There were two types of people in 2012: Those who started their “Hunger Games” phase, and those who lived a nice, peaceful life. I started my “Hunger Games” obsession, and had my life changed for years to come. I’d show you the Katniss Everdeen costumes, but the Internet just isn’t ready for that.
On the first day of March this year, Netflix announced that the four “The Hunger Games” movies would be streaming for the entirety of the month. The movies immediately shot to the Top 10 movies list in the U.S. and have remained there since, with TikTok trends and re-found interest in the series emerging. While many say this is a publicity stunt in order to gain interest for the “Hunger Games” prequel movie, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” which is set to be released in November this year, I fell for it anyways. Over Spring Break, I binge-watched all the movies in a day. Soon, I remembered why I was so obsessed.
“The Hunger Games” is one of the most successful examples of the dystopian genre, which typically follows characters in an imagined, futuristic society as they attempt to deal with its flaws. If you were in middle school or high school sometime in the early 2000s or 2010s in the United States, chances are you read at least one dystopian novel for your school curriculum. Books like “1984,” “Brave New World” and “The Giver” were often analyzed in English classes for the cautionary tale they created for modern society. I would need both hands to count the dystopian novels my middle and high school required me to read, and I always loved this genre for its captivating world-building and relatable characters. But something has changed recently; for some reason, there is not much new content being produced in the dystopian genre, especially in film. It needs to be brought back.
There was a point in time when dystopian books and movies were being churned out like they were being made on assembly lines. This is not so any longer. It seems as though these books and films stopped being produced because they weren’t as successful in terms of revenue. Many argue that this decline was a result of many dystopian plots being too similar. They focused on the world ending and some teenagers somehow stopping it — and always with a love story somewhere in the mix. While I get where these arguments are coming from, I, for one, am a complete sucker for these plot lines. These genres become popular because readers enjoy particular tropes or plot types, and are thus more inclined to read books that include them. These dystopian films were adaptations of novels the young adult demographic consumed and loved, but the genre has all but disappeared.
The dystopian genre has existed for centuries, originating as a byproduct of the utopian genre. Often incorrectly credited for being the first dystopian novel, “1984” by George Orwell emerged following the Second World War. Although it was written 75 years ago, its central themes are still prevalent today. Dystopias are used as vessels to make the general public understand the things wrong with society by showing us what could happen if certain institutions are given too much power. “1984” hyperbolizes censorship and government control, two concepts that people still use today to draw attention to violations of free speech.
Following the emergence of the “Me Too.” movement and laws banning abortion, many activists made direct comparisons between modern-day America and the 1985 dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” to caution the public of what could come from government regulation over female anatomy. These novels have made social justice issues more apparent and digestible to their readers. So why aren’t there more dystopias now, especially in a time of political unrest and when a strong “us” versus “them” attitude serves as a foundation for policy and political campaigns?
The general decline in dystopian novels is likely a direct response to restrictive legislation in public schools that resulted in many of these dystopian novels ending up on “banned book lists.” “1984” is the most banned book of all time in America because its themes are considered too controversial and its sexual content is too inappropriate. Despite being based on Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia as a warning against totalitarianism, it is still considered “controversial” and even challenged in court as “pro-Communist.” These themes were deemed controversial enough that the book was censored — ironic, considering the whole point of the novel was to show that a government’s ability to censor and control citizens will result in loss of identity and individuality — suggesting that those in power did not want it consumed by students, a demographic known for its influential role in revolutions and activism.
“The Hunger Games” did not escape this banned book fate: It was found on the American Library Association’s most challenged books list due to “insensitivity, offensive language, violence, anti-family, anti-ethic and occult/satanic” content. While the book does have graphic scenes of violence, it is clear that this is not the true reason people banned it. “The Hunger Games” has an anti-government control narrative and draws attention to important cultural issues, such as using suffering for entertainment. “The Hunger Games” shows the power people have when they come together on common issues and the ability for the subjugated to start a revolution. This is a potentially threatening message to the people in power, so it’s no surprise the story is being censored.
We cannot allow censorship to result in the downfall of a genre meant to draw attention to social issues. The dystopian genre is an important one for students to consume and study, not only for its social commentaries, but also as a piece of literature that is essential to our history. Authors and creators should not be discouraged by the decline in the genre because there is still plenty of popular interest for dystopias. These stories are especially relevant now and deserve to be brought back.
I’ll be rooting for them, and I hope the odds are ever in their favor.
Lara Tinawi is an Opinion Columnist writing about campus culture and her everyday musings. She can be reached at ltinawi@umich.edu.