Rolling Stone Interview with GRRM

[mushroomshirt]

Anyone else check out the Rolling Stone interview with GRRM? Ran posted a link: http://www.westeros.org/ASoWS/News/Entry/Rolling_Stone_Interviews_GRRM

A couple of things I thought were interesting:

*GRRM asks the interviewer if he read the books and he says "yes" then he asks "who killed Joffrey" and the interviewer dodges the question, which I think is kind of funny. Was he just kissing ass? But then George goes on to talk about how the Tyrells wanted to pin the blame on Sansa if they decided that Joff was poisoned. It seems like it must be more complicated than that, otherwise why all the fuss with Littlefinger and the dwarfs to piss Tyrion off? Unless this was a side plot by LF to focus the blame on Tyrion while the Tyrells wanted to pin it on Sansa? Or was the idea that since Tyrion and Sansa are husband and wife pinning it on one is as good as pinning it on the other?

*The interviewer then goes on to say that everyone wields power badly except Dany. This is a laugh and I'm not sure why GRRM didn't call him on it. He must be used to questions even stupider than this, so he just goes on with his pat answer. Of course Dany in Meereen is one of the prime examples of wielding power badly.

Anyway it seems like George must have the patience of a saint if he really talked to this guy for 10 hours like he says. I don't mean to bash him but he seems just a small step above the usual vapid interviewers. (I assume he's a "he," but I suppose "Mikal" could be a girl's name?)

[KingOfTheRock]

*The interviewer then goes on to say that everyone wields power badly except Dany. This is a laugh and I'm not sure why GRRM didn't call him on it. He must be used to questions even stupider than this, so he just goes on with his pat answer. Of course Dany in Meereen is one of the prime examples of wielding power badly.

This is an interview more about the show than the books and no one has seen Dany try to rule Meereen yet in the show. When she starts to rule Meereen is when her ability to handle power goes sour.

[Lady Flandrensis]

What you cite is just what I caught. I'm sure the interviewer hasn't read the books. He keeps referring to the series, he doesn't know what he's talking about. GRRM must've had the patience of a saint to spend 10 hours with him. And over 10 hours that's all he got? Bah.

[Lord_Tyrell]

I honestly think the Tyrells were counting on Sansa being implicated, and LF said he was fine with it, but he lied and had other plans. First off he hired the dwarf jousters behind their back, which I don't think the Tyrells would be cool with. Then he had Ser Dontos sneak her out. LF had to have it be Tyrion since he was the only person who saw him for what he really was and had evidence to prove it.

[iridescence]

How the Slavers Bay economies ever functioned in the first place when there are tiny numbers of slave owners and huge numbers of slaves including the vast majority of their army is something I don't get. It's amazing there was never a slave revolt before. Especially when not only is the economy based on slavery but the masters are ridiculously cruel even by slaver standards. Also how they monopolize the slave trade when slave trading is something literally anyone can do makes no sense.

The iron born are not increasing in power. They are just vultures and opportunists.

[Berric_Dondiedagain]

he is a he (the interviewer) - and I just read it through your link- I agree that it is the same questions I hear him asked over and over- I feel that all of his interviewers read other interviews and asked pretty much the same thing-

[mushroomshirt]

I honestly think the Tyrells were counting on Sansa being implicated, and LF said he was fine with it, but he lied and had other plans. First off he hired the dwarf jousters behind their back, which I don't think the Tyrells would be cool with. Then he had Ser Dontos sneak her out. LF had to have it be Tyrion since he was the only person who saw him for what he really was and had evidence to prove it.

Yeah, I think you must be right about this.

[To catch a Lannister]

Yeah when I read the part where the interviewer said everybody wields power badly accept Daenerys this was pretty much reaction

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-POzc0wp-xwg/UjDFA1NgAgI/AAAAAAAABOk/c1dekbZtf3g/s1600/JimSigh.gif

I dunno maybe when he said he "read the books" he hadn't gotten to ADWD yet.

