Keep the Secret. PLEASE!

Dear People Who Over Commercialize Brilliance and Ruin it:

My name is Tiffany.

I love to read.

So much so, that I created a word to bestow upon those literary gems that leave you changed inside once you've read them.

"Crackliture"

What's Crackliture, you ask?

Books like this one.

The word Crackliture was created to describe a set of books I'm sure you have heard of by now- a little old series called, Twilight.

I read Twilight before most of you knew or cared about Edward and Bella.


And now, you can't sneeze without germing up someone who thinks THEY are the biggest fan.

Fine- you take Twilight.

But only on one condition.

I keep Hunger Games.

I read Hunger Games on October 7, 2008.

Almost exactly a year ago.

Again, at the time, it was just a book.

A few weeks ago, I finished it's equally wonderful sequel, Catching Fire.

Now it's becoming a phenomenon.

I cannot STAND to see that fabulous story go down in commercialized flames the way Twilight is burning now.

I knew Twilightease (as in disease) was getting bad.

The half ass movie, the stupid t-shirts, the perfume.

Then I saw this brilliant post by Heather and I died a little inside.

Burger King crowns?

I am begging you, commercial America, please leave Hunger Games alone.

Let my future Mockingjay tattoo be original, not a sticker in a happy meal.

Let the book remain a secret amongst those who haven't yet found it's beauty, not the script for a bad after-school-type-movie.

Let Peeta and Gale love Katniss and tell their story without being pitched against one another on "teams".

Put a stop to the madness. The action figures, the Halloween costumes, the lunch boxes.

Yours in All Things Crackliture,

Tiffany


Whose with me?

Start by making a vow.

A promise to keep Hunger Games and Catching Fire to yourself.

Maybe if we don't blog and tweet about it, we can keep it safe?

I'm willing to take any and all ideas.

Go.


Comments

babyblooze liz said…
Tif, your secret is safe with me - but just do a "Hunger Games" search on twitter and you'll find the secret's out of the bag! (I have to say Twilight books were awesome on their own but Rob Pattinson enhanced it greatly for me!)
mommytoalot said…
Hmmmm Hunger Games ...never heard of it.
Love your writing...as usual...you make me laugh
Heather said…
You just have to ignore it and get over it. The great thing about reading a book is it's all yours in your head. Just don't see the movie, if you don't want that to be ruined for you.

As for BK, yuck on so many levels. How SM could stoop so low is beyond me, unless she's desperate for cash to send underprivileged kids to school or such...in that case, so be it. I won't be buying any Kids meals anyway; I'm on a fast food strike.
Kimberly said…
I've heard of Hunger Games, but haven't read it. But, when I do, I'll keep it to myself.
The Expatresse said…
I plowed through the first three Twilight books, but got bogged down in the fourth one. Yawn.

I'm a big Diana Gabaldon fan, however. And her newest book is IN THE MAIL coming to me! I am very excited. In all your spare time, you should look for the first one, called Outlander. I resisted for years because I did not believe my girlfriend when she said I would love it. But I did.
Anonymous said…
I have to agree with you. I loved Twilight, I even loved the movie even though it was so poorly made. I already have my tickets to see New Moon. However, I refuse to buy into any other forms of it. I will not buy the dolls, the t-shirts or any of that other stuff. OK, maybe it's also because I am a grown woman and would scare my kids if I started to buy such things but still. It has gone a little too far.

But, I do have to admit I would love to see The Hunger Games played out on the big screen as long as they didn't butcher it so much like they did Twilight. And PLEASE tell me you have read Catching Fire, the second book of The Hunger Games. It just came out this month but it picks right up where The Hunger Games left off.

PS... Team Peeta!!! LOL
sassy stephanie said…
Hmmm. That is a hard one. When you read a great book (and Catching Fire is one of my faves of all time), it's hard to keep it to yourself. You want to spread the word and have others enjoy it as much as you did.

What is sad, is the commercialization of it all. On Heather's post, I compared it to the commercialization of Christmas. We can't hate the birth of our Savior simply because there are dancing snowmen, life sized blow up lawn decorations and millions of ornaments for sale. I simply feel it is my responsibility to keep it real...to keep the spirit of the Holiday and the birth of Christ true in my home.

