Subscribe to Updates

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    What's Hot

    Exploring the Possibilities of Artificial Intelligence

    26 May

    Magisk Error 1: What to Do When Your Android Device Won’t Boot

    14 May

    How do Shazam and SoundHound work: The Science Behind Music Recognition Technology

    11 May
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    YaabotYaabot
    Subscribe
    • Insights
    • Software & Apps
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Consumer Tech & Hardware
    • Technology
    • Tutorials
    • Contact
      • Advertise on Yaabot
      • About Us
      • Contact
      • Write for us
    YaabotYaabot
    Home»Entertainment»Some Real Life Implications of The Hunger Games
    Entertainment

    Some Real Life Implications of The Hunger Games

    Anisha BaidBy Anisha Baid9 DecemberUpdated:9 December5 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    the capitol
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

     

    The third film in the phenomenal Hunger Games series, Mockingjay, Part 1 hit the theatres last week in India, grossing at a whopping $275 million overseas and brought crowds flocking to the theatre for the third installment in this four part series based on the book trilogy by Suzanne Collins

    Though the Mockingjay movie didn’t ‘catch fire’ like the previous films in the franchise, it sure hit a strong chord with not only young adults, but a mass of adult viewers.

    Probably the most popular dystopic world of current times, The Hunger Games, besides being a huge commercial success with stellar performances by Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson also offers striking commentary on the intertwined nature of politics and entertainment in the modern world, and the potential damage it could cause.

    the reaping

    In the fictional country of Panem, all resources and military control lies in the hands of the all-powerful government in the Capitol, while the 12 districts, each engaged in an important industry, struggle in the face of constant food shortage and deplorable living conditions. Around three generations before the beginning of the story, a rebellion by the districts is brutally crushed by the Capitol and is marked by the beginning of the annual Hunger Games.

    As a symbolic sacrifice for the rebellion and for the entertainment of Capitol masses, two tributes are chosen by lottery out of every district and left in a meticulously constructed Arena to fight for their lives and emerge as the only victor.  The story follows Katniss Everdeen from the most downtrodden, district 12 as she volunteers in the Hunger Games, and eventually becomes the leader and symbol of an uprising against the Capitol.
    The Hunger Games rings of the past and the future, of the corrupt and brutal nature of Roman gladiator fights and of the fast rising reality show culture.

    Optimized-yaabot_collage

     

    The Capitol manages to commodify the lives of the tributes, perpetrating the murder of 23 tributes for the entertainment of the privileged few. The Tributes are brought into the capitol and groomed and trained for the Games by professional experts. The scenes show Katniss and other tributes lying flat on a table in a morgue like room where they are cleaned, waxed and combed through with industrial efficiency.

    grooming scene
    It makes one think about the hours of systematic preparation behind the much beloved reality shows of today  that sell us the lives of others, on a polished, decorated and carefully designed platter and of all the propaganda that guides our beloved entertainment industry
    Most of all, the Hunger Games tells us a story of the extremes of economic oppression, deprivation and disparity. In a society severely affected by climate change and war, the poverty of the districts provides a stark reflection on the condition of many of the war stricken countries of today. The phenomenon of multiple nominations in the reaping for an extra sack of wheat or sugar holds similarity to the concessions provided in the Middle East during the Iraq wars in 2002.

    district 12

    The Politics of The Hunger Games

    The act of providing people with subsistence in exchange for their children’s freedom can be seen practiced by the cruelest of dictators; the jihadists in the middles east, Warlords like Joseph Koni in Africa being just a few examples.

    All the political commentary in the series seems to paint a picture of a country quite similar to present day USA and its military political and economic dominance on the rest of the world. The Peacekeepers in the series are a military force appointed to swiftly remove any challengers of the Capitol’s supremacy bear resemblance in name and function to the UN Peacekeepers in the Vietnam and Iraq wars.

     

    iraq peacekeepers

    hunger games peacekeepers

     

    The cold character of President Snow is a constant reminder of the political roots of The Hunger Games in Panem, its motives of political intimidation and control through the symbolic and literal sacrifice from the districts.

    Lastly, but most importantly, The Hunger Games offers commentary on human nature and the slippery slope between entertainment and reality. Citizens of the Capitol pick favourites, cheer and obsess over the doomed tributes, their conscience completely overshadowed by Capitol propaganda and consumerism.

    yaabot__capitol_people

    They celebrate the Hunger Games without empathy for the districts and tributes and encourage them to do the same. Through this lens, the Hunger Games is a dreadfully eloquent satire on a culture that values things more than people.
    The power of both capitalist and government propaganda is highlighted in this fictional country, where the Hunger Games are seen as a celebration of the greatness of the Capitol and the districts’ plight either disregarded or completely unheard.

    A scene in the first movie shows Katniss stabbing a knife into a wooden table, to the horror of Effie Trinket, her escort to the Capitol.
    “That is Mahogany” she exclaims, visibly offended in the memorable scene.

    Escorting two healthy, young individuals to their probable death in a systematic killing machine, what horrifies Effie is the possible damage to a wooden table.

    Mahogony scene

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    A World of Abundance and Deprivation 

    The Hunger Games shows us how much we can forget about people that are removed from us; how morality, humanity and the human conscience tread a tricky road in today’s world where we are channel surfing between wars and reality TV.
    It shows us how close we are to a world where the poor are systematically kept in disadvantage for the benefit of the gluttonous few; it shows us a world of overabundance and deprivation, much like ours.

     

     the capitol

     

     

     

     

    books cinema movies the hunger games
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Avatar photo
    Anisha Baid

    Anisha Baid is a student and an aspiring writer, musician, and creator. Traveling back and forth from lengthy fiction to poetry to five minute art to design, she is always in search for new homes for the ideas in her mind and always has something to say.

    Related Posts

    Oppenheimer And The Manhattan Project

    1 February

    VFX in Indian Cinema

    21 November

    Black Mirror: A Dystopia we deserve

    13 October
    Add A Comment

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Latest

    Exploring the Possibilities of Artificial Intelligence

    By Shashank Bhardwaj

    Quantum Computing: The Future of Artificial Intelligence

    By Namrata Lahiri

    Magisk Error 1: What to Do When Your Android Device Won’t Boot

    By Shashank Bhardwaj
    Advertisement
    © 2023 Yaabot Media LLP.
    • Home
    • Buy Now

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Go to mobile version
     

    Loading Comments...