He also must have missed a character called Ned Fucking Stark.

[HouseHarrison]

The two wtf moments for me were:

-GRRM comparing Michael Vick (tortured animals) and Roman Polanski (child rapist) to Paula Deen (said the N word once 20 years ago)

-Everyone wields power badly except Dany. I lol'd hard. That is something only a show watcher would think.

[Lord Thornhart]

A few weeks ago Rolling Stone posted a completely mediocre best character list, so I'm not surprised to find out the people behind the scenes know less than Jon Snow.

[To catch a Lannister]

A few weeks ago Rolling Stone posted a completely mediocre best character list, so I'm not surprised to find out the people behind the scenes know less than Jon Snow.

Their 40 characters list was hot garbage. It was basically a random mish-mosh of everybody just so they could get to Daenerys at #1. Fucking goobs.

[Drake Heath]

This is an interview more about the show than the books and no one has seen Dany try to rule Meereen yet in the show. When she starts to rule Meereen is when her ability to handle power goes sour.

If they don't whitewash her.

Which they will, she'll be shown doing her best against the evil citizens of Meereen who don't know what's best for them.

[Disputatious]

I liked this quote from GRRM in reference to the execution scene (of Ned) in the show:

"As many times as I've watched this, it still has great effect. Of course for me, there's so much more to the books."

Take that ye Show Runners :) And if Lady Flandrensis is right, take that ye interviewer as well. (Yes, by the sound of it, if he has read the books, he has not yet reached ASoS.)

[Zman1863]

I honestly think the Tyrells were counting on Sansa being implicated, and LF said he was fine with it, but he lied and had other plans. First off he hired the dwarf jousters behind their back, which I don't think the Tyrells would be cool with. Then he had Ser Dontos sneak her out. LF had to have it be Tyrion since he was the only person who saw him for what he really was and had evidence to prove it.

I agree that the Tyrells (or at least, all the ones that were involved. It might have been the QoT alone) knew and were fine with Sansa being implicated. But I also think they were equally aware of and fine with Tyrion being implicated and while they might not have known about the dwarf jousters, I can't think of any reason why they wouldn't approve since it helped create an extra good backdrop for Tyrion being blamed. The Tyrell conspirator(s) would have only been concerned that no suspicion be directed at them. Tyrion and Sansa together were the easiest targets for this insurance policy.

And yeah I think if the interviewer has read the books, they haven't read ahead of the show.

If they don't whitewash her.

Which they will, she'll be shown doing her best against the evil citizens of Meereen who don't know what's best for them.

Given their track record with whitewashing, I am inclined to agree. However, I think there might be reason to hope. That "I will answer injustice with justice" exchange between Dany and Barristan they keep showing in previews seems to capture one of the essential dilemmas of Dany's arc.

[Rippounet]

How the Slavers Bay economies ever functioned in the first place when there are tiny numbers of slave owners and huge numbers of slaves including the vast majority of their army is something I don't get. It's amazing there was never a slave revolt before. Especially when not only is the economy based on slavery but the masters are ridiculously cruel even by slaver standards.

Are they that cruel? That's not the impression I got from the books at all. In fact, slavers are so confident that they are not that one begs Dany to be sold as slave, right? And the pit fighters petition Dany...

As for the tiny number of slave owners versus the huge number of slaves, well... Should we really go down that road? ;)

Given their track record with whitewashing, I am inclined to agree. However, I think there might be reason to hope. That "I will answer injustice with justice" exchange between Dany and Barristan they keep showing in previews seems to capture one of the essential dilemmas of Dany's arc.

I think D&D understand that Dany's poor skills as a ruler are essential. This is a story in which no one should be perfect and live. Dany must have noticeable flaws to be allowed to survive.

[Disputatious]

The point of framing Sansa for the murder of Joffrey escapes me. Yes, they needed a fall guy, and Sansa does have, in part thanks to them, both motive and opportunity, but why her? Also, there is the question of the poison: the strangler is not something Sansa would be likely to be able to lay hands on. That fact is used against Tyrion in the trial, as one may recall.

