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Post by marlonbrawndo on Mar 2, 2017 17:49:43 GMT
I cited Game of Thrones in a thread discussing a different matter, and one person replied that the series was nothing but soft-core porn. I responded that I thought there was much more to the show. I was struck by the fact that the person who commented didn't seem at all bothered by the copious violence shown on GoT, which I wouldn't miss if it were reduced, especially in the very lengthy battle scenes. My question: Are you bothered by depictions of sex, violence, both, or neither? Why not both? That's why I offered "both or neither" as a choice; some might like to see none of it, and some are not put off by any of it. I wasn't clear what you meant by your response. What's your opinion? |
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klandersen
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Post by klandersen on Mar 2, 2017 20:34:54 GMT
I am bothered more by obsessive excessive gratuitous violence than I am of gratuitous sex. Both as a visual reference that will burn itself into my memory perhaps for live and the effects it will have on children who are impressionable.
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Post by marlonbrawndo on Mar 4, 2017 13:30:56 GMT
I am bothered more by obsessive excessive gratuitous violence than I am of gratuitous sex. Both as a visual reference that will burn itself into my memory perhaps for live and the effects it will have on children who are impressionable. I feel the same. There was an old saying, "Garbage in, Garbage out" [GIGO]. Shows that exist as nothing more than vehicles for gratuitous violence pollute viewers' brains. There is a subset of our population who seem to believe the more sadism they can embrace, the more formidable they are personally. Real warriors never think that way. Obsessive preoccupation with sex isn't healthy, either, just as nothing in excess is, but does less harm in the real world than insensitivity to the suffering of others. |
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Post by THawk on Mar 5, 2017 0:56:22 GMT
I am bothered more by obsessive excessive gratuitous violence than I am of gratuitous sex. Both as a visual reference that will burn itself into my memory perhaps for live and the effects it will have on children who are impressionable. I feel the same. There was an old saying, "Garbage in, Garbage out" [GIGO]. Shows that exist as nothing more than vehicles for gratuitous violence pollute viewers' brains. There is a subset of our population who seem to believe the more sadism they can embrace, the more formidable they are personally. Real warriors never think that way. Obsessive preoccupation with sex isn't healthy, either, just as nothing in excess is, but does less harm in the real world than insensitivity to the suffering of others. The Walking Dead fits that description. I watched almost 6 seasons of that crap holding on to hope it will have something more to offer than brain and guts gore...but at the end that's really all the show was about. But no, it's not going to fuel sadism and make anyone more violent than they already are. That's not what this is about. It's about whether a show is there just to tickle your primal instincts, like violence (WD) or sex (and violence) like GoT, or whether it's trying to say something meaningful, of any kind of value. Both mentioned shows fail tremendously in that aspect, no matter how much their fans try to defend them. |
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Post by marlonbrawndo on Mar 6, 2017 21:49:55 GMT
Of FFS. It's about whether sex or violence are used to supplement the story, or whether they are the whole focus and attraction of the project. OZ is one of my favorite shows of all time. It had more graphic nudity than GoT, and as much violence as you could put on a show of its nature. Guess what? Those elements were not the actual focus of the show, it was the characters and the stories. GoT, on the other hand, has 5 minute-long lesbian sex scenes that serve absolutely no purpose in any way shape or form but to make teenagers horny. And yes, its violence is ridiculous as well. There is no purpose in the bluest of blue hells served by watching an animal get skinned alive for 5 minutes. Nothing. And all the storytelling on the show, all the plotlines pretty much come down to "let's find new shocking ways in which character A can backstab character B in the back." That's it. It's empty and shallow. OZ is an example of highly mature entertainment that at the end has a strong purpose, a moral, a driving narrative. GoT is just "entertainment." The same way soft-core porn, horror gore, all those "boom headshot" shooter games are. Which would be no problem if it was recognized for what it is. But what is twisted and disgusting is that GoT is praised as actual quality storytelling, which then pollutes and muddies the whole field.  The Dude's reply is so perfect, for so many situations. |
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Post by marlonbrawndo on Mar 9, 2017 14:35:27 GMT
Personally excessive sex or violence doesn't bother me. It tends to work better when it serves the story though. I'd call it "excessive" when it goes beyond serving the story and is just there to rev up ultra-sex/violence fetishists. Deadpool was a good satire of that. |
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Post by kuatorises on Mar 9, 2017 20:53:59 GMT
kuatorises You said: "I finished season one and I kid you not a couple of days later HBO was rerunning the "Shame!" episode – and at that exact scene no less. I felt as if everything that I didn't like about it that contributed to what I see as little substance was just reinforced. I actually had to laugh, because that was the first I had seen of the show since."I just had to tell you, I laughed out loud at that. I think in the entire run of the series, that's only time the Cersei character was nude, or even topless. She's even been clothed in her love scenes. If you had the impression that the series was all about sex and nudity, THAT extended scene definitely would have confirmed it. I'm really not here to change anyone's mind, but if I were, that episode would certainly have kneecapped my argument.
