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The Hunger Games renaissance

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Content warning: this article contains spoilers

“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins was easily one of the most formative young-adult trilogies for teenage girls in the early 2010s — alongside Stephanie Meyer’s “Twilight.” The three-book, four-movie franchise was highly grossing all over the world, with the first four films grossing a whopping $2.9 billion on their own at the box office. 

However, it’s Collins’ newest novel-to-movie adaptation that is bringing “The Hunger Games” into a renaissance of popularity, fan edits and cosplays. 

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” novel, released in May of 2020, follows a young President Snow when he and Lucy Gray Baird, the victor of the tenth annual Hunger Games, traverse through the games and the events that are caused in the aftermath. Young Snow and his fellow classmates at the Capitol’s top academy are tasked with creating spectacles of the tributes they are assigned to. Snow and his tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, slowly fall in love over the course of the novel, but this romance ultimately ends in tragedy, with Snow spiraling into the cold-hearted red flag the audience knows him as when Katniss Everdeen comes into play. 

The movie follows the book almost perfectly, with some omissions, but the movie’s release has released a shockwave of fan media.

In 2014 a compilation of Josh Hutcherson, the actor who played Peeta Mellark, photos to the song “Whistle” by Flo Rida was posted to YouTube by user MetroGirlzStation. This video has had a resurgence in popularity, especially on TikTok, and becoming a modern Rick Roll of sorts. 

Other fans have taken to TikTok and X — formerly Twitter — to present their theories about Lucy Grey and parallels between her and Katniss. One favorite theory among fans is Katniss’ relationship to Lucy Grey, specifically if she, Katniss, is the granddaughter of Lucy Grey’s sister, Maude Ivory. 

TikTok user LuckyLeftie is one of these popular theorists, gaining more than 885K followers and sharing lore information, comparisons between the books and movies and her own theories on the franchise. Her most viewed video, with 2.1M views posted on Nov. 11, discusses the Districts’ relationship with the Capitol and their reasons for why they rebelled. She is the top most followed and watched “Hunger Games” content creator.

Many people have compared this renaissance of the franchise to when the original movies were released. “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” grossed over $1 million at the box office, bringing the franchise to a value of $3 billion, and this success does not appear to be slowing down. With the amount of content being created on popular platforms, as well as Hot Topic recently releasing a “Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” inspired clothing and accessory line, this renaissance will likely last well into the months ahead. 

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

The comeback of Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

History was made on June 28, 2005, when Rick Riordan first published “The Lightning Thief.” In the last year, the author of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” has released two new books belonging to the original beloved book series. Over the last 18 years, the series has grown to be 17 books long in addition to two trilogies that take place in the same universe.

To date, the “Percy Jackson” series has been adapted into two movies and a television series that is scheduled to air on Disney+ on Dec. 20. The series stars actors Walker Scobell as Jackson, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase and Aryan Simhadri as Grover Underwood. Trailers for the show depict the trio embarking on epic adventures, accurately mirroring the first book in the series.

Fans have ultimately been more receptive to the casting of the show than the original two movies, though the characters don’t exactly match their book descriptions. Lovers of the book series were disappointed by previous adaptations of the book series to see plot points erased and the characters inappropriately cast in the movies. 

As Riordan continued to expand his universe, he added more diversity to his book by including POC, LGBTQ+ and disabled characters. “Percy Jackson” fans are excited to see this diversity has carried over into the series as well.

Since the original “Percy Jackson” pentalogy was released in the 2000s, Rick Riordan has continued to write bestselling novels. “The Heroes of Olympus” continued the “Percy Jackson” story with a new cast of characters in the 2010s, and “The Trials of Apollo” took the point of view of one of the Olympians the previous series discussed. “Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard” and “The Kane Chronicles” followed Norse and Egyptian mythology, and were also adored by loyal Riordan fans, who dubbed their favorite author Uncle Rick.

Though Rick Riordan has claimed he is finished writing books in the “Percy Jackson” series, he released two new additions in 2023 — “The Chalice of the Gods” and “The Sun and the Star”. “The Chalice of the Gods” follows Percy as he navigates his senior year of high school. “The Sun and the Star,” co-written with Mark Oshiro, is the treacherous tale of demigods Nico di Angelo and Will Solace as they venture into the underworld.

