I often get asked by people who have missed The Hunger Games craze what makes all the teenage girls go wild over it. Most people just know the movie/book as the one about all the kids killing each other. And how could that possibly be appealing to teenage girls?
And I say that there is one vital ingredient: a love triangle.
You see, The Hunger Games is rich with ideas. There are kids killing each other because the government thinks that it is okay to punish the peasants for being peasants. The higher power like to think they are walking cupcakes. Any moment there could be an uprising.
But no, let's not obsess over all these problems. Let's not even acknowledge them. Because, in amongst all of the futuristic political turmoil, the only thing on the teenaged minds is the obviously really important love triangle between our heroine, Katniss, the man she's thrusted into the competition with, Peeta, and her buddy from District 12, Gale. I personally didn't have a problem with the love triangle in the books. It is kinda sad how Katniss has to pretend to be in love with Peeta so she can survive, but her true love lies with Gale. But the love triangle is so horribly done in the movie...and yet, little teenage fangirls who haven't picked up the book have got their armour and picked their side.
If we were just going by the movie, why are we even picking? Katniss clearly does not need a man. Of course being in a battleground where everyone is waiting for you to die isn't going to make you fall in love with anyone. There are obviously bigger things on your mind...like, I don't know, surviving? Peeta is kinda boring in the movie, and sure, his frosting skills may be clever, but I'm not sure the way to my heart is by disguising yourself as a rock. And then there's Gale, who pops up every now and again so that the audiences can go "awwwwwww" (this actually happened). You just don't pick who you want to team up with by looking at their rock disguise skills or the fact that they make you go "awwwwwww" for three seconds. And yet, there's people out there who are willing to marry Peeta or Gale. Sure, they may have read the rest of the series and have gained enough material to back them up, but at the heart of it all, there's a girl who has bigger things on her mind. Katniss is what makes The Hunger Games. Not the love triangle.
Since Twilight came around (well, it has probably been a lot longer than that, but I can't remember teenagers ever being so vociferous), teenage girls have been programmed to get on teams. The teams in mind are Team Edward - the vampire - and Team Jacob - the werewolf. Never mind that the person we're supposedly choosing for is Bella Swan, who is extremely boring, extremely clumsy and extremely...I don't know...morose? Of course, the picking and choosing isn't based on personalities - mainly because no-one in the love triangle seems to have one - but it is based on looks. And boy, to teenagers get rowdy about those looks. Unlike The Hunger Games, there's not a whole lot of extra meaning in Twilight, but then again, I couldn't tell you what's so romantic about a guy who watches you sleep for months on end, or the other guy who is just plain creepy. What Twilight has done, though, is changed the face of teen entertainment forever. I wasn't the biggest fan of Harry Potter, but that had people obsessing over trying their own spells and thinking they could run into walls at train stations (I kid...but if you did that I'm totally not judging you). Now, we'll never have a teen movie that doesn't obsess over love triangles more than anything else. Unless they make a movie about my life so far.
Just think of all the teenage hormones which could have been saved if love triangles weren't so in. But then again, think of all the money that could have been lost had The Hunger Games not had a love triangle to merchandise from. All of those t-shirts which couldn't have been made. All of those meme that couldn't have been generated. All of those "awwwwwwws" that couldn't have been muttered in amongst all of the killing. Things could have been a lot different...
What is your opinion on the state of teenage fandom? How did you think the love triangle was handled in The Hunger Games?
Hi! First of all, I never really thought of the points you said (I for one watched The Hunger Games to see how the book was going to pan out, and sad to say, the film disappointed me) so after reading this, it got me thinking. Besides selling the movie, I think love triangles work in films not because we sympathize in who the leading lady should choose. I think it's because the movies present 'ideal' male leads that embody certain personalities that the audience finds appealing. So technically, in picking who she ends up with, the leading lady's personality is not taken into much consideration as compared to looking at the choices presented to her (and the rest of us). We choose who we want for her because we find the men/boys appealing, not because we think like her (and choose base on her judgment). I think the actors also influence this, so that's something that might be worth looking at. :)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with what you're saying. There's barely ever love triangle that are created for the benefit of the lady involved. Just the audience.
DeletePardon my ignorance, but having only seen the movie I was under the impression that Katniss ended up falling for Peeta during the games. No love triangle period, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteNow, hear me out on this -- Katniss and Peeta have a lot more screen time (IIRC) than Gale, both separately and together. Gale came off as a non-entity, or at the very least inconsequential in the scope of the movie. And as things tend to go in movies, two people of the opposite sex -- by some unwritten movie law -- must fall in love with each other over the course of their adventure, or at least have some extreme UST. And who's to say Katniss' charade was perfect? Maybe she just wanted to fool the audience, but given that Peeta (again, IIRC) already had feelings for her of some sort, combined with their growing respect/concern for one another, COMBINED with the desperation of the situation...well, can you blame me for reading it the way I did?
My reasoning aside, I agree with you -- Katniss doesn't need a man. It seems to me like love would only slow her down, and more importantly pull viewers away from the actual story. I would rather learn more about the districts and the games (and to a lesser extent watch the games themselves) than have to sit through a lover's spat.
Definitely agree with what you're saying - and it is nice to hear your point of view as a person who hasn't read the book. It is definitely an unwritten movie law, which does drag down The Hunger Games a bit.
DeleteI've never read the Hunger games book, but when watching the film i was kind of confused as to whether Katniss and Peeta actually had genuine feelings for each other.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for the love triangle obsession. I would like to think i've never gotten that obsessed with a fictional couple, but when reading a YA book series called vampire Academy there was a coupling i really wanted to last. Although when it didn't i wasn't to bothered by it, so i guess that's a good signs
Anyways, i think when your a teenager you have license to get obsessy about stuff. However, if you are 35 and still being a hardcore teamster, then i think you may have issues.
The relationship between Katniss and Peeta was much more nuanced complex in the novel than the movie, and I could see where it would be confusing.
DeleteOops ... that should be nuanced *and* complex -- I need coffee!
DeleteYeah, the movie kinda stuffed around with the love triangle. There are love triangles that do work, but when people get really pissed over their favoured couples not happening, it gets kinda scary.
Delete*LOL* There are some 40-something-year-old women going "Team Edward"/"Team Jacob" or "Team Peeta"/"Team Gale" -- and as Julian said, they probably have "issues." :-P But being a 40-something woman myself, I do see it.
ReplyDeleteI think the love triangle device is used to pique the interest of all age groups. Let's face it, soap operas used this ploy to hook frustrated housewives for generations. :-) I find it a worn-out and annoying device, but it must be considered effective.
I know, one of my english teachers is a hardcore Team Edward person. It is a little disturbing.
DeleteIt is a pretty worn out device, but I guess there's something worth looking at in it.
There was just too little chemistry in the movie to make it work. Additionally, there isn't really any love triangle in the first book at all. Just a weak movie overall I thought.
ReplyDeleteThe more I think about the movie, the weaker it is. There's just so little depth.
DeleteI loved the triangle in the book. It was so interesting how Katniss had no real interest in Peeta but had to play it up for the viewers in the Capitol. It's a shame that so much of that was lost in the movie.
ReplyDeleteI know! Most people who haven't read the book kinda don't understand the "team" stuff that is going on. Which is both a good and a bad thing.
Delete