Would you be upset if AGOT became a teen girl obsession?

[Datepalm]

The problem is "few teenage girls" doesn't equal "rabid fanbase".

I'm just not understanding the fuss. Even if it does become immensely popular amongst teenage girls who love to see Jon angst...so what? Ther'll be too much icky talk about who's the cutest guy or who has the prettiest dresses? How terrible that the in depth intellectual debates on breast size and 'best fighter' will get drowned out. Lets get off that high, faintly sexist horse here.

[Padraig]

I'm just not understanding the fuss.

In fairness. I think its a very very moderate fuss. :)

Saying that people don't expect aGoT to become a teen girl obsession like Twilight is hardly "faintly sexist". Although, I fully expect it to have many fans in most age groups.

Even if it does become immensely popular amongst teenage girls who love to see Jon angst...so what?

At the same time, I fully agree with this.

[alguien]

Like others, I don't think it very likely. However, if it did happen, I'd be fine with it. It'd be great for George and the show, and if teens are going to obsess over something, I'd rather it be something intelligent and well done rather than Twilight.

But I don't see it happening.

[Eelia]

The problem is "few teenage girls" doesn't equal "rabid fanbase".

The problem I had with this thread is people saying ASOIAF is too mature for teenage *girls*, not aimed at teenagers, especially not *girls* and so on. Which is very sexist, IMO.

If R-Maddz or Kit-Heytch (;)) become fangirl obsessions really won't bother me; this kind of sillyness will never top the crazy Sansa haters, Catelyn haters, Sandor-Sansa shippers... at least for me.

Another thing: Sansa is the character with which these girls (Twilight lovers) can really really identify with, I don't see how This series could NOT be aimed at teenage girls!

LOTR is way more teen-friendly than AGOT, imho.

LOTR has long descriptions of nature, history, archaic dialogue... ASOIAF is way more personal and closer to modern people, imo, and as such more appealing to teenagers. :unsure: But I don't know.

[missandei]

I find it hilariously ironic that some people are worrying about a rabid, teenage fanbase when ... well, GoT already has a slightly crazy fanbase. I doubt that anyone could get more obsessed than us. (I say it with fondness.)

[Ser Greguh]

Nobody is saying that the show can't be appreciated by certain members of any meaningful literature demographic. What's being said is that shows that draw in any one demographic in large numbers tend to do so because of a focus on superficial characteristics, which ASOIAF does not do. That's why a show like ASOIAF draws rabid fans spread across every demographic, rather than focusing in on any one section. In contrast, a show like Twilight focuses on one single demographic (teenage girls), just as a movie like, say, 300, focuses on postadolescent males. "Unlikely to draw in teenage girls in droves" is a very different statement from "impossible for a teenage girl to appreciate".

[Ser_not_appearing_yet]

I'm willing to make a bet with anyone in this thread. I'll do whatever you want (forum-wise) for six months if you win. If you lose, nothing. That confident.

There is no way in hell, should this make series, that the show will pick up a rabid female teenager fanbase. No way in HELL.

[Datepalm]

Saying that people don't expect aGoT to become a teen girl obsession like Twilight is hardly "faintly sexist".

I think thats reasonably accurate and not particularly sexist*, what I do find so is the notion that a show one likes also simply having this hypothetical amorphous mass of teenage girls as fans is somehow problematic and could possibly even need adressing.

*Although I think theres some underestimation of the potential appeal to younger viewers. The books are, IMO, well inside the range of most teenage readers (as opposed to non readers) even if some of the nuances aren't, and the tv show might be even more so.

[Padraig]

Nobody is saying that the show can't be appreciated by certain members of any meaningful literature demographic. What's being said is that shows that draw in any one demographic in large numbers tend to do so because of a focus on superficial characteristics, which ASOIAF does not do. That's why a show like ASOIAF draws rabid fans spread across every demographic, rather than focusing in on any one section. In contrast, a show like Twilight focuses on one single demographic (teenage girls), just as a movie like, say, 300, focuses on postadolescent males. "Unlikely to draw in teenage girls in droves" is a very different statement from "impossible for a teenage girl to appreciate".

:thumbsup:

[Kat]

Do many teenagers watch any HBO shows? It's not marketed toward a teen audience, especially because that would probably be illegal in the US given their content standards. I watched shows on network TV when I was in high school because I doubt I would have been able to convince my parents to subscribe to HBO just for some show with a hottie in it.

As an ex-teenage-girl, I wouldn't be upset if teenagers were watching the show, and like Datepalm, I hope people wouldn't abandon something they like because of perceived girl-cooties getting on it. Especially because, unlike Twilight, where you have to go to a theater to watch it if you're a fan, you don't really have to interact with other fans if you watch a TV show.

