ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS INSPIRED BY/REACTING TO THE THG EXHIBITION AND TRIBUTE GUIDES:

-I'm 200% sure that Finnick returned Haymitch's bracelet after using it to signal his alliance with Everlark in the Quell (and before his death; *SOBS*), and that Haymitch rarely took it off again. ;w; It gave him some comfort during his "soberizing/drying out/being made fit for presentation." But letting Finn borrow it welcomed him onto their team. <3
-The bandana shows that D13 is perfectly symmetrical. Supposedly, symmetry tends to be psychologically disturbing and off-putting. Ahaaa.
-Re: Effie's outfit from the 74th reaping: Magenta. Not fuchsia. Why people always mix them up? To be a bit more creative, one could also refer to it as "raspberry," or even "black raspberry." ;p I'm tempted to take a plain white tee and find out whether beautiful beet juice would dye the fabric a similar shade. <3 Fuchsia is the color of the big ruffly dress she wears when Katniss is in her wedding gown. (And I'm pretty sure she's somewhere around 30-ish, hahaha...or *maybe* an extremely well-preserved 100-year-old. XDD Nah, definitely 30-iiisssh. ;-p) I mean, hey, if you're a centenarian who's managed to retain your 30-ish-year-old look, perhaps with the aid of medical science, then...more power to ya, I guess...but...xDD
-'...even to the point of exiling herself from the beauty of the Capitol.' Yep, and being willing to die.
-The oldest kids stand in front, so the younger ones can't even see? Pssssh. What a load of bollocks. How cruel can they be?
-Yeah, I'd expect the vast majority of Tributes to have never been outside their districts.
-The Tributes of the 74th Games are mostly white; a few appear Asian. They've consciously made black the dominant race of District 11 (which is agriculture.) Hmmmm. 
-Most attractive imo? Both 4s, especially the boy (dem curls! Damn you, Cato); Foxface (we're the same height, and we're stealthy! Woot!); the girls of 8 & 9...and of course Glim-Glam, Marvel, Clove, & Cato. ;p
-Is it a coincidence that for 12, the girl Tribute got a male stylist and the boy got a female? Or is that a common arrangement? How 'bout them prep teams--do they tend to give the girls two women and a man, and vice versa? (Well, we only know Johanna had a female stylist, so I guess maybe they don't care about trying to match up by gender. Not sure why they would anyways, really...)
-It's got to be a pretty challenging job for stylists to come up with creative new designs each year based on the districts' primary industries. It would've been nice to get a better look at most of them. 
-As a trypanophobe, the worst part of the Games for me would be the tracker insertion. :p I'd be so far gone, the bastards'd never find me. XD It does remind me of my dogs' mircochipping, though...which I guess makes it slightly less horrifying, if I think of it that way...
-Replicators!! xD The food appearing at the touch of a button would have been cool to see. I understand that they didn't want to show all the "fanciful" Capitol stuff and make it seem more fun than intimidating, but the Trekkie in me wants to see all the high-tech things anyway. ;3
-Yikes, imagine the Everlark lovebirds mentoring...each would probably have to take one tribute, and of course they'd become opponents (rivalry time! ;p)
-You've gotta love how Snow's message there is basically: "See how nice we are! How kind and just and generous and fair! Not only do we of the noble, prestigious, and glorious Capitol take care of and provide for and protect alla y'all, and give your youth an unparalleled chance at fame and fortune...but we hold the Games every year also as a favor to remind you of what happens when people fuck with the wonderful system: the world goes to doo-doo! We celebrate the fact that even if y'all try pulling that bloody uprising and war shit again, you will stand no chance of ruining our great nation! We really  don't ask that much in exchange for our benevolence!" Y'know, when the truth is more like: "We like being able to rely on your labor and exploit your resources, while watching your kids die for our entertainment as we lord our power over you." Way to rub defeat in people's faces and display the ultimate schadenfreude. Sure, he doesn't view himself as a villain or a "bad person"...he's a politician, a bureaucrat, an alpha male capable of maintaining his dominance and the current societal order. "Every villain is a hero in his own mind." His idea of peace involves oppressed, powerless people, many of whom are living in fear and/or misery.
http://www.panempropaganda.com/forum/post/2519229

~Katniss' and Prim's mom was from a merchant family in town (the richer part of 12), while their dad came from the Seam. Maaaybe Haymitch resulted from a similar union, and his curious combination of genes caused his hair to lighten to dirty-blonde over the years? ;-p (And him to be white.) Furthermore, why'd her mom move to the Seam instead of her dad moving into town? Would that have put him too far from his mine? Or did she shame her wealthier merchant family by marrying him? Probably he just wasn't "good enough" to move in with her. ;p
~The "box swap" deleted scene was one whose removal I didn't have major qualms about, because I think it totally comes across anyway that Snow deliberately changed the preset rules for the third Quell...showing Plutarch making the switch might have confused more people than it would've helped...
Snow, you bastage of Winterfell. "...and I know it will go on inspiring us every day, for as long as you may live." *thinks, "I'll see to it that that's not too much longer!"* *drips blood in drink* "Eugh. Hope nobody notices that." ...How funny would it be if his final word were "Rosebud" (thinking of his precious flowers?) xD
~In all the districts that have never had volunteers before...that means no other siblings, cousins, or friends have ever opted to compete in place of the one picked. >.>; D'aw. But, I guess volunteers are rare outside of the first districts. Family (or friendly) devotion only goes so far in most cases...! Apparently there isn't normally much of a reaction to who gets picked. And Katniss and Peeta are presumably D12's first and only volunteers. And then what if two people volunteer at the exact same  time? How do they decide who goes? Flip for it? Rock, paper, scissors? xD Evidently there's a procedure for working it out, but only the districts in which volunteers are common know what the hell it is!
And especially if such an act of stepping up and claiming the position of tribute for oneself can be characterized as a selfless sacrifice (at the same time that it's sort of glory-hogging), there's a definite understanding in the Capitol that tributism isn't really a desirable thing, even though the reaped are referred to as "winners." The "glory" isn't worth it. They're definitely aware of this--the fact that a majority of tributes don't actually WANT to be tributes, even though they have to pretend to. That goes without saying. But they ignore it and congratulate the kids on getting to be made into the stars of a most special and entertaining event--isn't that a good enough honor in itself? :p 
"Yeah yeah, sucks to be you--but get over it, suck it up, act thrilled for us! Like you just can't wait to get into that arena! 'Cause y'know you all really should be getting so excited and delighted to be part of this and have this great honor...but we know you aren't, and that's totally fine. ;> Forget all about your silly old district. We know you don't actually *want* to sacrifice yourself for our entertainment and would much rather turn around and go home, but so what? Boo-hoo; too bad! You've no say, and it's a great cause! Be grateful for this! It's awesome, it's all good, AND you experience the lap of luxury. Well-compensated for doing this for us. Serve your country, lol. We are so wonderful! Agree or not, no matter how disgusted you feel or how much you don't want to do this, you're so fortunate to be here with us!" "You poor little things...in your view, there really is no reason to congratulate you...but to be honest, we've such a grand time watching you duke this thing out that your misfortune is quite easy to wave off and gloss over. You oughta be glad to fight to the death for us!"  
An honor and a burden. :p They're built up into these stars so that most can be cut down. If only more felt any actual sympathy toward them...how differently things might have turned out. 
~Katniss & Gale goss'ping in the woods, heehee. Escaping into the woods was a great thought, but alas, even there you're under surveillance! Dx (And from there comes the hypothesis regarding Prim's entries...) Wonder how far you'd have to roam to get beyond reach...all the way to the (now-bigger) Atlantic?
~Two excellent titles mentioned in guidebook: "Into the Woods" & "[The] Incredible Journey"
~Capitol skyline reminds me of NYC. xD Its architecture is based on a combination of Communist countries', World's Fairs, and Brutalism...makes sense. 
~Most unusual top two favorite characters I've heard of a fan having=Caesar & Snow. *lol* 
~Josh's quote about never having played a character so much like himself...xD
~Lucky Katniss & Rue had climbable trees in the arena; most trees are very tough to climb (as the careers and other tributes well know.) 
~So everything Katniss knows about plants, she learned from her pop and Rue. 
~Yeah, Katniss, you were definitely calling their bluff with the nightlock thing. 
~Gale showing his vulnerability with the "only way I can get your attention" line...but still jerkness, too. ;p I mean, with all that Katniss is going through, he's usually focused on trying to make her feel bad for not being in love with him, and griping about her spending time with the guy she probably does love romantically. :/ On the one hand he's been a good friend to her, and he took care of her sister and mother as promised...but he is awfully broody. He was a true friend for most of Kat's life, but romance-wise? She made the right decision for herself.
~The spile: It was like, *angry tribute holds it up for camera* "What the hell is this little piece of crap supposed to be, huh, byatch?! No instructions?!" >DD
~Gimme the fruit and pastries (especially the macarons!! And the Coo' Hwhip-topped JELL-O shots!!) at Snow's party...no sucklin' pig, please. xp Dem bastards just love their sucklin' pigs. And EW NO FLAVIUS, I don't want yer puke juice! *p* 
~It truly is terrible how Kat's marriage to Peeta was originally going to be a forced one (because everybody ships Peeniss/Katpee/Everlark! Well, everybody except Gale.) And how she then had to wear a gown for the wedding that was never to be (if Snow'd had his way...sunbish tried to turn her wedding dress into her shroud...) ;;
~Hydroponics: Well, 13 has to put its technology towards growing things for themselves...but yes, it is a marked difference from the Capitol using theirs to keep (most of) its citizens satisfied, contented, calm, entertained, and happy. 
~You want to break out with Donna Summer's "The Power of One" from Pokemon 2000 by the end of this book, buuuut, at the same time...this is the power of one AND the power of many. Katniss wouldn't be where she is without the support, aid, and actions of soooo many other people. She wouldn't even have made it past the first installment. xD Many help one, then one inspires many.
~I like how instead of going after the more obviously strong tributes, Kat goes for allies she thinks will be most trustworthy--with perhaps underappreciatedly helpful talents, as they seem like the awkward "misfits" of the group. 
~Ah, so tracker-jackers are subdued by smoke just like real bees/wasps. Hunh. Intrestin'.
~The black mockingjay pin on the black suit...Cinna, shouldn't it have been red so you could see it better? :/ Or black pin on red suit? :D :D
~JO!!! ENOBARIA!! BEETEE! Nothing, just wanted to give them a shoutout for bein' awesome. ^^ Enobaria (Eno?) must be a particularly interesting mentor. xD

**One of the sweeeeeeetest fuckin' things in the CF book: How Hayffie jointly decided to cancel the training sessions. Because the team knew Everlark was doomed (well, Haymitch knew what was going to happen), and Hayffie wanted to give them that special day together...;_; 

*Hazelle: Definitely pronounced either "Ha-ZELL" or "Hay-ZELL." The extra two letters gives it a different sound than Hazel; it's not just a "fancy spelling," and if her parents intended it that way, they're idiots. xp 
*What were the odds of Peeta being picked, as well as the sister of the girl he's been crushing on for so long? Only bigger coincidence would've been Katniss getting chosen directly. xD;
-I could see Eff thinking that "Hayzelle" might have become a thing, and indeed can even forgive fans for imagining and shipping it...that would've interestingly made Haymitch Gale's stepdad.
-Mightn't it have been more likely for Peeta to have volunteered to go and protect/help Katniss than actually to get reaped himself, especially since his family didn't buy tesserae? (Although his mom probably would've bought it for him just to get extra stuff, heh...maybe his dad stopped her...) It's almost as if, all of this was fated...;p

The progression of Effie's D13 looks is interesting. First, she's finally talked out of her quarters in the jumpsuit and bandana. Then, she tries out the poncho/tunic/cape-and-legging/own-shoes combo for the first propo session & subsequent meeting. She obtains the sweater from sooooomewhere (*winkwinknudgenudge*) and layers on a bit more up top with that, wraps another long top around her waist as a skirt. By the time of the bombing, she's in workboots and pants--the top piece hangs down her back and there's a thinner long-sleeved shirt underneath. She never removes the bandana around others and always likes to keep some of the little ornamentations she's allowed, especially on her hands and wrists (and a what looks like a silver flower pin on one side/pocket)...but still, she's really getting used to this "work clothes" look. Maybe even kinda liking it! It's shabby-chic and practical for what she's doing. (Not to mention, a hell of a lot more comfortable...? As uncomfy as she still feels, she's got to admit that physically, she must be feeling a bit better in some ways...even if the continued stress and anxiety are almost canceling it out, poor babe!) 
Love her and Hay's practical rolled-up cuffs. Then you've got the sweater-over-the-head, which again, I think is a great style...but it reminds me of a black veil. Like, for a funeral. Which is all too appropriate. ;; 
	Her gold accent pieces & nail polish aren't just a way to slightly "improve" her presentation & how she looks, but most likely hints at the tokens, since she doesn't have the wig anymore--little reminders of why she's in this, and what may be possible if they continue to stick together. Otherwise, we might have seen her lose even those little touches in the process of her 'assimilation.' She knows where she's coming from, who she's been, and who she's becoming. (Also? 1,000,000% sure that Finnick returned Haymitch's bracelet shortly after getting busted out of the arena. Haymitch will keep and cherish it forever. WE SHOULD HAVE SEEN HIM WEARING IT DURING MOCKINGJAY, dammit, but either we just didn't see it...covered by a sleeve or whatever...or he was keeping it in a safe place.)
	Also: She may have found some additional jewelry pieces someplace and been allowed to borrow/wear/buy/keep them, though--unless she was carrying extras around, because surely all of those wouldn't have been with the same pink outfit...? xD Was she wearing the pink dress and gold platform shoes together when picked up, or did she have to grab the nearest pair of shoes and just scoop stuff into a bag, or what? Because why/how in the world would she, at that particular moment, have been wearing the exact wedding ensemble--which is the only full "normal" outfit we see her wear in 13? She must have added to what she had on either by packing things or finding them later on or...something. 
	She might have been able to find a couple of pieces somewhere, but I also kind of intuited that maybe she'd had some extras with her to change up...? I do that sometimes when it's too hard to choose, hahah. And then consider all of the wedding pieces! Where'd those come from? She just happened to have all the perfect ones for that ensemble?!? Well, they had to come from somewhere. Hm. Now I'm thinking of that "underground" place from the awesome Licorice fanfic, where 13-ers would buy, sell, and trade stuff. Greasy Sae could've even gotten involved. ;] Some kind soul someplace in 13 could've lent, sold, or given some jewelry to Effie to try and help her feel a little bit better. (She may have actually wound up making a couple kind-of friends there...) I doubt the people who picked Effie up gave her a whole lot of time for packing anything she might have been permitted to keep, anyway...probably just a few minutes...maybe she was able to snatch up at least some of her jewelry and such because it was small enough to dump in a bag, or something. Yeah, this would make more sense. But at the same time, at least SOME of it could have been found somewhere around 13. (Plus there was the trip back to 12 for a wedding dress for Annie...not shown in the movie, where they insinuated that her dress was made from D13 materials...but eh, they still probably made the trip, 'cause why do away with that? Annie just winds up choosing the D13 one. No biggie. Except for how hard it would've been on Effie to see the ruined district.)

