WSJ article about gender appeal/marketing for HG and HG movie

wampuscat · Mar 9, 2012

Saw this on Twitter this morning and thought it was really interesting, particularly given some of the conversations here recently about HG, appealing to the genders, marketing, etc.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204603004577267832212316716.html

The publisher, Scholastic, considered dozens of cover designs, including portraits of Katniss, before settling on a more "iconic" image of a bird pendant that plays a role in the story, said Rachel Coun, Scholastic's executive director of marketing.

It also indirectly compares Katniss/HG to Lara Croft/Tomb Raider at one point, but that's a whole different discussion...

Stiger05 · Mar 9, 2012

Thanks for the link; it was an interesting article! I'll be curious to see how the gender viewership changes from the first movie to the second. Increase because of interest in how the story turns out? Or decrease because of the love triangle?

Dagrami · Mar 9, 2012

As a 21 year old male who read and very much enjoyed the books some time ago (before they became the phenomenon they are now), I sincerely hope the franchise doesn't degenerate into a 13 year old fangirly sorta thing.

I don't think the story itself was all that girly... I mean, it had a female protagonist which might turn some guys off, but other than that... There was the whole love triangle element, but that wasn't the focus of the book (at least how I read it). Good to read in the article they're not using that as the main selling point.

Niiicola · Mar 9, 2012

I wish they'd do this with more YA books instead of putting flowery pictures of girls on the cover so there's no question of who "should" be reading the book.

Satsya · Mar 9, 2012

Niiicola said:
I wish they'd do this with more YA books instead of putting flowery pictures of girls on the cover so there's no question of who "should" be reading the book.

Agree.

And I hope that books/movies like The Hunger Games prove that female protagonists can be sold to all audiences. In an ideal world, female protagonists in non-chick-lit media wouldn't cause a blink of the eye. And just because women like something doesn't mean men have to hate it -- consider franchises like Harry Potter.

Zoombie · Mar 10, 2012

Sometimes, I wonder if people think us boys still think girls have cooties well into adulthood.

Ohhh noooo, the book is pink! MY PRECIOUS MASCULINITY IS DISSOLVING!

It's got the double implications that girl stuff is somehow "less important" to men and ALSO how it's somehow "destructive" to the male "essence". Both of which are patently untrue gendered misogynistic bullshit.

Grumbles.

thebloodfiend · Mar 10, 2012

Zoombie said:
Sometimes, I wonder if people think us boys still think girls have cooties well into adulthood.

Ohhh noooo, the book is pink! MY PRECIOUS MASCULINITY IS DISSOLVING!

It's got the double implications that girl stuff is somehow "less important" to men and ALSO how it's somehow "destructive" to the male "essence". Both of which are patently untrue gendered misogynistic bullshit.

Grumbles.

+1

Zoombie · Mar 10, 2012

I mean, just to use myself as an example, when I was reading the Alanna books, I loved the action scenes...but the stuff that stuck in my head was whether Alanna would end up with George or Jonathan. Cause Jonathan was a real twunt until he got like, ten or twenty years of growing up.

And I'm the manliest man ever!

Rawr! Flexes muscles, chops down trees, has a beard.

Niiicola · Mar 10, 2012

Zoombie said:
Sometimes, I wonder if people think us boys still think girls have cooties well into adulthood.

Ohhh noooo, the book is pink! MY PRECIOUS MASCULINITY IS DISSOLVING!

It's got the double implications that girl stuff is somehow "less important" to men and ALSO how it's somehow "destructive" to the male "essence". Both of which are patently untrue gendered misogynistic bullshit.

Grumbles.

Well good on you for not thinking that way. But I just got this one delivered Monday, and I'm willing to bet most guys would not pick it up off the shelf. It's not even that girly plot-wise.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/9593911-pandemonium

PS: I effing love Lauren Oliver, so I don't meant to diss her -- just the marketing dept.

Zoombie · Mar 11, 2012

Hey, I think it looks pretty good! For one thing, it's a girl's face that includes her eyes and mouth.

Just one thing I hate is the trend of hiding the eyes, the mouth...the "De-personifiying" of females in YA covers.

It squicks me out big time.

NoGuessing · Mar 11, 2012

Zoombie said:
Sometimes, I wonder if people think us boys still think girls have cooties well into adulthood.

Ohhh noooo, the book is pink! MY PRECIOUS MASCULINITY IS DISSOLVING!

It's got the double implications that girl stuff is somehow "less important" to men and ALSO how it's somehow "destructive" to the male "essence". Both of which are patently untrue gendered misogynistic bullshit.

Grumbles.

This

WSJ article about gender appeal/marketing for HG and HG movie

wampuscat

Recovering adjective addict

Stiger05

Dagrami

stuck in the middle

Niiicola

Twitchy

Satsya

slow and steady

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

thebloodfiend

Cory

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

Niiicola

Twitchy

Zoombie

Dragon of the Multiverse

NoGuessing

Buzz