How Pop Culture has
been Affected by the Modern Trend of Dystopia
Abstract
What has led to rising popularity
in dystopian literature in modern years? Is The
Hunger Games really to blame, or is this a trend that has been growing for
ages? What are the consequences of such a movement in society? With these
questions in mind, a group of students at Utah State University set out to
discover what makes the modern pop culture phenomenon of dystopia tick.
They discovered clues from the
past, cultural waves in society and fiction, and an interesting view of the
future. There is more to dystopia than meets the eye.
Study
Summary
On 14 November 2014, a group of
12 students at Utah State University met together with the purpose of
discussing the current trend of dystopia in pop culture. Included in the
night’s activities were the watching of two popular dystopian movies, answering
a survey on the topic of dystopia in pop culture, and having a discussion on
that topic.
The survey was conducted with 11
people, those who came to the event. Each person offers a different view on the
dystopian genre, helping point out the different aspects that the recent
movement has brought on society. The entirety of the survey results is included
just before the works cited page. Listed below is a brief overview of the synthesized information of
their survey.
SURVEY
RESULTS:
●
8
had heard of the genre before, but 3 were introduced to the genre by the Hunger Games.
●
While
many had read classic dystopias as well, over half of the novels read were
written over the last ten years (33 out of 58 total. Or 57%).
●
9
enjoy dystopian fiction, while one does not, and another one was unsure.
●
5 believed that dystopian literature is not an honest
depiction of the future. But another 5 disagreed. And one was unsure.
The
topics discussed included:
●
What
makes The Hunger Games so popular?
●
How
have The Hunger Games affected
popular culture?
○
When
will it pander out?
●
What
is the message that dystopian novels bring?
●
How
does dystopia relate to other popular genres?
The
Modern Dystopia: Report
Introduction
The Hunger Games was birthed of
the state of pop culture today, but it has invariably affected the pop culture
of tomorrow. It has changed how people see the world now and perhaps for a long
time. And that change is, for the most part, a good thing.
The modern surge in the
popularity of dystopia is the result of hundreds of years of philosophy and
theory, the dreams and fears of the modern individual, and the hope for a
brighter future today.
Where does Dystopia Come From?
In case you were wondering, dystopia
was not born yesterday. Suzanne Collins didn’t invent the genre as a way to
tell the Katniss story, she invented Katniss so that she could tell a dystopian
story. As long as there have been people and governments to rule them, the fear
of corruption and deceit has existed, which lies at the heart of the common
dystopian ideal.
To understand dystopia, we need to
go back to before the term was coined. Dystopia is a transformation of the word utopia, which comes from the Greek words ou (meaning not) and “topos” (meaning
place). Thus, utopia literally it means “nowhere” or “no place.” The term
itself was “coined by Sir Thomas More in 1516 as the title of his book that
described an imaginary island representing the perfect society” (“Utopia”).
It’s fitting that More derived his
title from Greek origins, because it was the Greek Philosopher Plato to whom
the concept of a perfect government-society is attributed, around 380 BCE (“List
of Utopian Literature”). He wrote about utopia before there was even a word to
describe it.
In the beginning, utopian literature
was invented as a way to theorize a perfect government in a perfect world. A
fleeting dream of a brighter future. But, there’s a reason why More named his
society “Utopia,” meaning nowhere. Because it was a dream. It was, like
dystopian literature of today, meant to show just how impossible a perfect
society would be, in hopes that it would help people achieve something greater.
The irony of it all is that dystopia,
a word that today accuses politics as corrupt and destructive, was initially
coined by a politician. John Stuart Mill, a Member of Parliament, used it in
his address in 1868 as a way to emphasize how impractical it would be to
implement a Utopian system in our culture (“John Stuart Mill”).
It’s H.G. Wells, now seen as a
visionary for his views on the future, who introduced the world to the modern
dystopian genre. Through novels like The
Time Machine (1895) and When the
Sleepers Wakes (1899) he launched the popularity of
dystopia in our culture, which has carried it into the modern day.
The two World Wars, the Cold War,
and the almost continuous wars that followed only heightened the cultural fear
of tyrannical leaders, corruption and oppression. If it could happen abroad, it
could happen here. We can see this apprehension through actions like the Red
Scare, and the anti-draft movements in the late 1900s.