I don't know if Stephenie was truly behind all of the Twilight crap, but I have to keep telling myself that she was not. I like to believe that she intended to put her words on the screen, to share it with more people, but that the money hungry of the world took advantage of that. I can't imagine she approves of some of the crapola on the market.

I hear HG is going to hit the big screen. So, I'm sure the whole thing will go Hollywood as well. I'm simply not going to see it, or buy any of the materials for sale. My own little protest, no matter how small.

But, I beg of you, don't keep a good book down. I don't know if I would have read Twilight or HG or (another fave) Same Kind of Different As Me when I did if I didn't hear about it from a friend. But, all three of these books/series I mentioned have been some of my faves and I treasure each of them no matter how commercial they have or will possibly become.
Heather said…
I'm toasting you with my coffee. While I realize that SM probably doesn't have much control over the marketing (and is pretty much too rich to worry about it) I still mourn the cheapening of that love story.

There will be nothing like that summer we read Twilight and sat on the phone with each other discussing plot and character. I do believe we got a little choked up in the sheer joy of finding a book that nestles down into your heart like that.
Anonymous said…
Hunger Games. Never heard of it.
Have a great day!
JudyH329 said…
I know what you mean. When I first read Gone With The Wind years ago in high school, I thought it was the best book ever! Years later as an adult, I went to see the movie. I didn't remember Scarlet being such a silly character in the book as she was on the screen, nor did I remember the book being so long as the movie. I have never watched the movie again. Hope y'all have a great day!
Live.Love.Eat said…
Loved your points. I also love Sassy Steph's comment too. The extreme commercialization is unfortunate, so is anything that becomes too excessive. Reality TV was good once but now it's just everywhere and I shun when something new comes out. We all become desensitized and it does cheapen the good stuff because it lumps it in to a big money pile.

Anyhoo, I will do my best to preserve the goodness :)
Hehehe, I don't think I'm familiar with Hunger Games... but I also hate the frenzy that goes after a book I really like goes mainstream and then the next thing I know you, you are drowning in advertising and marketing propoganda.
AiringMyLaundry said…
I've never heard of Hunger Games. But I love to read so I'll check it out.

Ugh Twilight. I am so sick of hearing about Twilight.
Jen said…
I just finished Hunger Games and loved it even more than Twilight. I can't wait to get my hand on Catching Fire.
Mimi said…
My crack books are the really good chick writers like Jen Lancaster and Hollis Gillespie. How can you resist a book titled, "Bleachy Haired Honkey Bitch"??
Beth's Blog said…
I agree with you, commercialism ruins everything......I get so sick of hearing about things even though I like them!
Shannon said…
Ummmm... I just blogged about The Hunger Games toady...


Ooops.
Lula! said…
This is why I love you.

Because you get it. And because this post is brilliant. Every single word is pure GOLD.

Remember that time we all read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire together???? That was a good, good time. Precious memories...
Anonymous said…
Lol! Love your crackliture!
Amy B. said…
Shhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And my local BK doesn't have any Twilight stuff. We have freakin' TONY STEWART crap.

God bless Redneckville.
I have read The Lovely Bones when it came out (I think it was in 2003?) and now it is going to be a movie. I've even read it more than once! I have loaned it to people and said you must read this! I have had my book club read it!

ANother FANTASTIC book I read was Signora Da Vinci :)
Amy B. said…
And one more thing...

If any of my books ever get published, y'all better believe I'm going to whore it out as much as I can until I'm richer than Oprah. Or Kirk Cameron, whichever comes first.

But I won't change. I'll still be me, the same old hypocrite that I've been all my life.
I've never heard of Hunger Games, but now I'm intrigued. Would you mind if I liked it too?

Seriously though, I've had that happen a few times. I remember reading Wicked when it wasn't that well known. Then again - Burger King didn't put Elphaba on a crown...
My lips are sealed. Sealed. :)
Unknown said…
You have me intrigued. And laughing just a little. ;)
Cheryl Lage said…
Funny = You. Tiffany, you crack (crackliture) me up. So cannot even BRING myself to read the Twilight stuff for that very reason. I'm okay with commercialism, but for those of us boarding the train late? Never lives up to the hype.

