The Most Dangerous Game is often considered the granddaddy of fictional stories about human beings hunting each other for sport. First published in 1924, Richard Connell’s controversial and shocking short story has inspired numerous works of art over the past century, many of which take the concept of hunting humans and turn it into a televised event.
The Running Man, Battle Royale, and most recently The Hunger Games (as well as their subsequent film adaptations) all played on the idea that society as a whole is comprised of bloodthirsty maniacs who have horrific obsessions with violence and murder.
Those are just stories, though, right? There’s no way anyone would actually hunt humans… Right?
Maybe not. Daniel Wright — senior lecturer in tourism at the University of Central Lancashire — wrote in an essay for science publication Futures that he believes a series of economical and ecological issues will eventually lead to the poor being hunted by the rich as a strange sporting event within the next 100 years. In 200 years, he believes these hunts will be televised.
His theory is a mixture of The Most Dangerous Game, The Running Man, and The Purge — which would probably make a very intriguing movie — but how credible is it? He references Roman gladiators and public executions as examples of similar behavior occurring throughout history. As far as hunting humans for sport, there’s no real barometer to know for sure, but stranger things have certainly happened. Considering the ever-growing issues in modern American society, the idea of people hunting humans isn’t particularly far-fetched.
If you found out that the elite socialites of the United States were traveling to small countries and hunting indigenous people, would you really be that surprised? Sure, you’d likely be outraged — and justifiably so — but would that news shock you?
Regardless, here’s hoping Wright’s theory is incorrect, and society slowly begins to fix its issues instead of adding even more. We already have to worry about the CIA and the FBI watching our every move. Adding a person (or persons) with high-powered rifles only complicates things from there.
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