I don’t usually write about politics (or do I? I am pretty vocal about my feminist, democratic, liberal ways right?), but my love for Martin knows no bounds. A Song of Fire and Ice (Game of Thrones for those who don’t know it as a series of books) is one of my favorite reads. Seeing an author come out fighting for what he believes is pretty great, especially when everyone is so afraid of judgement and crucifixion in the media….
“George R.R. Martin, author of “A Game of Thrones”, has slammed “Republicans and their Teabagger allies” in so-called swing states for what he calls “voter suppression.”
In a recent blogpost on Martin’s website, he refers to recent voter purges in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Iowa, saying that “The people behind these efforts at disenfranchising large groups of voters (the young, the old, the black, the brown) are not Republicans, since clearly they have scant regard for our republic or its values. They are oligarchs and racists clad in the skins of dead elephants.”
Martin, an avowed Democrat from Bayonne, N.J. who has described President Obama as “the most intelligent president we’ve had since Jimmy Carter”, doesn’t often write about politics on his blog, but when he does, it is usually to speak about something he feels strongly about, be it TSA screenings or the Affordable Care Act.”
I like a man with conviction (stares off into the sunset dreaming of John Snow and Rob Stark). Wait…I also like his fearless women Arya and Dani. This man KNOWS FEARLESS!!!!!!
Xochitl Alvizo reflects on ritual and the Hunger Games at Feminism and Religion (again…a GREAT BLOG). Touching on Danielle Tumminio’s CNN article (which I will reblog above), Xochitl reflects on the question of whether or not something is missed by a Hunger Games reader by actually watching the movie. I keep wondering about this as well. If you think the series was about political action and inaction, do yo end up being just as bad as a Capitol Citizen?? Is this what John at Hogwarts Professor was touching on? Read the blog and let me know what you think. Paint the Roses! Reviews coming soon! Sorry it has been a week: papers this week have been draining!!
Being passive spectators of violence and injustice, even if mournfully so, is not just a thing of Panem, it is our everyday reality.
In The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins takes the reality of an unjust society and gives it an imaginative makeover. In Panem, most people are kept at such extreme levels of hunger that even when they do eat they cannot fill the hollowness that has settled in their stomachs, while others are deciding on the next cosmetic alteration they will undertake – whiskers, jewel implants, or green-tone skin color? The disparate conditions between the rich and the poor, the few and the many are absurdly and starkly portrayed but done so in a way that we can still recognize our world in theirs. And at the center of this world is the state imposed ritual of punishment and control, the yearly Hunger Games – a nationally televised competition…
It’s that time again!! Time for The Mad FRIDAY Tea Party! In honor of all the hoopla and craziness surrounding the release of The Hunger Games, I have decided to do a special Hunger Games themed Tea Party. There was just too much good stuff on the interwebs this week. Enjoy everyone!! If you are new, the Tea Party is just Alice’s favorite goodies from the blogosphere this week!
6. NSFW language, but sooo funny. This song just lends itself to parody.
5. The folks over at Kroq have a great article on why we should stop comparing Bella and Katniss. I am guilty of doing this (always in defense of Katniss and in frustration at those who DO compare the two and try to group the franchises together). Head over and give this great blog entry a read: Enough Comparing!!!
4. Are you tired of Ryan Gosling? I didn’t think so. I loved the feminist Ryan Gosling tumbler a few months back and have loved the other evolutions of it. How could I not love one devoted to the Hunger Games? Enjoy!
3. Again, another song that lends itself to parody. My friend Ali has been singing this as, “We found love in a HOMELESS place for months. This was bound to happen.
This goes well with this video:
2. i09.com had an excellent article on what was missing in the movie. It lead to great discussion here on the blog and is worth a read. It’s funny how much your brain just puts back into the movie because you just assume it was in there. The Missing Pieces!
1. If you have never read anything over at Hogwarts Professor, I am about to blow your mind. John Granger is…well…he is pretty much Dumbledore. He is THE Potter Scholar and is working hard on exploring the world of The Hunger Games. Do me a favor: have fun on his website. If he comes to speak near you: GO!! I got to see him in person at the JMU Symposium for Muggles where I gave a paper on Harry Potter and Religion and it was one of the best talks I have heard (his, not mine-…I was ok, brush my shoulders off). I have his books and they are all just great for serious readers in the YA field. Ok–so obviously I am a John Granger dork–but this man is really brilliant when it comes to YA lit and religion. Le sigh. If I could only get him on my dissertation committee in a few years (almost done with coursework–one more semester–WHOHO!!!). His post on the Hunger Games movie and the concept of hijacking made my WEEK!! ENJOY!
As a bonus: I know I have posted it here before, but this spoof of the Hunger Games always makes me laugh.
Side NOTE: I was tempted to put up the Jezebel article on Racism and Rue and decided not to. Here are my reasons. 1) It is out there and has been addressed and the people have already been ridiculed and persecuted for it. We know there is crazy racism that is still alive and well in our country and it broke my heart (and hopefully yours) to see it come out even in reference to the Hunger Games. IT HAS TO STOP 2) Most of the people on that tumbler were very young (think middle school). They do need to be taught about racism and intolerance–but not by shaming them on a national platform. That is bullying. I am not sure that snarking them online is how we get about teaching them. It is so dangerous and fits well into the description of cyber bullying. I in NO WAY condone what they said but I have very strong feelings with the online communities snarktastic attitude afterwards. Some articles were great (addressing issues in Hollywood and the media and whitewashing, but some were just horrible).
Lets just work at building a better world that is color blind and overflowing with people LIKE RUE.
I don’t usually reblog about comic books, but this short essay on Wonder Woman and her pacifist past fit in so well with discussions I have been having with friends on popular heroines in literature and the comic book world, I thought I would share. It comes from my brilliant friend Nick Pumphrey over at the always wonderful Feminism and Religion blog. Enjoy!
What would a superhero comic be without Pow, wham!,Zap, and even a Boom!(insert your own campy sound bites from Batman). Oddly enough, when psychologist William Marston created the character of Wonder Woman, he did not intend for her to be a violent character. When villains shot their mere bullets, she simply would deflect them with her indestructible bracelets. Instead of stooping to the level of her attackers, she would wield the lasso of truth, capture her foes, and force them to admit their malevolent deeds. Meanwhile, creator William Marston was actually developing the first polygraph using changes in blood pressure as exemplified in Wonder Woman’s lasso. Wonder Woman was not the first female superhero; however, she was the first non-violent one. While other writers like Siegel and Shuster (Superman’s creators) were using their religion as inspiration, Marston drew on the women of his life…
Rabbit Hole Review 