Sex & Nudity
January 2, 2013
Yesterday I finished watching the first season of GAME OF THRONES. I'm also reading the book. Okay, for the few of you who aren't familiar with this, it is basically the first giant book in a massively long fantasy series written by George R.R. Martin. It involves a hell of a lot of political intrigue in a medieval setting, where there is more or less a battle for the throne of the seven kingdoms. The first book, Game of Thrones, and the first season of the HBO series, focuses on the Stark family, which rules the northern territory of the 7 kingdoms. Ned Stark, basically the governor, is asked by his friend King Robert Baratheon, to become the Hand of the Kingdom (primary advisor) after the previous Hand dies. Ned doesn't want to. He's happy enough staying out of palace politics and minding his own cold and snowy kingdom and making sure the Wall stays intact, which keeps the Others and other magical evil things away from the rest of the kingdom. But he goes and man, the shit does fly.
Anyway, if the TV series is noted for anything besides terrific acting, it's probably known for a lot of sex, an enormous amount of nudity, and pretty graphic violence.
Let me just add that I'm not really particularly offended by any of it in general, but I wanted to point out something about the sex and nudity in the TV show versus the books, because I think it highlights something fairly important to writers. That has to do with choices.
But first, if you haven't seen the show, right from the first episode we have people having sex (primarily, er, doggie style), with full frontal nudity for women. It's an equal opportunity show, actually, with a fair amount of full frontal nudity for men, as well as lesbian sex, at least inferred gay male sex, and references to pedophilia, as well as a kid of about 6 or 7 or 8 breastfeeding with his mother.
Is it gratuitous? I didn't think so at first, then I began to wonder. I'm going to give two examples.
Example 1. Daenerys Targaryen, in the book, is 13 years old, although somewhat older in the TV series. She has been essentially sold by her brother to the local horse lord in exchange for use of the horse lord's army. (This does not go well for anybody, by the way). Being young and inexperienced and naive, among other things, in the TV show we get to see her wedding night with more fairly brutal doggie sex. Anyway, a little later on, she asks one of her handmaidens, who used to work in a brothel, while being bathed by her, how to please a man. The handmaiden demonstrates on Dany, and Dany appears to enjoy this. As, I might point out, did I, and most men watching the show, I would guess. We later see Dany seducing her husband, and it turns into a love affair. (Which like most such things in this book, ends rather badly).
Okay. All well and good. It's important to the plot to some extent. So when I read that section in the book, it's, well, really not there. Dany is being prepared by her handmaidens, and she asks the one to stay after dismissing the others. And what we have is basically a sentence saying something along the lines of, "They stayed up the entire night talking." And then at the end of the chapter, a page or two later, we have her seducing Khol Drogo, her husband.
Example 2. In this scene, we get Petyr Baelish, aka Littlefinger, who is The Keeper of the Coin to the king (i.e., treasurer), counselor, brothel owner, and just about as trustworthy as a nest full of angry scorpions. In this scene (which I haven't come to in the book yet), Petyr is at one of his brothels in his office, while two naked women appear to be having sex. Which he interrupts to complain that they can't even fake it well, then tells them how to do it better, which they then do, while he talks, and talks, and talks.
Now. Here's an interesting thing. Besides the fact the show is on HBO, so it can get away with higher levels of sex and nudity, I believe the scriptwriters and directors, et al., made a choice. They sexed the damn thing up.
That's fine. What I find interesting about the second example, in particular, is, whether it's in the book or not, what Petyr is saying during this period is exposition. Expositional material is deadly dull on screen, often very challenging to actors unless you're a big fan of Shakespearean soliloquies. It seemed to me that what the writers and directors chose to do in this scene was to have a lesbian sex scene going on simultaneously while Petyr provides a bunch of expository material. Weighing in at around 300,000 words, Game of Thrones has plenty of expository material. Often it's handled deftly - the writing on the TV series is quite good - and, after all, even stripping the 300,000 words down to bare bones, the series is something like 10 or 12 hours long.
I did have reason to wonder, though, with that density of material to draw from, why they always chose to utilize the sex and nudity part (aside from the obvious - ratings). The show has taken some hits for its treatment of women and the feeling that the nudity is often gratuitous (it is, but then again, so is at least some of the violence).
So yes, there's audience expectations behind some of those choices. But from a scriptwriting/directing POV, I think one of the things they've chosen to do is to use nudity and sex scenes as a way to distract from expository material. After all, if you just have two characters talking about backstory, readers/viewers get distracted. Have them discussing it while naked and having sex, or one person talking while the other person is getting naked (happens a lot, too), then the viewer is going to keep viewing, rather than wandering out to get another bottle of beer.