	>>Okay, but...seriously though. Why IS Effie pretty much the only one dressed appropriately for a wedding, aside from the couple getting married? Weren't they planning this? Or did Finnick & Annie spring it on everybody so suddenly that they had to just come as they were? It couldn't be that no one cared enough to wear anything special for the occasion, could it? The wedding scene is very short, but from what we saw, Johanna had the "jumpsuit dress" on...and that was kind of basically it? We know that 13 HAS "dress-up stuff," that it's not outlawed or of complete disinterest. And the only things Effie would ever be allowed to do that the average resident would't, would be things relating to her new position near the head of the rebellion--"duty" stuff.
	They had the makeup for Katniss--now, one of the camera crew could have brought that with them, I suppose...BUT THEN...where the fuck did Effie get the wedding accessories? She intentionally themed that outfit in honor of D4--no way did she just HAPPEN to have all those particular things with her upon arrival. She was apparently wearing the pink dress, one assumes, but what about the coastal-themed pieces? Did they let her leave and find them someplace else? There supposedly isn't too much above-ground in the area of 13. Does 13 in fact have a marketplace/trading post where she could've bought them? Did some kind soul lend or give them to her, insisting she take 'em? I can see her trading, selling, or giving away her own pieces...
	Hah, I can just imagine Eff getting picked up! "But, my wigs...!" "Sorry Ma'am, you can't take 'em with you." And not even a simpler outfit or two! >.< xD;; (I wonder when she was forced to remove the gilded wig, where she had to leave it, or to whom she had to hand it over...) They must have gotten her shortly before the arena breakout, telling her only that a secret plan was in place involving Katniss and Peeta...leaving her to find out the details later...including that one was left behind... She was probably sobbing in bed or something when they arrived. With weapons, to keep her quiet and obedient. Letting her maybe swipe some stuff off her dresser into a bag or whatever, then leading her off. 

Effie has all sorts of privileges, but she does not really have freedom. And though she's been swept up in the Capitol lifestyle and loves the aesthetic beauty and grandeur of the place, she lacks inner peace. She's caged. She's been devoted to the Capitol BY the Capitol, and needs to play her assigned role. Like the districts, she's obliged to support the Capitol. There are so many things she's locked into doing that she has very little choice--but nevertheless she starts looking for ways to have more of one, and to express it. When she finally sees the chance to take a stand, she goes for it. Effie's been living fearfully within her mold, seemingly petrified that should she step one toe out of line or slip up and do "the wrong thing" even once, a bomb may drop--sending rippling shockwaves to take out everything within the vicinity, because of her. She's just generally anxious about anything bad that might occur, and knows how tough it can be to keep one's true thoughts to oneself. I think she lives in a state of frustration and fear of speaking her mind--more due to what it could mean for other people, than for herself. 
	Yet she decides that she doesn't owe allegiance to her hometown at the expense of her compassion. Yet she's still not very willing to see everyone placed at risk, until pushed to the absolute limit. Their world is filled with pain and suffering--unchangeably, it would appear...but rather than hankering for the violence, she'd prefer keeping it to the minimum necessary. She doesn't truly believe in an "ends justify the means" philosophy, as both presidents (and some other people) so clearly do. But in Mockingjay, the boat's been rocked so hard it's capsized--things are getting shaken and stirred up, and there's just no going back.
	Also, for better or worse, the Capitol's been her home all her life so far. There's almost always some attachment to the place you were born and raised (even if you're like me and can't wait to get out because there's so much wrong with it...nonetheless, I know I'll return and ride up and down these streets with nostalgic fondness, reliving all the memories, hoping whomever bought my house didn't make any major changes to it...!) Take away the Games and imagine that the nation really is prosperous throughout, and the Capitol may still be "weird" in your book, but suddenly it's no longer "bad." On the contrary, it'd be an epicenter of advanced technologies, haute couture, culture, and so on. If the Capitol were the whole nation, no Games or poverty or abuse or anything...you could still criticize the culture or the people, but there'd be no need to hate anything associated with the place on principle. Not everything about it is horrible and needs to be destroyed. And especially if you're lucky enough to live there, there's plenty to like. And to miss if you leave. ;3 (I imagine Effie fantasizing about a peaceful, beautiful world like the kind portrayed by Kim Jacobs, or Janet Kruskamp, or Lisa Frank...;w; All such artists.)

I can picture Effie doing all kinds of things to help out in 13--possibly including work on the design of the new flag, and assisting with recommendations for Coin and her gradual "makeover," to achieve a fitting image and presentation. Perhaps she might even begin to trust her a little more, and/or feel that they're getting to know and like one another a bit...and THEN. Then comes the boom. Coin wants Peeta to kill Katniss, she comes up with the idea of instating more Hunger Games, she's Snow V.2.0, etc. Misgivings about her were right on the money. Oh. Shit. Talk about your strangely dislikable people...

Disqus.com/by/elsastormborn 

"...She lives with incredible restraint."-Julianne Moore on Coin
Hrrmm. (Not when punishing minor infractions, eh? That's for sure...xD But in like a terse, calmly biding-her-time sort of sense...) 
But, so then I got to thinking...Alma & Effie are obviously very, very different women. Yet what if, just maybe, they start to get toward a point where they might just be getting along (seemingly), seeing a bit of common ground? Finding a greater understanding or respect for each other (nothing that'd make an actual difference on Coin's part, of course, but still--maybe she could soften just a little? Be kind of nice, at least?)......only for Alma to totally blow this by revealing her true colors as a leader and a person, especially by trying to have Peeta kill Katniss for her?!? Turning Mama Effie's babies against one another is one helluvan unforgivable sin. 8[
Their first meeting was great, though! Effie, gracious and sweet as ever. Coin of course seems stern and chilly and gives Effie the up-and-down eye-flick, looking her over, sizing her up (not the best way for somebody in her position to greet people, even if you're understandably having not-so-great thoughts about them [especially ones aiming to help you])...but Effie's having some distrust of her own...so she lowers her rosy glasses and steals a little better glimpse of her new president when she talks to Plutarch...and Coin notices, giving her the old side-eye. xD 'Cause she's the HBIC and queen bee around here; "I can look at you but you need permission to look at me, sister." Poor little Eff pushes her glasses back up and glances away.

-How many of the rebels/district people called for more blood and wanted to execute the entire Capitol? Surely Coin's "'final' Hunger Games" idea was something she also genuinely wanted...

Districts:
So I guess Conan is right--if you could pick where to live in Panem, the answer is Snow's mansion. Sure, he's a jerk, but the place is big enough that you can easily avoid him. Or just the Capitol in general, let's be honest here. But if it's got to be a district...1?? Luxury goods? Why not? :/ As long as you ain't a Career, I guess... xp 
It seems odds that masonry would be the next best-treated...I mean, of all things. Is it because of the old cult? ;p Anyway. I feel as though Panem could do with a bit of consolidation. On occasion I'd mixed up 3 and 5 because power generation and technology just seem as though they should go together. I dunno. *le shrug* Obviously the Simpsons live in 5. And WHY the hell have you still got coal miners?? Enough to be the dominant industry of a district?!
Being an animal lover, and of fish in particular (along with dogs), you'd think I'd pick 4 or 10...which, yeehaw, is probably actually true. I love water, gardening, and nature in general, too. So 4, 10, or...1. (Even though I'm adaptable and could probably be okay in almost any district...each has its own cool-ish aspect...) I've always gone with 4 because of my Irishness and red hair, plus the whole water-and-aquatic-life thang. 
6 is basically building the hovercrafts, train cars, etc...that's cool. But not getting to actually travel elsewhere in the vehicles sucks. (And this one really overlaps with technology [3.] Didn't Katniss say automobiles were built in 3? Why wouldn't "transportation" fall under technology? And doesn't power seem related as well?) 7's lumber, o' course. I'm a lumberjack, and I is ooooo-tay. (Lotsa cool gargantuan trees but no mahogany, according to Effie. Wonder where they get their mahogany from, then? Is that why it's so special--is there only one other place it grows that's NOT in D7? Hmmm.) 
8 is textiles; that's pretty cool. You'd think that *wouldn't* be one of the poorer ones, heheh. I mean, you may not get to keep too much of what you produce, and the Capitol likes to underpay, but still... 
I'm still unclear on the difference between 9 & 11--why would grain not fall under agriculture? Why is grain the sole purpose of D9 while 11 is responsible for, apparently, all other fruits, vegetables, legumes, and stuff? 9-11 are the "farming" ones, divvied up for some reason (to kill more kids?!?)...and then you've got mining. And of course weaponry. ;p Would it be too unwieldy to have all the farmland be a single district?
(And say, I wonder whether the D10 tributes have ever been outfitted in Lady Gaga's meat dress? xD)
Know what must blow? Being born in the wrong district! Like, having to work in a position you naturally suck at, not being able to move to a district you'd prefer...?! X-P (Like...I'm a Jersey girl...which I think is covered by 13. xD; ) Seriously--if you display an aptitude for one of the other districts' specialties, oughtn't you be able to move? 
Certain districts we know almost nothing about, such as 6 and 9. (69, lol. Heh.) 10 is probably the most neglected--isn't Dalton in MJ the only D10 person we really met? 
And then 12...generally they get the most ridicule and are seen as the least prestigious, in Kat's words, but it's the home of our heroes, and thus we luff it. 
It also occurred to me: The national population must be pretty large, if the districts and Capitol aren't inbred. But reading through the district descriptions at the Exhibition, the population for each sounds awfully small! Most in the hundred-thousands, for all that space...hunh. Doesn't sound terribly sustainable. 12 has fewer than 8,000 people?! Are you freakin' serious?!? Who conducted this census? Who's responsible for keeping tabs on everyone? Obviously the population was going to be very considerably much smaller than the modern-day USA's, but hot damn. I fear for the gene pool. (Holy incest, Batman...!!) 8-\ 8-| 8-/
There's significantly less land area to Panem than there was to the USA. (It stretches into Canada & Mexico, but what's left of North America is greatly reduced.) So Katniss tells us in the first book that 12's population is around 8,000. Which, is weird. My town is small, and we've got almost 15,000! Pretty bizarre to imagine that being the entire gene pool and selection of potential mates. I guess Panem hasn't existed long enough for them to become inbred. Most tend to picture the districts as fairly smallish, concentrated "town" areas, for the most part. So there's probably a lot of empty as well as "interdistrict" space that's...largely unused/uninhabited? Much of the time? And arenas are located in the less populated areas? Hm. (You might think there'd be overpopulation/overcrowding with the talk of starvation/poverty/not enough food, but...'pparently not. All the same, I still say: "Why not just stop reproducing altogether?!" XP Call me crazy, but I'll never understand why a human who has any difficulty feeding and caring for him/herself or has any significant doubts about his/her ability to care for a child, would have one.)

"Inside Capitol Couture": The "Inside Capitol Couture" videos are just a wee bit more fun--clearly not attempting anything that could  realistically exist in Panem. I mean, the YouTube girls they've asked to make the videos are...eh. They don't all really give the sense that they have even seen the films (more than once?), much less read the books. The matchstick wall art was cute, but their script tried to promote Part 2 by talking about Katniss, "the Mockingjay," and the rebels...and hello? The magazine is not going to be sympathetic toward them unless it's been infiltrated and overtaken already (yeah, right. That thought works for marketing purposes, but would be a complete fantasy in terms of the actual story.) Not only would it be illegal by this point to even bring up Katniss or "mockingjay" in the media without condemning her outright, but extremely few Capitol citizens would wish to see anything honoring her now. The idea that they're making do with less due to shortages caused by the war makes sense--crafty homemade matchstick art could look a bit more chic in that situation, and Blair's was more sophisticated than the average elementary school student's would be. But on the whole, most of the CC stuff continues to utterly fail the "could it be legit?" test. 'Tis pure marketing. They're "sneaking" mockingjay pins or salutes or whatever other rebel imagery they can into all their promo vids for our sake, not because it'd really be there. Half the time they've written it from a much more Capitol perspective ("Loyalty never goes out of style"--yes, but loyalty to whom/what?), as if opting to appropriate the whole "military" motif as the hottest trend, and carrying on as though the nation's not embroiled in a blazing civil war. Other times, they make it feel as if the rebels have stepped in to appropriate some Capitol culture, and--wait a minute. That's BRILLIANT. Blur the line; imply that things haven't necessarily changed, that the "new boss is the same as the old boss." Okay. I can dig it. 

New Effie footage is excitedly welcomed from any source, but again--she's a rebel. The majority of talk about her going on in the Capitol during the war is likewise going to be negative. She's one of the few Capitolites on the other side. And the only reason these videos of "Effie-inspired" makeup and accessories are being made *for us* is that WE know and love her. It's not at all "in-world." The makeup one seems to imply that some rebels have taken over and, adopting a CC style, chosen to honor her with little tutorial sort of things. Which is...believable enough, it's fine...it's cute...but it isn't what most fans are looking for in the marketing. *shrug* I simply want more new Effie pics or clips! ;p 

Couple things re: MJ1: 
~I aaaactually like the "Kiss you/kill you/be you" line even more coming from Effie. Of course, it's fantastic from Finnick too. What a coincidence, them saying that exact same thing...Finn must've overheard her. ;) Effie has a very important, meaningful, poignant role throughout Mockingjay--she didn't simply "steal" lines from people like Fulvia, Plutarch, Octavia, etc., and serve as a stand-in. 
~The reason they didn't go ALL-OUT with trying to make 13's oppressiveness way obvious (*to the film-only audience*) right away was clearly for the sake of surprise--especially considering the split. With a year in between. They wanted to be able to mislead and surprise some people. Whatever might seem "ooc" about its portrayal, I would chalk up to that--but I didn't take issue with it, anyhow. The place does suck right from the beginning just like Katniss told us in the book. xD
~Impressive that the screen can translate Haymitch's shorthand chicken-scratch into text. xDD 

SC INTERVIEW: So Katniss came straight to her and insisted on telling the story. WELL, there is a reason for that!! ;) NOT to belittle the job of the writer in a case like this; you don't simply stare into the world from a safe vantage point and write down what you see, or take dictation from a main character. It requires creativity, imagination, skills, thought, planning, inspiration, ingenuity, etc., to perceive and then bring the tale to life for us here. Suzanne was the one destined to gain this special access to Panem because of how perfectly suited she was to telling this sort of story: her childhood experiences, her father's stories, her interest in historical and literary forerunners, her observations of our modern world. 'Twas destiny! And what a precious gift!! "This is such an unflattering thing to say about yourself..." She relates most to Plutarch, since from the creative perspective, the writer and the gamemaker aren't too far apart. 
SC observes that Katniss isn't the most moral person, so readers don't need to worry about feeling inferior to her. She's flawed, and her moral compass isn't always pointing the right way. She also notes that she can't interpret the books/story for people--can't tell them that they didn't react to/experience it a certain way, or get certain things out of it. THG has been read as an allegory for various things, as a primarily war or action-adventure or romance story. The truth is, it's all of it. For her, it was always first and foremost about war & the consequences of violence, but she doesn't care what it is specifically that draws you in.
(And she mentioned 1984 & Brave New World as influences, yay!)

Randomness (from my mission through all the HG Tribute nominees for the preliminary voting because I'm a chosen Revolution Leader...and of course I voted for all the very best things, and the ones that had the most to do with H&E...^w~): 

"YOUR HUNGER GAMES DISTRICT MATE IS EFFIE TRINKET!" YAY!!! I want to be her BFF. ;u;

'YOU’RE A MUCH-NEEDED BREATH OF FRESH AIR WHO DANCES TO THE BEAT OF YOUR OWN MUSIC. THAT’S OKAY, BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT TO SING ALONG WITH YOU -- THEY BUY WHAT YOU’RE SELLING. AND EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE A STICKLER FOR ETIQUETTE AND DECORUM, YOU STILL HAVE A BIT OF A WILD STREAK. YOU KNOW IT’S IMPORTANT TO LET YOUR HAIR DOWN EVERY NOW AND THEN (WHATEVER COLOR THAT HAIR MAY BE!)' Luls...it's pretty true of ME, anyway! And mostly of Effie, in certain ways. Kinda. 