It seems to me that the plot has to include Tyrion as the one who would be chiefly blamed.

I suppose that the Tyrells who were a party to this may have had in mind thwarting Tywin in some way, and probably did not know about the fake Arya possibility. Perhaps they thought that if they implicated Tyrion, and got him out of the way, then Tywin would just find some other Lannister to wed to Sansa, e.g. Lancel, and one way or another, would keep the claim to Winterfell in Lannister hands. Thus the only sure way to stop this would be to eliminate Sansa herself. That Tywin would then come up with "Arya" and use her to secure control of the North indirectly via the Boltons must have startled even Lady Olenna.

[BitsOfBrains]

Nah, the Tyrells didn't want to implicate Sansa.

They wanted to implicate Tyrion (if it was discovered as poison) then take the still maiden Sansa (everyone knew Tyrion never consummated her ass) and give her to Willas.

Once it was found to be poison, there were only 2 believable suspects. Either Tyrion would be blamed or the Red Viper would be blamed.

Also is anyone else pissed at the shows portrayal of Oberyn?

They gayed him up waaayyyy too much. It was rumored in the books that he liked men and women.

In the show he is either constantly fucking a dude or trying to fuck a dude.

Total disservice to the character.

[Pib_Juju]

I agree that the Tyrells (or at least, all the ones that were involved. It might have been the QoT alone) knew and were fine with Sansa being implicated. But I also think they were equally aware of and fine with Tyrion being implicated and while they might not have known about the dwarf jousters, I can't think of any reason why they wouldn't approve since it helped create an extra good backdrop for Tyrion being blamed. The Tyrell conspirator(s) would have only been concerned that no suspicion be directed at them. Tyrion and Sansa together were the easiest targets for this insurance policy.

And yeah I think if the interviewer has read the books, they haven't read ahead of the show.

Given their track record with whitewashing, I am inclined to agree. However, I think there might be reason to hope. That "I will answer injustice with justice" exchange between Dany and Barristan they keep showing in previews seems to capture one of the essential dilemmas of Dany's arc.

Yeah, I really don't see how they could whitewash the Meereen plotline. The whole point of it, it seems to me, is that Daenarys slowly learns how to use the whip, so to speak.

The Tyrion whitewashing is annoying at times, but doesn't ultimately change much, from a story perspective. Making Dany an effective ruler in Meereen would make the whole arc pointless.

[Disputatious]

Did they really do that to Oberyn? Now I am even more pleased that I have stuck to the books and pretty much ignored the show (I did look at a couple of clips on You Tube).

Ah well, they know that sex sells, and that if they are to maximize their audience, they need to do things that will annoy the "book purists" (that's us according to D & D).

[Red Raven]

The two wtf moments for me were:

-GRRM comparing Michael Vick (tortured animals) and Roman Polanski (child rapist) to Paula Deen (said the N word once 20 years ago)

More than once, Paula admitted during her testimony that the word was used regularly in her household. There was rampant and ongoing sexual and racial harassment going on at her restaurants that she knew about and did nothing to stop. I know someone who worked at the Food Network who reported that her nice southern lady schtick was just an act and she was mean and racist to the bone. She tried to avoid racial topics on set because she knew her views on race would not be popular. Vick and Polanski are worse but Paula Deen is a genuinely horrible person.

I think D&D understand that Dany's poor skills as a ruler are essential. This is a story in which no one should be perfect and live. Dany must have noticeable flaws to be allowed to survive.

I hope so. I'd hate it if they turn Dany into even more of a Mary Sue and altered the Meereen storyline just to make her magically able to rule well right out of the gate, or soon after. She needs to be seen screwing up or else she's too much of a fantasy character.

They gayed him up waaayyyy too much. It was rumored in the books that he liked men and women.

I don't think he's out of character. He loved men and women, and on the show he has a strong masculine presence. He fights hard and loves hard and is man enough for everyone.