Bet My Buttons: A Hunger Games Podcast Eps #1 Introduction

Hello everybody and welcome to bet my buttons a Hunger Games podcast. I am Matthew and sitting next to me my beautiful wife. Mary Kate, you will tell me and then you were going to start talking. You looked at me. Okay well, sometimes people look at each other. I'm not sure if you know this. But anyway, two wars. Two wars. Two wars. We're starting a podcast and no it's not always sunny podcast. This is the Hunger Games. So why don't you go ahead and explain what do you know about the Hunger Games? I mean, don't say everything you know about the Hunger Games. But what's your experience with the Hunger Games? Yes. So the Hunger Games obviously it started out as a trilogy of books written by Suzanne Collins. And the early to mid 2000s, starting 2008, the last book came out in 2010. It was instantly a cultural phenomenon. Very quickly became movies and that is where I'm going to come in. My eighth grade class which go field trip to the movie theater to see the first Hunger Games movie. Wait, so you went as a class? Yes. After like reading the book. We read the book as a class. Yes. And then we went to see the movie. The week it came out, we went on Friday morning. The day the movie came out to see it. I have no idea how my teacher pulled it off to be honest with you. Yeah, that's impressive. I've never heard of anything. I have never heard of a field trip to the movie theater. I same school systems, same school. Never heard of such a thing. So that is pretty impressive. So you've read all the books? So yes. I was reading the original trilogy as they were being published. And then obviously as we know, a prequel was published during COVID times in May of 2020. I don't think you're allowed to say that word on the internet. I think I think I think people usually dance around it for some strange reason. OK. It's just messing with me. It's like we won't be monetized. COVID's a curse word. Yeah. Now any chance of getting money from the two people listening to this is now gone. You've ruined it. Yeah. But hopefully these two amazing listeners that we have know that recently another prequel was announced titled Sunrise on the Reaping. And that's going to be coming out as a book title in March of 2025. And then the movie is already set to be produced by Lionsgate, who made the other five movies in November of 2026. So we are sitting down today because I have been very invested in this series in this universe. Obviously for some time now, good 12, 14 years. But Matthew here, my amazing co-host has never read any of the books, has never seen any of the movies. Well, first I just want to say you were my, you were my beautiful wife and I'm just your amazing co-host. So that's, that's a little suspicious there. But it is true. I have never seen any of the movies have not read any of the books. I know next to nothing. I could not tell you the main character's name. I want to say Ray, but I think that's the weird Star Wars reboot. Yeah, definitely the weird Star Wars reboot. And I think Abbas, Abbas, is that a character? No. Is an A name? I mean, lots of people have A's in their name, yes. I thought there was a guy with some controversy lately. He had an A name, for casting purposes. But that doesn't matter. That's either here or there. Yeah, so the Hunger Games to me is essentially a game type in Halo Reach. So it was this thing where people could make a map. And basically it was Battle Royale before Battle Royale. I think there's something, and I think this is also in the series called the Cornucopia. That's like in the middle. And that's where you'd go and you'd get there'd be like weapons and stuff. So everybody'd rush there. And then the last person alive would win. And I'll try to kill each other. So do you like, do you have a date of when this was a thing in Halo? Which what came first? Well, Halo Reach, I mean, this came first. I'm sure the game type was made based on this. The team out in September of 2008. Yeah, so Halo Reach, I don't think came out until 2009, 2010. And then this is game type. And there were other games that had this game type. And then Battle Royale became a thing. And that's now what people call it instead of calling it the Hunger Games. But essentially, yeah, just a game type where everybody tries to kill each other. I never played it very much. But I do remember being a thing. And then I know it's a very gray movie. Everything is very gray or white. There's no color, no saturation in this world. Very dark. We're not dark, just gray. Every day is a school day when you learn something new. Yes. Yes. Well, especially in the games, I think, there's some green, some trees. But anytime it's like the city or whatever civilization, everybody's wearing gray clothes. Everything's made out of gray concrete. That is basically what I think of when I think of the movies. I don't know why. I could be wrong. I could be right. You're giving me vibes that I'm spot on with this. Everything is gray. It is the greatest movie you're ever going to see. So I expect the text to be very white and black. Ha, ha, ha. You really got us there. Yeah. So let's just kind of dive a little bit deeper into Matt's knowledge or lack there of the series. Throughout this podcast, we are going to be reading parts of the book and then discussing the parts of the book. Obviously, I know how it ends. And Matt's going to be experiencing it at the time. So we're going to get to see she's going to win. And then she's going to have a setback that creates a second book where she's going to win again. And then she's going to overthrow the entire government. That would be my guess just because that's how books go. But maybe other things will happen. Like there'll be somebody that she enjoys romantically. And they might die and/or be close to death at some point. There's going to be somebody who's training her and they will die. Whoever she looks up to and is