The Metaphorical Implications

So I made a video last week, and I wanted to make a follow up to discuss, in fact, how I feel being silly about what is, in fact, a very serious set of ideas put forth in The Hunger Games.

[@hankschannel]

Well...it wasn't scripted, but I did spend a lot of time thinking about it. I've been wondering about what the professionalization of online video is going to mean for Vlogbrothers. We've changed constantly throughout the last five years, we always do our best to keep up with it all, but I think it might be going a bit too far, and we'll need to do a course correction soon. But in the meantime, we've got HanksChannel!

[@stiefmegan]

I think part of why starving people isn't super shocking to us is we kind of think, "well, starvation isn't that big of a deal, I mean, it's always been around," but like you said, everyone in the Capitol was pretty much born into a world with the Hunger Games, so they would probably say, "the Hunger Games aren't that bad, they've always been happening." Sorry for the gigantic run on sentence, but that's what I have to say.

[@katiehusband1505]

I think there is an interesting point to be made about how Effie realises how wrong the situation is. The (implied) Capitol manipulation to get Katniss into the quarter quell. By targeting the victors it became personal. Effie only learned because it began to impact her and her friendships. She didn't initially 'care ' about the wrongs of the games as a whole, only the ones that hurt her personally. I guess it's a similar reason why Cancer charities get more funding from individuals: we care more about things that will hurt us, the things we can see. It's harder to empathise when you see people as other, and Collins does that really well

[@isabelsong21]

Watching this at the end of 2015 as I look back on all the petty things the world has become outraged at this year- especially the red Starbucks cups- and on all the bigger things the world has faced this year really helps to put things into perspective. Thanks, Hank.

[@eleanorhenderson9896]

Can John and Hank run for president together please! The country and world would be so much better people would see things differently and just gah!!!

[@booksandcat]

The wonderfully awkward metaphor at the end :)

[@shaunaaaah]

Even worst is the coexistence of the professional sport of speed eating, while people are starving to death. They just shouldn't exist together, it's wasteful and terrible.

[@Carrie25]

That was a really good video. I agree with the message, and loved the ending.

[@PearlBlue5]

I can't believe I missed this video when it came out! Anyways, when I first read the book, I actually looked at it this way and saw it as a book that was looking at our society in a critical way and how the capitol reflects our society and drew a lot of parallels. However I remember being concerned that my friends who recommended the books to me only cared about Peeta vs Gale. And I spent the whole first book bewildered why no one was fighting back, why there was no coup. And then after reading the trilogy and a bit of time, I can understand a little more how after 75 years of the hunger games it can become something that people can become "complacent" about it. I understand more of what Hank is saying about Effie. Also about how even though we realize this and can see the flaws in our society, change is very hard and the change is slow, but we have to still try.

[@jennydinh13]

God I was so engrossed in the video, and when hank just ended with “we can make it better for all the fish” I almost choked and laughed so hard at that abrupt ending.

[@CariRuth]

My little brother was asking me a lot of "Why" questions with regards to the Hunger Games today. You articulate some of the big ideas so well, I decided I'd better reference this video before trying to explain some things to him. Thanks for this.

[@myawkwardteenagife]

I love your unedited vlogs. It's like seeing into your brain more and how you jump for subject to subject!

[@hankschannel]

You're totally right, somehow I got my wires crossed since the Prep Team wasn't in the movie. My bad...that's who I'm thinking of when talking about people who only later realize that what they're doing is evil. But I think Effie is that way too...I think that she isn't evil, just really into the culture she was born into. In fact, interestingly, there are very few really evil people in The Hunger Games. Pretty much just Snow.

