‘Hunger Games’ Scare You? Blame Bush, Says DVD

MRC.org ^ | Aug. 27, 2012 | Lauren Thompson

[1rudeboy]

America is a totalitarian regime. Or, it was when George W. Bush was president. And maybe it still is. Or something.

As if we needed more proof that blockbuster entertainment needn’t have even a nodding acquaintance with cogent political thought, the people that brought us Suzanne Collins’s “Hunger Games” franchise can’t just quietly take their millions to the bank. They need us to know how unfair their payday is.

“The Hunger Games” DVD was released Aug. 18, and the special features section titled “Game Maker: Suzanne Collins and the Hunger Games Phenomenon” is filled with nuggets of liberal received wisdom about American capitalism and the horrors of life under the Bush regime.

David Levithan, from the publisher Scholastic, commented how “The Hunger Games” was “written in frustration of the Bush era,” and blogger Amanda Belcher feared that although “this book is about horrific events, it’s really not that far-fetched from things that are going on today.”

Levithan really, really wanted to make sure audiences know who the real villain of the story is. “These books were written in the heart of the Bush era. The commentary there is it is written in this last regime. These feelings of disenfranchisement haven’t gone away,” he said.

Don’t recall Bush demanding each state should offer up their children to fight to the death on reality television. Was it around the time he let Ted Kennedy write education “reform,” or when he was expanding the Medicare entitlement?

Actor Donald Sutherland (who plays dictator President Snow), praised the Occupy Wall Street movement, asserting that it’s “absolutely time” for a revolution.

[The Hunger Games] is an allegory of this imperial power, this oligarchy of the multi-rich, this 0.1 percent,” droned, and the actor has shilled for Occupy Wall Street before. Sutherland, of course, is a member of that imperial 1 percent. His net worth is estimated at $40 million. (In fairness, that’s only $39.7 million in Canadian dollars, and Sutherland is from Toronto …)

In the same interview Sutherland said, “[The Hunger Games] so clearly and carefully echoes [today]. I think the people with Occupy Wall Street and Occupy L.A., out of those people will come a leader. It has to. It’s time, it’s absolutely time.” To date, the Occupiers haven’t produced much beyond theme parks for vermin, so Mr. Sutherland seems too optimistic.

In the same vein, Drew McWeeny a senior-reviewer at hitfix.com stated Americans are “living through” the content of “The Hunger Games.”

“Obviously there’s not going to be a revolution in the streets of Panem, but I think there are major changes coming and situations to be addressed. Her [Suzanne Collins] book will continue to resonate over the next few years. It will be fascinating to see how real life and her work parallel over the next couple of years,” McWeeny said.

Here’s looking forward to such incisive commentary in about 10 years when Levithan will remind us that the “The Food Stamp Games” was “written in frustration of the Obama era.”

[originalbuckeye]

Those wealthy who are Socialists believe in it because THEY can afford. it. The problem is that the rest of us cannot and they don't care. Socialism does not punish the wealthy too severely, but destroys the middle class. Some Socialist countries do severely punish the wealthy but the wealthy will then move to another less punishing country. Exhibit A: Great Britain in the 60’s........(Quote the Beatles Taxman- 1 for you, 19 for me=95% taxation) Exhibit B: France now.......the wealthy moving to Britain which is not as punishing as it once was.

[upchuck]

I’ve read all three books and watched the movie this weekend when I got it from Netflix. The first book is extremely detailed and the movie is not. It couldn’t be. If it was, the movie would be at least four hours long.

Keep in mind that comments made Suzanne Collins, who authored the books and helped write the screenplay, and by other folks associated with the movie are designed to get you to watch it.

— SPOILER ALERT! —
Bear in mind that this is just the first part of the story. In the books the government is overthrown by the people living in the districts and a representative form of government is installed.

Drew McWeeny a senior-reviewer at hitfix.com: “Obviously there’s not going to be a revolution in the streets of Panem...”

Show your ignorance Drew. It is obvious you did not read books 2 and 3. What an idiot. There IS a revolution and it is lead by the Mockingjay.

[Mr. Jeeves]

And yet it was the GOVERNMENT that was bloated and rich and exploiting everyone else in the books and the movie.

Many on the Left intuitively understand the dangers of Big Government - but they have been taught to blame their fears on the other party, that their people wouldn't misuse the system that way.

Many on the Right think exactly the same way.

There is a failure to understand that the State is the problem, not the people who happen to run it at the moment.

[AnAmericanAbroad]

“Battle Royale” is an outstanding book, and made all the more so by its central conceit, taking place in an alternate-timeline Japan (the Republic of Greater East Asia) thereby combing my two favorite genres: alternate history and dystopian fiction.