Yesterday I finished watching the first season of GAME OF THRONES. I'm also reading the book. Okay, for the few of you who aren't familiar with this, it is basically the first giant book in a massively long fantasy series written by George R.R. Martin. It involves a hell of a lot of political intrigue in a medieval setting, where there is more or less a battle for the throne of the seven kingdoms. The first book, Game of Thrones, and the first season of the HBO series, focuses on the Stark family, which rules the northern territory of the 7 kingdoms. Ned Stark, basically the governor, is asked by his friend King Robert Baratheon, to become the Hand of the Kingdom (primary advisor) after the previous Hand dies. Ned doesn't want to. He's happy enough staying out of palace politics and minding his own cold and snowy kingdom and making sure the Wall stays intact, which keeps the Others and other magical evil things away from the rest of the kingdom. But he goes and man, the shit does fly.
Anyway, if the TV series is noted for anything besides terrific acting, it's probably known for a lot of sex, an enormous amount of nudity, and pretty graphic violence.
Let me just add that I'm not really particularly offended by any of it in general, but I wanted to point out something about the sex and nudity in the TV show versus the books, because I think it highlights something fairly important to writers. That has to do with choices.
But first, if you haven't seen the show, right from the first episode we have people having sex (primarily, er, doggie style), with full frontal nudity for women. It's an equal opportunity show, actually, with a fair amount of full frontal nudity for men, as well as lesbian sex, at least inferred gay male sex, and references to pedophilia, as well as a kid of about 6 or 7 or 8 breastfeeding with his mother.
Is it gratuitous? I didn't think so at first, then I began to wonder. I'm going to give two examples.
Example 1. Daenerys Targaryen, in the book, is 13 years old, although somewhat older in the TV series. She has been essentially sold by her brother to the local horse lord in exchange for use of the horse lord's army. (This does not go well for anybody, by the way). Being young and inexperienced and naive, among other things, in the TV show we get to see her wedding night with more fairly brutal doggie sex. Anyway, a little later on, she asks one of her handmaidens, who used to work in a brothel, while being bathed by her, how to please a man. The handmaiden demonstrates on Dany, and Dany appears to enjoy this. As, I might point out, did I, and most men watching the show, I would guess. We later see Dany seducing her husband, and it turns into a love affair. (Which like most such things in this book, ends rather badly).
Okay. All well and good. It's important to the plot to some extent. So when I read that section in the book, it's, well, really not there. Dany is being prepared by her handmaidens, and she asks the one to stay after dismissing the others. And what we have is basically a sentence saying something along the lines of, "They stayed up the entire night talking." And then at the end of the chapter, a page or two later, we have her seducing Khol Drogo, her husband.
Example 2. In this scene, we get Petyr Baelish, aka Littlefinger, who is The Keeper of the Coin to the king (i.e., treasurer), counselor, brothel owner, and just about as trustworthy as a nest full of angry scorpions. In this scene (which I haven't come to in the book yet), Petyr is at one of his brothels in his office, while two naked women appear to be having sex. Which he interrupts to complain that they can't even fake it well, then tells them how to do it better, which they then do, while he talks, and talks, and talks.
Now. Here's an interesting thing. Besides the fact the show is on HBO, so it can get away with higher levels of sex and nudity, I believe the scriptwriters and directors, et al., made a choice. They sexed the damn thing up.
That's fine. What I find interesting about the second example, in particular, is, whether it's in the book or not, what Petyr is saying during this period is exposition. Expositional material is deadly dull on screen, often very challenging to actors unless you're a big fan of Shakespearean soliloquies. It seemed to me that what the writers and directors chose to do in this scene was to have a lesbian sex scene going on simultaneously while Petyr provides a bunch of expository material. Weighing in at around 300,000 words, Game of Thrones has plenty of expository material. Often it's handled deftly - the writing on the TV series is quite good - and, after all, even stripping the 300,000 words down to bare bones, the series is something like 10 or 12 hours long.
I did have reason to wonder, though, with that density of material to draw from, why they always chose to utilize the sex and nudity part (aside from the obvious - ratings). The show has taken some hits for its treatment of women and the feeling that the nudity is often gratuitous (it is, but then again, so is at least some of the violence).
