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www.ScholaStic.com/Scope • MAY 14, 2012 17
pAired teXts
stories that share a
topic or theme
compare & contrast
turn the pAge to see what we mean.
Katniss Everdeen, 16, is being hunted. Somewhere out
there in the night, a group of kids is plotting to kill her.
And the entire world is watching.
On television.
Perhaps you recognize this plot: Katniss is the hero
of the wildly popular Hunger Games trilogy. The stories take place
in a terrifying future, where 24 teenagers are forced to compete
in the gruesome Hunger Games. It’s a nationally televised event
in which kids fight to the death. The more grisly their battles,
the more exciting the “show.”
Thankfully, things like this happen only in fiction.
Except that’s not entirely true.
WhAt iF the hunger gAMes
Were reAl?By Kristin lewis
Who is more intimidating—Katniss or this guy? Tough call.
“run him through with your spear!”
“Feed him to the lions!”
“No mercy!”
A crowd of 50,000 spectators is screaming
and shouting to kill, kill, kill. Their chants echo across
the arena, creating a terrible, thunderous noise. They
are here to watch fighters called gladiators duel to the
death. So far, it’s been quite a show. All afternoon, the
gladiators have been hacking at each other with swords
and spears. Now it’s time for the final deathblows.
A grisly spectacle Thousands of years ago in ancient Rome, gladiator
combat was a popular form of entertainment. Romans
reAl-liFe Fight to the deAth! in ancient rome, thousands of fans cheered as gladiators fought each other in bloody battles.
regarded these games with the same sort of glee that
we might experience when our favorite baseball
team makes it to the World Series. In fact, gladiator
games were a key part of Roman society. Every year,
thousands of people were butchered in these grisly
spectacles.
Who were these gladiators who gave their lives for
entertainment? Like Katniss and most of the other
competitors in the Hunger Games, most gladiators
were not given a choice. The majority were slaves or
prisoners of war who were forced to fight. There was
money to be made in the games, though, and those
who managed to live long enough could eventually
buy their freedom. dr
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18 ScholaStic Scope • MAY 14, 2012
A scene from the movie Gladiator, with Russell Crowe (right).
essAY
Gladiators were trained in the latest combat
techniques. They were as skilled as today’s elite
athletes. In the arena, they were expected to
demonstrate important values of Roman society:
strength, courage, glory, and discipline.
The hordes of bloodthirsty fans, however, mostly
just expected a good show—and that meant plenty of
gore. Gladiators tended to be a bit overweight, because
an extra layer of fat meant they could shed more blood
without collapsing. Plus, the fat protected their vital
organs and gave them a better chance of survival.
if the crowd said “die” Gladiator games were thrilling affairs. All types of
Roman citizens—families, politicians, craftsmen, the
rich, the poor—packed into the arena for the festivities.
And what a time they had. Musicians performed
between fights. Free meat was served. Figurines of
the best gladiators were sold
as souvenirs. Indeed,
successful gladiators
often achieved celebrity
status. Their names
were known across
the Roman Empire.
Tales of their heroism
were told as bedtime
stories to children.
A typical game day
might begin with a hunter
killing a ferocious animal in
the arena. Then a man might
be tossed into the arena with
some lions—just for “fun.”
At midday, the crowd could
retire for a snack or nap. Or
fans could stay and watch
the execution of criminals—a
harsh reminder of Rome’s
strict justice system.
The gladiator fights, the
most anticipated event of all, were usually reserved
for the afternoon. Sometimes the crowd even got a
say in the action. When a gladiator knew he had been
defeated, he could ask for a missio. The winner would
then turn to the crowd and ask: Should the loser live or
die? If the crowd said “die,” the loser would be swiftly
killed. If the loser had fought bravely or with great skill,
the crowd might call for mercy and the loser would live
to fight another day.
the disturbing question Eventually, Romans lost their appetite for blood,
and the era of the gladiators came to an end. Today it
seems barbaric—a dark spot in ancient human history.
Perhaps what disturbs us most is the image of that
thunderous crowd, screaming for carnage, and the
question: Would we have screamed right along
with them? •
www.ScholaStic.com/Scope • MAY 14, 2012 19
DATE: 65 AD
My dear Lucilius,
There is nothing so ruinous to good
character as to idle away one’s time
at some spectacle. Vices have a way
of creeping in because of the feeling
of pleasure that it brings. Why do you
think that I say that I return from shows
greedier and more given to luxury, and
with thoughts of greater cruelty and less
humanity?
Do not, my Lucilius, attend the games, I
pray you. Either you will be corrupted by
the multitude, or, if you show disgust, be
hated by them. So stay away.