[@eirwen5]

So Hank, I finished the Hunger Games Trilogy mostly because of your video. I was holding out for the end of the semester next week, but I saw this video and I really wanted to finish the series to see what sort of implications there are. I was floored. This series is so much more awesome than I anticipated. I loved the ending of mockingjay because she totally destroys binaries. It's all grey and I love it. I wish I could write more but I'm running out of characters :(

[@christinefahy]

I understood the meaning of this book but if someone were to have asked me to explain it, I never really would have been able to think of the words to explain it. Thank you I'm so happy that you shared this with us :) This is one of my all time favourite series :D

[@designangles]

I can not begin to say how much you inspire me, how much you make me want to find a way to be a better person. Or at least the same person who is aware of how much they have to be thankful for. When I watch your videos, in which you make these sorts of observations, I imagine that the way I feel is similar to how religious people feel in church. I don't know how to explain that very well. I guess all I am saying is thank you, and please never stop sharing yourself with us. We love you.

[@WadjetEye100]

I love it when I run into interpretations of books I enjoy that I've never considered before. It reminds me just how much is packed into these great works.

[@experiment35]

I love these videos; one of the reasons I felt so strongly about the books was because of these things, and you explained them very well, so thanks!

[@foreverwantingpie]

I appreciate you more all the time, Hank. I think you do not avoid thought like some people do, and your thought is so valuable. I am thankful that you share it.

[@musicalgeek24]

I honest to goodness never thought of the Hunger Games this way and it is really eye opening to realize the 'Metaphorical Implications' for lack of a better term. So awesome

[@dmcdraws]

Really enjoyed your take on social mores and norms in relation to the "ostrich effect" of ongoing world hunger and poverty. That's what's great about metaphorical fiction, it can really get us thinking about things in a way that isn't too brutal at first to contemplate. I think Star Trek started that for me when I was a kid, and Hunger Games has that same metaphorical allusion that's great that way. By the way, only found this because of your most excellent Sci Show channel and I'm glad!

[@UsedTooManyMonkeys]

Brilliant video, Hank. Also, I was very impressed by how eloquent you were and how well you developed your arguments without losing your thread even though the video is not edited. It's not easy at all to do that in such an (at least apparently) spontaneous way. Great job :)

[@joshuaspromise]

Absolutely! Where she moves from not just asking questions about society, but human nature as a whole. Especially with some of the responses when they were voting in that one conference. I also REALLY liked the epilogue as she's spent this whole time outlining issues with humanity, but then she makes a brief and simple suggestion on how to start changing things.

[@TheLovelyDanger]

this is such a good explanation of The Hunger Games. I keep wanting to explain to people about what it's about but I never can.

[@orangutanjuice43]

This video helped me to understand the true meaning of the hunger games. The way that Katniss talks about past games nonchalantly even when she is reaped helps to enforce that everyone thinks the Hunger Games are normal. Cesar Flickerman happily chats up every child and then they all die and life is back to normal.

[@ajarkhan7277]

wow! WOW! sucha thoughtful message. i'm obsessed with hunger games and i've always thought ALOT about how hunger games is a metaphor for our real actual world l. It was such a treat seeing Hank talk about the very same thing n putting it in words the way i never could. That's why i follow these two :'D

[@bellasophiagal]

Thank you for making this vlog! It's so great to hear that this book is actually taken seriously, as all thoughtfully constructed dystopian novels should be :)

[@freerangevegan]

Thanks for this video, Hank. I have based the past few months of my life around this way of thinking -- that for the most part, people do the bad things they do because they are taught to be okay with it. Their world has shaped their minds to accept bullying and judgement and looking down on others, and it is their environment that shapes them into the person they are today. Now I try super hard not to get mad at people. I just think,"You have a unique story to your life, and I respect that."

[@caw5951]

Thanks, I was getting ready to read the book when I came across this, and thanks so much for posting, so I know (somewhat) what to expect.

[@simsoundschannel]

I learn so much on this channel ^_^ Fantastic book hunger games, incredibly thought-provoking. I'm not a big reader but like after reading the hunger games I'd literally wake up thinking about it, and how twisted the whole concept of the book is.

[@shessomickey]

Thank you for this reading, Hank. It frustrates me when people say, "Oh, I can't take the Hunger Games seriously because the premise is absurd. That would never happen." They reject the book outright because, I think, it is worryingly close to our lives now. Cultural complicity is one of those things which is much easier to ignore than to talk about. You've given me lots to think about! Thanks!