So yes, there's audience expectations behind some of those choices. But from a scriptwriting/directing POV, I think one of the things they've chosen to do is to use nudity and sex scenes as a way to distract from expository material. After all, if you just have two characters talking about backstory, readers/viewers get distracted. Have them discussing it while naked and having sex, or one person talking while the other person is getting naked (happens a lot, too), then the viewer is going to keep viewing, rather than wandering out to get another bottle of beer.
posted by Mark Terry at 8:16 AM
6 Comments:
In general Mark, I think that you are right, especially about the sex-it-up part and ratings, but also about the exposition. The scene with Littlefinger is horible however, and doesn't really tell you anything about Littlefinger that you wouldn't find out, ie. he is an asshole who uses everybody, runs a whorehouse and likes the sound of his own voice. The problem for me is that this isn't even remotely in the book and is a chance for some lesbian sex between two very lovely and not remotely whorish-looking actresses (midieval call girls? I mean seriously, how many personal trainers do these women have? You could bounce a quarter off their asses)who enjoy being naked. I wouldn't complain if it advanced the plot at all, but it seems to be totally gratuitous and slows everything down.
Now, most of the other sex scenes, especially with Danyeris, are generally in the book and actually show us a lot about both her and advance the plot, but again, what's with the lesbian thing (ok, having said that, I've read all the books multiple times and this basically presages later events,mainly some light softcore bicurious cuddle time which happens in a few other places, so I guess it simply makes explicit what develops a bit later, but...? why at this plot point. My son has said repeatedly that HBO must have a contractual obligation for a certain amount of skin, sex and lesbianism, since they find a way to put all of the above into everything they do...oh well, at least they aren't vampires, fairies or werewolves. Generally I love the series and they get a lot of things right so I shouldn't complain, right? I actually have more problems that Tyrion is the best looking guy on the set, while the book paints him as more deformed and ugly than Richard III--not complaining as the actor is amazing, but as he is so attractive, and generally the only honest man in the show,it's a bit hard to explain how everyone is so revolted by him, how freaking had is it to ugly someone up for dramatic purposes...
I hadn't thought about it before but I think you are right about a spoonful of nudity helping the exposition go down. And, although I do love the books and have pre-ordered from Amazon each one except the first in hard cover, I have to admit there have been a few points in the books where I thought Mr. Martin may have been shoveling in a few too many words of telling vs. showing and perhaps could have used some similar stunt. (The casting is brilliant -- especially Peter Dinklage Tyrian Lannister.)
I think your insight into the HBO production of Game of Thrones can also be applied to parts of their
Boardwalk Empire as well. (Hmmm, imagine if HBO had done Downton Abbey....)
During the Littlefinger scene I remember thinking, "What is this, softcore porn?"
We don't get HBO or Showtime or any of those, we just have basic cable. So I'm watching it on my computer - I bought the episodes from iTunes. I recently watched the first episode of Homeland, which is a fair amount of sex and nudity in it as well. (Morena Baccarin nude - meeerrrrowwwww!) I wondered if HBO and Showtime were competing to have the most sex and nudity in their shows.
At least in Homeland it makes sense. The first sex scene is between her and her boyfriend. Her husband went missing in action 8 years earlier and they're interrupted by the phone call telling her he's been found. Later we see the sex between her and her husband and the contrast, to say the least, tells us a lot about the characters and advances the plot.
As for Peter Dinklage as Tyrion is amazing. The character's interesting anyway, but Dinklage just lights up the screen.
In general I think both book and TV series are great, but the TV show definitely pushes the sex and violence angle and sometimes they're both gratuitous. I give them kudos - this definitely ain't no Renaissance Fair. And if any character learns the truth about the romance of chivalry, etc., it's Sansa. One of the things that makes both of the versions so great is the depth and complexity of the characters - even the villains, if not exactly sympathetic (Joffrey, anyone?), are at least understandable. And some, like the Hound, are very sympathetic. And some of the supposedly sympathetic characters, like, say, Catelyn, can drive you crazy because her decisions so often make things worse, but seem to make complete sense at the time she makes them.
Jim,
Well, one does have to wonder about 300,000 words per book. Some of that is what I think of as the curse of the fantasy writer. You need a lot of words because of the world building, which is one of the problems I often have with fantasy novels - they seem wordy.
Haven't seen Boardwalk Empire. Ian recently watched the first episode and was disappointed. But the opening sequence is pretty cool.
I didn't read the books. But I watch the show. And for the most part, I've never questioned the sex because it seems in proportion to the violence. So, for me, I guess . . . I see it as a brutal world or treachery, and anything goes. And if that's what they want depicted on the screen, then they have accomplished it.
Erica,
For the most part the sex, nudity, and violence is there in the book. Often it's far more understated than on the TV show. In some cases they've added sex and nudity to the TV show.
And, by the way, I was rather reluctant to read the book. It's massive and I'm not really that big on epic fantasy, but it's very absorbing and well done. (It's still massive).
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