But I'm interested in why the OP is afraid of watching something that is potentially a teen girl obsession. Is it that you're afraid of people coming on here and wanting to slash ship their favorite characters? Afraid of lots of icons with cute little animated flashing hearts next to the actors' faces? Or is it just that as soon as teenage girls like something, it automatically loses its cultural cachet, because god only knows, the only thing teenage girls are interested in is cute guys OMGSQUEE?

[Sylmaril]

I admit I would be a little bit annoyed.. but only because I had a bad experience with Harry Potter's huge succes. I read the first books some years before all the fuss and the movie marketing and IMO the last books suffered badly from it.

ASoIaF is going to be different however, since GRRM is not anyone's bitch!! :thumbsup:

And I also think teenagers (males and females) will benefit from a show with a consistent plot and amazing characters.. and we don't even have to suffer the usual third season break-down because the story is already written!

Gosh I can't wait!! :drool:

[AxB]

I'm interested in why the OP is afraid of watching something that is potentially a teen girl obsession. Is it that you're afraid of people coming on here and wanting to slash ship their favorite characters? Afraid of lots of icons with cute little animated flashing hearts next to the actors' faces? Or is it just that as soon as teenage girls like something, it automatically loses its cultural cachet, because god only knows, the only thing teenage girls are interested in is cute guys OMGSQUEE?

I didn't make a statement, I asked a question. I noticed that in the casting threads a lot of people were going "Twilight...ugh" or words to that effect, and that crossed with Madden's obvious potential to appeal to the same fanbase, and Jamie Campbell Bower being in both, made me think, maybe it was possible. I didn't actually say I disapproved at any point, did I?

Personally, I'd think it rather amusing. And like I said, by the end of Storm most of them would probably hate the series - assuming they made it that far. Most likely they'd (nb: I'm referring to the 'Cute guys OMGSQUEE' demographic here, not the 'Reads lots of Sci-fi and fantasy books' demographic) watch the pilot up until the Ned & Kat bedroom scene, then go "Ugh, Parentsex, GROSS" and change the channel. And if it surpassed Twilight, well my opinion of Twilight is pretty much the same as Lucy Mangan's:

"What you have in Meyer's work is a depressingly retrograde, deeply anti-feminist, borderline misogynistic novel that drains its heroine of life and vitality as surely as if a vampire had sunk his teeth into her and leaves her a bloodless cipher while the story happens around her." (From here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/dec/04...ht-film-vampire )

nb: I live in England, which is not America. Whilst AGOT will be shuttered away on HBO over there, here it's going to be on a BBC channel, most likely BBC1 or 2, which are roughly equivalent (in terms of reach) to your NBC or CBS or something. And plenty of teenage girls over here watch The Tudors...

[Padraig]

Personally, I'd think it rather amusing. And like I said, by the end of Storm most of them would probably hate the series - assuming they made it that far. Most likely they'd (nb: I'm referring to the 'Cute guys OMGSQUEE' demographic here, not the 'Reads lots of Sci-fi and fantasy books' demographic) watch the pilot up until the Ned & Kat bedroom scene, then go "Ugh, Parentsex, GROSS" and change the channel.

I'm not sure that is an accurate description of the teen mindset. :P For example, I could be totally wrong here but I don't believe Twilight has such a fanbase because it has a few cute guys in it (not that it hinders it). Lots of shows probably have cute guys in them.

[kungtotte]

It is starting to sound really really derogatory when people on this board talk about "teenage girls" :rolleyes:

So a whole bunch of years ago there was a site called The Conversatron. It was a Forum 2000-derivative/Q&A type site, where anybody could submit questions to be answered by the so-called Askees. The people behind the site would pretend to be whatever Askee they were posting as, and make up humorous replies to the question. Fun was had by all.

Notable Askees included Bill Clinton, the MS Office paper-clip, Bob Dole and so on. And one of these Askees was called "Twelve-year old girls everywhere", and the avatar for that Askee was a photo of some concert where a whole mess of young girls were going crazy over whatever their current boy-band fancy was. When you read the name of the Askee and saw that picture, it immediately communicated the entire persona of the Askee. You know, the squealing, near-frenzied young women who are almost passing out from sheer excitement by being so close to the object of their affections.

This is what people mean when they talk about "teenage girls". I guess given Stephanie Meyer's work, we could start calling them Twilight girls instead, but really it's the same kind of person that is being described. It's not trying to be derogatory against females between the ages of 13 and 20. Because I mean, twilight moms are sort of covered by this too.

I find it hilariously ironic that some people are worrying about a rabid, teenage fanbase when ... well, GoT already has a slightly crazy fanbase. I doubt that anyone could get more obsessed than us. (I say it with fondness.)

Yeah sure, but we're cool. :smoking:

[Ser_not_appearing_yet]

Just look at our board. How many of our female members are feminists (of whatever variation)? How many twilight fans are feminists?