[@Alexandra12345670]

Exactlyyy. I like how you pointed out that the points in the books are VERY obvious, but people seem to miss the point. To add, when you're inside of a culture and have been socialized in it, it's hard to see your advantages and etc. until someone points it out to you. I love the points this series makes!! I want to use it in a Middle School classroom someday to introduce kids to the idea that good literature does more than tell an interesting story.

[@Genevieve_Lancaster]

This is why I love them. This right here. They take my blinders off and make me care about the world. Thank you Hank, never stop being passionate about things and sharing them with all of us.

[@paigelfinch]

Thanks for making this video, Hank. I'm really bad at picking up on metaphors and symbols in books, so this explanation (as well as the motivation to decrease worldsuck) was really insightful and helpful.

[@MsChezoni]

I understand, I think that this was a good reflective monologue on the things we should be thinking about and discussing.

[@alrightspock]

This is such a good video and message, Hank. You really made me think. I need to read The Hunger Games. It sounds really good.

[@extracandy]

This is brilliant! Thank you for talking about this, because so many people don't realize what The Hunger Games is really about, and this hit the nail on the head! You need to post this on the vlogbrothers channel or at least put a link to it in the next video, because this must be seen!

[@strandednotlost]

I wish that this video had been out at the beginning of the school year, when my teacher assigned this book for reading. This would have been immensely helpful. Thank you for being awesome.

[@bellacullen98a]

This is absolutely awesome, hank. This video should be spread everywhere. It would work because it's about something new and pop-culture and interesting but it has a great, throught provoking and important message. And the end made me laugh,

[@DivaOfSuburbia]

I love how Hank can be so insightful and eloquent in a video like this while also possessing the balance in his life to make questionable cookies with his friend over a play on words. I value that he puts value on both that play on words and the meaning behind them.

[@zanzanwizard]

totally agree with all the things! When i saw the film the audience was laughing at fairly serious moments, like at the end of the games with Katniss and Peeta - and me and the friend i was seeing it with were a bit shocked/surprised that laughter was such a prominent reaction throughout the film. We kept looking at each other like 'why are they laughing!? don't they get it!?' It made me sad that the moral implications seemed to be lost on so many people.

[@Susannarific]

Exactly. Thank you for articulating what I've been thinking but haven't managed to put into words.

[@ReadingIsForReaders]

You're 100% right Hank! What can we do? Where do we start? I think a lot of people want to help, but it's hard to think that one person can do anything to help this huge overwhelming problem of world suck. And on a side note, I loved how this video had very little editing to it and how it seem improvised. It made it seem so much more powerful than a vlogbrother video (and those can be extremely powerful!). It was awesome.

[@Aliceliddell42]

I don't want to undermind what you said the rest of the video but I defintiely started cracking up at your ending similie

[@Sassysnaple21]

The thing with the Hunger Games is that although the message in it is relating to our society and how we live our lives, it also touches on the idea that things don't easily change. Nothing can automatically just be better, we have to strive for that. And even at the end of the third book, Katniss settled, nothing was perfect she had to accept that she couldn't fix everything. Sometimes we just have to understand that we have a messed up world, and to fix it we need to first reflect on ourselves

[@likejohnnyandjune2024]

Thank you for making this clear to me, and to most people. I knew what the book was about, but I mainly focused on the corrupt government part because it was most apparent to me. This opened my eyes even more and I'm even more in love with the trilogy.

[@23Nellie1]

This is such a thought provoking video. It really sums up my thoughts about the Hunger Games. It's also awesome because you're talking about the Hunger Games like I do, xD

[@A03834]

At first,I thought that the main message of the Hunger Games was to not lose our humanity in a world of constant change and corruption.You have made me see so much more into one of my favourite books and for that,Hank,I thank you. :)

[@megandiva91]

This is so insightful, given me a deeper understanding of Effie's role in The Hunger Games, makes her character more three-dimensional. Cheers Hank!

