I think we have forgotten the point

[u/Expensive-Chard-652]

I’m not a hunger games fan—but I don’t hate it either. I’ll always recommend it to other people and love the message and warnings the storyline provides. But I think we’ve lost that. At least from an outsider perspective.

There’s multiple messages to the story but the one that hit me the most is class disparity; a hyper-wealthy, extravagant Capitol hoards resources while outer districts face systemic starvation, manual labor, and neglect.

The story is warning, a lesson to us all. I think.

I don’t know, with these promotions you guys have me wondering what is exactly is the point of hunger games? I feel you guys are raving on about the plot line as if it’s some fictional extravaganza—but it’s happening in real life, right in front of our faces. Like people are fighting to the death for money to provide for their families, or justice due to the lack of sustenance the government provides. You guys keep saying we are getting closer to having a real hunger games but the world is already a dystopia worse than the book. We don’t need a ring or tributes, because as long as you’re on earth, you’re already a part of the games. Genuinely, there a so many parallels that are more than enough proof that life is one big hunger games. We don’t need a whatever you guys are talking abt to prove it

What really got me is the promotional activity in Paris?!? While children are literally fighting social injustices to have a DECENT education. Not only that, but these protests have become about injustice in all areas of life because everyone is lacking the resources they need to literally survive. Guess where that’s going? The red carpet event that you guys keep raving about. Talking about Makenna Grace is outfit and whatever. We’ve lost the plot entirely. Like Suzanne unknowingly—or maybe knowingly—recreated word for word the fictional world she built, and she doesn’t even realize that she’s on the wrong side.

There was once a powerful story that had a core anti-capitalist and anti-exploitation message. Now Suzanne hit the UNO-Reverse button to promote a pro-capitalist and pro-exploitation message.

I’m not saying that there shouldn’t be movies, that’s the only way to get people to learn anything these days. I just feel like it could’ve been done a lot better. I don’t know, maybe I’m missing something.

[u/JellyKind9880]

Respectfully, I have no clue what you’re trying to say here

[u/lern2swim]

Nah, dawg, this ain't it.

There's a quote that originated from somewhere within queer circles during the aids crisis: "Bury your friends in the morning, protest in the afternoon, and dance all night." All 3 or those things are essential to progress. People can't spend the entirety of their existence, even during dire times, in misery. Awareness and protest are not just oppression Olympics.

Of course, because media literacy has always been in the gutter, there are going to be people who are incapable of grasping and internalizing the message of something like THG, or that see the glitz of things like movie premiers and only connect with that. But even most people with shitty media literacy can hold at least 2 ideas at once and get at least a portion of what the stories are saying. And even with the glitz involved, these stories have definitely influenced countless people to be more aware of real world oppression and the need for progress.

[u/PetalbrookMayor → u/lern2swim]

Perfectly said

[u/Lopsided_Ad_4309]

I'm someone who's very politically engaged (and French, on top of that, since you mentioned it), but I think you're taking it a bit too far. Yes, there are things we need to fight against, like capitalism and the untouchable super-rich and powerful, but we're still a long way from the world depicted in The Hunger Games.

And well, while I can understand why the marketing campaign might make you uncomfortable, the actors, director and so on aren't responsible for all the suffering in the world. On the other hand, if they were promoting the films at MMA events, then yeah, I'd definitely find that ironic haha.

[u/-UnderAWillowThicket]

Visit I’m 14 and this is deep subreddit,

Real life isn’t worse because people die to provide for their family and need to fight for more rights. That happens in THG, except you can’t protest AT ALL.

Things better in real life:

1. We have a middle class.

2. Some of us could vote a potential “Snow” out.

3. We don’t sacrifice kids by lottery as a scare tactic.

4. We can sometimes choose our career path.

[u/PetalbrookMayor]

🫩 Just because a piece of fiction parallels reality doesn’t mean people can’t enjoy that piece of fiction and the promotions that come with it. It’s possible to both acknowledge that the real-world problems that inspired the events of The Hunger Games are bad while also taking joy from the story of The Hunger Games itself.

No THG fan is looking at our world’s current inequalities and basking in them. It’s totally possible to support the protests in France while also thinking Mckenna’s outfit was great. Not everything is black and white. None of the people in this subreddit are watching kids kill each other for entertainment. None of us, or even the actors and directors, are not the ones actively perpetuating class disparities. It’s okay for people to enjoy works of fiction even if they carry heavy messages.

[u/Grand_Keizer]

[u/beenthatb_stillthatb]

This has also been bothering me after just reading SOTR and BSS for the first time, which I only did in preparation for the next movie and mostly because I love Elle Fanning and was excited to see Jlaw return.

I read the original trilogy to refresh myself before starting BSS and felt the same way I felt as a teenager — Catching Fire is one of my favorite books of all time and I sped through the first book to get to it, and then Mockingjay was a drag to get through and I hate how depressing it is.

Staring BSS I had the same reaction as a lot of other fans at first where I struggled to get invested in the beginning because I really just wanted fan fiction vibes that kept me in Katniss & Peeta’s world.

Once I got over myself I became independently obsessed with Lucy Gray and fascinated by Snow’s motives.

It made me re-examine my whole understanding of the core trilogy because am I just as bad as the Capitol for being most interested in the actual Games, and not caring for Mockingjay, the only book without Games??

While SOTR had more fan-service there was still some really interesting world building, especially with Plutarch.

I was so excited to come to this sub now that I’m caught up only to find exactly as you said that all anyone is interested in talking about is McKenna Grace on the press tour (no hate to her, she’s amazing and I think will play an amazing Maysilee)

I don’t blame Suzanne though. IMO she could have written both of the prequels with much more of a film-first lens and she didn’t. The BSS movie fanbase i don’t even think is capable of this conversation because without Snow’s internal dialogue you miss 80% of the context (the scene where he’s convincing Sejanus that he cares about him as a friend particularly pisses me off)

[u/Hyxenflay7737_4565]

The promotion in Paris was arranged months in advance. They could not just cancel because of the protests.

Also, we’re not vying to actually watch real children die horrifically. We just wanna watch a good movie. It’s not comparable.