You do express your opinions well. I'd be interested in knowing what films or TV shows you do like. How do you think I felt? I started cracking up. Why thank you good sir. I like all kinds of stuff, but to keep it in the realm of TV, some of my current favorites are Bates Motel, The Americans, Westworld, Colony, and Better Call Saul. |
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Post by Nightman on Mar 10, 2017 0:39:31 GMT
Neither bother me, as long as they serve the story.
In the case of GoT, the earlier seasons had more graphic sex scenes, but they've calmed down on that in the last couple seasons.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2017 2:03:24 GMT
I think like anything these "devices" become boring and cliched. They then try and up the ante because what was titillating and shocking at first no longer is.
"The Walking Dead" is a great example of this, it at times takes the violence to such an extreme it is comedic or cartoon like.
In GOT the sexual violence can get a bit much at times and given that people really are raped brutally in real life it makes me wonder if that is something which should be used for entertainment value. And yes, I know people are killed brutally in real life as well and that also makes me wonder about using it as entertainment value.
I am not meaning this in an extreme way, murder, death, sex will always be a part of storytelling. I am referring more to making it so graphic and extreme. As a lover of classic films, they often manage to convey the horror of what has happened without even showing a dead body let alone how it was done.
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Post by marlonbrawndo on Mar 16, 2017 17:11:41 GMT
I think like anything these "devices" become boring and cliched. They then try and up the ante because what was titillating and shocking at first no longer is. "The Walking Dead" is a great example of this, it at times takes the violence to such an extreme it is comedic or cartoon like. In GOT the sexual violence can get a bit much at times and given that people really are raped brutally in real life it makes me wonder if that is something which should be used for entertainment value. And yes, I know people are killed brutally in real life as well and that also makes me wonder about using it as entertainment value. I am not meaning this in an extreme way, murder, death, sex will always be a part of storytelling. I am referring more to making it so graphic and extreme. As a lover of classic films, they often manage to convey the horror of what has happened without even showing a dead body let alone how it was done. I avoided GoT for quite a while because of the talk of the sex and violence it portrays. I watched on the recommendation of a friend whose education and literacy well exceeded mine, a retired library director. In addition to classical literature, he is a devotee of science fiction and fantasy. As I watched, I realized that the series was really a roman à clef of world history, rife with brutality, oppression, and exploitation, laid bare as it existed in past times, not sanitized as the same horrors are today, with drones delivering death indiscriminately, controlled by video game players thousands of miles away. If you can't abide GoT because of its rawness, you probably can't face the history of mankind, and the inhumanity that still exists. One thing that GoT does that really shocks is that it will snuff out or brutalize characters which would be off limits in killing-spree action movies. As in real life, when someone's time comes, it doesn't matter who they are, how much you like them, or how "the series just won't be the same without them." We're a nation which has watched a president's head exploded by a bullet on a sunny Dallas day, and towers filled with fellow citizens collapse into rubble on live TV. Deal with it. At least in GoT, there is wit, eloquent dialogue, and intricate plotting to balance the carnage. |
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Post by politicidal on Mar 16, 2017 23:47:56 GMT
Neither but both can just be tiresome if it becomes excessive or if the mood just becomes really uncomfortable. I hated the episode Garden of Bones.
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number1212
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Post by number1212 on Mar 19, 2017 21:50:17 GMT
To me it really depends on how graphic sex and graphic violence is protrayed. I'm okay with tasteful depictions of sex and artistic nudity. When it is wall-to-wall sex or played for laughs, then count me out. For some reason I don't mind gore when it's in a historical or fantasy setting. Basically I'm okay with something like Gladiator or Conan the Barbarian, but I'm not okay with Saw.
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Post by marlonbrawndo on Apr 24, 2017 21:01:56 GMT
Neither but both can just be tiresome if it becomes excessive or if the mood just becomes really uncomfortable. I hated the episode Garden of Bones. I think we were meant to squirm during Garden of Bones. I expect you're referring to Joffrey's sadism toward his "gift" prostitutes. Out of context, that would have been excessive, but I felt it deepened our loathing for the despicable little creep, and made his fate later on so hugely satisfying. One could say that he'd already racked up enough evidence of his worthlessness even without that bit, but I feel that it wasn't gratuitous, in context. |
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Post by THawk on Apr 25, 2017 1:29:52 GMT
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Post by CoolJGS☺ on Apr 25, 2017 13:48:33 GMT
I think it's silly to compare sex and violent content.
The two have different contexts even within the same show like Game of Thrones.
Violence moves many stories in the direction the plot intends as opposed to a sex scene, so they tend to be more significant as well as more engaging.
I suppose there are times that sex and violence entwine such as with rape, but those are often conveyed in a way that makes it clear it's a violent act as opposed to a sensual one.
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Post by hi224 on Apr 25, 2017 20:20:08 GMT
i dont mind either as long as they are utilized correctly.
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