HUNGER PAINS TRAILER: "AHAHAHAHAHA...no." OMG, that fabulous Cinnabon! I HAVE to read this parody now.
-"You wanna win these Games? You better start thinkin' like a little Japanese schoolgirl. Worked for me."
--The actress playing "Effu" really looks and sounds like Effie. XD I love the "Let's wrap this up; I don't want to be here anymore. My face hurts" line. Because although it's a parody, that sounds kinda like something Effie actually would think! ;-;

Also, that Mindy Sterling playing Mrs. Neverclean looks SO MUCH like Lily Tomlin, I thought it was her. :O Except that her voice was different.

"That's why I'm wearing these Hello Kitty panties. That's why I'm wearing this miniskirt. You're gonna get groped on the subway. Am I mad at this girl with the bow and arrow? I don't know yet? She's got a bow and arrow? It doesn't matter that I don't know what's going on." Are we sure this is a PARODY?? And bloopers from a parody??? Because...I dunno, Haymitch seems possibly just like his normal self...XDD

"If you'd look through my eyes, you'd know that those eyes were mine, 'cause of the blonde hair on the sides." (THAT'S SOME DEEP FUCKIN' SHIT, HAYMITCH.)
- DRUM OF DRAMA -
"Lady Gaga thinks she has hand puppets."

"It only works as a joke/parody...o.O Everything from the hilarious writing and "costumes" to the absolutely wooden delivery of nearly every line--there were just soooooo many way-off-the-mark details, I could only think that it HAD to be intentionally funny. They clearly didn't know a damn thing about the characters or story, so they copied lots of detailed text out of the book to form the script and make it look as though they know everything. All the 'actors' look and sound as if they're stiltedly, emotionlessly, unnaturally reading cue cards. No one put any effort whatsoever into costumes, props, locations, sound quality......homemade reenactments can be pretty danged good if you have sufficient resources and actually try creatively, but here I didn't know whether to cringe in embarrassment for them or simply laugh."

-Mockingbirds are corvids, a group of highly intelligent and observant birds. Lol. Observant. XD Not exactly Kitty-Kat's strong point.

THG TRIBUTE VOTES: Fan Art [Drawing/Painting]--Paulina Forys' Effie (there was also a good watercolor and set of dolls.)
Beauty video: Effie costume makeup (there were 3 others and a nail art)
Recipe/food: Effie cupcakes!
Fan Reaction videos: Tessa's Geek With Me. Also loved the Elders React to CF, Teens React Remix, Everything Wrong W/ THG In 3 Mins or Less (except for the invalid "Movie makes Elizabeth Banks ugly" remark--grrrr.)
PolandbananasBooks' was pretty good as well.
GIF: "If We Burn, You Burn With Us"
Katniss Moment: SO HARD! Picked Hanging Tree. Considered the volunteer, Rue's song, the nightlock stunt, the speech in 11, the pearl, "If we burn," & her demand for Peeta.
Cosplay Costume: D13 Effie, but they were all SO freaking spot-on it would've been an impossible toss-up otherwise.
Parody: Also hard as hell. Went with "Hunger Pains" trailer. Narrowed to the voiceover wolf-puppet one, Literal CF trailer, GoT "Jon Snow Must Die" (disappointingly missing Cressida/Margarey and Lyme/Brienne gags!), the Honest Trailers (hilarious, though largely inaccurate, and the CF one left Best Person out of credits!), the spoof where Peeta wanted to flip off the camera and show his wang on TV, the kooky homemade CF trailer, the literally mocking jay, and the Lego one.
Action sequence: Bunker evacuation (because we KNOW our darlings were there, and imagining them finding one another is just simply HNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG...) Also considered the tracker-jackers, Thresh attacking Clove, the poison fog, the Jabberjays, and the 'sploding Cornucopia.
Costume: Butterfly dress (runners-up: Gold-wig ensemble & D13 outfit!!)
Katniss Ally: Mags (but how to choose among Cinna, Peeta, Finnick, Jo, Rue...?!? No Hay or Eff in that category...just went with my instinct. Mags is underrated.) Dunno why no Haymitch & Effie. That's pretty blasphemous. Are Supreme Bestest Allies simply too obvious?! :p It's not even as if it could be "allies who weren't viewed as such right from the start," because Cinna was, and Hayffie really weren't. O.o And honestly, Katniss is distrustful of most people initially, so few people became automatic allies in her mind anyway, no matter when they came into the story. And this category is so goddamn pointless because they included Peeta--as if there's ANY CHANCE WHATSOEVER that he's not gonna win?!?! He's got it in the bag!! As if Boggs or Cinna or Johanna stands a snowball's shot in hell against him?! C'mon!!! Could've at least replaced him with Effie or Haymitch...
Brains>Brawn: The propos...but also the burnt supplies, burnt-birdie wedding gown, rock!Peeta, & hacking into the Capitol's defenses. 
Quote: AHH! They had 3 attributed to Effie and 2 Haymitches. Tempted to go with the infamous mahogany from the film...but then there was "big big day" from the book, and "May the odds..." (which is neither a quote just from her, nor actually her "signature," since it's the traditional Games slogan/motto; we hear others say it as well, and the "Happy Hunger Games" part precedes it.) Plus Hay's "Here's some advice: Stay alive" and "You could live a thousand lifetimes..." Picked the latter because, Idk, it's less commonly remembered, and not another comedic choice but a more thoughtful, emotional one. Haymitch is always so underappreciated and underrepresented that I knew Effie would want me to pick one of his quotes again! (Besides, each of them probably thinks that s/he could live a thousand lifetimess and never deserve the other...</3) The whole nominee list was so full of her and Katniss that some of the guys needed a shot. ;)
Biggest Feels: Katniss' second reaping...but also Annick!, the pearl, Magsy!!, Kat's reaction to the Quell announcement, Rue!!!, the volunteering...;0;
Effie Outfit: The lavender ruffles from the party...with clooooose runners-up being the D13, Monarchs, gold wig look, and magenta first-reaping outfit.
Answer/Moment You're Most Looking Forward To: "Will H&E finally confess their love and be together forever?!" And also, Snow's death. Ermahgherd. So mystery.
Music Video: Peeta's Song, followed closely by Key of Awesome's CF one. Then Gale's Song (HE'S SO SEEENNNNSSSITIVE), the Lana del Rey HG parody, that neato title sequence using Lorde's "Everybody Wants to Rule  the World" cover*, a loverly Hanging Tree performance, & the 'Second Quarter Quell' hypothetical enactment. 'Peeta's Song' is basically a big roast of him, but they're parodies, so they're entitled to hyperbolize and do anything they want so long as the results are hilarious...which they are...and it allows us to laugh about his foibles and follies whilst knowing inside that he's neither a useless nor a weak person. ;]
Original Content: "If I Were in the Hunger Games." Because lols. Even though, aGAIN with the "useless Peeta" semi-joking. XD; The speed drawings made me lol muchly, but those two dudes knew nothing other than that Snow's first name contains the word anus. ._. And poor Effie, being incredibly inappropriately referred to as "Freaky Clown Chick" with the apparent surname Tinkles. D:< She's not an evil white Persian cat bent on world domination!! Get with the program here!! 

*I like how you get Woody's & Philip's names with the skyline image, then Donald's/Stanley's/Jeffrey's with an ink-spattered rose...then Julianne's with a hanging birdcage, & Liz's in the spotlight beam shining down directly beneath the cage, toward the microphone and mockingjay symbol. Everything in there is pretty symbolic. It just seems that Liz should be higher in the list, is all. xp

Wikia Fan Voting:
Tearjerker moment: Katniss singing to Rue; but of course also the saluting guy in 11, Peeta's heart stopping, Gale's whipping, and the Annick reunion.
Female character: Effie, duh.
Male character: Haymitch, duh.
Supporting character: Effie, duh.
Katniss outfit: Soooo hard. Love 'Girl on Fire,' Mockingjay, & wedding dresses...mockingjay suit and dad's leather jacket both stylishly badass...and the "innocent" yellow dress is real nice too. x_x
Butterfly moment: The wedding or the pearl? (Or "real or not real," or her nursing him...??) Another very hard choice.
Fave book: CF & THG 
Most surprising death: Prim. Then Finnick, Coin, Crane, Cinna.
Most despised char: Grrrrr, you know the two...
Fave scene: Grah, I 'unno. Reaping? Also Hanging Tree, nightlock, dam, and camouflaged Peeta!

Re: HG Parodies (of which some were much funnier and cleverer than others)--

Bimbie Bauble & Sumbitch Evertipsy: Secretly dating. ;) HG Parodists caught on. He tries to kiss her onstage, and she mouths "Later." I looooove it.
I've been reading/watching all the parodies. Hunger Pains, Hunger But Mainly Death Games, and so on... Love the one that riffs on Katniss' narration and full-of-herself-ness: "I hate dialog, because usually it means at least half of it has to come from someone else. I am the most fabulous huntress in all the world. This is my narrative, and I control what happens. Other people come to life only when I enter the room. I have two hotties fighting over me. I'll spend pages and pages talking about my dresses, hair, makeup, and other stuff in which I feign disinterest, but barely describe the world around me at all...MEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEMEME...!!!" XDD
Now we need...The Zombie Games.

Hunger Pains by Harvard Lampoon=SO MUCH HILARITY ON EVERY LAST DAMN PAGE. Chapter-by-chapter parody; wish they'd gone on to Catching Fire & Mockingjay!! 
Buttitch Totalapathy: Gambling addict with serious debt. Bets conductor he can't go twice the speed limit without derailing the train.
First revolution: Horrendous failure. (There used to be 200 districts. Lesson learned.)

Dear Father Figure, UMMM. That'd probably require multiple people honestly agreeing to go the pacifist route with you. I'm sure there've been tributes in the past who played without making kills; you'd endanger yourself and loved ones, etc., on the very very off-chance that you alone might inspire some kind of successful revolution? I get where you're coming from with the whole needs-of-the-many thing, I really do--but I more than understand even a peaceful person like Peeta taking out other competitors who're ready to take them out. 

TOP 15 (31!) THG PEOPLES:

I'll give it a shot...
1. Effie--BEST person <333
2. Haymitch (<333!! HAYFFIE FOR LIFE)
3. Katniss
4. Peeta
5. Finnick
6. Johanna
7. Cinna
8. Mags
9. Wiress
10. Rue
11. Prim
12. Gale
13. Beetee
14. Annie
15. Foxface
15.5. Plutarch [HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN HIM, DOOOOYYYYY]

To double it...

16. Thresh
17. Enobaria
18. Caesar
19. Portia
20. Madge
21. Glimmer
21. Mrs. Everdeen
22. Chaff
23. Cashmere
24. Clove
25. Gloss
26. Cato
27. Brutus
28. Marvel
29. Seneca
30. Of course I loathe Snow & Coin...but they're great villains, so I guess I kinda have to like/respect them on that level. 

OH, SHOOT. HONORABLE MENTIONS: Paylor, Pollux, Castor, Cressida, Boggs, Messalla, Claudius, Tigris, Lyme, Jackson, Mitchell, Homes, Egeria, Antonius...

Ranking of Mockingjay characters:

I shall do this, but it gets tough after the top 6 or 7. 

1. Effie
2. Haymitch
3. Katniss
4. Peeta
5. Finnick
6. Johanna
7. Prim (For the record, I DO NOT blame her for going to save the cat. Could I have left my dog behind? Never!) 
8. Gale
9. Plutarch
10. Beetee
11. Pollux
12. Cressida
13. Boggs
14. Castor
15. Coin
16. Snow (To rank these two wicked pressies last because we hate 'em, or higher because they're awesome as characters? Hm, hm, hm.)
17. Butt-er-cup! 
18. Messalla
19. Caesar
20. Mrs. Everdeen (Clara??)
21. Egeria

Yep, Effie & Haymitch are my faves. Might sound a little funny at first, but right from the start I found them to be the most intriguing and complex ones. My understanding, especially of her, turned out to be way more in-depth than most people's tended to be. 

IT ALWAYS CHANGES (after the top 6 or 7, anyway): 
1. Effie
2. Haymitch
3. Katniss
4. Peeta
5. Finnick
6. Johanna
7. Cinna
8. Prim
9. Mags
10. Plutarch
Honorable mentions to Gale, Rue, Foxface, Annie, etc., etc.

YOUTUBE RESPONSES:

It's saddening to see the old comments regarding Effie. ;; She's the most complicated and interesting person, if you ask me. (But for your own sake, DON'T ask me, because I will literally discuss and analyze and talk until I've filled at least a dozen encyclopedia volumes.)

-"Why do Capitol people love the Games?" Because they're desensitized and have no regard for the lives of people "below" them. The Games are not only perfectly acceptable to them, but celebrated as a grand and wonderfully exciting, entertaining spectacle. Paying attention to Effie throughout the books and films, I had to quickly draw the conclusion that she's actually an anomaly. You're supposed to assume, like Katniss, that she's a clueless, vain, oblivious bimbo who only cares about herself and her shallow Capitol life and the glory of the Games. But oh, how she gives herself away. Her behavior is typical of the submissive, low-ranking employee merely attempting to appease her superiors. She begins as a replaceable cog in the system, and something of a slave in her own right. Her "overly happy" mask is a put-on that tries to prevent truth from seeping through. She puts on a smile despite how she's feeling inside--"Try and pretend!" That's what she's got to do. Welcome to her life. The land of make-believe. She grows as these two young people who become her first (and only) Victors unintentionally inspire her to start, little by little, connecting more with her true self--embracing rather than concealing, repressing, fighting, and denying it. The paradoxically liberal oppressiveness of her native culture has left her with a very negative self-concept, physically and mentally/emotionally. She isn't good enough. Everybody else can't be wrong, so it must be her. She's got the nervous tension and paranoia of one who definitely has things to hide...always worried about some misstep or indiscretion leading to an even greater catastrophe. She does everything within her power to ensure that the tributes have the best possible chances of survival--for two to be spared at once is like a miraculous dream come true.

-She's young and pretty. Yes, coating her already-pale face with this stark-white look actually has the effect of making her appear older. As the story continues, you get to see her looking relatively more natural--until, of course, she's laid bare of all her Capitol trappings. But covering herself in all of that helps her to be what she needs to be. Her rather stunning, fabulous ensembles were, in fact, deliberately made as uncomfortable as possible by the costume designer to reflect her true state of mind. The physical discomfort and restraint is all a manifestation of inner turmoil. Someone remarked on the first reaping scene, "Effie cannot breathe normally." They probably just found her amusing and were poking fun at her breathiness--trying to take deep breaths yet only able to manage shallow inhalations and exhalations--but they were onto something. No, she can't. She can't breathe properly. She often seems "choked" due to her constricting clothing and the anxiety it represents. Her voice is often breathy or gaspy. (As if she doesn't really breathe well, has trouble catching her breath, frequently doesn't believe in what she's saying yet is trying to please those with power over her--i.e., pretty much the whole Capitol.) She's stiff yet jittery amd jerky, almost always moving. Poised yet fidgety. All her litle mannerisms fit this kind of a person. She lives a life of privilege, to be sure, but she does not have real freedom. She can't relax and breathe freely and just be who she truly is. [NOT UNTIL THE END WHEN HAYFFIE HAPPENS...*ahem-hem*] 

-The reaping is completely random, most of the time. Unless somebody rigs it. But if it weren't her hand drawing the slips, it would be someone else's. There's nothing she can do to stop this. It's not unlikely that this particular reaping was secretly rigged to punish Katniss' technically-illegal activities--in which case, the Capitol's downfall would ultimately have been its own doing. xD Effie'd really rather be able to get this over with as swiftly as possible since it's unavoidable, but obviously the Capitol wants suspense and drama. In the book she snatched the male slip very quickly because she was having a wig malfunction (courtesy of guess whom...?) They unfortunately skipped over that hilarious Haymitch intro on film. ;p

-Butterfly symbolism: They represent change, metamorphasis, transformation, rebirth. It's perfect for her. Here you have someone born into one life but destined for another...writhing inside a tight, constricting, nearly suffocating cocoon and undergoing both subtle and sudden growth...until breaking free and emerging at last in a new, more empowered form, ready to learn to spread her own wings. 
(And why would anyone assume the dress to be made of real butterflies? a] They'd be easy to create artifically. b] Butterflies, like most insects, have very short life spans; you wouldn't have to wait long to find specimens, anyway. :p The actual costume is made of handpainted feathers, which are also easy to obtain humanely. Cheesus.)