[@EricandOscarandMe]

This is exactly what I've been thinking about the hunger games and I'm glad I'm clearly not the only one seeing the deeper meaning of the books.

[@ferntailwp]

"The death of one is a tragedy; the death of a million is a statistic."

[@owlsandrainbownerds]

I find it amusing that you mentioned how people care too much about their lawns after that pretty old video that lawns shouldn't exist xD and I really loved this video. I also feel like history is called social studies but it doesn't involve much social. we aren't looking into their societies and how if fit ours today, making it something we can relate to. Just like you made us relate to the setting of the Hunger Games. Thanks Hank :D

[@rosepetalears]

this is a good point i think not many people broach when discussing the series. usually the conversation turns towards anti-war (which is valid, of course) or rebellion (also valid). thanks for putting the reader in perspective

[@yelowins]

You are extremely right. You can tell the deeper meaning in this the most when in Catching Fire she goes to an event in the capitol and people eat whatever they want and throw it up "for the lols" while people in other districts are starving.

[@captainalex91]

Thank you. As a Hunger Games fan and someone who volunteers in Africa annually, this is something I've been thinking about lately a lot as well. Every time I come home from Africa, I go into some kind of culture shock, and am disgusted at everyone and their waste... but gradually I end up the same. I'm going back to Kenya in two weeks and I'm sitting here trying to decide whether it's too big a risk to take my ray bans. It's hard not to think of myself as an affected citizen of the capitol.

[@pandanurse]

One of the best videos I've seen in my entire life. Hank, you are brilliant.

[@treesinbubble]

I totally agree with you, and I think that the Hunger Games in that sense show what could happen if we stop challenging and questioning our own society and values. That's why I believe that travel (in like proper 'travel', not just tourism) and reading is so important: it confronts you to different point of views that implicitly make you question what you take for granted.

[@BrokenSilence137]

that's really interesting.i went to see the midnight premiere too but no one clapped at the deaths.i can only imagine how unnerving that would be. at the end we all clapped at the credits though. twas a good adaptation of the book. though, i agree with what hank said on the vlogbrothers in the "Springtime Talkies" vid - how the rating system is more concerned about shielding children from intense emotion instead of exposing them to it so they can have a better understanding of it

[@MCubedMusic]

Hank, this video was brilliant. You are such a brilliant person, don't ever stop sharing your awesomeness with us. :)

[@jennifercopeland9334]

The reason the F word is more important is because it's a lot easier not to do it then it is to help starving people. Like if your child says F in the mall, it's easy to be like, no don't say that! than it is to take time, energy and money to help suffering people and it is why people stay true to it. If you had to donate your time, energy and money to stop people from saying F compared to helping a starving person, I'm sure everyone would help the starving person. But yeah, if it was their lawn vs the starving person, they'd probably pick their lawn. I think people know what it is happening, but at the same time, they don't really know. Like they are in a coma when it comes to suffering that does not involve them. They have not awakened to the realities of the world, they are all sleep walking which their modernized environment has cast on them. Even as I am typing this, I know I am one of those people am I talking about.

[@editornia]

I like this stream-of-consciousness type of video. I like that it shows that Hank is trying -even struggling- to get his point across, to make it clear and understandable. :)

[@busybeingbla]

Hank, thank you for addressing such an important topic. Also, I like this uncut version.

[@nosneb99]

I never know how to comment on videos where I just want to acknowledge that I agree with all the things you said. I've often found myself in an argumentative spiral with myself, where I get so frustrated getting caught up in the little things in my life, when there are people struggling to survive on a daily basis. I can't help them all, but I do what I can and I still have to continue to lead my life. And I want to shift our cultural perspective to bigger injustices but I don't know how.

