[Book Spoilers] EP201 Discussion

[Howdyphillip]

Here’s my take on that.

I somewhat like the series because of its high level of verisimilitude. People are ugly. Things are dirty. Life sucks. People eat, shit, hurt each other, betray, are afraid, whine. I like that in the books, and I like it in the tv series.

Now, in the middle of all that internally consistent visual atmosphere they drop incredibly awkward sex scenes with women who are unbelievably beautiful, well-fed, and well built. Whores just don’t look like that. Maybe at Chataya’s, but even then it’s a stretch.

A TV film with realistic sex? Sure, why not.

A TV film with sex scenes whose body image looks like something cut-and-pasted from a 90s soft porn movie . No thanks. It’s an embarrassment and demeaning. I feel intellectually and visually insulted.

See... I would agree with that if the rest of the show was cast full of ugly people, but it isn't. Emilia Clark is one of the hottest women on the planet, and Lena Heady is gorgeous as well.

On the male side of things, Peter Dinkledge is probably the most charismatic little persons to ever be shot on film, and almost all of the young cast is full of teenage heartthrobs.

plus, i am not ready for ugly people sex in primetime...That is only supposed to happen after 2am when the bar closes and you've had enough beer to make it tolerable.

[Happy Ent]

See... I would agree with that if the rest of the show was cast full of ugly people, but it isn't. Emilia Clark is one of the hottest women on the planet, and Lena Heady is gorgeous as well.

They are royalty. Well fed. And both are known as the most beautiful women in the realm. They should be beautiful.

Whores are not. Not today, and not then. That’s what I’m objecting to: the argument for gratuitous sex scenes from verisimilitude. Because the sex scenes we get are the opposite of verisimilitude. It’s as if some cast members talked with a heavily Californian accent or used l33t sp33k. The sex scenes are cut out of a 90s soft porn movie. They scream “this show is on meekly pseudo-raunchy American cable TV!!!” and pull me right out of the experience.