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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:

bibbitybobbityyhat · 15/05/2019 21:19

Don't be silly Laurie. Are you comparing GOT to Shakespeare?

BertrandRussell · 15/05/2019 21:21

And I love fantasy- i’m somebody who should absolutely adore it.

BertrandRussell · 15/05/2019 21:23

I’ve seen productions of Shakespeare where I thought there was much too much focus on the violence. There is a famous film of Macbeth sone of you may have seen......

LaurieMarlow · 15/05/2019 21:30

My problem is that the violence is so very extreme- far beyond that which is necessary to make the point.

Firstly I’d be interested to know if you’ve actually watched any of the show beyond the first season because as many people have pointed out D&D did change tack after that.

Secondly, as I think I’ve said already, Martin is clearly interested in the extremes of the human condition. His villains are at the outer reaches of psychopathy. His victims are often tested and damaged far beyond the average. It’s the exploration of that psychology that makes it so interesting to me. The extremes of violence are part of achieving that.

But I’m not getting my kicks out of Theon being tortured. I find it fascinating to see how it affects Theon’s psyche and sense of self (which is incredibly written in the books and superbly acted in the show).

And (for example) how similar levels of psychological trauma impacts Arya in totally different ways.

LaurieMarlow · 15/05/2019 21:32

Don't be silly Laurie. Are you comparing GOT to Shakespeare?

In terms of plotting and characterisation I absolutely am yes.

Not in terms of facility with language, no.

BertrandRussell · 15/05/2019 21:34

“But I’m not getting my kicks out of Theon being tortured. I find it fascinating to see how it affects Theon’s psyche and sense of self (which is incredibly written in the books and superbly acted in the show).“

So why do we have to see the graphic detail?

VampireSlayer19 · 15/05/2019 21:39

Theon gets a lot more tortured in the books - that’s straight from the books!

It’s a show based on books. That’s why! It needs to be shown to give Theon his character arc and actually at the time he had killed people himself including children so was kinda comeuppance but the point is he redeems himself.

Why is a book/show based in medieval times in a fantasy land being judged on modern day views?

School trips go to the London Dungeons which is true life.

BertrandRussell · 15/05/2019 21:43

“It’s a show based on books. That’s why! It needs to be shown to give Theon his character arc and actually at the time he had killed people himself including children so was kinda comeuppance but the point is he redeems himself.“

No- we need to know it’s happened. We do not need to see it.

Walkaround · 15/05/2019 21:48

BertrandRussell - because it is exploring our very worst fears. Are any human beings really capable of enjoyment of such appalling depravity and an apparent complete absence of empathy? To what extent are they born that way and to what extent can they be made that way as a result of what is done to them? Is it possible to retain your own humanity, or to still want to live, or to be able to rise above the example you have been set, if you have suffered every type of degradation imaginable? How do you retain a clear sense of yourself under such extreme duress?

LaurieMarlow · 15/05/2019 21:49

So why do we have to see the graphic detail?

Because it needs to be credible to explain the impact it has on the character in question. If Ramsay was just a bit of a meanie to Theon his psychological trauma wouldn’t make much sense.

I wouldn’t necessarily have made all the same choices as D&D in terms of what to show, mind you. But after season 1 I don’t have a huge issue with what they decided to put on camera.

LaurieMarlow · 15/05/2019 21:51

No- we need to know it’s happened. We do not need to see it.

If everything’s just exposition it loses its power (a bit of an issue with this season to be fair).

squidgimon · 15/05/2019 21:51

No- we need to know it’s happened. We do not need to see it*

How would you suggest they inform the viewers about these key parts of the story then?

BertrandRussell · 15/05/2019 21:55

You appear to be assuming that GOT fans have no imagination.

bibbitybobbityyhat · 15/05/2019 21:58

Considering Psycho.

You never see a knife entering flesh, you never see a breast even though Janet Leigh's character is obviously naked in the shower. Are you saying the horror isn't convincing - or what?

