at all costs. Which is sad.
Boy, now I'm ranting! :P Again, apologies for the long comment. I agree with you on pretty much everything you said, even to the Katniss and Finnick thing. Finnick was one of the only characters that felt real to me. Him and Haymitch.
And yes, I am in a Josh Hutcherson thing too...:P
-Kaycee