Books and Their Movies

With the recent success of The Hunger Games on the box office it got me thinking on the strange phenomenon of fantasy fiction and the movies based on them. Consider Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games and what they all share.

1) All have female authors.

2) All are of mediocre literary quality.

3) The topic of Potter is witchcraft, Twilight is on vampirism, and Hunger Games features teens killing each other as spectacle.

4) All are massively hyped by the media.

Considering the poor quality of the writing and the content of both the books and the films, one can't help but wonder if they're used to further push the anti-male, anti-Christian, and dumbing-down propaganda of the masses. Considering there are superior works of literature that deserve more attention, it does make one wonder. Wouldn't the world benefit from more Lord of the Rings kind of films?

Thoughts?

Yes, they probably are.....

I've never read or watched any "Harry Potter". I figured it was a nerd fantasy where all the nerd kids dreamed of having power. Mind you I was/am a bit nerdy myself, but I mean the real, "no one likes me but instead of doing something about it I'll just fantasize I have magic powers" type nerd.

I really think it's the other way around. They aren't pushing these movies to promote an agenda, rather people tend to flock to these movies and spend their money to see them, so we are only getting more of what we asked for.

And I haven't SEEN the Hunger Games, but the books were free for me as an Amazon Prime member. I read the first book, Hunger Games, and it truly is of poor literary quality. It is nonetheless an entertaining and easy read, but it's far from special.

That's the problem with trying to please the masses, is you must dumb down your work. Because if the masses don't get it, the masses won't buy it, and money is always the bottom line of Hollywood.Nothing matters more than money, and you really can't be all that successful if you make something for a niche audience.

So really it isn't anti male, Christian etc.

It's anti loss of profit.

reply to post by Nightwalk


Maybe...

Or maybe it's just easier to manufacture a bunch of "books" that you can keep churning out as fast as they can print them, to sell loads of crap to teenage girls.

Those 3 book series you mentioned, to me, are the "boy bands" of literature.

Actually, the simpson's made an episode lightly around this, where Lisa becomes a "face" or female author of a crappy book series much like those three, that are actually written by a group of mediocre writers, just using Lisa as a poster basically.

Not sure how harry potter, or twighlight for that matter, fits into an anti-male agenda, potter is a male and the lead, and there are arguably two male leads in twilight (so I gather, I refuse to read or view that dribble.)

Originally posted by EvilSadamClone
That's the problem with trying to please the masses, is you must dumb down your work. Because if the masses don't get it, the masses won't buy it, and money is always the bottom line of Hollywood.Nothing matters more than money, and you really can't be all that successful if you make something for a niche audience.

So really it isn't anti male, Christian etc.

It's anti loss of profit.

To add to this, Cracked.com once had an article that talked about why movies SUCK. They claimed that a movie needed to be dumbed down to the lowest common denominator so that all different types of cultures could understand the plot. To paraphrase, "Some cultures may not understand the social complexities of a character study, but everyone understands the concept of 'run from that giant %^$&^*% robot!"

Interesting replies all.

Originally posted by phishyblankwaters
reply to post by Nightwalk

 

Not sure how harry potter, or twighlight for that matter, fits into an anti-male agenda, potter is a male and the lead, and there are arguably two male leads in twilight (so I gather, I refuse to read or view that dribble.)

:-) What I meant was all the authors of the books are female, which made me think it could promote an anti-male bias as most of the best authors in literary history are men, especially in the genre of fantasy.

Twilight couldn't be anti-male.

It's definately pro child molester.

And is so incredibly good looking (according to the way the author describes him) he literally sparkles!

And plus the women are pretty much married and subservient to men.

And this is done because Twilight reflects the author's Mormon beliefs.

Here's a couple of other ways that the Twilight series are pro male:

In the books Bella originally doesn't want to get married and admits to never wanting a child, but after Edward gives her an ultimatum (he won't even discuss having sex with her unless they get married) and she unintentionally becomes pregnant, everything clicks into place and she realizes that marriage and motherhood were the keys to happiness all along.

Similarly, every women in the books is ether married and has children, wants to get married and have children, or regrets that she can't get married and have children unless she is one of the villains or is meant to serve as an example of someone selfish and irresponsible (i.e. the sort of person YOU shouldn't want to be.)