-So is she sick of reaping? You bet your sweet arse. Is that a sudden occurrence because the supremely magical Katniss & Peeta were the only people who could make her see how wrong and unjust it all is? Eggynar. They're instrumental in her development, yes. But to quote the band America, "Oz never did give nothin' to the Tin Man that he didn't already have." She LOVES Haymitch & Katniss & Peeta--it's almost as if they're already her husband and own children. She had to fear that whichever boy's name came out, the other would very likely volunteer in his place. (Aka, one name probably meant the opposite one.) Both would want to help Katniss again, from within the arena, and be willing to sacrifice themselves. And evidently no one can legally prevent a very determined, eligible volunteer from doing so. However it plays out, you simply have to accept it, much as you obviously don't want to. Haymitch tried to stop Peeta, but Peeta wouldn't let him. (You can tell Katniss wishes he had, though. It was like, "Are you absolutely, positively SURE you wanna do th--ooooof course you are.") Haymitch also probably talked briefly to Effie about it prior to the reaping, and tried to convince her that it would be best for him and Katniss to go in together this time. But no matter which name came out of the bowl, it was going to be pure personal anguish for Effie, for very obvious reasons. The man she loves tried to stop a young man, one of their "children," from reentering the deathtrap he'd managed to escape a year ago. The situation was devastating and horrifying for all of them.
Think about it--were you her, you'd hate yourself for feeling relief about the one not going. So "relief" isn't the right word.
[And making her reaction to the male reaping possibly interpretable purely as a "sigh of pained relief" for Peeta could've been somewhat deliberate, so as to head off any silly rumor of her having a thing for Haymitch...>;p]
https://plus.google.com/u/0/102282991787844638468/posts/Spu76ZvNAKE

There's never a good way for a reaping to go (unless you drew a blank slip?); it always sucks, and one of each sex has to go...but this is the first time it's deeply personal for these guys because just the three are eligible. If they could, all four would be up there volunteering for each other and fighting over it until the Capitol actually got bored of them. Even so, Effie isn't a violent person, and it's hard to imagine her killing (except maybe someone like Snow, or in pure defense or something...) So many things are different this time around. That she can just barely hold herself together isn't surprising. Plus, she and Haymitch haven't had the luxury of being able to form a close bond with their tributes before. 
Effie's heart is with her friends, not with the rest of the Capitol--which has been her home, but not where she truly belongs. She owes it no allegiance at the expense of her compassion, which is not weakness but strength. And she acknowledges more "real beauty" in Katniss alone than in the entire place. She gets it.
Katniss' volunteering in the first place must have been a relief, really. Prim looked like one of their worst possible choices--a meek, fairly scrawny little 12-year-old who appeared even younger. No 12- or 13-year-olds have ever won. At least the older, stronger-seeming sister who bravely--no, more like desperately--volunteered seemed to have some passion and fire in her. Volunteers stepping forward is exciting during a reaping, especially non-career-district ones, and it's such a rare occurrence for someone to volunteer just to protect somebody else. (And even if these Games were just normal sports, the age range is way too big if you ask me...-.- 18 vs. 12? Come on!! 18-year-olds have the highest odds of getting picked, but there's always gonna be the odd 12...) Still, it must have been so difficult to block the family drama playing out and "go on with the show" as though it was awesome to have the first volunteer.
Katniss' unique and noble sacrifice was her first remarkably atypical, potentially stirring act. It didn't thrill Snow, and was the point where all the hoopla was initiated. 
https://twitter.com/elsa_stormborn/status/686112237006753792

>It didn't take me until this point to love Effie. From her introduction I recognized her over-excited, super-smiley, excessively cheery & bubbly & bouncy facade as a necessary act. She's a mere cog in the system, and there's not a thing she can do to stop it. All she can do is try her best on behalf of her district and its tributes, which she does.

>>Hayffie tho, man...they'd been working together for years. And while she must have been very young when he won, I wouldn't doubt her having developed a crush on him. x3 But by now she loves all three and is generally devastated. Both guys had a high likelihood of firmly volunteering for the other. 
And then imagine--what if Snow had Haymitch's name written on both slips, figuring Peeta would probably volunteer, because he *is* trying to eliminate 'Everlark' due to everything they've done since last year. 
OR what if he intended to stage a 'suicide' for Peeta over the loss of Katniss, were Haymitch the other tribute? Or something possibly even worse...any of the diabolical deeds they could end up dastardly doing...;x;
Haymitch wasn't as much of a wanted target as Katniss & Peeta, obviously, but given the depth of his connection with them as well as the Gale-whipping incident, he (and all other remaining victors) were sure to be more closely monitored than ever in the future (if, y'know, the rebellion hadn't occurred.) Since Snow couldn't actually get away with eliminating them all. He could at least get 2/3 of the D12 victors, and if need be, find a way to take care of the third.

And WHAT IF: Peeta had eaten his berries before the count of three, trying to avoid forcing Crane to allow two victors? Would Katniss have just started screaming and crying? Probably. I don't know that she would've downed the berries as well before getting removed from the arena. But, of course, that didn't happen...because although the defiance was Kat's idea, Peeta totally went with it. She was imagining Gamemakers being executed slowly and painfully for the world to see. Maybe his thoughts weren't quite so graphic, but he definitely seemed to think it was a great idea, telling her to hold them out so everyone could see what they were doing. 
On a funnier note: It could've been like "How THG Should Have Ended," with one or both faking the other out and not really being willing to eat the berries. xD "HEY, you jerk, you promised to do it on the count of three!" "Well, YOU said YOU were going to...!" Or one could've just been like, "Oh fuck it"/"I was just foolin'"/"Only one must win" and killed the other. >.>'

Theme song suggestions for her: Let It Go, Reflection
"Don't let them in. Don't let them see. Be the good girl you always have to be. Conceal; don't feel...put on a show. Make one wrong move and everyone will know..." (ending with, "The coal never bothered me anyway!")
"Look at me; you may think you see who I really am...but you'll never know me. Every day, it's as if I play a part. Now I see--if I wear a mask, I can fool the world...but I cannot fool my heart. Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me? When will my reflection show who I am inside?"
"Chin up; chin up; put a little laughter in your eyes. Brave it; save it--even though you're feeling otherwise..." (from Charlotte's Web)
~*~*
Poor Effie...she feels so exposed and almost naked without all her embellishments. 
Girl, go to Haymitch in private and listen to him. You're beautiful just the way you are. And you have a beautiful heart. Don't be ashamed of your real, natural self. <3 
Her hair, apparently, is what I expected: blonde (tough to tell with the lighting in the MJ2 trailer shots, but possibly platinum...the eyebrows could be bleached, though.) She's got to be approximately 30-ish, give or take. Now, we'd better get to see her au naturale, with hair down (probably not too much longer than her shoulders?) 
There's supposed to be a sense of closure at the end of MJ2, and that can't be unless HAYFFIE. Because their arcs are the most fascinating thing about this entire fascinating saga to me. 
In her hesitance with Plutarch, she inquires about Haymitch...o' course. ;'3
~*~*
Hayffie FOR LIFE.

This has to be the funniest section of Part 1. Katniss failing with her stilted, awkward lines. Producer/director Plutarch and Assistant Director Haymitch. AD Effie who's trying to be her usual helpful, supportive self--but gets that cringy, "...Crap, this isn't working" look. 
It's fun watching J-Law pretend to suck. xD

Then Haymitch takes on the role of teacher, with Effie as his eager little pet. God, you two...get a schoolgirl uniform for her instead of the utilitarian-chic, grey-is-the-new-pink D13 stuff, and then get a room! ;p 

God, Effie's just so precious and sweet. She needs to be a mother. I'm actually delighted that she said the "kiss you/kill you/be you" thing. Not that Finnick couldn't have said it too, but to me they sound more like her words. I mean, his delivery of it would've sounded more...comical, I think. Hers is pure sincerity, in a mix of emotions. The decision not to save her for that one scene at the end was right-on. Yes, I need Part 2 to shed some dang light on exactly what happened in the unseen background...but not showing her in the foreground of the first half was the text's biggest sin.

'Capitol Couture' Blahg funnies/reactions:

While Seneca absolutely refuses to share a shred of detail regarding the challenges of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, he cheekily hints that he has some fun things in store. “None of the Tributes should ever feel too comfortable,” he says with a smile.
Seneca is a huge fan of fur-soled moccasins around the house - and he thinks they’ll soon make the jump to the streets. “What could be more luxurious than walking on tangerine-tinted ocelot fur 24/7?” he asks.

Worst Fashion Memory: “Do you remember the 60th Hunger Games? The one year I didn’t wear my signature midnight blue suit? Back then draped equine silk was all the rage - I looked like I was wearing pajamas! Never again!”
Fashion Pet Peeve: While Flickerman is welcoming of most trends, the one thing that truly disappoints him are those who don’t try. “I just think there can be so much beauty in the world,” he sighs. “Why not express it on the outside?”
Favorite Tribute: “You know I can’t answer that,” he smiled coyly. “I will say that this year’s competition has been truly illuminating.”

Personal Style: Claudius considers himself the Capitol’s very own Beau Brummel - a verified dandy. “Tall heels and taller hair is what I always say,” he chuckles.
Worst Dressed: “Not even a question! Those outlandish get-ups of Haymitch Abernathy! I mean, who taught that man to tie a cravat?!”
^LOL...shit, Effie, better get on that.
Voice Care: Claudius swears by his own concoction: a veritable brew of honey, green tea and a pinch of powdered rhinoceros horn, harvested with silk gloves from one of the rarest creatures of District 10. “It does wonders to create that booming tenor you know and love,” he swears.
^WTF, there are rhinos in North America now?!?!
Define the Capitol’s Style: “I really don’t know much about the dress sense of the Districts, but the Capitol style is all about an eclectic, adventurous spirit mixed with a healthy dose of madcap spunk, finished up with enough sparkle and color to put the entire rainbow out of business! Does that answer your question?”
^Sounds like my style...XD

Tip: "Wear something voluminous to parties so you can stuff yourself with more food." Ugh. Effie does not take that suggestion. She just be walkin' around with a glass of whatever...and for that matter, they must have some enormous bathroom stalls in the Capitol to accommodate the clothes. Imagine how hard it must be for HER. She probably tries to just take little sips and hold it if she has to go, rather than risk messing up her outfit. XD; Poor girl.
"The higher the heel, the better!" (For killing your poor little back and feet, yes.) ;.; Her shortness is adorable.

FOR THE ROLE-PLAY:
Hi all! My name is [Yvonne Charlotte/Roxanne/Noel Abernathy]. I'm the first-born child of Haymitch and Effie Abernathy (née Trinket.) You probably know them as two of the closest friends of the Mockingjay, Katniss Everdeen. ;) I have a twin sister, Ophelia/Necile; she's "the sweet one," while I'm a bit of a tomboy. I'll still dress up and such with my mom a little, though. I'm 17 & live in District 12 with my family (including two little brothers), Dad's geese, the dogs we adopted after the revolution, and of course, "Uncle" Peeta & "Auntie" Katniss (and their two kids!) Obviously I'm wearing my hair like her in that pic, & she's taught me archery. I love hanging out at the bakery & playing outside with everyone. Sometimes Phelie & I have to help Mom & Dad deal with their painful memories of how things used to be...

500-CHARACTER VERSIONS:
Hi! I'm [Yvonne Roxane Abernathy], 17-born to Haymitch & Effie Abernathy (née Trinket.) You may know them as the Mockingjay's close friends. I have a twin; Ophelia's "the sweet one," while I'm a bit of a tomboy. I'll still dress up a little & such with my mom. We're in District 12 with two little bros, geese, dogs, the Mellark family-"Auntie" Kat taught me archery. Note the hairdo! I love the bakery & playing outside. Sometimes we have to help Mom & Dad deal with memories of how things used to be...
Hi; I'm Roxane Charlotte Abernathy, 17-eldest of Haymitch & Effie Abernathy (née Trinket.) The Mockingjay's friends! Born 2/19. I have a twin sister (Ophelia Yvonne); she's 'the sweet one.' I'm kind of a tomboy, but I'll still dress up & such with Mom sometimes. ;) We live in 12 with 3 younger sibs, dogs, Dad's geese, & Auntie Katniss/Uncle Peeta. (She taught me archery.) I love hanging in the bakery & playing outside w/ everyone. It CAN be tough since Dad & Mama have such painful memories too..

"I learn my lines by listening to them, I record them and listen back. Unlike Cressida, I learn by listening." 
"I’d want to talk about what happened to her family, what happened to her to make her revolutionary. On set, we all had different stories about what made the team turn on the capitol." 
"She’s a real girl & she has weaknesses, as we all do. She’s a flawed hero that makes her human & relatable." 
~Natalie on Cressida & Katniss
~*~*
Saw someone suggest that they "had a thing back in the day," a little affair--and then what if, when she's old enough for their age gap not to really matter, he hooks up with her just because they're both attracted to each other (not because she's "buying him," she'd never do that)...yet among all his "fans," he comes to feel respect for her...and they fall in love...but then she becomes an escort and of course they have to keep their true feelings on the downlow, pretending not to be able to stand each other. I mean, it wasn't very different from the norm; they just kind of assumed something that's not necessarily likely to have happened. It'd probably be cutting it really close to the beginning of the story, in terms of their ages. And also assumes that both have full awareness of the other's depth of feeling--whereas both seem to have that insecurity, uncertainty, questioning......they likely suspect at least some of the time that the other is suppressing things which *might* include an attraction, a fondness even beyond that, an affection of sorts--or even potentially something more...and each at his/her own rate begins to realize and accept their own feelings, eventually starting to grasp the other's as well. They'd figure themselves and each other out better and better over time, eventually acknowledging their deep need to be together. Seems less likely that they'd have had a romantic/deep relationship prior to working together.
Could one of his potential past "flings" possibly have been her? Intended as mindless and meaningless for him, but decidedly not so for her? It's highly doubtful given their age difference. Effie's, while never mentioned, is estimable. 
~*~*

Main magazine article reactions:

SciFi Now: I like J-Law's and Liam's characterizations of Katniss & Gale in there. 
OH MY GOODNESS YES, Haymitch's story...for corn's sake, Finnick's, Johanna's, Effie's...a look at the founding of Panem, the Dark Days, the establishment of the Games. I want to know all about the future and the past. :3 So, so glad that there's already talk of these possibilities, and that everyone is giving essentially the same basic, proper response: If and when Suzanne's ready to guide the expansion of the world, then they'd love to see it. As would I. 

