Britney Spears meets The Hunger Games
June 11, 2011 1:55 PM Subscribe
Didn't get passed the fifth bar...
posted by Meatafoecure at 2:18 PM on June 11, 2011
posted by Meatafoecure at 2:18 PM on June 11, 2011
I'm reading the 3rd book right now. Will this video spoil the events of the 3rd book?
posted by CarlRossi at 2:37 PM on June 11, 2011
posted by CarlRossi at 2:37 PM on June 11, 2011
Britney Spears Meets The Human Centipede
... am I in the wrong thread?
posted by chmmr at 2:41 PM on June 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
... am I in the wrong thread?
posted by chmmr at 2:41 PM on June 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
Not really, it's a very basic Gale/Katniss/Peeta thing with no spoilers. It's not even really true to the characters, I would say. Just all in fun.
posted by litnerd at 2:42 PM on June 11, 2011
posted by litnerd at 2:42 PM on June 11, 2011
Once again, Katniss is treated as a prize or tool, with little agency of her own. This is fun as were the books, but that always rankled me.
posted by yellowbinder at 2:44 PM on June 11, 2011
posted by yellowbinder at 2:44 PM on June 11, 2011
Reading the wikipedia page, the premise of this book sounds ludicrous even for a YA novel. A post-apocalyptic nation which still has must-see-TV in the form of reality shows where randomly chosen children kill each other? Pass.
posted by TypographicalError at 2:47 PM on June 11, 2011
posted by TypographicalError at 2:47 PM on June 11, 2011
I mean, don't blame the viewers. It was really compelling TV.
posted by stratastar at 2:56 PM on June 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by stratastar at 2:56 PM on June 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
TypographicalError, actually it's a great trilogy.
Resources are scarce after an apocalyptic event. Supplies are limited, and each district's shares are supposed to be rigidly controlled, but the capital is richest in resources, and rampant corruption ensures they only grow richer while the poorer districts rarely even have enough food to keep them alive. The districts attempted to revolt against the capital once but lost, and to keep them from forgetting their place and trying something like that again they are punished with what will hurt them most--the death of their children.
Every year two children, a boy and a girl, are chosen from each district in a lottery system (the poorest, those that borrow most against their rations, are penalized with multiple entries). Lottery day, sadistically, has been declared a holiday and the children are expected to wear their best clothes for the event.
The chosen ones are forced to fight to the death in the Hunger Games, and the contest is televised so that the districts will see their children fight and die.
The winner--like Highlander, there can be only one each year--gets extra rations and is known throughout the districts. But as the fame comes from killing the other contestants, they are almost always universally hated outside their own district. And past winners are given the task to ready future Hunger Games contestants for the Games, so even they never escape the cruelty of the capital.
posted by misha at 3:15 PM on June 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Resources are scarce after an apocalyptic event. Supplies are limited, and each district's shares are supposed to be rigidly controlled, but the capital is richest in resources, and rampant corruption ensures they only grow richer while the poorer districts rarely even have enough food to keep them alive. The districts attempted to revolt against the capital once but lost, and to keep them from forgetting their place and trying something like that again they are punished with what will hurt them most--the death of their children.
Every year two children, a boy and a girl, are chosen from each district in a lottery system (the poorest, those that borrow most against their rations, are penalized with multiple entries). Lottery day, sadistically, has been declared a holiday and the children are expected to wear their best clothes for the event.
The chosen ones are forced to fight to the death in the Hunger Games, and the contest is televised so that the districts will see their children fight and die.
The winner--like Highlander, there can be only one each year--gets extra rations and is known throughout the districts. But as the fame comes from killing the other contestants, they are almost always universally hated outside their own district. And past winners are given the task to ready future Hunger Games contestants for the Games, so even they never escape the cruelty of the capital.
posted by misha at 3:15 PM on June 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Once again, Katniss is treated as a prize or tool, with little agency of her own. This is fun as were the books, but that always rankled me.
It's supposed to. Katniss is both a genuine heroine for attempting to undermine a corrupt system, and a puppet hero designed to give the masses someone to follow. My kids didn't like parts of the third book because of those same issues that rankled you, but when you take into account how humans actually think and act, it's truer to life than unconditional happily ever afters are, which is why I liked the trilogy.
posted by misha at 3:18 PM on June 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
It's supposed to. Katniss is both a genuine heroine for attempting to undermine a corrupt system, and a puppet hero designed to give the masses someone to follow. My kids didn't like parts of the third book because of those same issues that rankled you, but when you take into account how humans actually think and act, it's truer to life than unconditional happily ever afters are, which is why I liked the trilogy.
posted by misha at 3:18 PM on June 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
I'm with Misha, TypographicalError. As a dad who's spent over 20 years now reading to, and lately alongside, my kids — I'd rate The Hunger Games as the best new series in years. This one will last.