“Percy Jackson” has continued to thrive due to its healthy mix of nostalgia, a connected fanbase and incredible writing throughout the years. Fans are expecting a bright future for both the books and the show. 

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Rick and Morty voice actors change for season 7

Written by: Sophie Taylor | Designer

Content warning: mentions of domestic violence

Rick and Morty. Since its initial release in 2013, averaging 1.52 million viewers per episode,  it is a cartoon loved by many. Its latest season, season seven, has created a lot of buzz since people started realizing that in this upcoming season, Rick and Morty would be voiced by different people. The show was created by Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland and Roiland has voiced both Rick and Morty for the past six seasons. 

In May 2020, Roiland was charged with two felony counts, one for domestic battery and one for false imprisonment, from an incident with a woman he was dating. After these charges, Roiland was dropped from Rick and Morty and other shows such as Solar Opposites. 

Now, with the man who voiced the two main characters in his show being fired, many are asking what happens next? As people began to find out Adult Swim and Hulu severed ties with him, they began to question who would replace him. Turns out, we wouldn’t have an answer until the seventh season aired Oct. 15 of this year. 

The search for the new voice actors took about six months, with thousands of applicants auditioning. Scott Marder, who helped Dan Harmon in the selection process, said that finding the right person to voice Rick took so long that they considered going global in their search. 

“No one sounded exactly like Rick. It was tricky,” he said in an interview with Lesley Goldberg at The Hollywood Reporter. 

It was also important to note that the voice actors were chosen so that fans couldn’t recognize the change in voices, unlike Roiland’s character, Korvo, who in the show was shot with a “voice fixing ray” altering his voice. 

After the voices were revealed, congratulations are due to Ian Cardoni, the new voice of Rick, and Harry Belden, the new voice of Morty. Fans have already started making comparisons between the old voices and the new ones; some have said they welcome the new takes on the characters, but others say that the “improvisational tone” that Justin Roiland brought to the characters just isn’t there anymore. 

Many fans are also upset that Sean Kelly, a voice actor who gained a lot of recognition for sounding exactly like Rick and Morty, was not offered the role of both Rick and Morty, similar to how Roiland played them both. Many comments on TikTok videos regarding the voice change are all about Kelly. Before the release of the new season, comments were begging for Kelly to be chosen. 

Even now, comments say Kelly was robbed and still deserves the part. As more episodes and seasons are released, fans will have to decide: is the show good enough to keep watching after such a big change, or is it not? 

Contact the author at howldesigner@wou.edu

Miss Americana and the heartbreak prince

Written by: Jaylin Hardin | Sports Editor

Taylor Swift is no stranger to rumors and speculation surrounding her extensive love life. No one among the Swifties — the name given to fans of Swift — is unaware of fans who ship Swift with her exes, friends and other celebrities. One of her newest vault tracks, titled “Slut!,” even speaks on speculation towards her relationships with her friends.

Her current relationship with Kansas City Chiefs’ Tight End, Travis Kelce, is currently taking the media, and Swifties, by storm. 

In his podcast with brother, Jason, Kelce revealed he had tried to give Swift a friendship bracelet with his number on it at her July 6 show, but was “butthurt” he had been unable to do so. Almost two months later, The Messenger reported that Swift and Kelce had been hanging out on the down low. A week after this report, Swift attended Kansas City’s game at Arrowhead Stadium against the Chicago Bears — a game they won 41–10.

Since then, Swift has been seen attending other Kansas City games — sitting with Kelce’s mom, Donna, and families of Kelce’s teammates. Swift and Kelce have also been spotted leaving Arrowhead Stadium together as well as at several prominent functions.

However, this relationship, not unlike Swift’s past albums, has been met with mixed reviews. 

Fans of Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs and the NFL, have launched a slew of complaints, taunts and hate messages at fans of Swift, with many arousing the chant: “Kanye made her famous.” 

Fans have been recorded yelling at their televisions whenever Swift appears or upset that their girlfriends are now watching the games with them. Many have complained of “women invading a man’s space where they don’t belong.”