Not sure about all of their "Hungries" awards, though. xD

-Yeah, yeah--only reason those hypocrites really took issue with Katniss being sent back to the Games was Peeta's brilliant baby bomb. Apparently it's not okay to do it to a *pregnant* girl. The Mockingdress is sweet and impressive, but had nothing to do with the audience's (brief and ineffectual) protest.
-Coin nominated for Best Hair...XDDD Well, by the end of the revolution, sure, maybe. But Seneca's beard does indeed prove that "facial hair can be anything it wants to be if it just believes in itself." And Effie...well, I guess we can't really count wigs, huh? She'll be a shoe-in when we see her natural hair. <3
-The "Over-the-Top Performance" category was hilarious. "Every time Katniss shouts 'PRIM!'" The silent tearful screams for Rue, Glimmer, Clove...lol.
-Hey now, the Capitol's full of...well, all right, fair enough--it's full of stupendous AND really bad hair. Templesmith would fit into the latter classification.
-STFU, FOXFACE IS AWESOME. One of the better tributes, anyway! Certainly not the worst! >8O Are you shitting me?! She was doing damn well 'til she...well, probably did opt to give up and off herself quickly with the berries because the rule change meant she had virtually no chance left. Cato was still lurking around, and Katniss & Peeta were now working together. Katniss may have let her go once near the start, but now? Fat chance of it happening again. She may have done some calculations and reasoned that with how little a chance she now stood, it'd be less painful to just eat the berries. However, even if it was a freak accident and she put too much faith in Peeta to be gathering edible plants...she's still totally far from being the worst, omfg. Imagine if Katniss (and Rue and Peeta) had allied with her.
-Yep, Mags is a real lady. ;w; <33 Mad respect for that woman. *salutes*
-NUH-uh, you did NOT just call Effie's 74th-reaping look "god-awful." EFFIE ALWAYS LOOKS GORGEOUS, U BASTURDZ. And for every piece of "shit" that comes out of the Capitol, there are a number of totally fab things. Capitol Couture=/=evil. Of course we know Effie has the best taste overall. 8'}

SFX: "Going out with a bang"--oh, I hope that wasn't supposed to be a Prim joke. But of course, there'll be plenty of bangs aside from that particular one...

I LOOOVE that they've added additional scenes to show us more than we got to see/find out from the book. And the way Francis described "landing in that zone...where the sacrifices that people have made should not be for nothing"...yes, yes, yes. I want to feel the pain and hardship with which they're all going to have to continue to deal, yet, I don't want to walk out feeling as crazy-depressed and empty as I did upon finishing the Mockingjay text. I really just want to find out a lot more, and hope that it fits my mixed, bittersweet, but overall positive vision of the future. 

I can assure Nina that I, for one, am not interested solely in Katniss! Like MANY other fans, I will presume, I'm extremely interested in the other people's personal stories, past Games, and Paneman history. It would be strange at first, no doubt, to read or watch something from 'The World of the Hunger Games' that didn't revolve around or even include Katniss...but once they got used to it, I think people would devour it. Same if there's any sort of sequel film or series or publication to be had--especially because that would still include Katniss.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Mark Reads": Hrrrmmmm. Okay, so I just found myself directed to this OTHER old "Let's read through The Hunger Games trilogy together!" blog, and thought, "Ooh! That might be fun to speed through. Let's hope it's as sharp, witty, and incisive as the 'Reading With a Vengeance' one that's on Farla.Livejournal.com and at least two blogs of hers! Now, THERE was an astute and clever reader!" 
Well, wow. At first, I was utterly horrified and infuriated. Now, I understand that it was written (and commented on) years ago, before the first movie, probably right after the first book had been published and become a bestseller. I grasp that these were just people's reactions to what they were reading. However, it was simply such...shallow, knee-jerk reacting to everything! I scarcely saw the point of it. There was a whole hell of a lot of "OMGWTFBBQ, CAN YOU BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" and a whole lot of high-fiving/back-slapping the main (and by "main," I pretty much mean Katniss and Peeta...) characters. Even when they ought to have been criticized. Every single chapter seemed to begin and end with more hyperbolic, hyperventilaing "OMFG DO YOU BELIEVE THIS? GO SUCH-AND-SUCH!" kind of stuff in bold and italics, AND most of the in-between content was similar material...as opposed to the THOUGHTFUL, analytical, informative insights of that other review set. Not that I agree with everything that girl wrote, either, but I have to give her MAD respect for looking and thinking so deeply. 

In my view, these "Mark Reads" responses to the books were wrought with inaccuracies and misunderstandings. The vast majority of it completely lacked the critical thinking for which I'd been hoping. Just heap infinite praise on Katpee and everyone to whom Katniss takes an automatic shine. Because she's just so damn good at understanding folks. (Cinna? Of course I love Cinna. He's fabulous and awesome. But even I can admit that there's such a thing as overrating him, which is what this reader did.)

PRAISING Katniss' pointless, childish, obnoxious--and yes, very disgusting--'eating like a savage pig'?!?!? I'm with the Vengeful reader: *sarcastic gesture* "Our hero, ladies and gentlemen." Yeah, she's a teenage girl and it isn't surprising behavior; we can even give her a pass considering her circumstances...but it is nonetheless disappointing, and should NOT be praised or encouraged. 

A huge part of the problem was that they were willing to just trust Katniss as a Reliable Narrator. SIN. Ugh, the story looks a lot duller and more simplistic when you accept her as Ms. Perfect, and what she says goes. Failing to think outside of the character's head means you're just as easily fooled as she is, that all her misperceptions become your own...which, I guess fills the story with even more uneforeseen twists and surpries, so, maybe that works in people's favors. ;p And yeah, you're pretty much supposed to get the wrong ideas about a lot of people at first, so...meh. I guess, looking at it now, in hindsight, and with all of my encyclopedia-length analysis of Best People and the whole damn thing...seeing the incredibly harsh instinctive knee-jerk reactions so many had without even bothering to reconsider, to take a more circumspect and insightful view...urgh. It was maddening. (But it became less so as it went on, so I'm not bashing this reader. He did change his mind when it was appropriate to do so, as did the commenters, and I applaud that. Bashing is ineffective and counterproductive; what I do is respond, question, and critique.)

But still, the earlier stuff! Ye gods! Yes, put your full faith in Katniss just because she's your guide on this delightful tour of Panem. Take her word for it that Effie's a shallow, stupid bitch who honestly, personally means exactly what she says when Katniss doesn't like it but is a fake, lying phony otherwise. Take her word that, on the other hand, Caesar is a swell guy who's genuinely on your side and sincerely wants to help you. When Cinna does his design-a-dress thing to help you and makes you all pretty, he is The Best Person Ever and has your interests at heart and makes you look fly as fuck. When Effie does a ton of other shit to help you, she's just being a naggy bitch and taking the fun out of this, so it's cool to give her a hard time. It's okay; the obvious assumptions about what she's thinking must be true. (When everything she does is intended for the kids' benefits, whether or not that's immediately clear. Yup, everything she says is definitely what she really thinks and not what she "should" think.) Whatever your favorite dudes do is wonderful and fab and squee-worthy, so much better than what...*ugh*, other girls do. Even the total-idiot prep team is 'sincerely trying to help you,' apparently, yet you can't figure that out about Effie. Wtfh. (Most of what Effie says is reflective of the Capitol as a whole, what she knows she needs to represent.)
Don't pick up on any of Kat's biases or other nuances. Don't question, doubt, or allow yourself to be challenged at all. Just scream and shout every time someone says or does something remotely shocking or impressive...take it all at face value, celebrate things that maybe you shouldn't...and seriously, you were really so unfamiliar with the premise going in that it shocked you THAT much? At first it seemed the blogger just could not grasp that he was being asked to accept this future-world, with all its rules, norms, and morals. But if you can't do that--can't do your best to look at this thing from the perspective of a Paneman...then yeah, you'll probably be responding with gasps and "Oh this is so horrible"s and "What she just did was so awesome"s the entire time, but little more...in which case, you almost might as well go watch any old horror flick instead? :/ 

Details and connections (even the fact that Peeta is named after a type of bread) proved elusive. Dang. 
The guy obviously has fun reacting to popular books, and how do you begrudge someone the right to enjoy such a simple pleasure...yet, based on this, I would set no store by those "reviews," or expect to get anything of value from reading along with them. =\ Okay, I get it; it's for fun, and that's all. I was expecting way too much, spoiled by the other reader-writer. My bad? (You can tell who gets the higher marks in my hypothetical English class, though, eh? ;p)

"Katniss has low self-esteem/a low sense of self-worth": Time to diiiiiisagree. -_o On the contrary, she seems to think plenty well of herself and can be hella high-and-mighty, hypocritically self-righteous, and full of herself. That doesn't mean I dislike her...I just calls 'em as I sees 'em. But yes, she does start thinking that Peeta would stand a better shot at changing things for the better than she would. He's got the way with words and people. Her influence comes more from "active actions," whereas he's more of a passive sort. And moreover, she's realizing her love for him on top of the debt she feels--so it's hardly surprising that each looks toward the Quell with the intent of saving the other. Again, the blogger did change his tune in regard to certain people... (*cough Effie cough* *and Haymitch too coooough*) Including Kat! Yes, he started to find her frickin' irritating as hell sometimes, which is...appropriate! What do we want with a perfect, flawless, unrealistic heroine? She can be incredibly dense and all these other things, but she still demonstrates enough positive qualities to be overall likable (most fans and I would say...perhaps not the Vengeful reader, though I think the movies softened her opinion of the girl. ^^') 

What hurt the most was seeing the immediate, venomous reactions to Effie. ;; At that time, everybody was still fresh off of Harry Potter-mania thanks to the final Deathly Hallows movie, so I suppose the comparisons to Umbridge and Rita Skeeter shouldn't have been as appallingly repulsive to me as they were. (Pink hair and bright green clothes, man! I totally see it!) Especially Umbridge; at least I had a physically attractive image of Skeeter...sheesh. But no, I mean, fuck...! Umbridge is pure evil! She's even more despicable than Voldemort! The only specific HG person remotely comparable to her would be Coin (and I guess Snow too, going purely by level of evil...) But oh, lordy. I tell ya, the fact that a few people had even originally pictured Effie as "older and chubby/plump" clinches it: They were caught RUI--Reading Under the Influence, of Potter. >B-\ I guess I can kind of see where, at first, Effie's persona and all the natural assumptions about her might have been suggestive of someone of that nature...because what she has to try and make people think of her is in a related vein, I guess. Doesn't stop it from hurting. -.-
	Well. So. The misdirection and Eff's cover were more than successful, at any rate. At this point, it's very difficult to see comments from people who were actually viewing her as malicious. And then even when they figure out that they misjudged her, it's still just, "Oh, I can't hate her now I know she's only a misguided, clueless, simple little product of a sheltered upbringing..." Like, okaaaay, you're kinda on the right track, but can't we give this poor woman a little more credit? Why so stingy and stuck in the "She MUST be dumb and silly and annoying even when she becomes more likable" spot? Because everyone else is obviously soooo superior? Why do you assume it's all the unique and magical magicks of Katpee suddenly MAKING her likable out of the blue? Admittedly, Kat's narration DOES have a way of making it feel as though nothing important or different ever happens anywhere until Their Royal Majesties come along, so hell, why *not* hand them of all people supreme power over other's hearts and souls? Sounds fair. D; (And much as I may love a reformed villain, I'm a liiiittle tired of the "character on bad-guy side has sudden epiphany due to fondness for the hero(es) and switches over to good-guy side" trope myself. And this is just way, way more interesting, important, and moving than that.) 
	Frig, look at me--I recognized her as the most complex and fascinating person almost right away and have now given her the deep, deep, serious thought and consideration I believe is due her. I'm not retroactively asking that blogger and those very hurtful commenters to have been ME back when they were reading the book for the first time, without even the benefit of a single movie for additional perspective. No. I simply...oh hell, it doesn't matter. The past is in the past; let it goooooo...!  

Honestly? The books, while terrific, ARE YA and on the shortish side (relative to the length one would WISH them to be, anyhow.) They can feel heavy-handed with their messages, and all the contrasts and other things with which Katniss hits the reader over the head. Lots of things are skipped over or condensed and summarized so that a little montage plays in your head; in that sense, they're a bit like literary movies.
I find that they're much better when viewed not with the simplistic, "This-is-a-kid's-story" mindset, but actually as a real window into this rich world they describe. It's no perfectly clear lens by any means, but it's a vantage point. And they wouldn't really be complete without the films, which help to flesh out the story and the world a great deal.

Also? Purple and orange are GORGEOUS together. >8|

For all her going about how she feared being overheard, learned to avoid tricky topics and act totally indifferent, didn't want to be a 'bad influence' on Prim, etc., it's ridiculous how utterly shit Katniss is at figuring Effie (among other people/things) out. And perhaps even more incredible that much, much more of her readership didn't compensate for her lack of people or critical thinking skills, but just went along with everything she said, practically worshiping her. -_-

Couple more responses to things I've read (with which I couldn't possibly have agreed less): 
--Effie takes the annual ride to D12 and walks from the damn train to the damn stage for the damn reaping. Maybe the car drops her and the accompanying Peacekeepers off right by the Justice Building, although the tracks are near anyway and driving the tributes over to the train is just a formality--whatever the case, it's a short little trip. Then they shuffle back off to the damn car & train. She doesn't hang around there and meander about, wandering about town, exploring and getting to know people. She's not a witness to anything that others aren't. She doesn't know something others don't. Her experience would've been limited and brief. She really just knows what's been told/taught/implied or shown to her. 
The important thing about her is that when she becomes aware of injustices, she cares. She's affected. She's moved. She doesn't like it. When confronted with the full truth, she's not at all okay with it; she's appalled. The way things are isn't the way they should or need to be.
--She could be slightly older than the prep team, she could be younger than them...could be a mix of both since there are three preppers. Point? She's not the old, experienced, wise person to their naive little innocence or some BS like that.

Sometimes it's hard to be sure of what some of these guys were talking about in interviews...xD
"...[Effie]'s going through the districts, and all the kids she's meeting end up dead..." Wait, what kids? You mean the tributes? Well, yeah. :[ The only "shocking" thing that happens on the Victory Tour through the districts is right away in 11, and they make sure not to have a repeat of that. They spent a bit of time in the Victor's Village getting set, and then were off. Again, she's not exploring the district people's lives and getting to know them, or seeing things other people might not know about. It's just a supervised tour, whisking you along from one Justice Building stage to another. Obviously there are "many things happening to her as a character," but it was a bit confusingly worded. You see more emotion coming forth, but she wasn't a totally different person from one chapter to the next. "...how a Capitol citizen who normally appears cold and unfeeling could seem conflicted about her ties to the Capitol." Precisely--keyword being "appears."  

