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Original poster

GoT is actually disgusting, isn't it?

812 replies

Miljah · 13/05/2019 20:23

In what way can it be described as 'entertainment'?

I seriously, don't understand why people happily sit down to watch the carnage, the immolation, the screaming children.

What is wrong with people?

OP posts:
Rachie1973 · 14/05/2019 00:28

Storytelling is a tradition. It’s how humans have entertained themselves forever. The mediums have changed but essentially it’s still storytelling.

I still recall sitting round a campfire in the brownies whilst we tried to outdo each other with horrific stories of mad axe murderers waiting to chop children in tents into small pieces.

HPLikecraft · 14/05/2019 00:29

But people like to be made a bit sad, M3lon, that why they read weepy romances, listen to sad songs. At least one well-liked character dying happens in many, if not most, ongoing series.

Enjoying characters being burnt alive? No, I haven’t at all. I admit I was quite happy to see a couple of characters die on GoT , but they were evil, sadistic sods and it was a merciful release for everyone around them. Well-liked characters dying is different, but as I said pretty mainstream, and part of “entertainment sadness”.

I’ve never watched Spooks, but that scene you described is horrific and I’d be very disturbed by it.

Furries · 14/05/2019 00:59

Feeling rather bemused!! Surely most people can tell the difference between fiction and reality?!

Randomly, I’ve now got the theme tune from Footloose running through my head, censorship for everyone is obviously the way to save the world!!

Anyway,, heading off to feed my dragon before turning in for the night - sleep well all !!

costacoffeecup · 14/05/2019 01:53

Generally I actively avoid anything with violence as I find I'm really affected by it. I would never watch an 18 film and I avoid horror films etc.

Game of thrones is the exception. I can see how objectively the violence seems gratuitous and maybe in the first few series it was a bit but I don't think it is anymore. Like most people i watched the shireen episode through my fingers as it was so harrowing. But you really care about the characters so it has a real emotional heft. It's not mindless violence as it gets you in the gut when you're invested in it. We're not watching because of the violence but despite it.

Alicewond · 14/05/2019 02:11

No I find it entertaining, whilst being shocking. The character developments are amazing. Yes the first series of the tv version went a bit much into the brothel scene. But it all comes about. It’s a great fictional story

SpeckofStardust · 14/05/2019 02:19

Well, I don’t know about anyone else, OP, but you’ve convinced me. I think I’m going to give GOT one last chances to clean up its act and if there’s no raising of the moral tone in next week’s episode, I won’t be watching it again!

NunoGoncalves · 14/05/2019 03:13

Most episodes are not carnage, immolation and screaming children, though. Seems a bit strange to write the whole show off as that based on one episode, especially when that episode clearly has context, just as violence in any television show or film does.

Do you never watch anything that has violence in it?

Persimmonn · 14/05/2019 03:37

Freddy Kruger was slashing and getting burnt over 30 years ago...hardly a new problem. There are plenty of non-violent shows on TV; go and watch countryfile or gardening time or something.

FromEden · 14/05/2019 03:39

HBO is a subscription channel, not "public Access tv" as you said. If you don't want to watch, then dont sign up. It's simple. So what should we the public be allowed to watch according to you? Teletubbies and peppa pig?

birdsandroses · 14/05/2019 03:52

We are not called to admire the violence. We know our history was super violent and violence still exists in the world. I find it interesting to observe how characters cope and respond to living in such a violent culture.

Also stories are a way to safely explore the darker sides of humanity and perhaps try and make sense of it.

famousfour · 14/05/2019 06:58

Clearly it’s full of gratuitous nudity and violence. Lots of naked women in the first series which was really not necessary to the story as I recall.

I personally also think there are issues around desensitisation and normalisation of certain things but personally I don’t think GOT is it. The programme is so far removed from reality as a fantasy and it doesn’t invite you to approve the violence. It does show a very visceral world and relies on the cinematography, violence etc to tell the story in a powerful way. That said I don’t think it’s Shakespeare!

