The hit HBO series Game of Thrones has won 26 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series in 2015, and has 18.6 million people watching each episode, an HBO record. That’s roughly the same population as America’s third most populated state, New York. That’s a lot of people. That’s a lot of cultural influence.
What draws people to Game of Thrones? Certainly the artistry, the plot, the characters, the intrigue, the battles, the dragons, and, of course, the excessive and gratuitous nude sex scenes (including a graphic, lengthy rape scene that made news earlier this year).
Much like the Fifty Shades of Grey book and movie phenomenon, it brings up the age old question, “When it comes to sex and nudity, where is the line drawn between art and pornography?”
Porn or Art: Where is the line?
What makes a porno movie a “porno” and what makes Game of Thrones a record-shattering, Emmy-winning icon of popular culture? They both have plots. They both have lots of sex. I suppose the difference is Game of Thrones has more plot to it than it does sex, so it’s considered a drama and not a porno, whereas a porno has more sex than plot. And I suppose one would say the purpose of Game of Thrones is art, while the purpose of a porno is sex. Though that’s a very subjective statement that many in the porn industry would refute, at the end of the day, both purposes are money, but that’s another story.
Would the population of the entire state of New York openly admit to watching pornos, loving pornos, discussing pornos at the water cooler at work and discussing the plots of their pornos on their Facebook feeds? Obviously not.
At the end of the day, what is porn? Do you just know it when you see it? If so, what is it you are seeing when you know it? For my personal thought life, I’d argue that the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition is porn. For most, if they found that their kids were looking up online videos or photos of naked people having sex (whether acting or actually having it) and/or photos of naked women where they know their kid’s mind is doing the rest, they’d call it porn.
If someone cropped out one of the graphic sex scenes from Game of Thrones and put that single scene online, by itself apart from any of the plot and intrigue, and your teenage son downloaded it, would you call it porn? Yes, you would.
So why is it that when we dress these scenes up with HBO glitz and glamour that all of a sudden they are socially acceptable? Is it because we actually love porn, but don’t want to admit that publicly? We don’t want to surf the dirty websites, but if we can get our porn via HBO (all on Netflix and/or Amazon Prime now, by the way), it’s like having our cake and eating it too. Porn without the social stigma. Porn that your spouse actually lets you watch. Porn you can rationalize.
How We Deceive Ourselves
We are really good at deceiving ourselves and typically jump at any opportunity to do so. What’s so sad and ironic about Game of Thrones is that even though the actresses are much better paid, Emmy-awarded and more famous than the women in “pornos,” they are still just human beings and the emotional effect on them is the same. Most of them will never admit this, but the truth remains.
What’s so ironic and sad is that every once in a while, one of these A-list actresses does admit the disgust she feels about being in these sex scenes, but our culture’s insatiable addiction to porn and entertainment are always too much to consider changing how sex is portrayed.
Earlier this year, GQ and Esquire Magazine’s 2015 “Sexiest Woman Alive” Emilia Clarke made news when she told the Daily Mail she “can’t stand” the sex scenes she’s in on Game of Thrones.
The Daily Mail article by Sebastian Shakespeare reports, “Emilia, who plays the exiled princess Daenerys Targaryen, refused to appear in any more topless shots in the drama two years ago, according to her co-star Oona Chaplin, who disclosed that Emilia had told program bosses she ‘wanted to be known for my acting, not my breasts.’”
There’s obviously a lot of hypocrisy by Ms. Clarke in these quotes. I don’t use the “h-word” as a personal judgment toward Clarke but to again bring out the point that our entire culture wants the best of both worlds when it comes to sex. Being naked on screen is what made Clarke famous and is much of the reason why the show is so popular. It’s very double-minded.
If you want to get to the truth of how things are really perceived, you need to look no further than the wonderful world of website comments. One such comment in the Emilia Clarke article said, “We don’t watch you for your acting, love.” This is what’s really happening when these Hollywood actresses think they are being artistic on-screen with their bodies.
What they are really doing is creating a sexual bond with millions of men, just like Genesis 2:24 and 1 Corinthians 6:16 tell us takes place during sex: “The two will become one flesh.” In Matthew 5:28, Jesus tells us that to think about having sex with someone who isn’t your spouse is the same on the heart-level as actually doing it, so we shouldn’t be surprised by such responses.
Like a one-night stand, you have millions of men only interested in Clarke for her body. The announcement by Clarke that she will no longer be exposing hers is the same as the one-night stand being over. You can dress these episodes up with as much “art” as you want, but they are always going to just be a naked body to most of the men watching them.
Porn or Human Dignity
And if you think you can somehow filter out the porn and only take in the art, you are deceived and double-minded as well. Porn does what porn does: as soon as it enters the scene, it removes all dignity and humanity. All that is left is body parts and the consuming of other humans. You can’t keep someone’s dignity once you have already devoured it.
You don’t get porn and human dignity; you get porn or human dignity.
Choose wisely.
as a gay woman, I feel excluded from this conversation. I too only look at Daenerys’ body. Discuss
The New Big Four of HBO, Showtime, Netflix, and Amazon Prime set the standards for entertainment today, sadly. No worries about advertisers, theater officials, or censors mean Hollywood can air anything that is NC-17 rated or worse on the New Big Four, and it shows.
