Expert: Society’s Acquired Taste for “The Hunger Games”

Pitch

“The Hunger Games” opens nationwide March 23, and is the much-anticipated theatrical release based on a trilogy of the same name. However, should society be celebrating a story where children kill other children in the name of sport and entertainment?

 

Expert

Rob Weiner, associate librarian and pop culture expert, Texas Tech University Library, (806) 742-2238 ext. 282 office, (806) 780-8775 mobile, or rob.weiner@ttu.edu.

 

Talking Points

• Books based on a similar concept, including “The Lord of the Flies.”
• Movies, such as “Battle Royale,” that may have influenced “The Hunger Games.”
• Comparison to other series in pop culture, like “Harry Potter” or “Twilight.”

Quotes

• “The concept of children against children is not a new one. The biggest similarity comes from the controversial “Battle Royale,” where children are forced to kill one another and only one is supposed to survive.”
• “There’s nothing logically moral about kids killing kids in a contest, but the concept is reminiscent of other stories and films.”