I suspect that many of you (if you know what I'm referencing) are thinking - but that's just old fashioned! What you mean is that film and tv viewers expect more explicit violence now. Aka desensitisation. Aka what this thread is about.

RedDogsBeg · 15/05/2019 22:02

bibbitybobbityhat I went to see the production of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus at the Globe Theatre - it was brutal and shocking and so it should be as the play itself is brutal and shocking. There is a scene in GoT which is taken straight out of Titus Andronicus. GoT/GRRM have drawn heavily not only from Shakespeare but also several other Classics, no-one is saying that it is Shakespeare or on a level with Shakespeare but Shakespeare can certainly be bloody, violent and disturbing.

In my opinion GoT shows the depths humanity can sink to and how power and the pursuit of power corrupts and distorts. It is violent because it is set in violent times where life was cheap.

On the subject of desensitisation, looking at atrocities that have happened in the not too distant past - Cambodia, Rwanda, Yugoslavia, ISIS - does anyone think that the people committing the atrocities were desensitised by watching violent films, television or playing video games?

I found the film Se7en really disturbing, the deaths were not shown on screen they were left to your own imagination and mine went into overdrive for me that was worse so I don't agree that having horrible deeds implied off screen is necessarily better. I can't stomach wall to wall gore and there are scenes in GoT I cannot watch but overall I think it is a complex and interesting story I don't regard it as wank fodder nor do I agree that those who watch it are desensitised to violence or lapping up the violence within it.

bibbitybobbityyhat · 15/05/2019 22:06

When you say there are scenes in GOT you cannot watch, I'm just saying why watch the rest of it then? That's all! It's very simple.

squidgimon · 15/05/2019 22:11

I can't stomach wall to wall gore and there are scenes in GoT I cannot watch but overall I think it is a complex and interesting story I don't regard it as wank fodder nor do I agree that those who watch it are desensitised to violence or lapping up the violence within it

The fact is millions of perfectly kind, non violent, reasonable people watch this show, it's a story and violence is within the story. I don't find myself numb to real violence because of it, is that what objectors feel is the result? Because it is clearly not true. It's a lot of irritating handwringing.

squidgimon · 15/05/2019 22:12

When you say there are scenes in GOT you cannot watch, I'm just saying why watch the rest of it then? That's all! It's very simple.

Because you are gripped by the story? I'm finding it bizarre that you can't grasp this tbh.

RedDogsBeg · 15/05/2019 22:15

As I said it is a complex and interesting story. There is a scene in Schindler's List I cannot watch but I can watch the rest of the film so why wouldn't I?

Hepte · 15/05/2019 22:18

@BertrandRussell it is fundamentally a classic good v evil story.

That is simply not the case! There are very few characters who you are 100% good or evil. There is a level of complexity to the show and characters which is captivating. In one moment you hate them and then the next you see some real humanity in them and a routing for them to succeed.

whatsthecomingoverthehill · 15/05/2019 22:20

I find programmes like Baptiste far more disturbing, despite them being much less graphic than GoT.

RedDogsBeg · 15/05/2019 22:25

Hepte Cersei's walk of shame being one example.

RuffleCrow · 15/05/2019 22:28

That's the point: the pointless carnage and the futility of war. Especially from a leader who claims to be "against all that". So far, so Tony Blair. Then again his armies did all that out of sight of the electorate.

Hithere12 · 15/05/2019 22:31

What is wrong with people

What is wrong with people? 😂 Calm down OP you seem a bit fragile. It’s a brilliant show with incredible storylines/acting. There’s a reason 18million people watch it. Nothing else even comes close to those figures. It’s an iconic show.

I skip through the gory parts. What do you watch OP? Britain’s Got Talent?

squidgimon · 15/05/2019 22:41

Struggling to see how they would do the battle scenes without showing any violence. The battle of the bastards was amazingly filmed.

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