In this culture, dystopian fiction
thrived. Nearly every decade an important dystopian novel is released, and
becomes an instant classic; books like Brave
New World (1932), Nineteen
Eighty-Four (1949), Fahrenheit 451
(1953), and Clockwork Orange (1962).
And thus, dystopia was solidified as a genre in our culture.
The Purpose
We've already discussed a little
about the popularity of utopian and dystopian literature, but to fully
understand why it has become so important to our culture we need to first
understand the goals that the authors had in mind by writing them. The all important
question: why?
In May 1944, near the close of the
Second World War, George Orwell writes a letter to a friend by the name of Noel
Willmett. Five years before publishing his classic 1984 he goes into detail about his thoughts on the war, governments,
and the future. In speaking about “totalitarianism [and] leader-worship” he
states “I must say I believe, or fear, that taking the world as a whole these
things are on the increase. Hitler, no doubt, will soon disappear, but only at
the expense of strengthening (a) Stalin, (b) the Anglo-American millionaires
and (c) all sorts of petty fuhrers of the type of de Gaule.” He pines an
“indifference to the decay of democracy,” and the “the theory that the end
justifies the means.” (Orwell)
As dark as his outlook on the future
gets though, he closes with an optimistic remark that describes entirely the why behind his writing of 1984 and other
works. “You also ask, if I think the world tendency is towards Fascism, why do
I support the war. It is a choice of evils—I fancy nearly every war is that. I
know enough of British imperialism not to like it, but I would support it
against Nazism or Japanese imperialism, as the lesser evil… I think, and have
thought ever since the war began, in 1936 or thereabouts, that our cause is the
better, but we have to keep on making it the better, which involves constant
criticism” (Orwell).
In an interview with the school
library journal Suzanne Collins, author of The
Hunger Games, described her own misgivings that led to her writing. “When I
was a kid, my dad fought in Vietnam,” she explains. “I was little, but I would
hear them say “Vietnam,” and I knew my dad was there, and it was very
frightening… But there is so much programming, and I worry that we’re all
getting a little desensitized to the images on our televisions. If you’re
watching a sitcom, that’s fine. But if there’s a real-life tragedy unfolding,
you should not be thinking of yourself as an audience member. Because those are
real people on the screen, and they’re not going away when the commercials
start to roll” (Margolis).
Each dystopian author has their own
hopes and fears that lead them to write, but each one is driven by the desire
to change something. They see a problem in the world, something that they fear
if left alone can only get worse. So, they don’t leave it alone. But simply
saying something isn’t enough. Sometimes, we need to be shocked into seeing the
problems around us.
Orwell calls it “constant
criticism.” Dave Astor, from the Huffington Post, describes it well in his
article on The Hunger Games, “we
admire dystopian novels because, by giving us worst-case scenarios of the
future, maybe our current society can be jolted enough to avoid those scenarios
eventually happening in real life” (Astor).
Pop Culture Appeal
So, now knowing why the authors
write these novels, what makes them so appealing to the popular culture of
today? Is it part of some morbid fantasy that we all have to be shocked, to see
the worst possible scenario as Astor states?
That certainly might be one reason,
but it isn't the only one. And, it’s not the most important one. One such
reason for today’s popularity might be the target audience.
It can be argued that The Hunger Games was the perfect book,
at the perfect time, and with the perfect target to be successful. It was
released in 2008, the same year as the last book in the Twilight Saga, and had similar story tropes like action and
adventure, and young love-triangles. To be fair, the two series are wildly
different, but the audience that Collins attracts with her story is very
similar to that which Meyer did with hers.
It’s very possible that a few years
difference in the release, either by fighting with the release of a Twilight novel or the next fad that
would have come after, affected its popularity significantly. As chance would
have it, The Hunger Games became the
next big thing.
But like the popularity of Twilight spawned a slew of vampire
centric stories and the reinvigoration of the horror-love genre, the popularity
of The Hunger Games has made
producers more willing to fund movies and novels with similar themes in order
to cash-in while the theme is still hot. Books like The Giver, written nearly 20 years ago, finally get a movie; Divergent and The Maze Runner make it big and get their own screen adaptations.