Holy shit...it's so awkward looking at people's "RPs" as characters from like, 2010-13...using edited photos of actors who weren't cast, being so completely absurd/ridiculous and OOC and inaccurate and way off the mark (yes, especially about Effie!) Dx

Aaaaannnd, even more comments...
Effie and Haymitch ARE THE BEST. <3333 "i love how Effie is playing as the pissed of mum, Katniss the rebel daughter, Cinna the comprehensive uncle and Haymitch the frikin cool dad... and Peeta the little listener brother lol" --> EXACTLY. They're a dysfunctionally perfect family. If only Uncle Cinna (and Aunt Portia!) survived...;; Anonymous Specimen: Ignorance? Are you kidding me? Worst statement ever. Lacrymosa & that other jerk, too...yeah, right, because Katniss is little Ms. Perfect, & Effie is a clueless jerk who likes to make things hard for her?! Yes, that's it. She's not a poor, paranoid darling who does all she possibly can for these kids and then some, virtually everything she does being for their benefit ...terrified of what could happen if someone missteps and does the "wrong thing," opening up a whole new world of additional trouble and suffering on top of what they've already got to contend with... Yeah. Ffs, Effie isn't the bimbo who actually likes the system and the way things are. She's a little Capitol cog, a slave in her own right--trapped and stifled and repressed with no way out. Shame that in a story full of deceptive appearances and concealed truths, people were willing to just take her at face value and superficially dismiss her.
~~
I would wear EVERYTHING she wore. Everything. <3 ^w^
Including the D13 stuff, 'cause she needs to realize that she has "real beauty" just like Katniss, and doesn't HAVE to be all fancied up...;;﻿
Entry for Panem Propaganda's THG Shipping Week giveaway:
I tell ya, I've taken up residence aboard the S.S. Hayffie. They've become the ultimate OTP of my life. I also love Everlark & Annick/Odesta, and could possibly do Goanna or Gressida if Part 2 provides sufficient suggestion of either (otherwise--good luck in D2, Gale!)
I've been shipping since I was a little kid watching Pokemon and wanting Jessie & James to hook the heck up already, before I knew the term for what I was doing. There are lots of fantastic pairings that I ship hardcore, but this is really in a class all its own. Because just…wow. I've never been so overcome, so engrossed, so invested in something like this…I've never literally sobbed over the feelings, thoughts, pics, and stories generated by the couple and their story. It's deeply moving. They're infinitely fascinating, rich, complex, unique people with ever so much depth and potential--yet too easily overlooked by many. Haymitch & Effie both jumped out at me immediately as favorites, and I'm certain that I would still have shipped them right away if I'd read the books before seeing the first two films, because that tantalizing something between them is present in both forms. Because the Mockingjay text was so sparsely detailed in its last 1/4 or so, especially, and told me essentially nothing about them beyond Haymitch's geese, I'm thrilled that the movies have begun to elaborate, and to add on material for ships other than Everlark & Everthorne. Since becoming a diehard fan this past February (what a latecomer! I know), I've barely been able to think about anything else. Everything comes back to THG--and them in particular. They just give me so much to ponder, analyze, headcanonize, and dream of…I find the pair endlessly compelling. Neither is what s/he appears to be, and watching how they grow and evolve and change while realizing how much there is to them is mesmerizing. They're so different and from such different backgrounds, but nonetheless such a perfect match…complementing and completing each other much like Everlark, but in basically an inverse way. They're the other half of the team, which is something like a little yin-yang (Katniss/Haymitch & Peeta/Effie being similar to one another.) But these two absolutely need and deserve to be together at last. ;w; True love. Soulmates. Imzadi. Fated. Destined. Kismet. Intended. Meant to be. Okay, I guess I'll shaddap now.
On JabberCast #25: 
Snow would have self-cutting roses. x-p
I love that the movies let them, to a degree, go outside of Katniss and show events for which she isn't present--so long as they have some important relationship to her, so that we always feel tethered to her. 
SO many people have said that they almost couldn't even grasp that Finnick had died because it happened so suddenly and was then glossed right over. I've also seen complaints that his death was pointless and didn't help accomplish anything. I didn't disagree, but obviously, the situation didn't allow them to pause to mourn everyone lost along the way. And pointless as it was, it is at least realistic because in a war, not every death can be "meaningful." People are going to be dying all around you. If NONE of the most-loved, "core" people had died, it would've felt very unrealistic. Poor Messalla, hahah...no one cares about him. xD;; I mean, he is one of those people who's just kind of THERE...
Tigris' shop is also way nicer than I was picturing. My mental image was inspired by a dream I had...it was like a dark, black-walled place with a really high ceiling, her wares covering the walls behind & around the counter, and some creepy wire mannequins standing around. But it actually looks class, and she herself is a work of art!
I don't know whether they're going to under- or overestimate the audience's intelligence and ability to understand Katniss' choices near the end of the film! Actually, the levels vary so drastically that no matter what, I'm sure they'll inevitably wind up doing both. :p No matter how comprehensible it is, I have no doubt that some people are going to walk away confused and thinking she'd cracked her crock or something, requiring those who get it to explain ad nauseam. As stated, there are people who read the books already and don't even understand what was going on, so...yeah. 8/
I'd been talking to somebody else about why Katniss might be so made-up in the greenhouse scene...it would seem that both she and Effie were all dressed up nicely for that. We can't tell whether the still shows them walking toward or away from it, but regardless, this kinda makes sense--since they're in the Capitol, things are winding down, and it's almost execution time. They certainly could've fixed her up a little earlier than expected.
And as for why Effie's so sad...I've been thinking about it too. ;; I assume it's probably mostly about Katniss, in that moment. She's apparently watching her get ready to shoot or something. Kat's been through so damn much--two "mini" wars in arenas, and then a full-blown civil war that's all but killed her AND cost the life of her dear little sister, the one she'd initially volunteered to protect. Plus, Effie already showed so much emotion in Part 1. She's now witnessed or become aware of the full extent of the harsh realities, and the atrocities wrought by the Capitol that was her home--and the realization of dreaded war. She obviously loves her "team," but she seems overwhelmed and deeply affected by everything that's unfolding. Just think of all that's happened! Even the way she wore the black sweater draped over her head at the end of Part 1 was reminiscent of a funeral veil, foreshadowing what would inevitably come to pass. 
I have never seen Effie's apparent admiration for Snow, enthusiasm for the Games, etc., as being genuine, but rather a put-on facade or persona. I view her arc not as a simple 180 from being a typical selfish bimbo to discovering that she has a heart, but as a moving beyond fear...coming to accept and embrace who she truly is, rather than continuing to hide and repress it in order to be what she's expected or feels the need to be. Seeing that she owes no allegiance to the Capitol, especially not at the expense of her compassion--which is not a weakness but a strength. I see the experiences with Katniss & Peeta as helping to move her along more quickly on the path to self-actualization and liberation, rather than magically turning her into a good person. In fact, I wish they'd somehow show her killing Snow. Ah, sweet poetic justice. She of all people, doing it in the names of everyone he's ever hurt. Since his actual cause of death was one of many unrevealed details...
https://disqus.com/by/ElsaStormborn/
On THG's IG post of the Effatniss/Keffie still: #EffieTrinket stands with the Mockingjay!
Darn tootin' she does. This still made me SCREAM! Effie looks like a gorgeous Asian-inspired porcelain doll, wrapped up as a gift (openable only by one H. Abernathy...;) Wig looks a tad far back, but I love it. And she looks so serious. ;-; (Shame the book got so overwhelmed by awesomeness it forgot to mention all but one scene w/ her. ;p) Poor thing must be freezing, though; clearly they're walking toward or away from Snow's greenhouse, all done up again. Katniss does look like a model. xD
Now please give us a poll for Effie to win and I shall be content. ;} (If either of them had died, it would've been so utterly unbearable that I'd never want to hear the words "hunger" or "games" or even "the" ever, ever, EVER again!!!
On Panem Propaganda's article about the "surprise" near the end of MJ2:
Gressida is also totally possible, although I don't think it's nearly as "in demand" as Hayffie, which seems to be incredibly obvious by now...so I wouldn't think he'd have been referring to that. Still, it would make me happy. At least we'd know that Gale isn't on his own, and he would get a consolation prize of sorts. xD I was basically picturing her and the other surviving squad members working for Paylor & Plutarch or something, but there's no reason Cress couldn't go with Gale. Speaking of that, I've also been fantasizing about Plutarch offering Effie something to do, and her telling him that she'll need to be able to do it from D12 because--as he'd reminded her--her "days in the Capitol are over." ;) (And then she glances at Haymitch and asks, "I think...?" He smiles, nods, gives her a hug...maybe even a kiss...x3)
I've got a great feeling about Hayffie. 
And yeah, I don't buy for a moment that Effie is actually the blissful bimbo she initially appears. My interpretation of her is based on the text, subtext, and films together...and to me, the two of them are the most complex, fascinating people and partners in the story. I've really fallen for them, and I REALLY want to see them both utilized to their full potentials in the film--culminating in the fulfillment of their relationship. They so much need and deserve to be together properly after all they've gone through.  
[Part of Zo's good comment: "Haymitch probably coached her into realizing that she had to play along to survive, just like people in the districts do, like all the Victors do, and that's how they started falling in love. They had only each other to share the pain of the Games with every year."] 
I always get excited hearing about the sequel and prequel possibilities because there's so much more of Panem to be explored--and so many ways to do it, even though everybody is all about the big epic blockbusters and tends to assume that that's the only option. But the recent replacement of "The Hunger Games" with "The World of the Hunger Games" is no coincidence; they're definitely opening the door for expansion. Nina's words reassure me, however, because I wouldn't want to see a beautiful thing get messed up by greedy arrogance. "Anything with 'Hunger Games' on it is guaranteed to rake in millions; let's get on the next one right now!" You can't break away from the person who started this thing, certainly; that's often the point at which a franchise begins losing control and going down the tubes. You want to leave the door open, but only to the right ideas at the right time. I'm sure Lionsgate will respect the need to have patience and maintain THG's integrity.
OMG--Joshifer graduating from playing Everlark to playing Hayffie? XDD That'd be the most hilarious thing. In all seriousness, though...I wouldn't be too interested in a reboot. The whole reboot frenzy seems to just be code for "All the good ideas have been used up, but we want to continue to constantly suck money from people anyhow." x-p Unless it were only used to film all the stuff from the books that had to be cut, but even that wouldn't be entirely necessary... What DOES interest me? A sequel about the future, and a prequel about the history of Panem (establishment of the Games? Haymitch's, Finnick's, Johanna's?) I don't mind if we need to center around someone other than Katniss; as a matter of fact, it would be fascinating to see things from someone else's perspective. I mean, when something's good enough for fans to get THIS invested in it, when it means THIS much to people...I'm sure most of us would devour the simplest "slice of life" sequels that could exist. ;p
This whole stage show thing is curious to me; are they using that extremely limiting format to "test out" sequels/expansions/reenactments of major films before moving full-steam ahead with new material, or something? Because apparently--and inexplicably, if it's true--there's going to be another play in London focusing on Harry Potter and one of his sons. o_O I'm hugely stoked about Fantastic Beasts, but how one can even conceive of sequelizing HP in any form but writing or film is pretty baffling. I'm all for "next generation" stuff, but all I can say is, the scripts and recordings of these performances had better be made available worldwide! D8 (Is the HG stage show supposed to be just a reenactment of the first film/book, or what? Dang.)
http://victorsvillage.com/2015/10/10/the-world-of-the-hunger-games/#comments
https://plus.google.com/b/113436358454109070990/105605198993684502275/posts/jXTrSF3s8ir

MJ2 Review highlights (or just...notable shit...):
-"Soppy, excessive happy ending"?? Really? I dunno how happy/soppy it'll be, honestly, but there ain't no such thing as excessive when it comes to fleshing out this story--tying up the loose threads and making it a satisfying conclusion! Hearing so many times that there's a Return-of-the-King-esque "cycle of multiple endings" is getting me so freaking hyped--I simply MUST know things NOW!! It sounds potentially glorious and wonderful. The more the better. 
-"Worthwhile for the supporting players--Liz, Woody, Philip." Liz & Woody are usually mentioned in conjunction. ;) But no closure for Gale, Jo??
-Many emphasize the total lack of comic relief...though one claims it's "not all gloom and doom," with "plenty of witty one-liners scattered throughout."  
-"There's one hell of an imbalance as stiff, faceless suits surround Snow, while Katniss once again has the A-list on her side (including Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson, while Philip Seymour Hoffman is a poignant presence in his final screen role), but all is not as it seems."
-"She’s not always helped by the script; one tragedy is brushed aside when it should be transformative, and the love triangle falls flat.
Perhaps with so much going on, not every moment could sing. Better are Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final scenes ever, doing more with a tiny grin than most actors do with their entire careers, and a supporting cast of surpassing quality. It’s not perfect but by the end (or endings — Return Of The King-style, there are several), fans will be satisfied that Lawrence and Lawrence have done Katniss proud."
-"You might end up feeling that your particular favourite got shortchanged." DAMMIT I HOPE FUCKIN' NOT.
-Katniss "needs redemption for those around her." 
-"Winning the war feels like an impossible dream"
-D'AWWW, PLUTARCH. AND PHILIP. ;n; I bet Haymitch reading his letter, expressing the hope that Katniss will find peace in the end, is gonna be heartbreaking as fuck. 

Den of Geek~
"Where Mockingjay Part 1 was a bleak, aching black hole of a movie that offered very little in the way of hope or joy, Mockingjay Part 2 is more optimistic, and even offers a kind of happy ending. Not for everyone, of course, and it’d be silly to suggest any of these characters could live happily ever after, but a couple of them do at least get some measure of peace, which feels important."
"...what a magnificent bastard President Snow really is."
"Liz & Woody don't get much screentime"?! Noooooooo!!! But...what matters is what it is, how the screentime's used...not so much that there's a ton of it...*fingers and everything else crossed ever so tightly*
Short but humorous & positive: http://www.film-news.co.uk/show-review.asp?H=The-Hunger-Games:-Mockingjay-part-2&nItemID=1543
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Re: EB on GMA: HAAAAAYYYYFFFFIIIIIEEEE!! "See where that goes..." Ffs Liz, your spoiler concealment seems to be saying a lot...I'm so on edge right now...Wednesday evening, I NEED to behold the Hayffie that I KNOW happens!!! B'-D

*I* could feel the bond in the book! ^,w,^ But glad the movies illuminate it for those who didn't manage to "get" Effie from the text alone.

Discover the stylish comfort of the sneaker, Effie! <3 Seriously, you'd look amazing in literally anything...you could even rock rags or make a burlap sack look good...and there's nothing wrong with being short. Try the platform/wedge styles. It'll feel good. (She'll like it--if she doesn't already. ;)

Liz & Woody @ the LA premiere--looking like such parents who play parental figures who are soon-to-be future parents! x33
SERIOUS: Katniss surviving and thriving, when there's peace at last? Yes, eventually. They'll all take care of each other, inspire each other to carry on, and be okay in the end...<3 It won't be easy, by any means. None of the core group is anywhere close to emerging unscathed. 
LESS SERIOUS: Snowy, just admit you've got a massive crush on Kitty-Kat and marry her, dammit. That'll solve everything, you big bastard. Gale & Peeta can have each other, bonding over their mutual feelings for Katniss and then falling in love. Mmmmm, tidal waves of goo. 
~*~*
Precisely. They seem like a mismatched odd couple, but are actually the perfect pair. They're two halves of a whole, and need one another. I just find them so compelling, and so much more complex and interesting than many give them credit for. Which is why I hope they have very significant roles in Part 2 that do them justice, & get the ending they deserve (and that we deserve to see!) ~ So true. (Hehe, babysitting him--yeah, basically!) I imagined them having this complicated but beautiful relationship where a level of trust and respect would've developed, followed by support and fondness and eventually a secretive love. They deserve nothing less than to finally be free to express themselves, love unrestrictedly, and live a life more similar to what they could have had if they'd lived in a better world...;; They complete each other. ~ Oh my yes! It's all the little things like that you can pick up on. (If only they'd included him trying to hug her on TV at the reaping...xD) I loved the little grin from Katniss; "Even she ships it!" And yeah, the way they can glance at each other and communicate without words...the way they seem to rarely be far from one another, and usually mentioned in conjunction...gaaah, they are simply meant to be. And they had better not be teasing. ;} They're super-funny and adorable, but I couldn't bear being let down! ;; (THEY CANNOT MESS THIS UP OR I WILL MESS THE UNIVERSE UP.) ~ Yeah...I have faith, and am counting on it. *fingers crossed* The bond between them is clear. I looooved how he looked over at her during the wedding vows (Johanna seemed to catch his glance and then they both looked forward again, hahaha...Effie was fixed on the happy couple. ;) I was like, “Pleeeeease let that be foreshadowing Hayffie marriage!!” 
UGH. This wasn't about popularity--although Part 1 would have been a great deal lesser without Effie's presence. Bringing her in near the beginning instead of doing only that one scene from near the end of the book was the best decision they could've made. The Mockingjay text was woefully devoid of detail, and left the reader feeling like Jon Snow: knowing nothing. We HAD to find out that she actually was in 13, that the text had a page limit or was so overwhelmed by awesomeness or SOMETHING, that it just forgot to mention everything about her save for one little snippet. Effie is the most complex, underestimated, underappreciated, and fascinating character imo. I highly doubt that Danny down there truly understands who she is. (There are reasons she didn't immediately jump gung-ho into the revolution, but they're far from what many would assume.) 