Categorising people as ‘enjoying’ watching burning children is an odd way to put it. There might be a few people who run their hands with glee but I would imagine for most people the ‘enjoyment’ is from the strong emotional responses to the story which is a different thing.

echt · 14/05/2019 07:06

That said I don’t think it’s Shakespeare!

Philomea Cunk would disagree:

TooTrueToBeGood · 14/05/2019 07:30

I think it is good and healthy for society to consider and debate what the entertainment industry produces. I personally have concerns about the volume of Hollywood war films that portray US troops in an excessively righteous manner and glorify war as some noble endeavour. I also have concerns about the growth in film and TV glamorising crime and making criminals the heros.
If I decided to start a debate about that though, I wouldn't do so by starting a thread effectively titled "Breaking Bad fans, you're all morally bankrupt wankers".

Italiangreyhound · 14/05/2019 07:42

Lockheart

"Why though? What's the difference between watching on a screen and watching in your imagination?"

I think things you see are more damaging then things you read about. Even if the 'action' is not real. This is why dramas and plays can be so triggering for some.

Plus I think 'drama' in the past had s moral story/warning component. Personally, I think TV or film violence is often gratuitous. I think we might be watching things for different reasons now. I think it is very sad.

Drogosnextwife · 14/05/2019 07:44

Eh hang on. A couple of hundred years ago and longer, humans were gruesome. Public hanging and torture, heads chopped off, people being starved to death, the witch hunts. Also incest was pretty rife between royal families. Also when Vikings etc were raiding villages they were there to kill everyone, EVERYONE. Have you never watched gladiator, braveheart (can't think of anymore off the top of my head) etc?

Italiangreyhound · 14/05/2019 07:44

If people are watching it despite hating the violence isn't that equally worrying?

Drogosnextwife · 14/05/2019 07:46

Also I think it's quite important to watch true crime and read about the terrible things that happen in this world, because then we are actually acknowledging what happened to these poor people instead of just ignoring it and pretending these things don't happen.

HPLikecraft · 14/05/2019 07:47

Breaking Bad fans, you're all morally bankrupt wankers

Guess you never watched it, then?

Myusernameismud · 14/05/2019 07:48

This thread is really something special Grin

For what it's worth, GoT is one of my all time favourite TV series, and yes it does have upsetting scenes (which we are warned about at the beginning of every episode). But it is fantasy. I don't for one second believe that there is anyone out there who is filled with glee at the idea of children being burned to death by dragons.

Shortly after yesterday's episode, DH and I watched SEAL team (it's a bit lame, but DH likes it) and the episode focused on a Navy veteran who had suffered a TBI and had PTSD. He couldn't get the help he needed so he killed himself. That, for me, was far more upsetting than anything I've seen on GoT because it's the sort of thing that actually happens in real life.

Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse · 14/05/2019 08:00

GOT is fantasy, yes it has some hard to watch moments however it also has a lot of strong take no crap female characters. I personally find all these dramas about missing more horrifying. The hardest show for me to watch is the Handmaid's Tale. Now that is brutal but also brilliant.

Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse · 14/05/2019 08:01

Missing children*

famousfour · 14/05/2019 08:09

Shakespeare for the drama maybe - not for the dialogue Grin

Yes I hate those missing programmes too.

TooTrueToBeGood · 14/05/2019 08:30

Guess you never watched it, then?

I did actually and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I guess you don't have a clue what my point was. Did you not bother reading my whole post or do you generally struggle with irony and sarcasm?

sashh · 14/05/2019 08:47

overthehorizon third degree burns aren't 'silly'.....

Which is perhaps why the story of one character is dominated by the trauma of being burned as a child.

HPLikecraft · 14/05/2019 08:52

I’m fine with irony and sarcasm, thanks.
You mentioned having a problem with “growth in film and TV glamorising crime and making criminals the heros” but wouldn’t start a thread complaining about BB fans.

If your takeaway from Breaking Bad was that it glamorised crime or made a criminal a hero, then perhaps it’s your understanding that’s a bit lacking.

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