Free Northman

I understand that and fully agree with you. But as a business decision, I would think that that from HBO's viewpoint you could actually broaden the viewership if you cut some of the sex scenes. It seems they believe the sex scenes add to the popularity of the show. I don't see how that logic works. If they got the age restriction down to 16 for example, surely that would add a million or so extra viewers for them. And all it would take would be cutting the most graphic sex scenes. Not all of them, just the ones that are most graphic and non-plot advancing. You could keep all the gore, which hasn't been all that much in any case. So to me, they're actually sabotaging their own cause by adding full frontal nudity for the ships captain's daughter (who is damn ugly by the way) getting it on with Theon, or the nameless whores in Littlefinger's brothel etc.

I can only convey what a number of people I've introduced to the TV series - who have not read the books - have said to me. The story is great, but the gratuitous sex scenes add very little other than shock content. Was Braveheart a poorer movie because William Wallace didn't go all Boogie Nights on his wife or the princess? Was Gladiator poorer for not having full blown nudity for random non plot advancing sex orgies? All of these movies have plenty of guts and gore and tragedy and suspense without having to include over the top graphic sex scenes for no particular reason other than to tittilate some frat boys. For the record, I'm a guy in my early thirties, but I don't feel the need to get a porn fix everythime I watch Game of Thrones. It's just unnecessary, as far as I'm concerned.

I fully agree with the complaint that the sex is over the top. It is not even necessary. What do the whore scenes add to the story? The Stannis/Mellisandre scene is justifiable and adds to the atmosphere and builds Melisandre's character as a seductive enchantress, but the repetitive Theon sex scenes - that guy must have had more sex in the series thus far than he has in real life - and the whorehouse scenes are frankly off-putting. Especially since I'm trying to introduce my wife to the series, and she has stated openly that she loves it, but is put off by the semi-pornographic parts that add nothing to the story.