"Panem et circencess."

"Here is Spart... Oh, no! That's from other movie"

In one of Mr. Aronson's class, he  put us to describe the first chapter of the book "The Hunger Games" and he mentioned the origin of the word "Panem", and name of the country where "The Hunger Games" saga are held. He said that the Latin word "Panem" means "bread" and came from the phrase "Panem et circenses" that in English is "bread and circuses". This phrase was used many centuries ago in the Ancient Rome, where the Roman Circuss occurred to maintain the citizens away from the politic. There various gladiators, slaves that trained to entertained the people during the games, fight each other, or wild animals, to the death. The gladiators were the reality TV of the time and the origin of the phrase.

Here kitty, kitty

In the 2000's movie "Gladiator" directed by Ridley Scott and protagonist by Russell Crowe, the plot was that Maximus (Crowe), a Roman general, was converted to a slave and then to a gladiator. The emperor, who kills Maximus' family, try to kill him because he feared Maximus, with the popularity he is receiving as a gladiator, could overthrown him.

There's a parallel situation to Katniss, the protagonist of "The Hunger Games", that with the popularity she is receiving for being "the girl on fire" and "the lover of District 12", generates a tension that could lead to a rebellion of the districts against the Capitol.

Both, the movie and the books, reflect how in their time (or future time) many reality TV could lead to government control over the citizens. "Panem et circenses" was used on Ancient Rome, to describe how the government could control the citizens by giving them a show and food to maintain them away from the politic and in that way control them more easily.

The movie "Gladiator" explained it when the Emperor gives the people the gladiator's fights to gain their trust. Similarity, "The Hunger Games" saga bring this topic to the citizens of the Capitol. When President Snow make each year the hunger games to entertain the citizens and control the districts.

Telerisa and TV Apesta

One example to this in the real world is in Mexico, where the 2 principal TV companies control the media in the country. Many citizens of the country, myself included, are against Televisa and TV Azteca programs. Many of you that lived in Mexico could understand a little more about it but for the ones who do not here is the explanation. This 2 companies ruled most of the content that passed on TV, they are 2 monopolies, as well many of the news that happen in the country. Most of the case about this 2 companies is that they always passed soap operas or "telenovelas" that count the same story over and over again. A rich guy/girl fall in love with the poor guy/girl, and in the end they love triumphs. Televisa and TV Azteca do not passed the news that need to happen, they covered many news that are important to the citizens, instead they give "atole con el dedo" (to fool someone) to the citizens.

"Who cares?"

In the United States there's other example of how the citizens are receving a circuss. American Idol, the program of the Fox Channel, is a circuss of how the citizens began to watch it instead of inform themselves about the candidates that are running for President, Governor, or Congressman. The people only care if they favorite singer is the next one to be eliminated or not.

So because of that I only have something to that type of programs that only make people more stupid.