Its a completely different scenario. The books weren't written to appeal to teenage girls, and neither will the tv series.

[moirne]

Not going to happen. No one is going to take away Pattinson and that werewolf guy's title as most lustworthy for the teen girls. As much as I hate Twilight, it will be great for the ratings if teeny boppers get hooked on the show. There's probably a big female viewership for The Tudors because of Cavill and Rhys Meyers. You've got to appeal to both sexes if you want a show to last.

[Matarreyes]

The problem I´d have with ASOIAF if it became an object for squeeing would be that it´d be much harder to market the books to my friends. Imagine (impossible, I know) that Twilight was actually a novel worth reading. I, for my part, would completely miss out precisely because of the buzz. Another example is the Millennium series, that are a huge hit in my part of Europe right now. The fact that it´s such a hit is part of the reason many well-read people aren´t in any hurry to get their own copy. It´s the anti whatever-is-the-mainstream-read-right-now philosophy.

On the other hand, most popular shows have mini-rabid-fanbases. It´s just that they have their niches and are hardly obvious from the outside. LOST is the only other show I follow closely enough to jugde. It has a high-nosed mythology-appretiative fanbase, a looked-down-upon squeeing romantic fanbase, and people who actually enjoy the show without placing themselves or others into silly categories. My guess is that people on this board will become the hard nucleus of the high-nosed mythology-appreciative fanbase of Game of Thrones (love you all, so no is insult meant in any way).

[Peaches]

No, it'll totally happen. Young, attractive girls and I will come together in our love for something sublime.

I'd also like to be slightly taller and make more money.

[fitheach]

I'm just not understanding the fuss. Even if it does become immensely popular amongst teenage girls who love to see Jon angst...so what? Ther'll be too much icky talk about who's the cutest guy or who has the prettiest dresses? How terrible that the in depth intellectual debates on breast size and 'best fighter' will get drowned out. Lets get off that high, faintly sexist horse here.

:agree:

Girls talking of pretty dresses, breast size, best fighter; I've seen all those subjects in threads here on the board. We posters don't always have the most adult or intellectual 'conversations' either.

When I was a teen girl many moons ago, I would've loved these books and would've watched the show fanatically. I think it will appeal to some teen girl viewership, but not the masses. Too many cute guys (and people in general) die. Really, I wish more teen girls would read these books and watch the show instead of Twilight, because "life is not a song" and things that go bump in the night are not *sparkly* or romantic. These novels prepare a person more for life and the people met out in the wide world. OK maybe that's an overstatement, but not much which is the sad thing.... You would think an adult would know better, but in fact I met a grown woman last night who couldn't finish ASoIaF because of all the deaths and her "think of the children" (in the book) mentality. She said she likes her good guys good and bad guys bad. There are teens and adults out there who're simpler in their literature and TV choices.

So lets stop hating the girls... Don't they have enought to deal with, what with the hormones and shirtless Taylor Lautner giving them the OMG, OMG!!! screams and giggles. It's tough for them ;).

But I'm interested in why the OP is afraid of watching something that is potentially a teen girl obsession. Is it that you're afraid of people coming on here and wanting to slash ship their favorite characters? Afraid of lots of icons with cute little animated flashing hearts next to the actors' faces? Or is it just that as soon as teenage girls like something, it automatically loses its cultural cachet, because god only knows, the only thing teenage girls are interested in is cute guys OMGSQUEE?

Have you been to a Twilight film? OMGSQUEE is exactly what happens, it's deafening. I was never that type of teen girl, there are plenty of girls out there who aren't that way. These are the girls who will be watching GoT. It's just preference, one kind of teen girl will watch and one (unfortunately the majority) is only interested in romance novels with happy endings. I took my neices to New Moon, because it's what they wanted to see. Last film I took them to was the new Star Trek, what I wanted to see. Am I dissapointed that they preferred New Moon to Star Trek? Yes a bit. So, I see it as my job in life to talk to them about some scenes and things I'm not happy with so that they know there's more to life than a boyfriend.

Next movie for them is Lovely Bones, because if I had to grow up watching after school specials about a teen girl hitch hiking and getting killed, they can handle Lovely Bones damnit! I'm a horrible Aunt.

[Langkard]

I think the only worry about the series becoming a teen girl obsession is the increased likelihood that the media will start doing their usual inane circus crap and start focusing on things like the sex and violence in the books. We all know about it as fans, and we know why it is such an integral part of the "realism" which makes GRRM's work so compelling. The media and the general public simply aren't equipped intellectually to grasp such things. If it doesn't fit conveniently onto a bumper sticker, you can't explain it to them.

On the other hand, those who might otherwise turn up their noses at fantasy because they ignorantly associate it all with adolescent, cutesy drivel might discover the truth and come around to understanding that the range of quality and style and age-level of fantasy/sci-fi novels is as broad as novels in general.