You are the funniest. Miss you!
Stephanie Faris said…
Why does that happen? I agree...there's something much more special about discovering something no one else has discovered. Although it's a great feeling when the author gets the recognition he/she deserves...it also takes a little of the joy out of it.
Sarahviz said…
Hmmm...galloping off to Amazon now to check out those titles...
Synergy Girl said…
I thought I would click on your page since you said you had all boys...even your dog...I can relate...3 boys, one on the way, and our giant mastiff...also a boy! Anyways, I was then intrigued by your post. I completely agree with your post. I wish these books weren't demoralized by pathetic attempts at horrible screen plays and shabby graphics. Nothing can compare the the story that has been created by ones own imagination. I have heard alot about Hunger Games...sorry...and have been wanting to start it, and I do hope they keep their hands OFF!!! Nice meeting you!!
PaperbackWriter said…
Hunger Games is news to me, though I have my own series' of books that I have seen and loathed to see become something other than a great piece of Crackliture or actual literature that they held their beauty in.

Blah, blah commercialism, personally turning most of these books we love into movies only ruins the effect of actually reading them and forming the look of the character in your mind, though I do have to say that its truly rare that the actor outdoes my minds character's looks appeal.
Luckily my kids are preferring books to the movies and enhancing their minds and imaginations at the same time - long live books!!

Happy Hump Day, SitSta!
Charlene said…
Both are new to me so OF COURSE I need to RUN to the bookstore now. :-) But I promise not to tell anyone.
Anonymous said…
Oooh Expatresse! I LOVE Outlander! I haven't read the sequels as of yet, but they're on my list.

And I'm in complete agreement about the marketing/saturation with Twilight - enough is enough!
Anonymous said…
What an awesome review! Challenge them, rub it in their face, and then say, no, you can't have it--sounds like a sure fire way to sell books!
Sunshine said…
No movie is as good as the book. I haven't seen the Twilight movie but my teen girls both said it was terrible. Of course, they still want to go to the premiere of the next one. I LOVED Hunger Games (thanks for the top secret recommendation, Tiffany) but will wait to read the sequel until I get a few things done around the house. I was useless once I started reading HG! Keep up the great Crackliture reviews!
MommaDJane said…
You crack me up. Keeping a secret and recommending not to blog about the book after blogging about the book. LOL Such a contradiction. I also loved reading all the comments and I, like several others, now must go check out Hunger Games b/c I haven't heard of it before.

Confession: My DD read all four Twilight series and loved them, I only saw the movie and enjoyed it. *Sigh* I know, I know, I must read the books and I'll see the big problem with the movie, I'm sure. Guilty, I am!
Amy J in SC said…
Totally get ya chick. I've never read The Twilight Series and now I don't plan to.
Crackliture, seriously! hahaha! Just clicked over and saw the crown. What's even sadder than that? There are women out there who will be rushing over to BK to get one of those things.

I think I'll be avoiding BK for awhile.
April Greer said…
I'm with you! My sister works in retail and she WILL NOT even read the Twilight books because she is so disgusted by the over the top advertising campaign. Note to self-when I write that big hit...no burger king...makes the fans crazy. Got it!
Julie said…
Crap, I've already told a bunch of people they should read these books. Fortunately no ones listens to me so we should be okay.
Unknown said…
I am going to check out hunger games and will let you know but that is it. No one else. I will try to keep my itchy twitter finger from the keyboard.
I completely agree!

I will *never* watch the Twilight movies...never, ever, ever!
I totally agree with you and heart Hunger Games/Catching Fire and so don't want it turned into twilight.
Hmmm. Now I'm rethinking wearing my Twilight shirt at SITScation! Awkward... But that's OK, I know you still love me!

But man, my reading list is getting SO long. Fortunately, I've covered all the Twilight books, but the TrueBlood books are next on the list, guess Hunger Games needs to come after that. I am obsessed with all things Crackliture.

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