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Is the Hunger Games a Conservative Treatise on Overthrowing Big Government?

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Pajiba Love | Comments (28)

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Remember last week when the splendiferous Joanna Robinson appeared on the /Filmcast? Well, there is also a /Filmcast After Dark, where all the participants take off their clothes, get sloshed on wine, and use ALL the profanities. Do check it out (Slashfilm)

Speaking of the /Filmcast, its host, Dave Chen, responds to and talks about the exchange between “This American Life” and Apple over the toll that creating Apple products takes on humans. Will iPads be the next blood diamonds? (Dave Chen)

After you read our piece on the “Chuck” finale, head over here to check out Five Chucktastic moments from the series. (Film.com)

Over on Warming Glow, I rank the 10 Most Profoundly Stupid Characters on Television, although I do not include Andy Dwyer because f*ck you, that’s why. (WarmingGlow)

Over on Unreality, Paul Tassi is interviewing girl gamers in an effort to destroy the girl-gamer cliches. His first subject, Chelsea, does an excellent job of cracking that glass ceiling with her joystick. (Unreality)

Speaking of video games, Kotaku ranks the best one for each platform, including Facebook. (Kotaku)

Here are 18 of Liam Neeson’s silliest looks, proving that — like finding an unflattering photo of Nathan Fillion — it’s nearly an impossible task. (Screenjunkies)

The Fug Girls do their worst on the SAG Awards red carpet, and Busy Phillips wins the award for What the F*ckiest. (GFY)

There’s a still image out there from The Dark Knight Rises of Matthew Modine holding up a pink pair of panties. Here’s the backstory. (GammaSquad)

How many times can Andrew Brietbart’s Big Hollywood piss me off? Let us count the ways, starting with their thesis on The Hunger Games, which they argue is a trilogy about overthrowing Big Government. (Big Hollywood)

We probably should’ve covered the SAG Awards, but I get incredibly annoyed with awards shows and how the sheer numbers of them seem to diminish the value of each award. Here are, however, this year’s SAG Award winners (Spoiler Alert: There’s a lot of The Help in there). (RopesofSilicon)

Likewise, here are 5 Things we learned from the SAG Awards, besides that it’s not a very entertaining awards show. (Moviefone)

In things that I will probably never understand: Why do people find so much joy in tearing down Jennifer Aniston? (Celebitchy)

I don’t know exactly what this Super Bowl infographic suggests, but I’m pretty sure it means that Eli Manning will rip off Tom Brady’s pretty face and throw it for a 30 yard score. (DaveandThomas)

Oh, and hey! Thanks for all the feedback, both positive and negative, on Seth’s post on why we were banned from Sundance. I appreciated all the great dialogue for what was a very awkward situation for myself. In related news, here were this year’s Sundance winners. (Movieline)

The Muppets finally respond to allegations that they are left-wing propagandists. Miss Piggy, God Bless You: Zing. Boom. You’re roasted, Fox News.










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Comments

Is NOTHING sacred Big Hollywood? Yes, let's 'dig deeper' and try to see the Hunger Games for what it REALLY is--a call to overthrow big government!

Christ on a cracker.

Posted by: birdgal at January 30, 2012 1:15 PM

I don't know. I read the Hunger Games and didn't see any of that "Big Government Oppression" as speaking about our current times/government. If anything, I thought of this world as more akin to the old Soviet Union or even the ancient Roman Empire.

Methinks someone is just trying to fit their own agenda into something that's popular and shiny.

Posted by: Fredo at January 30, 2012 1:15 PM

I love you Ms. Piggy.

I will hereby be leaving this thread as I am all of fifteen pages into The Hunger Games.

Posted by: admin at January 30, 2012 1:19 PM

Only 15 pages Admin? Then you haven't gotten to the part where Obama takes everybody's guns and forces them to work for the common good. Also the part where corporations are a benevolent force for good.

Posted by: Mrcreosote at January 30, 2012 1:23 PM

Did anyone see the night Tim Daly was on Kimmel and he trashed Sesame Street saying it caused ADD? Grover was a guest that night too and when he came on, he turned to Daly and said, "I loved you in Sideways". Do NOT mess with muppets, man. You can't win.

Speaking of Chuck, of which I have never watched 1 second, we watched Tangled again on family movie night and I have a new crush on Zach Levi. He's cute and funny and a good singer. Gosh, he could probably have a nice career, and I would like to objectify him whilst occupied with my seraglio thoughts. So I looked him up on Wikipedia. Then I saw a picture of him with a beard and was REALLY into him. Then I read he's an Evangelical Christian and my brain made that sound your brain makes when the disappointment is so profound that the record scratch seems woefully inadequate and all your synapses are scrambling to find a way to convey the magnitude of the dealbreakerness of what has just occurred. Quickest crush ever. Although I'll probably still cry every time in Tangled when they sing "I See the Light", it will be for different and ecclesiastically ironic reasons.

Posted by: Mrs. Julien at January 30, 2012 1:45 PM

The Patriots are in hotel where I work. Any gifts you want me to give them Rowles?

Posted by: anikitty at January 30, 2012 1:45 PM

anikitty,

I'm not Rowles, but I do have a suggestion.
http://www.amazon.com/Itching-Powder-Perfect-Surprise-Special/dp/B000LZAYDC

And I'm pretty sure if you ask the people at Big Government, they'd tell you there's no difference between Obama's America and the Soviet Union.

Posted by: Socrates_Johnson at January 30, 2012 1:49 PM

Two Socrates comments in one day? How delightful!

When is the Superbowl? Is it next weekend? On Sunday, right? I live in a sports free home. It is awesome.

Posted by: Mrs. Julien at January 30, 2012 1:56 PM

In things that I will probably never understand: Why do people find so much joy in tearing down Jennifer Aniston?