[@syddlinden8966]

I have no qualms about cursing in public, kids or not. I learned ALL those bad words from my parents. I'm not horrible or a criminal. Cursing is a normal part of our linguistic lexicon. There are certain situations, specifically professional ones, where it's genuinely not appropriate, but when I'm out with a friend, on my own time, just hanging out, I'm going to be myself and speak the way I want. Granted, I don't go screaming f-bombs through the aisles, cause the establishment also has the right to chuck my ass out, but me and my friends regularly make jokes about porn, dirty music, fanfiction, with plenty of cursing in the mix, without any worry for who might overhear us. In short, I totally agree with this. Why aren't we more worried about all the fucked up stuff going on in other countries - and our own. There are people starving here! Why can't we get our own people food?!

[@6impossiblethings]

This was really interesting and important Hank. I just wish this was on the vlogbrothers channel because I think more people deserve to watch this.

[@KatieLivesHere]

I think I like the vlogbrothers better when they are less edited, when they are discussing things they really care about. I mean, the well-written, tightly edited jokey videos about cuteness and cooties, they're wonderful and made-of-awesome. But it's tough to see vloggers as people when all you hear from them are jokes. These kinds of videos are my favorite videos.

[@myrabbitisdave]

I love that Nerdfighters are mentioned as if they are a species outside of Human Beings. Made my day.

[@hAyLeS13x]

I liked your amusing philosophical conclusion at the end :') But yeah, when I first finished the stories I thought that it completely reflected the world we lived in today but you have emphasised it further and depend my understanding. But the trouble is at the end of the day, they had to make a profit and unfortunately a romance plot is more appealing than the realising how messed up our priorities in life are as sale people ignore it, maybe through guilt, and hope that it will go away.

[@SupremeRulerDomo]

I would love to have an English/humanities teacher like Hank. He dives straight into the point and makes it interesting to listen too. He doesn't spend time going 'I think be doing this the author meant that' and just flat out tell us what the capitol IS. Not what it's supposed to represent or how the author makes it appear as if it should mean something.

[@mysticpeachbud]

Beautiful points Hank, I love how deep you are able to get on a book. (I know books are deep, but not many people can do what Hank just di.)

[@PalmtreeParty]

Hank always shows me how much more complexity exists in our everyday lives than I pick up on.

[@BlogsofWoolhouse]

Honest and heartfelt. I want to give you a hug!

[@fizzylimon]

Stuff like this makes me feel both empowered and powerless. I really try to do my part to get people thinking about things differently, or at least complexly, but sometimes it just feels like even if I convince someone to change, for example, their energy/water usage at home, there's still a whole country of people who won't. There's the "it makes a difference to this one!" argument, but we need to really change lots of these people in a big way and THAT is daunting. /ramble over

[@Kee010893]

I love when you upload unexpected videos!! It's like Christmas!! :D

[@MysticMuttering]

For the most part, I enjoyed the hell out of this video. However, I don't like to think of myself as being 'stuck in culture' because I consider myself a creative person. One thing I love about Vlogbrothers is the great example they give to all of us entry-level creative folks trying to do our bit to change the culture we were born into. I hope we can continue to collaborate, finding more ways to inspire people to make a difference and giving folks new ways to get involved.

[@Salamon2]

Why am I reminded of these quotes from Major Barbara by Shaw? "I took care that you should have money enough to live handsomely--more than enough; so that you could be wasteful, careless, generous. That saved your soul from the seven deadly sins. Food, clothing, firing, rent, taxes, respectability and children. Nothing can lift those seven millstones from Man's neck but money; and the spirit cannot soar until the millstones are lifted." "Then the way of life lies through the factory of death."

[@loonabloo]

"unlike fish, we can change culture" that's gonna be my senior quote

[@terriv85]

Thankyou Hank. I love The Hunger Games and I was just so angry throughout the books because of what was going on in Panem. I didn't even think to look at the world today and compare it, so I'm really glad you made this video.

[@elenakat1497]

This is one of my favorite videos of yours.

[@adeptunit]

This is only of the best videos I've seen on Hanks channel and the vlogbrothers.

[@IulianusTabernarius]

the trouble is that people who like their culture the way it is tend to want to fight to keep it that way... and that raises all other kinds of ethical problems...