—Seneca
priMArY docuMent
A famous thinker speaks out against the
games in a letter to his student.
20 ScholaStic Scope • MAY 14, 2012
is reAlitY tv too cruel?Millions tune in to watch people suffer.
lion stalking its dinner.
Just think about it. On American Idol, we laugh at
the hopefuls who spend all their money trying to get
to an audition—only to open their mouths and reveal
they have no singing talent. On Fear Factor, we watch
with glee as contestants eat dead rats as part of a sick
competition for a cash prize. Even America’s Funniest
Home Videos is disturbing. The winning clips often
show people in life-threatening situations, such as
getting thrown off a speeding motorbike—and it’s all
set to a laugh track.
These antics are solid gold for the networks that
produce these shows. The more bizarre or awful an
episode, the more viewers tune in and the more money
the network makes. Meanwhile, viewers are treated
t ears are
streaming
down Mika’s
face. “I can’t
do it! Help me!” she
screams hysterically,
cowering away from
the edge of the nearly
vertical 60-foot drop.
She is supposed to
plunge down the
scariest waterslide in
the world. It’s aptly
called the Leap of
Faith, and it’s Mika’s
worst nightmare; she
is deathly afraid of
water and heights.
Mika is a
competitor on The
Amazing Race—a hit
reality-TV show in which teams of two travel the world,
competing for a $1 million prize. Despite her partner’s
pleading, Mika never went down the slide, and the pair
was eliminated from the competition. Afterward, clips
of Mika’s humiliating breakdown went viral. People
laughed at her. They called her names.
It was great entertainment.
Or was it?
“Blood sport” The Amazing Race is one of countless reality-TV
shows that make big bucks off people’s suffering, and
it’s hardly the worst offender. It seems like many of the
most popular shows these days shine a spotlight on
human misery with about as much compassion as a
On Hell’s Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay (right) is famous for yelling.
editoriAl
mik
e y
ar
ish
/Fo
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www.ScholaStic.com/Scope • MAY 14, 2012 21
Seneca wrote that “there is nothing so ruinous to good character” as watching the gladiator games. Do you think the same could be said of watching reality TV? Write a paragraph answering this question. Use text details from BOTH articles to support your ideas.
QUICK WRITE
get this ActivitY online
to the human
equivalent of
a train wreck.
Shows like Teen
Mom and Kitchen
Nightmares showcase
the worst aspects
of human nature:
temper tantrums,
selfishness, petty
bickering. And then
there is the violence.
In 2009, Jersey Shore aired some footage of Snooki
getting hit in the face on a preview. It helped double
the show’s ratings.
“It’s blood sport,” says critic and writer Matt Zoller
Seitz. “And when you participate in blood sport—either
as a contestant or as a spectator—you have to accept
the hard reality of what it does to everyone involved.”
harmless Fun So what exactly does reality TV do to spectators?
Experts are divided. Some say it sends a message that
bad behavior can bring fame, fortune, and a lavish
lifestyle. Others say it’s just harmless fun. And since
most reality TV isn’t “real”—episodes are carefully
planned and edited to maximize the drama—what’s
the big deal?
No one is really
getting hurt.
Actually, that’s not
entirely true. Last year,
a man had a stroke on
Wipeout. A contestant
on Survivor suffered
serious burns and
had to be airlifted
to a hospital.
And several
reality-TV
stars have
been hospitalized for drug addiction, depression, and
even attempted suicide. Their contracts forbid them
from speaking out about the causes of their troubles,
but many people speculate that the pressure of being
constantly on camera is at least partly to blame.
Of course, no one forced
them to subject themselves
to humiliation. But often
the allure of fame is too
tempting to resist.
Why We Watch The fact is, reality
TV is extremely
popular. Millions
of Americans
tune in every week.
Why can’t we tear
ourselves away? According
to Ohio State University
psychologist Steven Reiss,
reality TV gives us a feeling
of self-importance. “Some people may watch reality
TV partially because they enjoy feeling superior to the
people being portrayed,” Reiss says. “People with a
strong need for vengeance have the potential to enjoy
watching people being humiliated.”
Ouch. Are we really this cruel?
Perhaps it isn’t the stars of reality TV who should be
embarrassed. Perhaps it’s us, for watching. •
American Idol holds the record for most years at #1, making it the highest-rated TV series of any kind.
highest Rated
An American Family premiered in 1973. It chronicled the day-to-day
lives of a family in California. Ten million
viewers tuned in.First-ever Reality-tV
show
Cops, which follows police
officers on the job, has been on
TV longer than any other reality show. It
premiered in 1989 and has aired more than
982 episodes!
longest Running
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