We could go further back to Zombie movies or Harry Potter and see similar trends. When something becomes
popular, it’s very likely to be followed by fiction with related themes.
Beyond the Twilight effect, perhaps the biggest reason for the modern
popularity is fear. Fear, and how we react to it.
Psychologytoday describes fear as “a
vital response to physical and emotional danger—if we didn't feel it, we
couldn't protect ourselves from legitimate threats. But often we fear
situations that are far from life-or-death, and thus hang back for no good
reason. Traumas or bad experiences can trigger a fear response within
us that is hard to quell. Yet exposing ourselves to our personal
demons is the best way to move past them” (“Fear: Paranoia”).
The success of horror movies at the
box office provides all the proof needed to know that people like to be afraid.
But, we like to be afraid in ways that we can control. Movies, novels, ghost
stories, etc. all provide means for us to “expose ourselves to our personal
demons” without falling victim to them.
Throughout the greater half of the
last century, the American culture has been exposed to oppressive and
tyrannical governments of the world. There was Hitler in World War II, Stalin
in the Cold War, The North Vietnamese, and Saddam Hussein. More recently we
have the Taliban, ISIS and other terrorist groups. It even exists in our own
backyard with conspiracies involving government agencies like the NSA, the CIA;
and powerful businessmen like Bernie Madoff.
One extreme example lies in
Eastern-Asia. Since the cease-fire that brought an end to the Korean War in
July 1953 (“Korean War”), the isolationist government of North Korea has fallen
into a real life dystopia that is eerily similar to popular dystopian novels.
The BBC got a rare look into the
life of a common family in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. In what is
considered upper-class housing that is allocated by the government, they
witnessed a government run radio that is “piped into every kitchen,” a
television with only one channel that “broadcasts propaganda news, films and
entertainment for 5 hours per day,” and a siren that sounds every day at 7am to
wake workers. Pictures of the beloved dictator are shown in the home more
predominately than family photos. Food is often scarce, medical care is subpar,
and the boarders are closed to any crossing from either side (“A State of Mind”).
National Geographic profiled the
lack of modern medical care in specifics, and then went on to describe the
concentration camps for the extended family members of criminals against the
state and defectors (“Inside North Korea”). It’s worse than it sounds.
We spoke about this in our
discussion during the Dystopian Pop Culture event, and nearly half of those involved
believed that dystopia was an honest future. The existence of oppressive governments
and corruption build up that fear; the fear of government, losing oneself, the
loss of moral values, or even a fear of what the future holds. It’s been fuel
for conspiracy theorists and apocalyptic fear mongers for decades.
Dystopia is the release valve
for all of this pent up anxiety; it’s how we face these fears. That’s what
grabs us. But, by seeing the worse possible scenario, it builds our hope in
society. One can think to themselves “It’s not that bad,” and work to make the
world better.
People like dystopia because of
the message that it brings, that we can avoid such a future by making a
difference now. They like it because of how it relates to our world and how it
affects our culture.
So… How it Affects our Culture
On the night of our Dystopia Pop
Culture event, we spoke about North Korea’s real-life dystopia and how it has
changed our views on what the future holds. Of the 11 people that took the
survey, five of them believed that dystopias depict an honest future, and one
was unsure. This pessimistic obscurity is what makes the message of these
novels so powerful.
Dystopia makes us think more
seriously about life and the future. The majority of those that answered the
survey had already been introduced to the concept of dystopia through either The Hunger Games or another novel in the
genre. Without dystopia, these issues may never have been brought to the
surface.
Another telling statistic from
the Pop Culture Night reflected which dystopian books influenced their views.
Of all of the books read by those who attended the event, 57% were written just
over the last ten years with The Hunger
Games being read by nearly everyone. It’s obvious that the modern age of
dystopian novels have had a great influence on the youth of the world.
But, The Hunger Games might just be taking things one step further. In
this modern age of social media and technology, the message of these books is
reaching people like never before.
