Game of Thrones

[VKhaun]

Finally got around to watching this... so awesome...

Just finished episode 6.

I was happy to see fuck-head get his crown, and I'm curious when the magical stuff will come out of the background.

At the risk of having my man-card taken, I have to say the gratuitous nudity was starting to get annoying in the first few episodes. They would just randomly decide to have dialog somewhere with two topless girls, or have them randomly walk into the room during dialog. The camera will spend a full minute panning around the inside of some hut full of topless girls in the dark where you can't hardly see anyway, or two people taking five minutes to talk about girls. Some of the early episodes were like I got a thirty minute show and a really bad twenty minute softcore, but five and six were much better.


let me see it one more time!

See what? :3

[Sillywilly]

Finally got around to watching this... so awesome...

Just finished episode 6.

I was happy to see fuck-head get his crown, and I'm curious when the magical stuff will come out of the background.

At the risk of having my man-card taken, I have to say the gratuitous nudity was starting to get annoying in the first few episodes. They would just randomly decide to have dialog somewhere with two topless girls, or have them randomly walk into the room during dialog. The camera will spend a full minute panning around the inside of some hut full of topless girls in the dark where you can't hardly see anyway, or two people taking five minutes to talk about girls. Some of the early episodes were like I got a thirty minute show and a really bad twenty minute softcore, but five and six were much better.


let me see it one more time!

See what? :3

Yeah that's HBO for you. For some reason they are obsessed with out of place and excessive nudity. I guess it sells as well as storyline does to lonely late night perverts or something. The scene between the two female prostitutes was just plain over the top. The series is awesome though and the only time it really strays from the books is for the gratutious nudity lol.

[Valec]

It serves it's purpose. Is it really that odd to see two women butt naked in a brothel? I'd personally hardly consider the nudity excessive or even inappropriately used. Setting and whatnot.

[Draconian]

There was plenty of commentary about this during season 1, and season 2 you will see a marked reduction in nudity. I didn't think the amount of nudity was over the top, just the purposeful pointing it out excessively was a bit much.

Yeah that's HBO for you.

Huh? What other shows have you had the same issue with?

[Andile™]

Hand over the man-card!

[VKhaun]

It serves it's purpose. Is it really that odd to see two women butt naked in a brothel? I'd personally hardly consider the nudity excessive or even inappropriately used. Setting and whatnot.

Fine, it's not gratuitous nudity.
it's gratuitous brothel, bedroom, and bath settings.
Or wait... same thing...

Hand over the man-card!

To the first man to ask, who has a longer beard!

[Bragi]

From what I've heard from friends who've read the book series... HBO is toning it down.

[Mute]

The scene between the two female prostitutes was just plain over the top.

[ofrm1]

The most over-the-top scene in Game of Thrones so far doesn't even have sex in it. It's when Tywin Lannister is gutting and skinning a deer. It's not disturbing in the slightest. It's just distracting trying to pay attention to what they're saying when that is going on in the background.

The sex scenes are just shock value to let you know for the umpteenth time that this isn't your standard light vs. dark, moderate fantasy show. It's a gritty serious world filled with cutthroat political intrigue.

[VKhaun]

The most over-the-top scene in Game of Thrones so far doesn't even have sex in it. It's when Tywin Lannister is gutting and skinning a deer. It's not disturbing in the slightest. It's just distracting trying to pay attention to what they're saying when that is going on in the background.

I noticed that one, too. The lord of their family/house/whatever is butchering his own game wearing nice clothes and it's not like he was interrupted. He STARTS after someone has come to talk to him. It's like they have to have arbitrarily absurd settings for the conversations. There's one where the guys at the wall are sent to scrub a table. Like a quarter of the episode was staring at a dirty table top. Then a whole different scene has to happen on watch for them to notice something. It's short and sudden like it was an afterthought or filler. Why not have that conversation take place during the watch duty looking out over the wall?

[Draconian]

Dude, you are watching a TV show. Just let it happen. lol

[VKhaun]

Dude, you are watching a TV show. Just let it happen. lol

It's already over. The ending of season 1 was badass, too.

[Sillywilly]

There was plenty of commentary about this during season 1, and season 2 you will see a marked reduction in nudity. I didn't think the amount of nudity was over the top, just the purposeful pointing it out excessively was a bit much.





Huh? What other shows have you had the same issue with?

4 seeree-us? I don't think I've seen an HBO series that didn't depend on overly done violence or nudity to sell. The Sopranos is another one right off hand that I can think of. I only watched a couple of episodes and for example one of the Soprano guys had some chick riding his cock in a chair and it was just one of those awkward scenes that was completely unnecessary for the plot of the episode. I've always known/expected HBO to have those little mini-porn sessions in it's episodes.