"What is next for the rebels? They are organizing. However they have one very real obstacle in their path. District 2 is home to the Capitol’s central military base (nicknamed the “Nut”) which has yet to be taken by them. Without control of this strategic stronghold, the rebellion is conceivably dead in the water. But given the sacrifices these individuals have made, stopping now is not an option. I have no doubt it will be taken.
Love her or despise her, Katniss Everdeen has become a force unto her own. We amplified her voice with microphones and television cameras, now her voice is carried by thousands of individuals looking for retribution. And they are coming for the Capitol. This is no idle threat, a new era has arrived. And amongst the rubble of the city we once held dear, the girl on fire will rise again."
-daring. bold. stunning. playful. elegant. headpiece in vein of traditional japanese dress. red--hottest hue of the season? 
"Outfitted in spectacular jet black armor, the Mockingjay looks devastatingly militant as she fashions her familiar game face. Even in his absence, Cinna’s designs continue to inspire and delight us, proving that functional garments can still be fabulous. Insiders say this armor was specially designed to Katniss’ specifications and needs; providing her with protection in the battlefield and style points for public appearances. Capitol Couture gives Katniss’ look an A+ and we are happy to report it is Effie-approved."
"The result is a breathtaking spectacle that breathes life into Green’s collection: architectural details become limbs, models become warriors vying for territory. Through fashion, they have declared war.
Green’s collection is all about power. Something we could all use at this present moment. Remember: fashion is more than pretty things, it has the ability to instill us with strength and confidence. Something as small as a gold Mockingjay pin can become a symbol for an entire movement. The next time you suit up, think of what empowers you, so you too may venture forth in a blaze of glory."
"If you ask us, these grave times are in desperate need of a dash of color, and these scarves are just the answer...Let us be the first to tell you, there are infinite way to wear them—pair one with your fatigues, wave it like a flag or wrap it around your head like a turban (we’re looking at you Effie). No doubt the addition of an Anchovy scarf makes any look a Capitol look."

excellent effie edits by Ochctavia (Instagram)...
rebel. escort. lover. friend. ally. fashion[ista faded out] victim. "one woman has two faces" "the unbreaking doll" "i'm not the capitol's doll" "i cant promise to fix all your problems, but i can promise ou won't face them all alone." [hayffie] "act, smile, stay alive" "in the capitol...everything is like in the hunger games."
Oh look, someone who (sorta) fucking figured it out...bravo, Nicole; well done:
"Even from the first book, I considered Effie to be somewhat conflicted- after all, she knows what happens to most of the Tributes every year. But it seemed to me like she’s just adapted- she has her job, and she does it with this sort of over-the-top, almost forced cheerfulness. At worst, she’s *totally* disconnected from the idea that Tributes are actual kids who actually die painfully every year (though I’d doubt that she’s at that point, given that she interacts a good deal with them). At best, though, she’s accepted the way things are and is simply focused on doing her job well- keeping her Tributes on schedule, emphasizing good manners, trying to be enthusiastic about it all (possibly to try to keep her Tributes from dwelling too hard on what might happen once they’re out of her hands in the Arena).
And I think that’s something that can be seen in the movie. She virtually never mentions anything about the Arena or what will happen once the games begin. If I recall, the closest she comes is mentioning that “[Peeta and Katniss] won’t be [in the Capitol] for very long”. But she keeps trying to put a positive spin on it- telling them how fantastic the Capitol is and how much they’ll enjoy it (despite their very short stay), telling them all about the great food, etc. When there was tension at one point (after Haymitch said that Peeta wanted to meet to talk to Haymitch alone from then on, I believe), it was Effie who broke the tension, trying to shift the subject onto dessert instead. And her almost compulsive focus on manners. She wants everything to go well while the kids are with her. She wants everyone behaving themselves, she wants people to get along and she seems to get visibly distressed when the subject turns to the Arena."
And, to an extent, Satsuma:
"...I really got the sense that she was playing the part of the “perfect hostess”, and that this was not how she behaves when she’s out of the public eye and has her “hair down”, so to speak." 
-bonded with Katniss & Peeta; showed alarm at Cecilia's reaping, & general indignation on behalf of the Victors [FROM COMMENTS ON VICTOR'S VILLAGE POSTS]
http://panempropaganda.tumblr.com/post/143039123447/perseabaeth: I like how Finnick is both victor & victim...& though Haymitch is not THE leader, it all fits well enough to be good.
http://jillianholtzmann.tumblr.com/post/138585826422/effie-sassy-as-fuck-trinket: 
Most of these are much deeper and more meaningful than "sass" (and the rouge one didn't even happen...thankfully they thought better of that and only recorded it as a joke.) Or they aren't even really sass. They're Effie doing her best to help people in the ways she thinks she might know how. And/or just being adorable and whatnot. It's not just about "What I wrote was perfect"; it's about the increased danger the kids are putting themselves in...what she wrote actually WAS beautiful and eloquent for being (on the surface) Capitol propaganda, which it HAD to be. Honestly. Even Effie fans don't fully get her!!
Re: Katniss' culpability for killing Marvel & the Capitol woman:
Well, regardless of whether Kat shot Marvel while he was pulling his spear from Rue or immediately after he'd struck her down, I still saw it as self-defense and vengeance for Rue. Because as soon as he had pulled the thing out, he'd become a direct threat to her again. What was she supposed to do, wait a moment for him to realize she was there and go for her? Just run and hope he didn't catch up or hit her? Hell no. He wasn't exactly potential ally material. And as for the civilian? That's a tough one. More than likely, that woman would have drawn attention to the squad's presence. (Then again, there's a wee chance you ran into someone more sympathetic?) But could you have simply taken aim and said, "Make one sound and I'll shoot"? Could've tried that. It was one of those quick little split-second wartime decisions that make the difference between life and death. She acted spontaneously, on instinct. 
In the Games, Katniss wanted to kill anybody she encountered on sight and without the slightest hesitation...she wanted to take out anyone she could. Now generally you don't WANT to just go shooting random people without absolute necessity--buuuut, at least Katniss seems to have more of an issue with that than Gale does.
Re: Mags' Victory Poster: Doesn't "Porter Tripp" sound like a D6-ish name? Transportation-related? xD But man, I ADORE Mags'! Her last name! Her hair that looks identical to my own (if it's red!) Irish Power. 8-) Gah, she was so pretty--and remained so! <3 One of my favorite underrated people outside the main cast. *hopes they do the younger-Haymitch Victory poster soon*
"Hanging Tree" Rebel Remix: I'm not personally offended by the remix. On the one hand, I do find it a sad commentary that they thought it necessary to up the tempo and give the perfect original version more of a hip, danceable beat in order to get it played on the airwaves. At the same time, I think it has more to do with the listender than with the song itself. The lyrics don't change, and at least to me, they don't lose their impact when performed against a less "somber and melancholy" backdrop. I don't listen to the remix as something for mindlessly clubbin' to, but as something to which I can picture our heroes acting/marching as they gather steam. If someone is paying attention and receptive to profound, meaningful lyrics, they're getting those either way. If all they want is a pop sound, a sick beat, well...they're probably not going to choose to listen to the beautifully haunting original, anyway. And that's a shame, but it's their loss. If the remix is what it takes to get "The Hanging Tree" on the radio, it's...better than nothing? I'd say so. I enjoy both versions, even though nearly all of us would agree that the original is superior.
But as for the "Deep In the Meadow" remix...oy, that did not work. The techno beat laid underneath it didn't fit and was just such a blatant attempt to make the film's only song with lyrics into something hipper and more radio-friendly. Shameless marketing, really. It's sad that they think they need to do that to the perfectly lovely & affecting originals in order to get people to want to listen. And a lullaby IS a weird type of song to hear on most radio stations, anyway. At LEAST with the Hanging Tree remix, it SOUNDED better...you could kind of accept it as an up-tempo "rebel remix" march, if you're so inclined. But this...*insert Effie's cringy "This isn't working" expression from the first propo rehearsal* 

Cars/vehicles outside the Capitol?: Umm, probably? Some people, anyway...those who need/want to/can have 'em? ...Yes. 'Tis so.
...Y'know, pre-existing entertainment--movies, TV, books, plays, music, games, whatever...is probably stuff that's been edited or okayed for not contradicting the proper, Capitol-dictated worldview too much...Hitler-style, ja. ;p They wouldn't want art to encourage people to think in the "wrong direction," after all. ;p But imagine our gang discovering a lot of great stuff from "our time" that had been banned or censored all their lives! 

Also...district residents seem to have reliable transportation. The Capitol is smaller (it's really just a city nestled in the Rockies), but districts are spread out over what used to be parts of states. Surely not eeeveryone is concentrated in the most populated areas, which are probably convenient to the Halls of Justice and Victor's Villages. With D12, you picture the central town area with the Victors Village nearby, and the Seam not far off...everything pretty walkable for the most part?
And how much space is there between districts? How much (mostly) uninhabited (by humans) area surrounding and within the districts and Capitol is there? It must be owned solely by the Capitol, technically, even if it's largely unused most of the time. Surely such territory houses many an arena. Because we know some areas are legally off-limits. (Boreas is a rare example of someone actually moving out of the main Capitol area into a mountain cabin. <3 Probably still pretty quick and easy to access from the city, though, of course.) 
EW.com:
We'll always wish it were possible to witness *everything* on film, but I really think the entire franchise has done a remarkable job of bringing all the most necessary parts to life, condensing and consolidating in effective ways that nonetheless leave room for everything you didn't get to see visually. The first two films certainly inspired me to read the trilogy and get the full story before watching Mockingjay.
"The change emphasizes Effie’s humanity, making her movie self more sympathetic than Collins’s cartoonish character." Ugh, disagree. I thought a little and read between the lines, perceiving her as wholly sympathetic pretty much right off the bat. But her onscreen portrayal is brilliant and beautiful. She has great depth, period--you just need to give her enough consideration to realize it.

Prim/Delly, etc.: 
Honestly?
-Showing Prim instead of Delly will be more meaningful; it'll help Peeta AND the audience further bond with Prim...which'll pay off in a most painful way. >,.,<
-There is no need to introduce briefly relevant people like Madge, Delly, Dalton, Bonnie & Twill, etc., on film, only to have them do one thing (give Katniss a pin, help Peeta recover his memories properly...), and then disappear. Those things are important, yes, but they didn't particularly NEED to be done (solely) by those people. Madge may have been Katniss' best female friend, but it took Kat a while to even admit that; they were nowhere near as close as she and Gale. And while you can argue that by cutting minor characters they allowed themselves too much "love triangle" focus, again...it ain't the central focus of the books by far, but it's there. Throughout. Part of the story. They focused on it somewhat because, like it or not, it has a place of importance. Just be grateful this isn't Twilight, where the whole of a girl's existence hinges on picking the right dude. xp

Re: The Theme Park Plans (as of 11/2015): 
I shall reserve my judgment...partly because I've got family near Atlanta and will almost definitely end up going, unless I hear absolutely horrible things. 
Obviously, the purpose of going to an amusement park is for amusement--which automatically seems to make light of and disrespect the story's overarching, decidedly un-fun themes. The clearest reason for wanting to pursue this is that THG is one of the world's most bankable properties. The most *ideal* reason would simply be an objective wish to become somewhat immersed in the world--dystopian as it may be--of the characters we love so much. THG isn't obvious theme park fodder; while the worlds of Disney and Harry Potter are menaced by villains, they aren't dystopias. My immediate image was of an EPCOT-like place: 14 pavilions, one per district plus the Capitol...featuring recreations of important locations, shops, eateries (taking cues from the novels, films, & cookbook), games to play (not the titular ones, of course), rides, displays or shows/presentations, etc. Whatever best fits each locale. 
Evidently, Nina J. considers herself an "interested aunt" relative to this project--so that gives me some hope that perhaps there's a way to sort of expand the exhibition idea into a permanent park, without trivializing the story's messages or praising/glorifying/making fun out of anything that's clearly bad. Everything Capitol is not inherently bad, so again, I'm trying to have patience and see for myself how this turns out.

>Caesar hosting for over 40 years? Uhhh...hm, lessee. Even if he started at a young age for such a thing--say, 20. That would make him over 60 now? Well, that's believable. (But then 30 & 70+?) Clearly he was blessed with Olympian genes. Don't care how advanced we get and how easy Capitol people's lives are (sure, they may tend to age better and have a longer average lifespan, but c'mon)--ain't nothin' could keep someone looking pretty much exactly the same for over 40 years. Unless they have one of those genetic conditions featured on Discovery Life where people just don't age. (But if he truly has hosted for, like, 41 years...damn. He got that gig early. Must've been quite a host practically from birth. xD) Maybe Catnip was mistaken.