(And spur-of-the-moment insta-reaction to a Wikipedia summary of three books you haven't read doesn't exactly make for informative commentary.)
posted by namasaya at 3:26 PM on June 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
(And spur-of-the-moment insta-reaction to a Wikipedia summary of three books you haven't read doesn't exactly make for informative commentary.)
posted by namasaya at 3:26 PM on June 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
...and all I wanted to add to discussions is lay off the fade to black editor! It means 'end', visually, as it's like closing my eyes, and physically painful to watch too many of them.
posted by dabitch at 3:56 PM on June 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by dabitch at 3:56 PM on June 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I like Britney Spears and The Hunger Games and this was so cringey I had to stop after a few seconds.
posted by something something at 5:45 PM on June 11, 2011
posted by something something at 5:45 PM on June 11, 2011
That was a lighter take than I expected. Any carb queen or king should love Peeta!
posted by dragonplayer at 6:33 PM on June 11, 2011
posted by dragonplayer at 6:33 PM on June 11, 2011
Oh. My. God. Those guys. THAT HAIR. So wrong.
Actually, once Katniss started singing "must I choose" I started thinking of Katherine/Damon/Stefan on Vampire Diaries....
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:13 PM on June 11, 2011
Actually, once Katniss started singing "must I choose" I started thinking of Katherine/Damon/Stefan on Vampire Diaries....
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:13 PM on June 11, 2011
Surprisingly good casting!
I was just telling Rory Marinich I think the first Hunger Games book is pretty worth reading, despite the fact that it's sorta just like The Long Walk + Battle Royale (and not really as good as either of those, when you get down to it). Wasn't such a fan of the second two, especially the third. War is horrible, sure, but the ways in which Collins formed her argument about its horribleness didn't ring true to me.
If I had my druthers, it'd be Patrick Ness's YA sci-fi books that everyone would be buzzing about. But there's no love triangle, and they're kind of more conceptually experimental, so I guess I can see why not.
Actually, once Katniss started singing "must I choose" I started thinking of Katherine/Damon/Stefan on Vampire Diaries....
LJ Smith is probably by far my fave love-triangle writer. Unlike both Collins and Meyer, her love triangles are all about growth and changing, whereas Meyer's love triangle seemed to be more about stagnation. Not really sure what Collins was even saying with hers, to be honest. Always thought that aspect of the books felt a little obligatory, especially when she started tsk tsking the audience in the third about caring about which boy Katniss chose.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:02 PM on June 11, 2011
I was just telling Rory Marinich I think the first Hunger Games book is pretty worth reading, despite the fact that it's sorta just like The Long Walk + Battle Royale (and not really as good as either of those, when you get down to it). Wasn't such a fan of the second two, especially the third. War is horrible, sure, but the ways in which Collins formed her argument about its horribleness didn't ring true to me.
If I had my druthers, it'd be Patrick Ness's YA sci-fi books that everyone would be buzzing about. But there's no love triangle, and they're kind of more conceptually experimental, so I guess I can see why not.
Actually, once Katniss started singing "must I choose" I started thinking of Katherine/Damon/Stefan on Vampire Diaries....
LJ Smith is probably by far my fave love-triangle writer. Unlike both Collins and Meyer, her love triangles are all about growth and changing, whereas Meyer's love triangle seemed to be more about stagnation. Not really sure what Collins was even saying with hers, to be honest. Always thought that aspect of the books felt a little obligatory, especially when she started tsk tsking the audience in the third about caring about which boy Katniss chose.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:02 PM on June 11, 2011
Supplies are limited, and each district's shares are supposed to be rigidly controlled, but the capital is richest in resources, and rampant corruption ensures they only grow richer while the poorer districts rarely even have enough food to keep them alive.
I've been reading it as the author's example of what would happen some 70 odd years after the middle class is eliminated. Not only about the lengths to which the capitol will go to maintain power, but also the inevitable revolution which you would hope would have happened sooner than 70+ years.
posted by CarlRossi at 10:50 PM on June 11, 2011
I've been reading it as the author's example of what would happen some 70 odd years after the middle class is eliminated. Not only about the lengths to which the capitol will go to maintain power, but also the inevitable revolution which you would hope would have happened sooner than 70+ years.
posted by CarlRossi at 10:50 PM on June 11, 2011
The ritual bloodletting to forestall real fighting is also a dystopian echo of the novel Ecotopia, which no one seems to remember much.
posted by msalt at 10:56 PM on June 11, 2011
posted by msalt at 10:56 PM on June 11, 2011
Ha. That's a lighthearted video.
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the first book to anyone who didn't mind reading about bloodshed and kids having to make adult choices. I don't care for how Collins tied things up in later books, but oh well. They were decent enough reads.
Somebody sent me this review of a new YA book:
The Hunger Games meets True Grit. But even grittier.
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 11:09 PM on June 11, 2011
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the first book to anyone who didn't mind reading about bloodshed and kids having to make adult choices. I don't care for how Collins tied things up in later books, but oh well. They were decent enough reads.
Somebody sent me this review of a new YA book:
The Hunger Games meets True Grit. But even grittier.
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 11:09 PM on June 11, 2011
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posted by NoraReed at 2:17 PM on June 11, 2011 [5 favorites]