[Draconian]

Well you didn't watch Sopranos and it wasn't overdone in that show, IMO. Not everything in episodes build plot it's important to build character as well, so you care about a plot. The strip club was part of the show, it was a business front. It would've been weirder to ignore that stuff, especially considering the setting and topic of that particular show. You watched a show about jersey italian gangsters that own a strip club and got upset at a lap dance scene? Weird expectations.

So, what shows did you actually watch that had the problem? :P

[Sillywilly]

Well you didn't watch Sopranos and it wasn't overdone in that show, IMO. Not everything in episodes build plot it's important to build character as well, so you care about a plot. The strip club was part of the show, it was a business front. It would've been weirder to ignore that stuff, especially considering the setting and topic of that particular show. You watched a show about jersey italian gangsters that own a strip club and got upset at a lap dance scene? Weird expectations.

So, what shows did you actually watch that had the problem? :P

It wasn't a scene in a club. It was one of the main dudes mistresses or something.

You seriously gonna try to argue that HBO doesn't put gratutious softcore porn in it's episodes? And it's not like HBO movies aren't known for doing 7th sequels to cheesy plots, relying on the amount of ass and boobs shown in the movie to get it's viewer quota.

[Andile™]

To the first man to ask, who has a longer beard!

[Draconian]

You seriously gonna try to argue that HBO doesn't put gratutious softcore porn in it's episodes?

No I just enjoy when you make blanket statements and have nothing to back them up. You're bombarded by nudity on HBO, so much so that you've made a mental note that the network is known for it, yet the prime example you remember is a show you only watched 2 episodes of. Hehe. It's just classic Silly, that's all.


I don't watch enough HBO to know, so I was curious which series were as bad as GoT.

[Sillywilly]

No I just enjoy when you make blanket statements and have nothing to back them up. You're bombarded by nudity on HBO, so much so that you've made a mental note that the network is known for it, yet the prime example you remember is a show you only watched 2 episodes of. Hehe. It's just classic Silly, that's all.


I don't watch enough HBO to know, so I was curious which series were as bad as GoT.

Nice try chump but it's Game of Thrones (thread subject) and Sopranos I mentioned because they a probably the 2 most famous episodes HBO has produced. I didn't say the Sopranos was the only one I had seen with gratuitous nudity, I just used it as an example in addition to a Game of Thrones. I found Rome and Spartacus (think that was HBO, but maybe it was Showtime) to be pretty close in useless, unnecessary (and therefore gratuitous) nudity. Not to mention Tell Me You Love Me had it's fair share of that shit and Sex and the City was produced by HBO for Christ stake.

EDIT: Not to mention my wife refused to watch True Blood (used to watch Vampire Diaries) because of how that series turn out, which I'm 95% sure was HBO.

Don't be so quick to prove you're an idiot just because it's the internet bruh.

[Draconian]

It seems like you're just against showing human sexual promiscuity. Whether you are comfortable with it or not, it's not wrong to build character, or even base character, off of real sorts of human impulses. GoT I agree was over the top. Sopranos... considering the subject and setting of the show, never really felt like it was gratuitous - but to be fair it's been probably 5 years since I watched the whole series, so going off of memory. Rome, again years since I watched it really don't have a good enough recollection of it to say. Sex and the City... just read the title of the show, please. I think you're a bit on the conservative side of this issue, that is to say, not representative of the average viewer's sensibilities. One can't help but wonder why you continue to expose yourself to such programming.

Can I ask you for examples of when nudity is not gratuitous in film/TV? What shows or movies have done it particularly well? Is a sex scene ever not gratuitous? Do you consider the violence in any of these shows gratuitous?


You're of course not compelled to entertain my interest, but I enjoy picking your brain if you'd like to humor me.

[Sillywilly]

It seems like you're just against showing human sexual promiscuity. Whether you are comfortable with it or not, it's not wrong to build character, or even base character, off of real sorts of human impulses. GoT I agree was over the top. Sopranos... considering the subject and setting of the show, never really felt like it was gratuitous - but to be fair it's been probably 5 years since I watched the whole series, so going off of memory. Rome, again years since I watched it really don't have a good enough recollection of it to say. Sex and the City... just read the title of the show, please. I think you're a bit on the conservative side of this issue, that is to say, not representative of the average viewer's sensibilities. One can't help but wonder why you continue to expose yourself to such programming.

Can I ask you for examples of when nudity is not gratuitous in film/TV? What shows or movies have done it particularly well? Is a sex scene ever not gratuitous? Do you consider the violence in any of these shows gratuitous?


You're of course not compelled to entertain my interest, but I enjoy picking your brain if you'd like to humor me.

I like how people throw that word "conservative" out there like it means anything other than the people that built America.