like, yeah, that person's going to die. These are big predictions. I'm going to make right here. These are. Yeah. So I know it's like a dystopian world and what I-- and they pick people for these games. How do they fight? Do you have any idea of how they pick people for these games? Now, I'm going to say-- Definitely. --they say-- --they talk heavily about in the next episode. They are going to say that it's random lottery. But I'm going to say it's going to be poor people and political enemies. So the people who have big debts-- this is probably I'm getting maybe squid games in my head. But people owe money or people who pose a political threat. Like their family, if you're running for office and you're too much of a threat to them, then your son or daughter is going to have to die in these games. That would be my guess. How many people play in the game? Oh, obviously, 36. That's all the server can hold. No, I don't know. I-- 12? Yeah, it could be any number. 100. OK. You know, somewhere in there, one of those-- These are really somewhere between 0 and 100. I am going to tell you you are spot on with that prediction right there. I knew it. I knew it. I knew it. I knew it. I mean, 102 would just be obscene. Oh, just being obscene amount of people. Now, you've kind of mentioned you really don't know any of the characters, but you keep referring to the main character as she. So it-- obviously, you know-- Well, I've seen the trailers of a girl with a bone arrow. OK. Yeah. I assume she was pretty. I can't quite remember, but just when you're in a movie, you're usually pretty. And I think she had a bone arrow. OK. Yeah. Absolutely. And I would say maybe 16, but maybe younger. I don't think older. OK. Very interesting. So that's what I believe I know about the book. Yeah, it's dystopian fight to the death in a dome. Or like game show style scenario. Oh, that's interesting. Yeah. So I guess the more I'm thinking about it, is it's kind of like a bread and circuits, right? So it's something everybody watches. I don't know if they watch because the society is brutal. Like the Greeks and Romans. And they would go watch Gladiators fight. I don't know if it's like that. Or if it's like you have to watch for some reason. But everybody watches this. And then when you win, you're like a big deal. Unless, of course, you're her. Because I think they want her dad that's the only reason you would continue to do it over and over again For three books So I just want to maybe take a minute We are surrounded here in the studio by the books. We have all the movies. I have merch some may call it paraphernalia For sure came from the good old hot topic and about you know 2010 2012 But just kind of if you haven't been to a hot topic in 2010 or 2012 I'm gonna need you to go find a time machine and visit it to magical place So obviously the original trilogy the first book is is the titular titular book You hate to learn book you hate when I use that word titular One of those words that I can't say the hunger games But then book two is called catching fire and book three is called mocking Jay Is that giving you any more information? So catching fire She was so good in the first one now. She's like ascended to another level and She's catching fire. I'm a people are after watching her the first time and now she's so good She's catching the whole society on fire with her awesomeness. Okay, and it's it's spreading her ideology is spreading And the mocking Jay See at the end of catching fire. This is all speculation the listeners are gonna love this fire is catching folks fire It's caught her ideology is going through but at the end of catching fire which I see also seems to have a bird on it They all seem to have birds yes Very interesting I mean I have this is the price of a pin when you win you get to eat the bird like this image is a is a pin a pin and I have I have that pin yeah I don't actually think you get to eat the bird Yeah, so at the end of this book right The This is gonna sound very Harry Potter, but they're gonna die the the the Idol the person who's trained her the mentor mentor figure dies at the end of the second book and in the third book She believes that this bird is the mentor, but it's not and that's the mocking Jay. It's really mocking her Golly jeep. Yeah, I'm totally I know you're just you don't know what to do You're gonna have to cancel the whole podcast because I know too much. Yeah, I know too much about the listeners definitely agree Then we have the prequel that came out during the time that Sean not be named which was like early times five fifth Fifth annual it's the tenth annual is it annual I'm gonna say it is annual yes It's annual and I do know because you keep saying it's Hers or let it's like the 72nd or 6th or somewhere around it 74 so it's been going on for a while They've been human sacrificing. Yeah, why why are they why do they have to do the Hunger Games? Why are they doing these human sacrifices as you call these people aren't paying their taxes? Wow, no, I mean, I don't know why they're they're they're excused for doing it is I just believe that it's to get rid of people who are a drag on society and or like I said Are a threat to them in some way But but the actual reason for creating the Hunger Games. I have no idea Maybe people were hungry They they are hungry. I will Cleaning went on that one they are hungry but So the prequel back to the prequel that is titled the Ballad of Songbirds and snakes Songbirds More birds more birds see what this happened in the past Yep, so this might be the first bird Could be maybe maybe before the 10th Hunger Games There weren't any birds there were drones that watched people and then a real bird made its way in what you I mean, you know what they say the birds work for the bourgeoisie exactly Exactly As you can tell I mean this is just I Know everything there is to know about the system and then I just want comment on the last Book