That said, something has been bothering me. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time and have been struggling to find a way to articulate it: I think fans are forgetting to be careful. We have an added burden as fans of a dystopia: so much of this world is undesirable, so we have to make sure that our enthusiasm does not take on a Capitol-like tone. We’ve been falling down on the job.
I’m worried about the lack of careful, critical, and thoughtful expressions of fandom. Sure, there are some out there (for example, look at the Harry Potter Alliance’s “Hunger is Not a Game” campaign), but most of the fandom seems to be expressed in an embarrassingly similar fashion to this video.
I fully recognize how easy it is to be swept up in the series, and to express fandom in an unintentionally Capitolistic fashion. It’s so tempting to use phrases like “Happy Hunger Games!” (See? Even I gave in to the temptation!), to choose what district you’d be from, buy China Glaze’s themed nail polish, and revel in the badassery of the tributes. But in doing this, we pervert the series, masking the terrible, nauseating dystopia that is really there. We need to really remember that it is a dystopia—we are not meant to want to live in that world. What is appealing about being a citizen of Panem? What is cool about being a tribute? Maybe I’m missing something, but to me the answer should be (and is) nothing. We're spending so much time debating the merits of Team Peeta versus Team Gale (and, unfortunately, never even debating if neither are good for Katniss), we're letting the most interesting, thought-provoking aspects of the story slip through our proverbial fingers.
What are your thoughts? I’ve ranted about this to individual friends quite a bit, but I would be thrilled to discuss it more.
I think what you're saying is true. By getting excited about the film we are basically falling into the temptation, which makes us more Capitol and less 'survival of the fittest'. I agree that more focus should be on the badassery that is Katniss and less on the games as a whole. We aren't happy about the games, we are excited to see Katniss put to live on the big screen. We want to see just how terrifying the games are, and if they compare to how we painted them in our heads. As for me I already know that the answer to my questions is that the film will suck compared to the imagery Collins' helped me paint in my head. I think the focus should remain on Katniss and the whole survival mode instead of the games as a whole.
ReplyDeleteAfter seeing the film I do think that it did well to focus on Katniss but the games weren't half as terrifying as they were in my head while I was reading. While we knew people were actually dying in these games I didn't feel the danger that I did while reading the books. I am interested in re-reading the novels again, both to go slower than I did the first time and to be refreshed on the story and the feelings it provoked.
DeleteWhat did you think of the film?
So I actually thought the film was fantastic. It's one of the best adaptations I have seen in a long time (if not THE best), and to me it not only accurately captured all of the major plot points (unlike, say, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince), but it kept the tone just right. The direction, the music, the acting--all excellent! I certainly have minor criticisms, but the refreshing thing is that they are just minor criticisms. Now, to be fair, I've only seen it once--I need to see it at least once more before I determine my ultimate feelings about it. A side note, Jessi: I wonder, did the Games not feel as dangerous because you already knew far in advance who would and would not make it? While I wasn't worried if characters would or would not make it, I still felt really strong emotions about what happened to them.
DeleteI agree. Just because it is considered a young adult book, doesn't mean it's fodder for marketing a la Harry Potter.
ReplyDeleteAre young adults discussing the ideas of a near future in distress?
That's an interesting question! We talked a bit about dystopias in one of my classes last semester, and one reason I think dystopias are really appealing reads for teens in particular is the idea of autonomy. We're at an age where we are kind of like citizens of a dystopic world: we feel trapped, are often still "protected" or watched over by adults in our lives, and generally feel as though we lack agency. Similarly, citizens in a dystopia are controlled "for their own good." There is a sense of powerlessness (both with children and teens in relation to adults and with individuals in relation to society in general) depicted in dystopias. Another thing that is really appealing is that despite all the darkness and confinement, YA dystopias frequently end on a semi-hopeful note (which, to my understanding, is different than many dystopias written for adults). This gives us hope that despite the often destructive spiral our society takes, the ways we feel controlled by the media, the government, our society, etc., there is always the possibility that we can rise out of it.
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