[@SMarshall92]

I realise how difficult that was to articulate, but I agree with what you're saying. On a less serious note, I also agree that the Hunger Games movie missed a lot of the content it could have had by taking the emotion out of most of it. I cried when Rue died in the book, but in the film felt nothing at all. The filmmakers did not take enough time to let us get to know the characters, even Katniss and Peeta. Emotion is what makes the book brilliant, not the violence.

[@Timpanocity]

That was the best possible way to end six solid minutes of philosophy and literary analysis.

[@TheElegantStudent]

Absolutely. The point they missed about Cato's death is that it is as sad and tragic as Rue's. It is the Capital that is the enemy, not Cato. Cato is still a child. A child who has been brainwashed into thinking that killing will bring honor to his family. Cato may have chosen to become a tribute, but his death is not okay. Katniss shooting him is to end his suffering from the Muttations (the dogs). I'm glad that you plan on reading the book because they go into that further. Best wishes!

[@LenaJohnsCobain]

I think, other than Effie, Cato is another great example of the cultural factor, all the Carrers are, it is truly what they were taught and what they believe, not just a matter of character or personality. Awesome video Hank! I love that we can have this discussion around books and stories. :)

[@thenotmagnificent]

AHHHH I read about that happening in various theaters, people clapping when the "bad" tributes died, and it really just made me feel... Gross. I am lucky enough to say that that didn't happen to me in either theater I saw the movie in, but you are so right. The message just went COMPLETELY over their head. It's like the 12 year olds wearing Team Peeta shirts I saw... Do they even understand what the movie is about? Did someone sit down to have a discussion with them? I doubt it.

[@sha2424]

This totally reminds me of "one death is a tragedy one million is a statistic"

[@birthdaygirl1126]

Hank your "fish in the ocean" metaphor is actually really good if you think of it as us living in polluted waters. We need to change those waters so that everyone can have clean water to live in. It would be hard, but in order to clean all of the water you would have to have almost everyone agree that something needs changed and they would have to make an effort to change it. I hope we can get that to happen... sooner rather than later.

[@Hana9916]

That was one spectacular metaphor at the end, Hank. :)

[@theone-eyedwitch900]

this is kinda random but Hank is so cute

[@theone-eyedwitch900]

and wise

[@DigitalCable]

Hanks nails it on the head again. I was trying to explain this very thing the other day to a friend, who only saw it a story kids fighting to the death.

[@mustardsfire22]

And this video makes it obvious why Effie has a larger role in the Mockingjay movies.

[@InzaneMovies]

Wish you did this more; slower talk speed, a bit more serius tone, longer vids. I rly enjoyd the ride :)

[@0BloodButterfly0]

I read the Huger Games after my friends had all told me about the love triangle and violence but when I read it I saw Katniss's struggles as a human and how far someone can go in the fight to survive but I never really looked at the whole society thing with this new insight I'm tempted to read the book again and really look at these thing in a different perspective.

[@Pestington]

I always thought this was the most important point of the books. Thank you, Hank.

[@Swkoll]

I love the irony about how people are shocked when Hank said dystopian

[@firnantok]

A very inspiring video, Hank! The Hunger Games & Battle Royale are showing us where we are headed right now. And it isn't a future I want to live in.

[@Lepord257]

6:30 A good series of stories that addresses this topic is The Conversion Bureau, especially the Taste of Grass. It is excellently written and if you ignore the fact that it's a my little pony fanfiction it is a totally awesome science fiction that addresses serious topics like that. It addresses them even if you don't ignore that it's a fanfic, but it helps if you do.

[@eirwen5]

This reminds me so much of Victorian Gothic Imperial Literature. While reading books like the Beetle, Lair of the White Worm etc, and comparing it to the Hunger Games, it's interesting because things just don't change. Just the culture around us.

[@saikogrrl]

You make some really good points. I liked how she still managed to make Effie a sympathetic character in that way. I guess you could look at her and the Capitol people like the Marie Antoinette quote - they are so incapable of understanding where Katniss is coming from because they have never experienced anything like it, but that doesn't make them automatically bad people, as long as they can come to realise it, like Effie.