Behind the Hunger Fires

An open letter to our irresponsible, fuel-flinging media where nothing is sacred.

Journalism used to be a career of honor, taken seriously, and mindful of fanning fires that never should be ignited. I know it's not all your fault. You cater to the bedlam. We are basically a blood-thirsty society demanding more of the small things until they become the big things. We are the roaring crowds inside the arena as you project story after story in front of us on a big screen. Today's gladiators are anyone that happens to move into the journalistic peripherals.

But you don't stop there. You multiple your energies, you expose us expotentially and continuously to news that is no more worthy to be brought into the public eye than what is on my grocery list today.

You are an example of what I have been talking about on here about The Hunger Games, where a good amount of the 20-somethings and teenagers are too shallow to see the powerful messages and warnings of this trilogy. Looking only as far as the tips of their fingers for significance. And instead of helping to deepen, enlighten them to real causes, you, the media, project what a handful of people are saying until it becomes a cacophony of irrationality. Amidst the noise, you smile and stuff your pockets with lucre.


My above "rant" is in response to the news stories being currently slung across all media avenues about a handful of narrow-minded, ego-centric teenagers that have not a clue what is going on in the world outside their small circumference. Suzanne Collins described the young girl Rue (from District 11 and the one whom Katniss "buried" with flowers) as a dark-skinned girl. Some young folks have taken offense to the casting and that has become the BIG story of the day. Really??
You can read the rest HERE.


Another article refers to the film: "Hunger Games will go down in history as a certifiable blockbuster after earning $155 million at the box office during its opening weekend -- the biggest opening ever for a non-sequel. The sci-fi action flick is not only generating buzz with enormous ticket sales, but also recently made headlines because some fans are outraged that three of the characters in the film were played by African-Americans." Read the rest of the article HERE.

REALLY? With an irresponsible media and a facile generation of young people (not all, but they do seem to be the loudest. If you are offended by my description of your generation, then be different, do something, say something to counteract your generation's weaknesses. Stop being afraid to offend), these books/films - though blockbusters - will sit on the shelf of the greats - dusty and forgotten.

I rest my case.