Reality Television Vs. the Hunger Games

Hunger Games Reality Television Option

In the novel called, "The Hunger Games", "Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means

certain death. The Hunger Games have begun (Celine)." What was once known as North

America, is now called Panem. This is the Capitol, which is surrounded by twelve districts. Due

to a failed revolt attempt, the Capitol is very cruel to the districts. Just to keep the districts in

check, each year one boy and one girl is sent from each district to what is called "The Hunger

Games". The Hunger Games is a fight to the death on live television. The winner receives many

gifts for his district along with a great supply of food. The author Suzanne Collins critiques

reality television in several different ways including makeovers, alliances, shock factor,

suspense factor, and the game makers.

Collins critiques reality television by relating this story with some of the elements that are

often common in reality television shows. The Hunger Games is Panem's rendition of a popular

reality television show called "Survivor". However everyone that is a contestant on "Survivor"

does not lose their life during the show. Contestants in the Hunger Games are forced to fight

each other to the death. In "Survivor", there are usually about fourteen adult contestants who are

competing for a large sum of money. Along the way, they may have a series of challenges to

complete with their assigned tribes as a team. Winning a challenge results in immunity from

tribal council that week for the winning tribe. The losing tribe faces an elimination round where

each member of the tribe must vote off one member. That member who is voted off must

immediately gather their belongings, if any, and get on a plane and go home. If only Hunger

Games were that simple. Children are forced to kill children and there are no immunities.

Twenty four children start out in the games and in the end there can only be one winner who

makes it out alive.

During the show "American Idol", before the winner is announced, the person looks just like

any other average Joe. But once there is a definite winner, that person receives a makeover. In

"The Hunger Games", when Katniss gets her makeover she barely recognizes herself. As she

makes her way back to her home town after she has won, it says, "As I slowly, thoroughly wash

the makeup from my face and put my hair in its braid, I begin transforming back into myself. .I

stare in the mirror as I try to remember who I am and who I am not (Collins 370)." Both

characters in the shows had to get makeovers so that they would be memorable. The dangers of

these makeovers are that once the person is "new", it can be hard for them to try and remember

who they used to be before they had to change.

The next aspect that Collins critiques is the alliances. Alliances in "Survivor" are based on

who is most popular. The person who they portray to be unlikeable is usually not in an alliance.

If the unlikeable person is in an alliance, it is usual an alliance full of other unliked people. The

Hunger Games alliances work a bit differently. Katniss notices earlier on in the Games saying,

"The strong band together to hunt down the weak then, when the tension becomes too great,

begin