Brian McDonald’s article “The Final Word on Entertainment,” asserts that human entertainment is somewhat dark but it is what feeds our appetite for excitement, thrill, and enjoyment. McDonald supports her claim with a few methods including the comparison of entertainment and art through Aristotle’s book The Poetics, the discussion of the “Remake Center,” and the idea of de-creation from Philosopher Phillip Rieff, Ernest Becker’s The Denial of Death, and many more philosophers’ work. The purpose of this article is to point out one of the key themes in Suzanne Collins’s book, The Hunger Games. McDonald is writing to inform the audience of a true, yet unsought of perspective on entertainment. Given the sources and other references in the article, McDonald is most likely writing to an audience that has read the entire Hunger Games trilogy but wants further insight on how and why this horrific game serves as entertainment for the people.
I really enjoyed reading this article and I think McDonald addressed almost everything to prove her point on entertainment. However, I do think she could have included a discussion on the irony of this entertainment and that is why we, the readers, naturally criticize the games and the “fans” that cheer on the death of kids while we, the readers, are the ones that continue to turn the page and keep reading. We are all so entertained by such a horrendous game and we enjoy it, but why? This idea is very puzzling and interesting to me. What drives our desires? Why are we so attracted to danger, death, and suffering?
I really enjoyed reading this article and I think McDonald addressed almost everything to prove her point on entertainment. However, I do think she could have included a discussion on the irony of this entertainment and that is why we, the readers, naturally criticize the games and the “fans” that cheer on the death of kids while we, the readers, are the ones that continue to turn the page and keep reading. We are all so entertained by such a horrendous game and we enjoy it, but why? This idea is very puzzling and interesting to me. What drives our desires? Why are we so attracted to danger, death, and suffering?