Hunger Games in Panem, the Research Paper

Getting famous is more of a curse than a blessing for many reality television show winners such as Susan Boyle. There is evidence that fame is hurting Susan Boyle. "The concern is that Boyle's mental health is being sacrificed to line the pockets of her managers, record label and various hangers on," (TheImproper).

Just as with reality television, the image of the contestant is important in the Hunger Games. In the novel, Cinna is the stylist that helps Katniss with her image. How the contestants look is just as important as whether they will live or die. In reality television shows, the most important goal is to create controversy. "The reality is, people only watch things that are dramatic...People are drawn to dysfunctional behaviors, but you have to use that desire to watch it to create opportunities to teach," (Pinsky, cited by Greenfield). The function of the Hunger Games is to prove that the Capital is more powerful than the Districts.The Capital can tell the people living in the districts what to do because all the wealth is concentrated there. On reality television, the producers also call all the shots. The producers could even change the rules of the game just like they did to Katniss and Peeta in the Hunger Games.

The format and the function of the Hunger Games depicted in Suzanne Collins's novel is similar to the format and function of reality television. Contestants are eliminated until a winner is chosen. The contestants' lives are affected by fame, and the producers of the games remain in charge.

References

Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games. Scholastic.

Greenfield, J. (2010). "The Real Deal on Reality TV." CBS News. Feb 7, 2010. Retrieved May 3, 2010 from http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/07/sunday/main6183037.shtml

TheImproper (2010). "Susan Boyle Tension Rises; Brother Criticizes Handlers." The Improper. April 19, 2010. Retrieved May 3, 2010 from http://www.theimproper.com/?p=6369.....