the newest book prequel that has just been announced by the author Suzanne Collins Sunrise on the reaping Sunrise on the reaping yeah, so I know it it's not out yet, but clearly The reaping is probably something people know about what is the reaping well the grim reaper mm-hmm in I was gonna say real life, but in In our folktale it depends on what you believe in our folktale. He is it's like a I'm gonna say sunrise on the reaping might be when there's a real doubt about bad point in society Things that's when people get really hungry. They've been hungry. They're gonna get really hungry during that book I don't know if there's another country or Society that's going to to create hardship, but that would be my guess just from the name the title You know it's the beginning of the really bad times for the the people of Candelopeia Candelopeia you you could not be further off. Do you want me to tell you the name of the country? I don't know is how quickly are we gonna get that I mean it's in the first couple pages of the book I think I think then it might be fair game Right, they it is called pan am P.A. N like the plane company. Yes, that's the defunct plane company. Well, that's interesting More birds More flying more flying you're right. It's a lot of flight Which is strange because I think it's a very on the ground story Yeah, I mean to be to be transparent I can't think of a time when any of the characters were in an airplane It might happen. I might have forgotten about it. And that is anybody like lifted by a giant bird I mean you could maybe if you didn't know what it was you would think it was a bird Okay, somebody's gonna get lifted by a giant bird get hit in the head. You've got blood loss or dehydrated. I don't know something comes out of the sky Okay, yeah, I imagine people will get hit in the head. I imagine people will die I assume at some point we're gonna break the rules Hmm and like fake a death and somebody's gonna like advance like they're gonna be dead Mm-hmm, and you're gonna think they're dead, but they're in the next book and everybody's mad about it Like the book I just read recently heard that happened that was oh, you know I was so mad I didn't even want to read the sequel. Well, I'm not saying the fans are mad I'm saying that the world is mad that they cheated the system and got two people to live in some way I don't know that just feels right that feels like something That feels like something I think I'm really I think you might be on to something absolutely Well, I'm definitely excited to see where this project is gonna take us I think our plan as of right now is to read the first three books Before we watch the first four movies. Oh We're gonna read the whole series before we watch a movie I kind of thought we would read a book and then watch that movie In between before we start the next book and reflect on it Okay, so that's just what I thought Yeah, so we'll have to I guess we'll have to kind of see how we feel after The first book and I might want to do some research to make sure There's nothing yeah, spoiler. They don't like best with the continuity in some way I mean, I don't I don't remember them doing that, but you know oftentimes the first movie does end with the End of the series and then they flashback Sorry, I think that's I think that's a newer thing in movies. We are still back in like 2014 2015 time where every movie has to be two parts for some reason Yes, I didn't notice he said five movies which Three books plus one does not equal five No, I said four movies What? No, there are five movies because there's four books. There's the prequel That's what I would say okay, that's you so yeah right on the third book is a part one and a part two situation For the movies and I I'm looking at it and it looks to be thinner or or about the same as as the other other books it is Actually one page shorter than then catching fire One page and it's catching fire the longest yes, okay But it gets four hours of cinema. Yeah, which means extra fight scenes One of the movies maybe they'll just wander through the forest and nothing will happen For two whole hours for two whole hours I mean you will they won't maybe we'll have a fight in there. That was a great movie if you don't know what I'm talking about So yeah, we're gonna we're gonna start off what we're gonna be reading the first nine chapters correct because that's the first part of the book. So we will see you after we read the first nine chapters part one the tribute the tributes. So we're gonna get introduced to all the different tributes all zero to 100 tributes. I think we're gonna get some I think it kind of goes without saying to introduce a hundred people in nine chapters. Some good background, you know, why this is happening where we are. Yeah, some work. I will know things about the series the next time you hear my voice. Maybe. Maybe. I'll know something. Every day is a school day when you learn something every day is a school day when you learn something new and that is the theme of this podcast I'm learning lots of new things. So yeah, we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna do one part of the time one part of a book. So you're looking to three episodes of book talk about the movie. And we'll go from there we've got four books. We're gonna try to get this to the point where we're pretty much. And with the new book. Yeah, yeah, so we'll find find ways to drag it out and make it a fun time for everybody. I shouldn't have said that involved. Should not going to drag it out. We're not gonna waste anybody's time. We've got lots of high quality content coming to you. So I guess I'm going to go ahead and read a book. I know you haven't done it in years. But there you go. That is not true. I just read green eggs and ham the other day. All right, listeners. We'll catch you next time. And as always, may the odds be ever in your favor. I would bet my buttons. They're not gonna be.