Game of Thrones; you may have heard of it.1 A few weeks ago I decided to see what all the hype was about. Since then I've watched A LOT of it.2 As with many an HBO special it's filled with fucking and fighting.3 It also happens to have some pretty involved and captivating story lines to help facilitate all of this sex and violence. Think Macbeth meets Playboy. Basically, any attractive person you see on the show: it's only a matter of time before you see them naked in some form or another. Enjoy the view while you can because it's also only a matter of time before they are killed in a brutal and violent manner. No one seems to die of old age here, not even the old people.
Now that you're all caught up time to get to my point. Sometimes when I fly I like to bring my own shows with me. Air Canada does have a lot of selection on the plane (if the "in the chair" T.V. is working) but it's not updated all that regularly. If you've flown a few times in the same year you've likely seen most of the movies you're interested in. Here's where having your own selection of programming comes in handy. My laptop screen is also 3x the size of the screen Air Canada provides. I don't need a particularly large screen to enjoy a show but it is nice to have....until you start watching anything "edgy". At that point it can get a little embarssing.4 Imagine watching Game of Thrones in such an environment. Better yet, let's engage in a little experement
Have a look at some scenes from the show:
In a perfect world you were reading this in an internet cafe or some other public venue.5 If you were did you find yourself happy/releaved when there were only violent images on the screen? I know I certainly was during that flight. That's pretty fucked up. It's bonkers that we should be so embarassed about sexuality and naked people that we'd rather be caught looking a dead/dying people or some other morbid image.
Our media sends us this message daily. In prime time TV you're a lot more likely to see someone getting killed than you are to see someone's breasts. If there are a lot of breasts on a show it's definately not prime time T.V. and likely not basic cable. Breasts (and other yummy naked parts) are reserved for specialty T.V. for folks who are more mature, pay more, want more, are twisted deviants....you get the point. Whether or not that's true that's the feeling. Seeing people shot, blowned up, laying there as a rotting corpse; that's all perfectly ok.6
The big question for the philosophers is "Why is this the way it is?". Is it because deep down we're all good Catholics who know that if we're enjoying something we're likely sinning? Is it because we can more closely identify with having sex or desire for sex than we can killing or hurting someone so we have greater emotional attachemnt/reaction to that connection? Perhaps it's a bit more nefarious than that. Maybe it's that the media is working with the government to produce better and more numerous soldiers through bizzare censorship legislation. I seriously doubt that's the case but I kinda hope it is as it would mean that our government is far more organized and effective that I think it is.
If we all agree on the fucked-uped-ness7 of this situation an even bigger question is how do we change it? How do we get past the shame and emberassment of looking at the naked human form and embrace it's ensuing sexuality and sensuality. How do we make that more acceptable than violence committed on the human form? You'll note I've not suggested that we do away with both fucking and fighting altogether from our media. This is because it's not only un-realistic but also because I think suppression/prohibition of things only gives more emphasis and therefore more power to those things. I think it's better to foster a culture of first tollerance then acceptance around the viewing of yummy naked folk.
Given that vast and vauge statement I feel like I should offer some ideas for actionalble items. I don't have many. Realize that this is where we are as a society and understand that it's nuts. Watch what you want to watch regarless of how uncomfortable it may be. Try to include more shows with topless folks in them into your line-up. Do your best to stand strong when the guy next to you on an Air Canada flight looks at you like you're a total pervert.8
<< Past Future >>1Depending on when you're reading this it'll go from sounding sarcastic to "oh? Maybe I should google that". In case it's the latter I'm talking about a TV show that was fairly popular for a bit.
24 seasons-ish
3True Blood is another
4Though I must admit, when I catch other folks looking over my shoulder I'm tempted to play some really kinky porn just to teach 'em a lesson. Not that I have that on my laptop....er forget I said anything. Hi Mom!
5If you're in an imperfect world just pretend you were in that public space.
6Bones, CSI, NCIS
7Totally a word
8Regardless of how true it may be. He doesn't know for certain. ;)