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‘The Hunger Pains’ parodies ‘The Hunger Games’ perfectly (VIDEO)

The crazy kids at the Harvard Lampoon are at it again. Just in time for the release of the big screen adaptation of "The Hunger Games" comes a parody novel by the Ivy League humour publication entitled "The Hunger Pains." The magazine has produced a hilarious live-action trailer to promote the release of the novel.

The book (and the faux-trailer for it) is silly send-up of the Suzanne Collins' original, complete with biting social satire on our fame-obsessed culture. The Lampoon novel tells the story of Kantkiss Neverclean, a Hunger Pains competitor whose heart is torn between two other contestants: the dreamy Carol Handsomestein and the dorky Pita Malarky.

The tagline for "The Hunger Pains" really says it all: "Winning means wealth, fame, and a life of therapy. Losing means death, but also fame!"

The Harvard Lampoon has a strong comedy pedigree. Notable alumni include former comedy writer and now talk show host Conan O'Brien and "The Office's" B.J. Novak. The magazine National Lampoon, which began as a spinoff of the Harvard Lampoon, went on to help produce classic comedies like "Animal House" and the "Vacation" movies, and lent its brand name to countless other films.

"The Hunger Games" is not the first novel that the humour magazine has parodied, with the most famous example being the 1969 J.R.R. Tolkien parody "Bored of the Rings." Could a "Hunger Pains" movie be in the works? May the odds be ever in their favour.

"The Hunger Pains" hits bookstores on March 16, while the real "Hunger Games" film hits theatres on March 23.

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