Swifties, on the other hand, have been dissecting the fledgling relationship, or as they call it, finding the invisible string — a reference to a song from her album “Folklore.”

One example Swifties often bring up is how Swift and Kelce both have their signature archer poses — Kelce performing after he scores in the game and Swift when she performs her iconic song “The Archer.” Many fans say the stars align because of Kelce’s birthday; a date shared with Swift’s grandmother, Marjorie. 

Others include lyrics from her songs “Daylight” and “Cornelia Street,” where she sings of her perception of love — “I once believed love would be burning red / But it’s golden like daylight” — and how all roads lead to Arrowhead Stadium: “As if the streetlights pointed in an arrowhead, leading us home.” 

Swifties often point to these two occurrences when referencing the colors of the Kansas City Chiefs and the stadium in which they play. 

The most favorite among Swifties is the iconic numbers of the couple, 87 and 13 which equal a nice and even 100.

Whether a fan of Taylor Swift or Travis Kelce, there is no denying that they are the current It couple of celebrities, and we will see if Swift’s newest romance ends in the manner of “Call It What You Want” or “champagne problems.”

Contact the author at howlsports@wou.edu

Our favorite movies are getting old

Written by: Sierra Porter | Staff Writer

It’s crazy to think that the year 2023 is almost at its end and our favorite, as well as our busiest, holidays are fast approaching. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years are all right around the corner which means we can take advantage of the break from school and cozy weather by watching some movie classics. Some of the world’s favorite movies are celebrating their 10, 20 and 30 year anniversaries; feeling old yet?

10 years old — Disney’s “Big Hero 6” is having its tenth birthday on Nov. 7, 2024, celebrating being the highest grossing animated film of 2014. Robotics genius of fictional city San Fransokyo, Hiro, faces a devastating loss of his brother, Tadashi, that throws him into a dangerous plot to avenge his brother and solve the mystery of who is stealing his invention. Transforming his squishy human helping companion, Baymax, and other friends, into a team of high-tech heroes, they come together to find who was responsible for his brother’s death and avenge him to the fullest. 

20 years old — Does one still wear pink on Wednesdays because of the iconic film “Mean Girls?” If so, it’s been 20 years since that movie came out so that’s a real fan. The 2004 film grossed 130 million in the box office and instantly became a cult classic. Homeschooled teenager Cady moves from Africa to face the world of U.S. high school cliques. Befriended by outsiders Janis Ian and Damian Leigh, they explain the cliques, specifically the infamous ‘plastics’ with popular girls Gretchen Wieners, Karen Smith and queen bee, Regina George. After the plastics invite Cady to sit with them at lunch, Janis encourages Cady to infiltrate the clique and take down the plastics. 

It’s also been 20 years since the release of the coming of age movie, “Napoleon Dynamite,” which ended up at number 14 on Bravos top 100 funniest movies of all time. Jon Heder plays the socially awkward student, Napoleon Dynamite, who daydreams his way through school to avoid the constant bullying. As he is befriended by Mexico transfer student, Pedro, and small town girl, Deb, together they attempt to take on the school and have a decent high school experience — even if that means being humiliated in the process. “Just vote for Pedro, gosh,” *Napoleon Dynamite voice*.

30 years old — Still don’t feel old yet? One might after they learn about which movie classics are turning 30 this year — like “The Lion King.” Disney released the musical drama film “The Lion King,” based on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, in June of 1994 and it quickly became the highest grossing film of that year and the second highest grossing film until 2003.

“The Lion King ” follows the life of Simba as he grows to succeed his father, Mufasa, as king of the Pride Lands. However, Simba’s uncle, Scar, was spiteful and killed Mufasa to seize the throne — allowing Simba to believe he was responsible for his fathers death resulting in him fleeing into exile. 

Being raised by carefree mentors Pumbaa and Timone, as well as getting valuable advice from childhood friends, Nala and Rafiki, Simba is encouraged to return to the Pride Lands to challenge Scar and avenge his father.  



Contact the author at howlstaffwriter@wou.edu

The classic origins of “Clueless,” “She’s the Man” and “10 Things I Hate About You”

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

“Clueless,” “10 Things I Hate About You,” and “She’s the Man” are humorous high school movies with dynamic protagonists. These three films have kept audiences entertained since the 1990s and 2000s. However, what many may not know about these movies is that they are based on century-old classics. 

