I officially HATE this grossly violent, grossly sexual series. And not just because it is grossly violent and grossly sexual. But mostly because it is also grossly stupid. I mean honestly, if you want me to put up with disembowlings, beheadings, doggie sex and dwarf sex, then AT LEAST give me some decent writing. GAAAAAAH!
Believe me, I tried. I watched the season premier. I hated it. I watched the first four episodes of the first season. I hated every single second of every single one.
I quit.
But the funny part of this is that my daughter recently told the story of a party she attended where they were playing a guessing game. The rules were you gained the most points the fewer words you used to help your team guess the answer. The answers were all popular movies, songs, or TV shows.
First Guy, giving his first clue to his team: DRAGONS!
Team: Huh?
First Guy: Dragons -- with PORN!
Team: GAME OF THRONES!
Winner.
I could just puke.
UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!
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Library-Gryffon tipped me off to the reason Game of Thrones is so prurient and adolescent. Because Adam Friedberg.
I've thought about checking this out, just to know what people are talking about. I saw the books in an SF book club flier two or three times. For some reason Martin got confused with another author in my head so I'd read the blurb with interest. I don't remember why, but I'd wind up thinking "Bleh. Nope, not my kind of story", so I haven't been too tempted to watch the TV show.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why so many people think this show is such great writing. It's trash to me.
ReplyDeleteI am SOOOOO glad you two feel the same way I do. I was kind of afraid that I was -- once again -- wandering out in the weeds by myself because as far as modern culture goes, I'm rarely with the "in" crowd. I just don't get most stuff that sells. Like American Idol. Really? Or all the "reality" shows. I've never seen a single episode of Jersey Shore OR Survivor. Not. One. And I don't for a minute worry that I'm missing something. But Games of Thrones had become such a phenomenon that I began to think I SHOULD watch it.
ReplyDeleteUGH! Bad writing. Bad sex. Gross violence. Don't care.
Hahahaha! Finally one thing we disagree about! Only a little, though. In fact I'll even concede you're right, and I'm kinda ashamed of myself for watching the show/reading the books; at this point it's almost a challenge for me just to try to figure out WHY these books are so popular. I literally can only read a few pages a night before I fall asleep. It's just not that good. Honestly, the writing is just not...that...good. In fact in many ways it's genuinely bad.
ReplyDeleteI've actually given this quite a bit of thought, trying to figure out why I'm not that impressed with the books yet they're this huge phenomenon. For me, it's sort of like I feel maybe JRR Tolkien ruined fantasy/scifi fiction for me. His books were SO GOOD and SO REWARDING to read, and nothing else can ever compare. I simply am incapable of being impressed by Martin's writing after having read the LOTR trilogy four times.
Anyway, so I agree, the books are kind of shit and I'm sorry I spent money on them. I'm only halfway through the second one and am honestly not sure I'll finish the rest. They truly are boring me.
But I do still kinda like the show! I don't know exactly why. I really like that dwarf for some reason. I agree about the gratuitous sex - the thing is, there is ZERO - ZERO!!!! - graphic sex in the books! Almost all of the sex in the show either never happened, or certainly was not graphically described, not even vaguely. And when it was even vaguely described, it's totally different than the show. Case in point, the scene where the white-headed girl's marriage is consummated with the big barbarian dude. On the show, he rapes her and she cries. Ummm...in the book he gently seduces her and she wants it pretty bad. But still, even that only lasted about a paragraph and WAS NOT GRAPHIC. Everyone keeps saying, "Well, it's a TV show, it's visual, you gotta get people watching." Whatever. If you like the books, you'll watch the show without needing to see teenagers get raped on their wedding night.
As for the violence, at least it adheres to the books, and it doesn't really bother me. It's not more violent than the LOTR movies - it's just more poorly written. Much, much more poorly written.
Anyway, at this point, I've invested so much time trying to figure out the appeal of the whole thing (and enjoying the show, at least) that I feel like I have to see it through. It's like getting hooked on a really bad soap opera. You hate yourself for it, but you wanna find out what happens. HA!
Mostly I'm just seeking escapism and trying to kill time before I can move home.
