Technology Diary – 9/19
Like Caroline, television is one of the technologies in Panem that I use today in the United States. However, I thought it would interesting to explore the issue of “voyeurism” of reality television. The idea of The Hunger Games is that of punishment of the twelve districts for rebelling, serving “as a yearly reminder that the Dark Days must never be repeated” (Collins, 18). However, while it serves as punishment for the twenty-four children/young adults that participate every year, whether they die in the Games or suffer from emotional trauma for winning, for the citizens of the Capitol and the people watching in the twelve districts of Panem, The Hunger Games serves as entertainment.
During the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss is extremely aware that there is an audience watching her every move. After being hidden and overhearing the conversation between Peeta and the Career Tributes, she knew that “the minute I hit the ground, I’m guaranteed a close-up” and that the “audience will have been besides themselves, knowing that I was in the tree , that I overheard the Careers talking” (Collins, 163). In addition to being watched constantly, the Gamemakers have the ability to control the fates of the tributes, as they are able to create action when the Games are becoming mundane. For example, Katniss realized that the “unnatural” blaze that surrounded her were “human-made, machine-made, Gamemaker-made” (Collins, 173). Lastly, Katniss understands that the audience loves romance, the idea of the “star-crossed lovers” from District 12 could save their lives when she and Peeta almost consume the poisonous nightlock berries, since she knows that “without a victor, the whole thing would blow up in the Gamemakers’ faces” (Collins, 344).
The viewing of the Hunger Games is not unlike reality television programming today. Now the audience can watch the every move of the participant (as in the case of Big Brother’s live feed of HouseGuests). Gamemakers and viewers hold the key to a player’s fate (i.e. American Idol, Dancing with the Stars). Americans feed off of drama presented on reality television. According to Psychology Today, “Reality TV allows Americans to fantasize about gaining status through automatic fame.” Similarly, one can say people in Panem fantasize about living in danger through the Hunger Games. This would especially be true for the children who are old enough to get reaped and must prepare for next year in case they are chosen. For the citizens of the Capitol, it may be for similar reasons, except they’ll never be in danger of ever participating in the Hunger Games.
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3 Comments
Lisa Brundage
September 26, 2013Do you think the residents of Panem fantasize about living in danger, or are the Hunger Games an extreme representation of the danger they already in?
How does surveillance impact gender roles, now and in Panem?
Kaitlyn O'Hagan
October 6, 2013I’m not sure what impact surveillance has on gender roles in Panem, but I think today it has the effect of enforcing the status quo–both men and women are conscious that actions that are “deviant” are more likely to be noted & commented upon, and no one wants to be the “other–” those who seem to purposely act and identify as “other” or “deviant” are in fact reinforcing the notion that their appearance/actions are such.
As for Panem and their “reality TV,” I think it depends on which segment of the population you’re talking about. The residents of District 12 (and other Districts) have been oppressed a la “1984” and thus the games are just an extreme representation of the dangerous and difficult lives they lead. They watch to look out for the well-being of their loved ones, and because they have to. They can honestly empathize and identify with the experiences they see in the games because they’re just a magnified version of their day-to-day lives. For those in the Capitol, and (perhaps) the more affluent districts, the Hunger games represent an escapist fantasy. This segment of the population has been placated a la “Brave New World” and the experiences they witness in the Hunter Games are an exciting, interesting diversion–though it seems most of them unfortunately do not attempt to or are not able to or do not want to empathize or truly emotionally comprehend what they are watching.
Adrienne Zhou
September 29, 2013Cynthia makes a good point: Americans do feed off of drama presented on reality television. My roommates love reality tv and plan their days around “Dance Moms” and “Big Brother.” They decide when they will eat and do laundry depending on when “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” will be on. They shout at the television set when Kim Kardashian decides she wants to plan a placenta dinner for her family the same way zealous sports watchers do during an intense moment in the game, and they “call dibs” on our one television set well in advance of shows’ air times.
It worries me that they get sucked into vapid reality tv’s vortex. And they’re not the only ones who are completely absorbed in the inane, overly and unnecessarily dramatic content; there are plenty of people who are just as absorbed, which explains why so many shows on television now are reality shows.
I enjoy certain tv shows—”How I Met Your Mother,” “Friends,” and “Law and Order: SVU” could be the best tv shows every made—and I’m sure that’s true of many people. What worries me is fanatical following of tv shows filmed under the guise of reality, when the reality is that naturally contentious, dramatic, and some downright ridiculous people are purposely thrown together in a pot so they can exaggerate their feelings and temper tantrums and be contentious, dramatic, and downright ridiculous together. In my opinion, the only value of watching reality tv is learning what kind of person to not be. That and being entertained by the unbelievably ridiculous things some people say and do.