Jane Austen’s “Emma” was first published in 1815 and was the last novel to be published during Austen’s lifetime. The title character, Emma Woodhouse, is intelligent, a little spoiled and an enthusiastic matchmaker. What modern character is Emma’s equal? Cher Horowitz from the 1995 chick flick “Clueless,” of course. It would be a disservice to Jane Austen to limit “Clueless” to just a chick flick — there is more nuance to the movie that refreshingly pulls from the original story.

The witty female protagonist and charming bad-boy love interest from the film “10 Things I Hate About You” has dominated the screen since 1999. The film’s protagonists, Kat and Patrick, are the late ’90s equivalent of Katherina and Petruchio from “The Taming of the Shrew” — the Shakespeare play that was written over 400 years before the movie. Kat is stubborn, Patrick is sarcastic and together they create the perfect couple.

A lesser-known Shakespearean modern favorite is “She’s the Man,” a high school movie based on the comedy “Twelfth Night.” Twins Viola and Sebastian Hastings are complete opposites — Viola loves sports and Sebastian is an aspiring musician. The 2006 rom-com challenged gender norms, as Viola pretended to be her brother in order to play on the boys’ soccer team — and kicked some serious butt no less. This movie carries on the miscommunication trope that both Shakespeare and modern audiences love so much.

Hailee Carmody, a sophomore at Western shared her opinions on “She’s the Man” and how it presented feminism. 

“We see the idea that women are just as capable as men… especially when the gender switch happens,” Carmody said. However, she also spoke up about parts of the movie that are now outdated. “I definitely think there are some gender stereotypes that are present and not necessarily addressed. It’s a movie that’s a product of its time and should be taken with a grain of salt.”

These classics had powerful female protagonists centuries ago, and their stories have carried over into the present day for modern audiences to enjoy. These tales never became irrelevant — they just needed a little reworking. This genre of movie has reintroduced fans to inspiring stories their ancestors once enjoyed.

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

Much ado about something

Written by: Claire Phillips | Entertainment Editor

Content warning: this article contains spoilers

During the second week of November, the WOU Theatre Department revived an old Shakespearean comedy — “Much Ado About Nothing.” This vivacious play centers around two couples — Claudio and Hero, and Beatrice and Benedick. 

In the past, the WOU Theatre Department has presented stunning plays such as “She Kills Monsters” and “The Wolves”. Viewers can expect they will put on an incredible performance once more this fall. Between costumes, lighting, music and the actors themselves, it takes a lot of effort to bring Shakespeare’s writing to life, but the WOU Theatre Department has exactly what it takes.

“Much Ado About Nothing” has a fast-moving plot — jumping from banter between lovers to scheming foes. The play was filled with live music between scenes — drumming and saxophone tunes kept the audience engaged. 

The set itself was dynamic; the cast pushed the wooden set in circles between scenes to introduce the audience to a brand-new view with almost every scene. Diverse actors were cast as the main characters, which made the production all the more refreshing. Overall, the play was exciting and thoughtfully carried on Shakespeare’s legacy.

Beatrice, the witty niece of a wealthy governor, and Benedick, a cynic when it comes to romance, perfectly matched each other’s sass. Maddie Blanchard and Jacob Fritts charmed the audience with their dramatic use of the stage, showing relentless humanity and hiding behind shrubbery. 

Hero, played by Savannah King, and Claudio, played by Lexy Bolsinger, had the whole audience on the edge of their seats with their heartfelt portrayal of the couple’s infamous quarrel. Claudio’s false betrayal and Hero’s “death” brought tears to many eyes, which made their reunion even more sweet.

Dogberry, a flamboyant night constable with a rag-tag team of watchmen, captured both the audience’s attention and hearts. Wyatt King quickly became a fan favorite, as observed by the audience’s constant laughter and cheering when he was onstage — especially when he played “Careless Whisper” by George Michael on the saxophone.

If one is looking for hilarious, charming and heartfelt entertainment this next week — look no further than the WOU Theatre Department. Rice Auditorium has plenty of seats ready for this week’s upcoming showings of “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu

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