Oh and I'm with you sister on all that other "in" crowd shit. I too, LOATHE "reality" TV and have never seen a single minute of Survivor or Jersey Shore or any of that other shit like Dancing with the Stars, and I hate it so much when my friends start talking about it like it is real life, and like it matters. I used to like American Idol the first few years then got right the hell over it because it is crap, and not even entertaining.
I'm almost terrified to find out what awaits me on American TV when I get back. Oh well, it can't be any worse than Italian TV. Oh lord, it can't be worse. Hahahahaha!
We gave up our cable a few months ago when I realized the only things we were watching were reruns or available on HuluPlus, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. For the extremely few shows which we can't watch that way, I buy the season on Amazon for less than $2 an episode. So far, waaaay cheaper than cable.
DeleteI tried watching GoT, I really did. I don't think I'm that much of a prude, but when I'm blushing watching a show and both the girls and my husband aren't home, it's pretty bad. But then it's HBO, and if they were doing a biopic of Mother Teresa they'd figure out how to turn it into "critically acclaimed" porn.
And anyway, Sean Bean dies. Again. Which I would have known if I read the books, but still.
Good, I'm not the only one who doesn't watch reality TV. Not the voyeuristic ones anyway. American Pickers and Pawn Stars might be considered reality TV, so I'd have to cop to those. Haven't been watching either of those lately either. Most of the "TV" I've been watching for a while has been reruns from Amazon Prime on the iPad.
ReplyDeleteOkay...now that you mention it, I DO watch one really lame "reality" TV show. My daughter got me hooked on it.
DeleteDuck Dynasty.
Yes, I'm ashamed of myself. But DAMN! it's funny.
Duck Dynasty is hilarious!
ReplyDeleteEspecially Uncle Si. He cracks me up. Did you see the episode where they went frog hunting at the pond that was located on the golf course at the country club?
DeleteHilarious!
Game of Thrones: never tried, never regretted
ReplyDeleteDuck Dynasty: tried, didn't get the accents, regretfully quit.
I watch one reality show, also on A&E: Storage Wars. Yes, I know, it's all fixed, and the characters are caricature, but I like the drive. And the junk. If I could I'd spend my time on flee markets...
Have you tried Borgias? Like it so far.
A close friend told me I would like the Borgias. Haven't tried the series yet, but intend to. I have to look it up on NetFlix.
DeleteLOVE flea markets! There is nothing more rewarding than finding a treasure buried among junk and then scooping it up for next to nothing!
Oops, just noticed my typos...fleA markets! On the other hand, once you got your bargain, the urge is to flee with it before the seller realizes what did he just parted with.
ReplyDeleteBorgias is a nice compromise of European and American movie attitudes; lots of Canadians and other members of British Commonwealth - but most importantly, it's a) Jeremy Irons and b) Hungarian crew (and I'm sure you know what excellent riders Magyars are...)
http://gawker.com/5902076/snl-explains-the-nudity-in-game-of-thrones
ReplyDeleteBest explanation ever for why there is so much sex and nudity in GoT.
That was hilarious! OUT-STANDING! HAHAHAHAHAHA!
DeleteI could catch my breath, I was laughing so hard.
DeleteWay OT, but yesterday I made 5 1/2 quarts of the best damn ice cream. In a 6 quart freezer I put in 1 cup of pureed cherries, 1/2 cup of chopped cherries, 1 cup of chopped chocolate chips, 1 Pt heavy whipping cream, 1 1/2 pt half and half, 3 cans Eagle brand milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and enough whole milk to fill the freezer to just below the max fill line. When it finished, the only way it could have been better would have been to add a couple shots of double chocolate flavored vodka ... or maybe some Bailey's.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds OUTRAGEOUSLY delicious. I adore cherries and chocolate together.
DeleteI'm going to have to reduce the quantities though. My ice cream maker can't handle that much volume.
But it sounds divine.
FOOD PORN! Yeah!!
DeleteNow that...that recipe is true porn!
ReplyDeleteAnd it's the kind of porn I can get excited about! ICE CREAM!! with chocolate and cherries.
DeleteNear and dear to a girl's heart.