Hunger Games
The film shares that the people in District 1 whom volunteer themselves for the Hunger Games (Careers), adopt beliefs, values, or explanations that benefit the ruling class, not themselves – so they misunderstand how the economic system actually harms them.
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What is False Consciousness?
In the 2001, comedic fantasy, Shrek attributes human traits unto non-human characters such as 'Donkey', the three little pigs, and various more; presenting them as more desirable for human audiences.
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What is anthropomorphism?
Neiman describes how being musically talented with drumming doesn't quite fill the fundamental absence of something that can never fully recovered. With this, he takes on the belief that Fletcher's approval would fulfill him.
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What is Lack? What is Desire?
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When being presented on TV, Katniss is made to have her features are exaggerated through actions, behaviour, language and appearance, with a ‘stylised repetition of acts’ that are performed for society, usually in adherence with social expectations. This would include being forced into a wedding gown, acting in love with Peta and pretending to be pregnant to appease the Capitol.
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What is Gender Performativity?
As Shrek and Fiona's relationship blossoms, Princess Fiona's openly disgusting habits and strength reflects that there is no fixed way to be a woman, and that the experiences, identities and needs of women are not universally shared by all women.
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What is Anti-Essentialism?
As Neiman grows increasingly more talented in drumming, and Fletcher recognises this, his 'labour' -- his performance, creates a dehumanising effect. His individual and sense of self becomes separated and disconnected from his work, from other people (such as his father and his girlfriend), and his own sense of purpose and potential.
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Gwen is a complex character capable of making mistakes and having conflicting moral stances. She is capable of having differing perspectives, experiences, and desires, and is not treated as an object to be looked at, but is centred by her subjectivity: how she sees, feels, wants, and acts. Her emotional depth, agency, relationships, and interior experience is emphasised over visual objectification.
What is the Female Gaze?
When designing the outfits for each district, the stylists tend to adopt elements from the marginalized culture of the Districts without fully understanding, respecting or properly crediting the correct people/groups.
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What is Cultural Appropriation?
At the very beginning of the film, Lord Farquard's attack and lock up of the fairytale creatures is premeditated with the assumption that they, and their environment, exists for humans and only has value when given meaning by humans -- when he decides that they have no value, he decides to get rid of them.
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What is the Fallacy of Semiotics?
The car accident within the film acts as a pinnacle moment for Neiman. It represents how his pleasure for earning Fletcher's approval tips into excess, compulsion, and even pain.
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What is Jouissance?
Miles' desire to find Gwen and Peter; attempting to deconstruct the science behind the 'Spiderverse', is fueled by the pleasure of nostalgia and the thought that they may miss him as well. However, it contrasts to the reality in which Gwen and Peter knew how to get in contact with Miles, but chose not to.
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What is the Pleasure Principle? What is the Reality Principle?
President Snow adopts a paternalistic approach into ruling both the districts and the Capitol, arguing that the 'Hunger Games' is for the better good of everybody; to keep peace and stability. In doing this, he moves his 'children' from the Symbolic Order to the world of language, social laws, and identity dictated by law and authority.
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What is the Name-of-the-Father?
As a famous line within the film, Shrek quotes "onions have layers, ogres have layers", thus recognising a moment of a sense of self. However, this is an illusion, a self built from misrecognition -- he is not who he thinks he is, and his sense of wholeness is a fiction.
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What is the Mirror Stage?
When Fletcher first monologues off about his large ideals on what it means to be a musician, Neiman feels as if he is being called out to and in response, becomes the kind of person he believes Fletcher expects him to be.
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What is Interpellation?
Despite each Spider-person personally understanding the impact of the 'canon', and mourning the loss of their loved ones, they still follow Miguel's ideology in that it is something that must happen. The Spider-people know that the 'canon' is exploitative and more or less harmful, but they still participate because “that’s just how things are.”
What is Cynicism of Ideology?
When hundreds of citizens across Panem tune into the Hunger Games, they tell themselves a story to paper over that gap; the gap of suffering, and cruelty – to make the social world feel meaningful, stable, and whole.
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What is the Fantasy?
Princess Fiona was indoctrinated into the idea that a prince charming would save her if she were to wait in the tower. After a while, her attitude is characterized by an "incredulity" or deep-seated distrust toward universal theories that claim to explain all of history and human experience.
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What is Metanarrative Skepticism?
Neiman's anger and outbursts are attributed to persistent feelings of inadequacy, or overcompensation for feelings of inferiority.
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What is Complexes (Inferiority/Superiority)?
The idea of bringing together spider-people alike looks to challenge the normative beliefs about the universe and temporarily break the binary of a Spiderman and his universe (saviour to people); mirroring the fantastical imagery of a festival to be celebrated. However, the 'Spiderverse' is also ironic in that it still follows the strict rules of the 'canon'.
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What is Carnivalesque?