The Labyrinth discussion

So after reading The Hunger Games a questioned popped into my head... how unrealistic is this sort of scenario? It is so easy to be disgusted by the concept of watching children kill each other on television... for the districts it was mandated but the people of the Capitol thought of it was sport... voting on who they liked...dressing like their favorite "character." How far do you think America is to becoming like this? I see reality shows on tv where people get pleasure out of watching the mistakes and downfalls of others. Granted that is not the same as killing, but to me I could see a future government using this as a method of control and I could see the American people watching a show like the Hunger Games. What do you guys think?

I think that it's not unheard of. There are already realty shows that are trying to get their contestants to do crazy insane dangerous stunts.

I think thats where Suzanne Collins got her inspiration from.

I guess I was thinking strictly into the future.. but really we do not have to look too far in our own past to see this kind of torture and government control. Think back to Christians being forced to fight in the Colosseum against wild animals to show Rome's power over the people or when all the town would gather to watch an execution. Maybe we are fooling ourselves to think our version of humanity is so much more refined?!?