Well if that doesn't make BarbadoSlim rise to the bait and reappear, we know we've lost him for good.

Posted by: PaddyDog at January 30, 2012 1:56 PM

Shall I deploy it in a hair gel delivery system?

Posted by: anikitty at January 30, 2012 1:58 PM

I always thought Butthead was the smarter half of that duo. I realize it's not much of a contest, though.

Posted by: MelBivDevoe at January 30, 2012 2:06 PM

I hate the term "Big Government" bandied about as if it's some single minded entity rather than a very complex system made up of the personalities, beliefs and egos of the people voted in to represent the larger population. It's far from perfect and ideal and it's only as good as the people it's made up of. Getting President Obama out of office isn't gonna fix anything yet it seems as if that's the only solution this author and her ilk have to offer. Fuck off.

And that being said, I love Miss Piggy.

Posted by: debbye at January 30, 2012 2:54 PM

Wait, Hunger Games is about overthrowing big government? Suddenly the movie sounds interesting to me. How is that different than V for Vendetta?

Posted by: Dude at January 30, 2012 2:55 PM

And Jennifer Aniston doesn't look fat. Stop talking about her body as if it were a fine cut of meat, you pathetic losers.

Posted by: debbye at January 30, 2012 2:56 PM

How many times can Andrew Brietbart’s Big Hollywood piss me off?

So, he's winning the head game? He's certainly inside yours.

Posted by: BierceAmbrose at January 30, 2012 3:08 PM

Andrew Breitbart is a disgusting waste of precious natural resources who should be sealed in a bottle and cast adrift in the Sea of Okhotsk.

Which reminds me - I think I'll go see God Bless America just to see if our righteous serial killers take out any political pundits.

Posted by: The Wanderer at January 30, 2012 3:13 PM

I guess The Wanderer won't be getting credentialed for the Republican National Convention this year.

anikitty,
I'd go for jock strap application if at all possible, though I realize an itching crotch may not be out of order for any or all of them.

Posted by: Socrates_Johnson at January 30, 2012 3:23 PM

The Hunger Games is as much a conservative treatise on overthrowing big government as the New Testament (aka Bible Testament II: Make Love, Not War Edition) is a liberal treatise on socialism.

Except for how Katniss would have to start firing off Ayn Rand bon mots along with arrows to even start coming close to being as radical as that dirty hippie Jesus. Him and his whole 'turn the other cheek' philosophy. It's downright anti-American.

Posted by: Lipton at January 30, 2012 3:36 PM

UGH! The Hunger Games is as close to a parable on the Bolshevik revolution as kids get!

Seriously, read the book. It's about the clash against totalitarianism, which is the opposite of socialism on the political spectrum. And that's just the political side (it could also be said to be very anti-sports and reality television).


Fuck people sometimes, man.

Posted by: ChristianH at January 30, 2012 4:16 PM

Those eyelashes in the header pic are on sale online at Sephora. I've been soooo tempted.

Posted by: Sara Tonin at January 30, 2012 4:42 PM

i said last month people would want those eyelashes!
She made "The Bounty Hunter" and for that she can never be forgiven.

Posted by: logan at January 30, 2012 5:58 PM

I wondered what Aniston did to piss off the internet? It's not like she's pretentious like Paltrow or goes out of her way to back stab her co-workers like Heigl.

Posted by: John W at January 30, 2012 6:21 PM

Socrates, I can't imagine why I wouldn't be credentialed - I'm Republican.

Hmm.

I might see if there's any openings for bloggers at the Tampa PachydermCon this summer.

Posted by: The Wanderer at January 30, 2012 6:55 PM

It's Rome.

The Hunger Games is a futuristic dystopian Rome. With the Tributes(Gladiators) fighting in an arena(coliseum) to the death, and the attention paid to extravagant decadence of the upper class while the little people suffer for it. And President Snow, a ruthless dictator. Collins even wrote about them having a vomitorium in book 2, a concept created in Rome.

So there you go. It's Rome. With a bit of American Idol showmanship thrown in.

I just blew your mind Big Hollywood. I hope you didn't pull something stretching for that metaphor there.

Posted by: Jessica at January 30, 2012 7:52 PM

"Big government" is a useless empty phrase. We're a country of over 3.7 million square miles and over 300 million people, but sure, couplea white dudes drinking martinis in a private jet oughta be able to keep the place running smooth enough. (I also don't care if you're talking about the size of government in people's lives - if it's bringing you education, electricity, roads, emergency assistance, etc. let's bloat that sucker right on up.) It'd be nice if we could talk instead about "good" government, "educated" government, "productive" government, "responsible" government, "open" government Ithinkyougetmydrift.

And, word up, Jessica. Collins has even explained publicly that the trilogy is inspired by ancient Rome. Although I'd clarify it's about the "extravagant decadence of the upper class while the little people suffer for it" - until the little people start shooting ARROWS THROUGH THE HEART and not metaphorically neither.

Posted by: kucheza at January 30, 2012 10:56 PM

It's about the clash against totalitarianism, which is the opposite of socialism on the political spectrum.

Not really. Totalitarian socialist states existed.

"Collins even wrote about them having a vomitorium in book 2, a concept created in Rome."

A vomitorium is not for vomiting. Did he use it right?

Posted by: Ender at January 31, 2012 5:41 AM

She. Unless "Suzanne" has gone unisex.

Posted by: Craig at January 31, 2012 9:29 AM

Another conservative website (maybe National Review?) had a comlumnist argue that the Galactic Empire of the Star Wars films were really the good guys and that the Rebel Alliance were the villians causing trouble. So, misinterpreting films is par for the course with conservative columnists.

Posted by: Bouj at January 31, 2012 3:29 PM