Spider-Gwen

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Two-Faced: Celebrities in The Hunger Games & Their Personas-- Katniss and Finnick

Katniss Everdeen becomes a celebrity over the course of the first movie and book. She becomes a hunter forced to perform for the exploitative and rich Capital citizens. After her first stint in The Hunger Games and being thrust into the limelight, Katniss had to adopt a persona that would make her more appealing to an audience. She had to become someone other than herself, become The Girl on Fire. Just like Finnick.

Finnick Odair first appears to Katniss and to all of Panem as a stuck-up womanizer but that is how he is made to be in front of the cameras. Even at 14 he was known for his beauty, and President Snow exploited that and 'sold' him to others around The Capital. Finnick has several personas such as the persona in front of the camera and Capital citizens and his persona he must adopt during prostituting assignments. He had to become someone else for Snow and The Capital's benefit and for his loved one to survive. In reality he is kind and loyal to his friends and family.

Katniss Everdeen has always hated The Capital and the sick tradition of The Hunger Games and as soon as she volunteered for her sister she became a symbol. Katniss has several personas like Finnick, her persona as the Mockingjay eventually and her persona as a lovable tribute then lovesick victor. Katniss is someone who wants to protect those who can not protect themselves. She is selfless for volunteering but her biggest hope is for those she loves to be safe and happy. She did not mean to become a symbol for the Rebellion, the Mockingjay, she just wanted to save Peeta and herself from dying, but her act of double s*icide was seen as rebel behaviour. The end of the first book has Katniss wanting to appease The Capital by selling her (fake) relationship with Peeta Mellark. Katniss' celebrity persona is a lovesick teenager heading towards marriage with the only one thing on her mind--love, not rebellion. At first, because it is only when she witnesses how horrible The Capital treats the districts does she find that she must adopt her Mockingjay persona despite the risks to her and her family.

Both Finnick and Katniss have their every interaction nitpicked and there are under an almost constant surveillance. Finnick true personality is only merged with his celebrity persona once the Rebellion has kicked off. Panem eventually gets to hear his speech in Mockingjay of him describing how Snow prostituted him and how he would be killed if he did not do this. Katniss' true personality is only shown in Mockingjay at the very end, when she is not under threat of anybody. Despite winning their Hunger Games, Finnick' and Katniss' personas are owned and manipulated by The Capital--even Katniss' Mockingjay's one to a degree.

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Affect Aliens in The Hunger Games Series

I think that there are many characters who can be assumed as Affect Aliens in The Hunger Games but I believe that out of all the characters that could be one, is Haymitch Abernathy.

Haymitch constantly goes against the expectations of others because he does not want what the Capital expects of him. His rebellious nature towards Panem was shown even during his Hunger Games, the 50th, when he went against the expectations of the Capital and used their own weapons against another tribute. The forcefield border of the arena itself. This is why Haymitch's family is murdered--he went against their expectations and used their own weapons for himself.

The death of his family among other things such as having to watch people you know be murdered or kill them yourself, caused Haymitch to hate and go against The Capital intensely. (Probably more so than before because a lot of the districts despise The Capital and The Games) He drinks excessively because he is depressed and angry at the situation he is in that he feels he can never escape. Haymitch is a drunk and therefore he goes against the expectations of others and even hinders the tributes he helps. The expectations of a Victor is to be seen as better than common district people and he is somewhat because of his money, he is still considered a slob and embarrasses District 12.

But Haymitch uses others to defy what The Capital expects of him. He uses the Star Crossed Lovers, Katniss and Peeta, to defy The Capital, because as long as they seem to be in love and Panem believes them, they could not be outright killed. (Eventually starting a revolution, blah blah blah) Haymitch is not someone who likes to be controlled and because he has nothing to really lose, has suffered plenty because of The Capital, is an Affect Alien because he does not want the life of a Victor, and he does not want to play into their games.

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The Idea of Celebrity in The Hunger Games & The Creation of a Fan Culture

Throughout the movies and the books, The Hunger Games itself demonstrates how the event evolved from being a punishment and yearly reminder of the Districts rebelling to being an unmissable tradition. It was also to show off the savagery of a person when thrust into a situation of kill or be killed. But because brutality itself does not urge viewers or fans, The Capital had to create the tributes into spectacles. Into celebrities, therefore creating a fan culture surrounding them.

The idea of a Victor is that they are supposed to be a symbol of hope and show how in opposition The Capital is now as opposed to how cruel, unforgiving and selfish the Districts were during the First Rebellion. By televising the Games, interviewing the tributes beforehand, and treating them humanly by giving them the comforts of the capital--all serve to create a culture of people who obsess and 'fan-girl' out over the Games and the tributes themselves.

They are notably called tributes and not sacrifices, what they really are, because it is more digestible for the audience to believe they are like brave soldiers heading into battle. The more alluring and out of this world, or the more it just feels like a television show, the more The Capital can trick their audience into seeing the Games as nothing more than an honour. Especially when everyone in Panem sees just how much better a life a Victor has when they win (although only the good parts to highlight the mercy and love of The Capital).

The humane treatment of the tributes causes them to be someone to root for and therefore someone to watch for, and even someone to save. Many tributes are loved for their smooth-talking or their beautiful bodies and they can use them to their advantage to win over Capital citizens in their favour. Especially considering when in the Games you can get sponsors to send you things that you desperately need. This is yet another way The Capital shows their form of mercy. They use their influence given to them for simply being a tribute and use it to potentially win their Hunger Games. Tributes feed into a type of fan culture between them and Capital citizens and have no choice but to participate in it. It's important for their survival no matter how demeaning it could be.

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"... [O]ur Lives Were Never Ours. [...] They Belong to Snow and Our Deaths Do, Too." -- Peeta Mellark about President Snow