From:

tvtropes.org...

I think you're on to something with your observation. Though I'd suggest you look past the theory you made about "anti-male agenda", because it's a red herring.

Harry Potter was bizarre in itself, while being magical and fun to read, it really did feature "real witchcraft" and occult references as material. Rowling went so far as to name drop early occult philosophers and those who practiced "actual magic". In fact, most of the terminology is pulled from classic occult texts and beliefs. Nearly all of it, or at the very least the fiction is rooted in it.

Twilight was just absurd, not exactly a "dense read" to put it lightly, and it had rather hardcore (not so young adult) themes. The overarching theme of the books, from what I understand (I have not read them, but read many a synopsis) is very anti-woman, representing an almost 'repressed helpless' outcome that the main female protagonist is supposed to accept. Poor Bella, she's fallen for the window-creeping nightstalker that belongs to a clan of bloodsucking demonic fiends. Woe. Forlorn. 'Fallen' indeed.

I really don't know much about The Hunger Games, as I have not seen the film nor read the book. Though I understand it's as you suggest, a spectacle of child violence and dystopian fascism. Really a trend that freethinkers are getting wise to.

It doesn't stop at YA reading either. Look at "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" if you want to be in a really big confuddled state, as to asking why such a banal, poorly-translated graphic murder/rape-fest can storm the shelves of every bookstore online and elsewhere, seemingly out of nowhere. With a box office smash, and an international version to boot.

Premeditated comes to mind, but one never knows these days. Could just be the butter for the bread and circuses.

Originally posted by SyphonX
I think you're on to something with your observation. Though I'd suggest you look past the theory you made about "anti-male agenda", because it's a red herring.

Harry Potter was bizarre in itself, while being magical and fun to read, it really did feature "real witchcraft" and occult references as material. Rowling went so far as to name drop early occult philosophers and those who practiced "actual magic". In fact, most of the terminology is pulled from classic occult texts and beliefs. Nearly all of it, or at the very least the fiction is rooted in it.

Twilight was just absurd, not exactly a "dense read" to put it lightly, and it had rather hardcore (not so young adult) themes. The overarching theme of the books, from what I understand (I have not read them, but read many a synopsis) is very anti-woman, representing an almost 'repressed helpless' outcome that the main female protagonist is supposed to accept. Poor Bella, she's fallen for the window-creeping nightstalker that belongs to a clan of bloodsucking demonic fiends. Woe. Forlorn. 'Fallen' indeed.

I really don't know much about The Hunger Games, as I have not seen the film nor read the book. Though I understand it's as you suggest, a spectacle of child violence and dystopian fascism. Really a trend that freethinkers are getting wise to.

It doesn't stop at YA reading either. Look at "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" if you want to be in a really big confuddled state, as to asking why such a banal, poorly-translated graphic murder/rape-fest can storm the shelves of every bookstore online and elsewhere, seemingly out of nowhere. With a box office smash, and an international version to boot.

Premeditated comes to mind, but one never knows these days. Could just be the butter for the bread and circuses.

Well-written, thanks for sharing. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is another one I'd lump in the bizarre "too insubstantial to be well-known" category that seems to be the norm in the past decade.

It definitely appears like there is a background media force pushing certain agendas , especially into the minds of the youth.

It's disconcerting at best, and had me concerned, for what lies ahead.

It 's as if they use the media, in a subtle dark game of prophecy , as well as a form of mind control.

Yes, op there is definitely a trend, and a purpose to the trend, perhaps more than one. You are not alone in seeing it that way, I am sure.

This is an important topic, and I wish you had of titled it slightly differently, so it got the attention it deserved.

Originally posted by WhisperingWinds
It definitely appears like there is a background media force pushing certain agendas , especially into the minds of the youth.

It's disconcerting at best, and had me concerned, for what lies ahead.

It 's as if they use the media, in a subtle dark game of prophecy , as well as a form of mind control.

Yes, op there is definitely a trend, and a purpose to the trend, perhaps more than one. You are not alone in seeing it that way, I am sure.

This is an important topic, and I wish you had of titled it slightly differently, so it got the attention it deserved.

edit on 19-7-2012 by WhisperingWinds because: (no reason given)

Good post.