Thailand is a good example of
this in action. The political environment in the country has been growing more
and more tense over the years, building up towards a military coup in the last
year. But, the release of the recent Hunger
Games has brought about a soft student revolution in the nation. Movie
showings for the film were cancelled, allegedly because of pressure from the
military-police. Then, five students stood up during a speech by the leader of
the coup with shirts that said “Don’t Want a Coup,” and making the three finger
salute from The Hunger Games. The
report stated: “The students were taken to a police station and then an army
camp, where they were questioned by soldiers,” they were not charged (Doksone).
The event has sparked a slew of similar
incidents in the country and, in a strange twist life imitating fiction, The Hunger Games symbol of resistance
has become a real-life tool for standing up against oppression.
Conclusion
In the past, dystopia has always
served as a warning from first-world authors to first-world audiences. They've been satires on modern governments, entertainment, even edgy science fiction
moralities. Today, they seem to fit into the teenage romance genre, with more
emphasis on character development than big message.
But, even as the message seems to
be slipping from the focus, its influence on society and culture manages to
become even more impacting. Never before has a movie incited actions against
real-life dystopia. Yet today, in the country of Thailand, the wave that The Hunger Games started has done just
that.
Dystopia is an answer to common
fear that we all share about life. Its popularity is the manifestation of a
universal sentiment regarding freedom and justice for the honest man and woman
in society. We cringe when we see the genocide and oppression in nations where
the people are helpless to resist. As long as these fears exist, dystopia will
have a place in society.
At the heart of dystopia is the
idea that Orwell references in his letter; “constant criticism,” or the checks
and balances that help improve the system. This same ideal is what drives us to
vote at the election booth, blog about political issues on the internet, send a
gripe letter about unfair treatment on public transit, and call the police for
a drug sale down the street.
In short, dystopian literature is
popular because it is just another way that this feeling is portrayed. Its
themes can be seen in our daily lives, in the news stations, on YouTube.
Who knows how long this
popularity wave will last? These ideas have been around for centuries, leading
to the destruction and creation of nations and kings, governments and
tyrannies. While The Hunger Games may
fade away from the forefront of pop culture, the ideas that it promotes will
never disappear, not entirely. As long as dystopian ideals remain relevant in
our culture, we can be assured that the futures that they warn us against will
remain in the future; a perpetual reminder to constantly criticize, and never
give up.
Survey
Results
Before
watching the Hunger Games, did you
know what a dystopia was?
❏
Yes:
8
❏
No:
3
Have
you read any other dystopian novels or seen other movies from the genre?
❏
Yes:
10
❏
No:
1
Do
you enjoy dystopian stories in movies and literature?
❏
Yes:
9
❏
No:
1
❏
kinda:
1
Do
you think dystopias are an honest depiction of a possible future?
❏
Yes:
5
❏
No:
5
❏
sort
of: 1
What
Other dystopian novels or movies have you read or seen?
Over
the last ten years:
3 The Uglies (2005)
2 Unwind (2007)
2 The Host (2008)
10 The Hunger Games Series
(2008-)
2 Dollhouse (2009)
7 The Maze Runner (2009)
1 Matched (2010)
4 Divergent (2011)
1 The 100 (2014) on the CW
Older
than 10 years:
3 The Time Machine (1895)
4 Brave New World (1932)
5 Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)
3 Fahrenheit 451 (1953)
3 Lord of the Flies (1954)
1 Clockwork Orange (1962)
1 The Running Man (1982)
3 The Giver (1993)
1 Among the Hidden (1998)
Works
Cited
“1950:
McCarthy Launches Red Scare.” Education.nationalgeographic.com. Nov. 2014. Web.
“A
State of Mind.” Dir. Daniel Gordon. Perf. Daniel Gordon, Hyon Sun Pak, Song Yun
Kim. BBC,
2004. Film.
Web. Nov. 2014.
Doksone,
Thanyarat. “Thai Cinema Chain Pulls “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1”
After
“Inside
North Korea.” Dir. Peter Yost. Perf. Michael Breen, Brian Green, Kim Il-Sung.
National
Geographic, 2007. Film.
Utopiaanddystopia.com. Web. Nov.
2014.
Margolis, Rick. “A Killer Story: An Interview with Suzanne Collins, Author of ‘The Hunger
Games.” www.slj.com. School Library Journal. 1 Sep. 2008. Web. Nov. 2014.
12 Aug. 2013. Web. Nov. 2014.
