Apr 15: Hunger GamesDystopia Reality TV

Hottest movie at the moment: Hunger Games.

2012

I had it wrong at first. From the limited information about the book by great writer Suzanne Collins, I got the dystopia part but thought it more like Lord of the Flies redux with a bit of Triassic Park thrown in. It is more accurately, Lord of the Flies as Reality TV. She has a great vision of Every One is Watching (circus for the 1% in Hungers Games Capitol). In the midst of the brutal Hunger Games that use teenage gladiators, called Tributes, in staged real-world arenas, two District 12 entrants are fighting an alliance of three professional Tributes and another of very good amateurs. Katniss, our heroine, is caring for her sorely wounded compatriot Peeta, an avowed admirer (evoked in the Hunger Games opening interviews). The following transpires as Katniss is trying to keep Peetas spirits up. Did I ever I ever tell you about how I got Prims [protagonist heroine Katniss sisters] goat? I ask. Peeta [erstwhile boyfriend wannabe] shakes his head, and looks at me expectantly. So I begin. But carefully. Because my words are going out all over Panem [post Apocalyptic-Colorado and 12 surrounding states]. And while people have no doubt put two and two together that I hunt illegally, I dont want to hurt Gale [latent love interest hunting partner] or Greasy Sue [buyer of her catch who makes beef stew] or the butcher or even Peacekeepers [local cops who look the other way] back home who are my customers by publicly announcing theyre breaking the law, too. p. 189 of Nook version of Hunger Games The super self consciousness of Katniss is the new Examined Life worth living (Socrates: The unexamined life is not worth living). In this case, it is updated with the Unrecorded Life is not worth living. Or, in the case of Hunger Games, The recorded death is not worth dying. One can get really bound up in this philosophical update to Socrates. The point is that Collins is spot on! Great, great insight.

Copyright 2012 David M. Sherr david@NewGlobalEnterprises.Net

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