Just returning home from watching the Hunger Games and have a couple of thoughts.
-The audience was over 66% male, which surprised me. Even at a Monday 9pm show time. Reports I had read showed over 90% of girls age 18-24 in the US knew of this movie, so I really thought it would be predominately a female audience. Maybe they all went over the weekend?
-Why do people have to conform to stereotypes? Why? What is it about being black that has to do with talking loudly through the whole movie?
-I think I know a reason why these types of books are popular. Beyond being just easy to ready, the junk food of literature as it were.
Most teens and young adults do not live an 'outside' life. Not the way I did, I can assure you. Their life experiences lack even mild danger, adventure and/or peril. The xbox and ipad generation.....Why learn a sport when you can play it on the wii?
When everything is situational, every thing is at your fingertips, nothing is right or wrong. Effort counts as much as results. The only way to value something is with money. 50 shades of gray in your morals and ethics where everything is OK and to be tolerated.
These are all empty. Corrupt. No wonder such a large group of kids yearn for characters who are alive in a way they never will be. Who have deep thoughts. Who are active. Characters who yearn. Who face danger and fight and win. Right and wrong.
Yes, these books are written at 8th grade level, or below. Yes the plots are thinly veiled and characters painted with a broad stroke. Yes they are overwrought and angst ridden.
But something resonates with these younger readers. And I think it is unconsciously know they, the readers themselves, are empty. Void. Their lives have no honest fulfillment, and these give them a hope. An escape.
In the end, nothing real though either...........
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I think you're right about that, we live so technology dominant that its rare for kids, especially in the target audience group, to be outside fending for themselves. Kids todays are totally from District 1 & 2, without the kill or be killed training. Hahaha.
ReplyDeleteMichelle Sams and I were watching entertainment tonight last night and they did in fact report that all weekend long all audiences were 60% male so it was funny to hear you report that too...it's true. And good luck on your competition and that barbecue place looks great, I will have to try it out. I hate the line at phil's and yeah its good but not as much as it is hyped up.
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