There's nothing conservative about saying a sex scene put into a movie just for the sake of showing sex is gratuitous. It's an objective observation. Many movies/series have implied sex or sexual conduct (pertaining to plot) without showing a completely naked woman bouncing up and down on top of a guy sitting in a chair. For all that goes you can just show her from the waist up and make it less like soft core porn if there is some dialogue that just has to be said while she's cow girling his dick. Some of the scenes in A Game of Thrones do project emotion or plot, at least especially as they are written in the books, such as Danery's and Khal (can't remember exact) scenes together. The two lesbians finger fucking while traitor asshole gives his lecture was just an example of the types of scenes that HBO is known for using to either get support from pervs or the gay community.

The point is this kind of scene IS NOT necessary to the plot and these kind of scenes ARE NOT created to advance the plot, they are there for people who get off on having soft core porn in their series. It's a well known and observed tactic for a B movie director to put tits and ass or yes, GRATUITOUS sex scenes in his low quality movie because pervs will give it a rating or are more likely to watch it if he does. The same tactics are used in almost anything now days to get higher ratings/more viewers and HBO has made a career out of it.

One can't help but wonder why you continue to expose yourself to such programming.

Nice try kiddo. Passive aggressive is the politically correct term for cowardice. A Game of Thrones is the only HBO series I've watched extensively and that's because I loved the med-evil-fantasy setting and the books were well written. The truth is the LotR gives up nothing to A Song of Ice and Fire, especially not due to a lack of rape/pedophilia/incest/etc. The other HBO shit it took like 2-3 episodes to realize what they were about and I didn't bother with it anymore. That's cute how you tried to imply that I'm drawn to exactly what I'm criticizing though. Norwegians have a word for that, it's called Janteloven, it's where they try to make themselves feel better about being shit by make believing that everyone else in the world is exactly like them or worse. You know, there's not a single altruistic missionary/aid worker in the world, they're all out fighting rebels and malaria for selfish reasons. People don't serve in the military to defend their country or way of life, they just get off on killing people.

I think you're a bit on the conservative side of this issue, that is to say, not representative of the average viewer's sensibilities.

I doubt HBO toned down the nudity in GoT simply because of a very small minority such as myself.

[Pyrrhus]

Silly don't be so butthurt, he's trolololoing you.

[Draconian]

I like how people throw that word "conservative" out there like it means anything other than the people that built America.

"I like how people throw out an adjective like it means anything other than a noun."

lol...


Other than that bit of comedy, you completely went on defense for a non-attack of a post... good job sir!'

Silly don't be so butthurt, he's trolololoing you.

Actually I was genuinely interested in his examples of nudity and sex scenes that aren't gratuitous, if he has any to reference from his perspective. I was also curious if he thought the violence in many of these shows, even the ones he likes, is gratuitous. He wasn't interested in a straightforward answer. :P

[VKhaun]

Actually I was genuinely interested in his examples of nudity and sex scenes that aren't gratuitous, if he has any to reference from his perspective. I was also curious if he thought the violence in many of these shows, even the ones he likes, is gratuitous. He wasn't interested in a straightforward answer. :P

Right but you already know what makes things gratuitous and so did I when I started the thread. Thus when you poke silly to make him trap himself, you are trolling.

NOT THAT I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT

Just say'n...

Carry on.

[Sillywilly]

"I like how people throw out an adjective like it means anything other than a noun."

lol...


Other than that bit of comedy, you completely went on defense for a non-attack of a post... good job sir!'




Actually I was genuinely interested in his examples of nudity and sex scenes that aren't gratuitous, if he has any to reference from his perspective. I was also curious if he thought the violence in many of these shows, even the ones he likes, is gratuitous. He wasn't interested in a straightforward answer. :P

Semantics is a weak argument. ;-) In other words, I wasn't shocked to see it coming from you.

And I'm sorry if it sounded defensive, I meant it to be more condescending and insult-ish.

As usual somebody says something half thought out and stupid to Sillywilly, Sillywilly delivers the goods and then they start making back pedaling arguments. Yeah you're just interested lol. No you're just fucking stupid and didn't reflect back on all the series that HBO has produced/aired with gratuitous sex scenes before flapping your lips.

I didn't answer the violence question because violence is not sex and sex is not violence (except when it's been awhile for me). So it's a fucking stupid question. But because I wouldn't want you to strain a finger beating that straw man:

I don't watch movies where undue or "bad guy" violence is glorified. If there is a movie that makes wife beating, school shooting, etc look glorified or ok then I don't watch it. If it's a movie that tries to make you sympathize with a rapist, etc, I ditch it like I did Rome/etc.

NO it is not the same as a sex scene because seeing a terrorist bomb a building in a movie (even if it looks glorified) as a young man never made me want to go out and make bombs. Jennifer Anistons tits made me want a "plump pink nipple between my lips" (pts for the source) though. So if someone is against sex scenes but not jump kicks and body slams that's probably why.