Re: J-Law's essay on feminism/gender wage gap: 
A real shame. =\ You go, Jen. It should go without saying that people with similarly-sized roles should earn about the same amount. Equal pay for equal work. Not a difficult concept. I've always been a feminist (or an egalitarian, humanist, whatever you prefer to call it), because it's simply a no-brainer.
Maybe growing up with two brothers had something to do with it, but I've never felt the need to express myself or do anything differently than I see fit to because I'm a girl. My potential personal difficulties with, say, negotiating a salary, I'd attribute to inexperience/ignorance: "What's reasonable? At what point is one of us taking advantage of the other? What's everybody else being given?"
I've had related thoughts about Panem, though. I can't remember an example of 'institutionalized'/societal sexism throughout the entire story, either. And come to think of it...racism doesn't seem to be much of a thing anymore, either? Nor homophobia. Nor most of the other much-discussed "isms"/prejudices that exist today. Not that we ever get that good a look at most of the country to be able to get a real sense, but just from what we can tell (especially of the Capitol, actually)...I don't recall any real examples of people being treated unfairly for reasons other than the obvious (abuse of district folks, punishments...), that seemed related to some kind of more general social bias. In a *certain* respect they may be closer to a utopia than we are. Too bad it's ruined by all the violence, oppression, poverty and have/have-not disparities, classism, apathy, and such.
Good thoughts. I suppose I didn't necessarily perceive it as sexism, per se. On the one hand, it's acted as though all the tributes are on an even keel. No one even suggests that there should be the "Girls' Games" and the "Boys' Games," because "boys are stronger." I doubt there's a lot of surprise when females win, or that the males are significantly more favored on average. The careers tend to band together; nobody seems to consider girls automatically less of a threat based on sex. Had Katniss & Peeta been switched, she could have made him look desirable by revealing her crush. Then he would have been forced into the false but popular love story and marriage, as the explanation for their actions in the 74th Games...the Mockingjay position...etc. (To bring up another thing, I figured it would've been the same story had Katniss been in a lesbian relationship! xD Sure, it was "heteronormative" of Caesar to assume that Peeta would've had a girlfriend, but I assumed that homophobia barely existed anymore, if at all. Since organized religion appears to be probably a thing of the past, many district residents have more important things to focus on, and the Capitol looks really liberal with regard to sexuality and gender...)
Each tribute gets dolled up to make a good presentation to the public/audiences, and picks an angle to play up, but they're varied, and we only learn about certain ones. Glimmer is the sexpot/princess, but right after her is Clove--the tomboyish, knife-hurling badass. It was no surprise that many male careers, especially, show off their physical strength and toughness, and have cocky & arrogant attitudes.
I never really thought about the sexes of the PKs shown since we can't actually see them--but somehow they do all look more like men than the mix they actually are, huh?
Ah yes, District 11...the fact that it's the agricultural district, "the black district," and also one of the worse-off ones definitely harkens back to the idea of slavery. I wonder whether, in Panem, there's any extra antipathy toward them specifically *due* to their race, and how 11 came to be the one with a predominance of blacks. Because it's located in the deep south? But then you've got people like Cinna and Portia in the Capitol, who don't seem to be discriminated against at all. In fact, Snow's right hand is a woman of color (Egeria.) Are there exceptions if you're a Capitol citizen? Different races are shown from all over the country, but the D11 situation is really the most racism-related thing I remember. It seems more like a remnant, though--a trace rather than evidence of ongoing racism. I wouldn't be surprised if that still exists in some ways, to some degree (e.g., the difference in skin tone and social status between "Seam" and "town"/merchant-class people in 12)...but, it doesn't seem to be one of Panem's major issues. Least, not in the Capitol. ;p Perhaps they're actually nearer to Utopia than we currently are, in certain respects (and yet so painfully far in others!) Wouldn't it be interesting, though, to know how various ethnic groups apparently wound up forming the foundations of different districts--Irish in 4, blacks in 11, etc.?

Very slightly drunken #THGWATCHPARTY RAMBLES: 

-Effie unknowingly set off everything by selecting Prim's name. ;__; =0 And in the end, the girl got killed anyway. D'X  

-I like that they added the "You can do this" line...and made Haymitch's last pre-Games moment with Katniss even better. ((In the book we got the goodbye to her AND Peeta--so of course then you don't want to come out and say that you think one might be able to do well and/or win and come back, but obviously not the other... ;p))   

-RUEY. Omg. In the moment it took Katniss to draw the arrow and get Marvel, his spear had already been sent right for her. >,_,< *3-finger salute for little Rue*

-"Each of you needs something desperately." "A smoochy-smooch...and Marvin the cat..." *Katniss still severely grossed-out by this whole star-crossed love story bullshit* 

-Oh, Threshy...;-;
Peeta rubbin' across the cut on Kat's forehead like "Siiiiimbaaaa..." 
Damn monologuing Clove. And ugh, Cato. Still giving the people a show, right 'til the end. It was good of Katniss to put the guy out of his agony. :[

-Poor Gale, too. After getting dragged out by the PK and only getting to spend a few measly minutes or whatever with Katniss, he sits in the meadow with the magic conch...then cries over the Everlark kiss...ay, yi, yi. *n*
-First outfit we see Katniss in is pretty bitchin'. Sweet jacket. The pinstriped thing looks an awful lot like one of my nightgowns, though. :o 
She's being so realistic+pessimistic...Gale's expressing some optimistic-type thoughts...aahhh. And at least their mum tries harder than usual on Reapin' Day. 
-The finger-pricking...*shudder* It could actually be a lot worse, but as a trypanophobe, it'd still be one of the least exciting moments of the day...x-p
-Gale: "War. Terrible war." [Nd u gotsa crush on Effie, don't you...xDDD] 
-Schnazzay wax seal. 
-"You bet the hat you're not wearing? Or that giant flower?" D'aw, sweet pigeon-toed little Effie. 
-"Pplz, y u no applauds her? :( Wut u doin witchur handses? O wells...NOW 4 DA BOIZ." {if Effie were a lolcat}
-Kat's last words to her mum before the first games ='0 And the Gale convo. And the little car ride ("We dun care aboot the train's chandeliers and doorknobs..." " I noooo...") What was she telling them to do first? "Now before you do anything else, make sure you--?" It cuts out. Glorious train, though. Unsurprising that *they* don't look terribly impressed...but I sure want all those little pastry & candy thangs. x3 They looked like marzipan, shredded coconut on chocolate truffles, etc. 
-"Bar car"--solid bet! Intro to Haymitch, sent by Effie...fantastic, even if we couldn't witness the awkward almost-hug onstage. Guess they wanted to let him be introduced a little more...eh...majestically? Imposingly?...onscreen. "You just killed a placemat." Gonna have to do better than that, Kitty-Kat. ;p "He knows what he's doing!" YEP, Peeta-boy suuuuure does know how to work a crowd!!
-Prep team feel/sound like Are You Afraid of the Dark? aliens (from the Thirteenth Floor!) How Katniss yanks her hand away from Peeta like "EW DUN TUCH MEH BISH!"
-12 gets the penthouse--BOOYAH! Who's the shittiest district again?! >;P Haymitch in his "foppish" suit, tchehehe!
-Effie's face when Peeta claims he's not gonna kill anybody with a sack of flour...xD;; (Who kept staring rudely at your jewels? XD A real bitch, I bet. Also, were you actually referring to the jewelry, or to the collection of Jewel CDs you doubtless possess...?)
PORTIA SPEAKS! A few times. :33
-You BETTA care what Haymitch said...! B-|
-Poor Katniss! I know that "How did I possibly fuck that up?!" feeling--doesn't it always happen when people are watching, and/or when it counts the most?!? [*Nelson Muntz strolls in as she misses target* "HYA, HA!"] And then that "You igNORing me, bitches...??" stare. Hell yeah.
-Dat look of pure shock on Crane's face after Katniss shoots his piggy's apple...x33 And then his gleeful expression while playing around with Katniss, attacking her with fire and random trees. What a peeeerrrrrrvy bastage. And THEN when he's so delightfully beholding gamemaker Lucia's dog-mutt creations, asking her to put them in the middle...MAN, what an arse. But the way they swiftly whip 'em up like magic is kinda mesmerizing, as if they're casting spells with their hands. Bloodthirsty-beast-conjuring spells. >< HOPE YA LIKE BERRIES, ARSEFACE. 
-"Into the woods you go again, you have to every now and then; into the woods, no telling when--be ready for the journey!" 
-"Maybe you should throw the sword." DAT SASS, even while treed in a deadly game of cat and mouse...!! Lul, careers should've practiced their archery.
Glimmer: "...Boys." Peeta: "Me so wub da Catnus..." "CATNUS, PLS TAEK TEH DEERTY BWEAD. Eat dirt. Literally. Butter this with mud. Mmmmm, yummy-yum-yums." 
-Must be super-amusing to watch jacker-stung tributes stagger around in a trippin' daze...:p But damn, they messed up po' Glim-Glam real good. >.< "I'm trippin', Peeta-bread! Whatcha think I'm doing? Go bake some loaves!"
--How in the HELL do you search Tweets?? Can you? O_o How would you ever find anything prior to your last...I dunno, however many you could scroll through? #twib00tz 
-RIP godly beard
Rue: Can you sing?
Katniss: *starts to*
Rue: OH WHAT THE HELL GOD DAMN NO THE ANSWER IS NO YOU DEFINITELY CAN'T OH MY POOR DYING EARS YOU'RE KILLING ME FASTER FUUUUUUUCK IT ALL JUST STAB ME AGAIN AND SEND ME ON TO WHERE I HOPEFULLY WON'T HAVE TO HEAR SUCH AN UNGODLY CACOPHANY AGAIN SHIT

"Katniss makes it clear time and again, that the Capitol had no clue what they were doing."--LMFAO, GTFO, what were you on...?! They knew precisely what they were doing. It would be impossible not to.

I like how, since Kat's so bad at pretending to be likable, she does start imagining that she's talking to friends (such as, uh...Gale? Madge? xD)--and gives honest responses without being, y'know, fully honest. 

#CFWatchParty went far better, & trended more triumphantly; I tweeted a million times. x3 Still didn't win anything. :p Always wind up with fun observations & commentary. 
-"...the more she reveals her true self."-Plutarch on Katniss (but so applicable to Effie)
-I wonder what the smell in the Victor's Village was that day? XD Is it a general D12 one? (And luls, if it happens to be an odor particular to the village, just how 'zactly would our girl know this about "getting used to it?" >;3) Octavia & Flavius are so funny, too. They're kinda like, "Yep, terrific! Whatever you say, Effie. Yeek." Flavius covering his nose, LOL. Effie is like, apologizing and assuring them they'll get used to it as she did...aw.
But Flava-Flav & Tavi are pretty glad to see K&P again. Then when K&P are "feeding the monster," Effie's in the background waving her arms encouragingly, as if they can see her.
-"She is VERY good." Indeed. Effie knows what's up. But 'Tavi & Flavi...luls, what a cute pair. :p How come they're always together, but seem to have ditched Venia?!? And where's Portia this time around? The lady next to Cinna in the audience for the interviews...with the very short pink hair...that ain't her, is it? o.O
-Crowd chanting "Kat-niss! Kat-niss!", and poor Peeta like, "WTF, what about me?!? I'm on fire too! I won last year too!" 
-"Let it go."-Haymitch to Thread
-GEEZ PLUTARCH YOU'RE ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE PRETENDING TO BE TRYING TO KILL EVERLARK xD;; (tho Snow is surely starting to get pissed that they ain't dead yet lawl)
-Bravo, Plutarch, for so deftly pulling the wool over Snow's snaky eyes.
-Goddamn baboon/mandrill/mutt monkeys. 
-Katniss' bow in the QQ arena looks like mine...:3 I love her "WTFH is going on here...?" expressions throughout the Quell. xD
-True: Peeta was figuratively "carrying her world" inside his medallion. ;__; 
-Snow at the end: "Heavensbee, you little shit. Katniss, you beautiful little mothereffer. You are ALL. Going. DOWN." 
#FOOTCRUST 
-Everyone keeps telling K&P they have to smile, be happy and grateful and live happily ever after...;;
-K&P walking like a bride and groom at the party. x33
-Survivors, but no true winners...>n< Effie, barely keeping it together with them, her survivors... And the way they go from 'Boyz II Men!' I mean, sure, Haymitch was like, technically a "man," but still--Peeta had definitely become one. And she later affectionately refers to them as "the boys." </3 8'-}
-"Ah shoulda just eated dem berrehs in da 'rena..."
-"Hey, y'know, maybe this is just regular fog. Maybe it's harmless, or even helpful! Let's test it!" x~p Embrace your inner Dory, Katniss; that's it.
-"You're not the problem." *pointing at Katniss* XDDD Finnick the preening peacock boy! xD Mags IS a wonderful lady...and mercifully, does go quickly...>,0,< 
-Half the tributes want Kat as an ally--and half are in on the plot. ;)
-"Hey, hey, they're the monkeys, and people say they monkey around; but they're too busy maulin' & tryna bring ya tributes down..." Arseholes walk away grudgingly like, "Yeah, we'll get y'all next time..."
-"Charming, smart, and very skilled at combat, especially in water." Lucky Finnick, not to have been one of the people Snow was gunning for in the Quell. ;p
-YOU KNOW, I LOVE HOW FROM NOW ON, THE GAMEMAKERS ARE GONNA PROTECT THEMSELVES WITH A FORCEFIELD IN THE GYM. >;) Smart move, guys. 

Haymitch finally earned himself two victors, two new friends who understand the experience of the Games--and he's going to be robbed of this "family" so shortly after its formation. He almost became a tribute again himself, and now is roped into helping allies keep his two victors alive so that one can become the face of Plutarch's and Coin's sure-to-be-bloody rebellion. 

#WatchMockingjay (mini)
1: Plutarch: Do you wanna build a snowman? It doesn't have to be a snowman... Effie: Go aWAY, Plutarch! Plutarch: Okay, bye...
2: Plutarch: Nah j/k, I'm comin' in anyways; hope you ain't naked! XD He's goin' to coax her out Uncle Sam-style..."I want YOU"
3: "Your days in the Capitol are over..." No kiddin'... 'CAUSE YOU MOVIN' IN WIT HAYMITCH, GUUUURRRRRRL! 
4: Not showing Effie just ONCE during Mockingjay=best discovery ever
5: Effie wearing that sweater over her head, looking ready for a funeral...foreshadowing...8'''-{
MJ2: Coin's so ready for Star Trek. "Just call me Captain Coin!" *gets ready to board Enterprise and take captain's chair*
Prim-Pram's explosive entrance/exit...D''x
How satisfying would it have been to poison Snow in his bed? >8-}
YEAH THAT'S BECAUSE EFFIE IS MORE THAN A FRIEND, EH, MITCHIE?? };->

Effie's preciousness is just, beyond measure...like, she's never sure how she can really help but wants to so badly, so she tries to be positively supportive and useful and thoughtful and...;w; <333

Wonder what the audience reactions were to Peeta's apparent betrayal of Katniss. Probably the Capitol folk would be delighted and impressed by his creative, slyly manipulative strategy...though, some might be kind of appalled at his abuse of romance. xD

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“In the first movie, she simply saw their victory as her ticket to a better district mentorship...”: Horseshit. (And again, why shouldn't she hope to be given a statistically better district?
Plus, her position is officially "escort," not "mentor"--although she really does serve as both.
“Effie's role in the   Hunger Games   series has always been to act as a window to the excesses of the Capitol.” AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS. “In the books, she's empathetic to Katniss...” YES. “...clearly still mentally all tied up in the internalized habits of the Capitol.” Somewhat. Yes. Her internalized habits and version of “Capitolness.”  “In the movies, though, the depth of her allegiances are made clearer in   Catching Fire   and she's made more heroic (if quietly so), which sets us up nicely for   Mockingjay.” GET RID OF THE “IN THE MOVIES, THOUGH” BIT. Yes, it's made clearer in CF...and okay, the film emphasizes it even more strongly than the book. But the films don't "make" her more heroic or anything else than she IS. “She's chosen her side, and now she's in a very peculiar place of having had all her excess stripped away.” True. "Morally ambiguous?" Until you figure her out.
-Heard it suggested that her (grand)mother or someone could have essentially 'ruined' her looks with a plastic surgery or made herself kind of viscerally creepy-looking to Effie, which wound up turning her off of that thought unless it became necessary. Seemed maybe possible. I can definitely see her considering or planning for it in the future due to her negative self-image, and Haymitch talking her out of it by trying to convince her of how beautiful she is--and always has been. She does not seem to have actually gone as far as permanently altering her body via surgery. Anything she may've done to herself was likely temporary. Or could've caused a bad reaction. I mean, say she had something done and intended it to be permanent--she'd then end up getting it undone post-MJ because Haymitch likes her natural self best. And I imagine very few things would be necessarily permanent, because I don't see most Capitol people who got any kind of cosmetic surgery wanting that. They'd always want to be able to very easily change their minds, hit the undo button, maybe try something else another time.