The Running Man

Once Ben leaves home and gives a larger view of society, it becomes clear that the media presented to the populace is highly curated and edited to further the agenda of the upper classes. One of the primary mechanisms of control is Free-Vee (TV). Its massive popularity ensures that the Network’s message will reach the majority of the people that it would like to influence.

In addition to entertaining and distracting the audience, Free-Vee is also meant to pacify the lower classes. Because the Games are so popular, the Network is a reliable, free conduit that influences viewers. The rebellion could take influence away from the Network if it could get people to stop watching Free-Vee, but that is unlikely. The prevalence of Free-Vee also prevents the masses from focusing on other forms of media and education. The educational gap between the majority of viewers and the upper class is vast: “The literacy of Games applicants was notoriously low” (19).

Members of the lower class are seen as interchangeable. When Ben changes into his uniform, he thinks, “When the entire group was wearing them, Ben Richards felt as if he had lost his face” (34).