“Hunger Games”; not so much. Not bad as dystopian fiction goes, but nowhere near as good as “Battle Royale”.

[Aggie Mama]

I’ve used this book for a student book club for years. Recently, I’ve had the kids read, “Breaking Stalin’s Nose,” which is about life under USSR. My students have no problem making the connection between an all-powerful government/Panem and an all-powerful government/USSR. Pity the liberals can’t see that...

[tumblindice]

You know how they say "Hunger Games" in France? "Battle Royale with cheese." Frank Capra would have loved Hunger Games, Catching Fire and The Mockingjay. Katniss Everdeen would have been a freeper, not a DUmmy clone. She hates government, loves weapons and kills everything she sees. That's our girl.

[Mr. K]

But if it is a totalitarian government run by DEMOCRAPS it will be OK.

So as long as democraps are growing government as fast as possible, we will not have to worry when the hunger games will start

[RatsDawg]

“Don’t recall Bush demanding each state should offer up their children to fight to the death on reality television.”

I think this is what Liberals call, “The Iraq War”.

[Popman]

Having read the trilogy I really disliked how the series ended....no spoilers from me....but I thought it sucked....

I hope the last movie changes the ending...

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Personally, I would like to see an American version of the Japanese movie Battle Royale, but with a twist.

In the original movie, Japan was wracked with crime, economic chaos and despair, popularly blamed on high school students.

In the American version, America should be relatively prosperous and happy, but the government (Obama’s, but that doesn’t need to be said) wants everybody to be miserable, starving and full of hate, and thinks that it can bring the ruin of America by providing ruthless entertainment of children killing children to “the masses” on live TV.

[RatsDawg]

I agree, Mockingjay, was the worst of the series, I didn’t like the ending either. It was still worth the read though.

[OneVike]

When will conservatives stop giving their hard earned money to left wing Hollywood ideologues? I have not seen a move in over 15 years, and I do not plan on ever going agaion. I have not purchased a DVD, and I do not watch any premium movie channels.

Even when they make a movie that we conservatives rave about, they take the money we shoveled into Hollywood and use it to destroy our way of life. All the while laughing at the stupid conservatives who keep falling for the lie when they say;

"Don't worry Charlie conservative, I won't pull the football away this time"!

[linn37]

I guess they forget Obama telling people they need to sacrifice and then his old lady loading up on lobster and exotic vacations.

[factoryrat]

Watched that movie just the other day, and it just wreaked of liberal/socialist ideology. The only character with a backbone was the girl who hunted (on king’s land no less) to provide for her family, and eventually became the nemesis for the sutherland character. The only reason I watched the whole movie was to see how the powers to be in the would respond to the potential threat that the girl would pose.

[duffee]

You’re exactly right, my wife and I saw the movie and our thoughts were where this movie could have been made and the book written by a Conservative, it was probably done by liberals and progressives. They accuse others with the wrongs they are committing. I was immediatly reminded by a PBS program years ago that showed some of the Russian and Eastern European housing projects and went on to explain in a positive manner how one day all would live in housing in the cities near there employment, which was determined at various educationl levels to fit your perceived aptitude and the needs of the state. The only residents living outside the cities would be those engaged in mining, forestry, agriculture, etc. and they would live in controlled compounds areas. In our glorious future there will be no private property. I saw this 25 to 45 years ago. It was part of a program that predicted the future. I had read enough to recognize it as an early 20th Century progressive ideal.

The movie fits right into the parameters and behavior you would expect from those who want a strong central government with a party in control of the masses, much like what we are seeing from the democrats.

[GraceG]

Dim bulbs are the one that would enable the tools to be created in government that would lead to a hunger games scenario in the first place.

The irony is that they don’t realize that their poop also stinks.

[Badabing Badablonde]

They're kidding, right? One of the most glaring liberal scenes in the movie is when Sutherland is trimming his roses and speaking of the people and the consequences of the uprising. He says something like " we didn't punish them. The games are important because we gave them hope. And we can control them with hope."

The hair on my arms stood up when he said that.

Hope and change.

[RatsDawg]

“Don’t recall Bush demanding each state..... Was it around the time he let Ted Kennedy write education “reform,” or when he was expanding the Medicare entitlement?”

Well “No Child Left Behind” and Medicare Entitlements, are building blocks that lead to societies like in the Hunger Games

[max americana]

“Katniss Everdeen would have been a freeper, not a DUmmy clone. She hates government, loves weapons and kills everything she sees. That’s our girl.”

*****

Well said! If she were real, I would marry her.

[dfwgator]

I noticed now in movies they can never have just men be heroes, either the sole hero is a woman, or there has to be a team with at least one woman on it.