So no, even if I did consider Aragorn chopping an Orcs head off as "gratuitious" violence it's still not the same as softcore porn in a series.

If you notice I never said anything about any "morale" issues with it lol, I think it's unclassy and cheesy and that it has no place in a series like A Game of Thrones which has a strong enough plot, character personas, and writing that it doesn't need tits to sell air time using the same tactics that Anaconda 8 or American Pie 5 would use. I think it's degrading to the material simply because it's like making the Women's NBA wear bikinis. If you want porn, fucking watch porn. If you want a strong story with some realistic bits (although overdone in the books some as well) then A Game of Thrones minus the typical ridiculously gratuitous HBO nudity/fuck scenes.

And while we're on this subject anyone can read A Song of Ice and Fire, and then read Tolkien, and tell who was a married with children, well educated English professor with a story to tell and which writer has scripted some scenes that SCREAM, as wikipedia put it:

Martin was also a college instructor in journalism and a chess tournament director. In his spare time, he collects medieval-themed miniatures, reading and collecting science fiction, fantasy, and horror books, and treasuring his still-growing comics collection, which includes the first issues of Marvel's "silver age" Spider-Man and Fantastic Four.

or if TLR a pent up 60 year old virgin.

[Draconian]

Yeah you're just interested lol. No you're just fucking stupid and didn't reflect back on all the series that HBO has produced/aired with gratuitous sex scenes before flapping your lips.

Or... I was just asking? How can I reflect on things I have no experience with? You claimed the network as a whole does this, I don't watch the network as a whole, only a few shows, so I inquired from someone who seemed to be taking an experienced stance on the topic.

I didn't answer the violence question because violence is not sex and sex is not violence (except when it's been awhile for me). So it's a fucking stupid question.

It is relevant. Your point, as I understand it as as you've stated, is that the sex scenes never advance the plot and are therefore gratuitous. You also say they could show them more tastefully if showing two people spending the night together is necessary to show for the plot/character. The reason the violence question is relevant, is because it is treated the same way. It often is not necessary to show anywhere near as much violence as shows do, to advance the plot. Do we actually need to see a severed head close up with blood? When people get shot in shows, do we really need to see the person being shot and bleeding on the floor? No, just like the "softcore porn" in Game of Thrones or Sopranos, the level of graphic violence in these shows is also gratuitous. So, since your main complaint is about gratuitous things that don't serve the plot, I don't see how you see zero connection here. Your real problem isn't boobies, it's unnecessary boobies for the sake of boobies - but all these shows don't need blood either, it's unnecessary graphic violence for the sake of graphic violence. You can show sex without nudity just like you can show someone being beheaded without holding the head infront of the crowd in a close up shot.

NO it is not the same as a sex scene because seeing a terrorist bomb a building in a movie (even if it looks glorified) as a young man never made me want to go out and make bombs. Jennifer Anistons tits made me want a "plump pink nipple between my lips" (pts for the source) though. So if someone is against sex scenes but not jump kicks and body slams that's probably why.

That's on you then, that's your own personal response, insecurities, personality, and desires. That's your own mind at work man - you can't blame the show for that haha. And there have been plenty of examples in our culture of violence in movies/video games etc being blamed for inspiring or desensitizing (etc etc) people towards violence. So although YOU might not experience that, obviously some people feel similarly to gratuitous violence as you do to gratuitous nudity/sex!

So no, even if I did consider Aragorn chopping an Orcs head off as "gratuitious" violence it's still not the same as softcore porn in a series.

So then it's really not about the plot at all, is it? It's about your own personal preferences. You have been disingenuous in your supposedly principal stance.

You don't mind gratuitous zero-plot devices at all. From what you've said, it sounds like your complaint is more about sex and nudity than it is about gratuitous scenes, or else you'd have a stronger opinion on wasting your time with any sort of gratuitous writing/scene.

If you notice I never said anything about any "morale" issues with it lol

Well, I'm glad the shows don't lessen your capacity to command (yay semantics! ;D). Seriously though, you say you don't have a moral issue with it, but you hinted at sexual thoughts being induced by these sorts of scenes, and seemed to imply that you didn't exactly enjoy having those thoughts creep up. If the thoughts make you uncomfortable, you must believe they are somehow wrong or improper, no? Yes yes, I know this isn't a big moral dilemma to you where they're making you hold back from cheating on your wife - I'm not meaning to drive the point that hard - but, you did say they trigger thoughts which you apparently don't like. There's something to that!

I didn't answer the violence question because violence is not sex and sex is not violence (except when it's been awhile for me).

Kudos for making me laugh without a facepalm involved.