While Hollywood laments its record-low movie attendance figures, they know the money is made via New Big Four television since they have no censors to worry offending, so they make these shows NC-17 or worse intentionally.
I am?
Yes and no. If your delight is waiting for a sex scene, your time would be better spent watching a million other things. You have to watch a LOT of GoT to come upon a sex scene. I’ve watched 6 seasons and I can remember four sex scenes and one suggested. So crucify me but as a woman, whenever these are on, I feel like I’m peeping into somebody’s bedroom window and like a little kid, I cover my eyes, wait for it to be over and curse the producers for putting that crap in there. It’s such a great story that every one of those scenes is SO unnecessary!! Nobody REALLY watches it for the story line??????? PUH LEEZ!! DRAGONS for crying out loud!! Deceit and revenge and secrets and bad guys who are gonna get their comeuppance…mysteries to be solved…what is Sam going to find living with the masters? When is someone going to remember that there’s a whole stash of dragonglass North of the wall? Who and what is this ‘god’ of the lady in red?? Who’s going to ride the 3 dragons since they will probably be a major weapon against the white walkers? My money is on Daenery, of course, and Tyrion since he sat down and cried when he was a child when he learned that the dragons were all dead, and, I suppose Bran’s younger brother because Bran will be all incorporated into the white trees, I think. Mostly a male audience waiting for a glimpse of Daenery’s naked top? Geez…there’s enough going on the world (in the church) to rail against without TRYING to swim upstream in so called righteousness.
Hi all.
Thank you, Noah, for this article. I admire your ability to defend your case with reason but gentleness, and in total conviction with what you believe. I just want to leave one addition to this conversation. Women, too, struggle with porn. I recognize that there is not enough research to understand how it affects our brains compared to men’s, but it is a fact that I can attest to personally. I aim to not lust over a man’s body that is portrayed on screen, just as you explain that you aim to stay away from a scene in media that would tempt you to do the same with a woman’s body. I say this because I’m sure there are men out there who have felt that their only worth was in their appearance, or that filming pornongraphy reduced them to a buff money-maker. This is only my gut feeling, I don’t have any to support that statement. I say this because I strongly believe that just as much as there needs to be a revolution in the porn culture for men who view, there’s also a great need for a revolution among women who view. And I believe that Jesus offers ample grace for us all.
Thank you, again, for speaking with honesty and the truth of the Gospel into this issue. I hope I didn’t come across as criticizing, I only want to further support your article and ministry. Keep doing what you’re doing, I know that God is revealing his grace to porn addicts, because he did so to me.
With love,
One girl among many
I agree, Have you read Romans 3:23? We are all totally depraved and your condescending self-righteous pseudo-intellectualism is the symptom of yours, friend. Have a nice day!
First, let me redefine pornography for you. This is the MIller Test created by the Supreme Court to define whether something is “Obscene” or pornographic.
Miller Test
Supreme Court test for determining whether material is obscene
To the average person, applying contemporary community standards as established by the relevant state, the work, taken as a whole (not just isolated passages), appeals to the prurient (sexual) interest;
The work depicts in an offensive way sexual conduct specifically defined by the state law
The work lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
Note, if the work is a serious work of art, in this case film (and literature since it started as a book) it cannot be considered obscene or pornographic. Also note the point of the work taken as a whole, not just isolated passages (or scenes) which is what this pastor is doing…cherry picking scenes and calling the whole work porn.
Now, why is this dangerous? Well, first, we don’t want art to be banned or regulated to the degree that obscene or pornographic material is. You can regulate the audience, by giving it a rating or warnings as HBO does, but you can’t ban it.
Why else is this dangerous? Because real porn, especially porn movies involve people who are often the victims of sexual trafficking, drug addicts, and even single moms. Many of these people get involved in this industry because they are not free to make the choice either because they are literally a slave, or because of circumstances. Linda Lovelace, who starred in Deep Throat, claimed she was forced to participate in that film. If she was, we are watching her real rape over and over again and that is horrifying. Additionally, though, even if she wasn’t forced at gunpoint, the circumstances for many of these women who were victims of sexual molestation and rape at an early age, means that much of their free will has been taken, and so we are still watching them be victimized when we watch porn.
Game of Thrones Actresses are not being forced into these scenes. They are not actually engaging in sex, although sex is being simulated and they are naked. But they have agency. And, again, the scenes are isolated from the whole. The portrayal of these acts is less to sell sex (although I’m sure that is a part of it) but to show an accurate portrayal of women in this “time period”. So if we lump Game of Thrones in with “porn” we fail to note these important distinctions.
So, what should we say. We can either say I prefer not to watch a movie or series with that much sex, nudity, profanity, and/or graphic violence because I find these things distasteful or offensive, or we can watch them. But we cannot and should not make claims about them that are untrue. The show is not porn. To say it is is being both dishonest and disrespectful to the real women “forced” to be a part of the real sex industry that is pornography and prostitution.
Amanda, as believers, our standard of right and wrong is not the supreme court. It is God and the Bible. I do realize from your comment that you are likely not a believer, and the supreme court’s opinion on porn is certainly interesting, but it isn’t the Authority by which we live our lives.
I agree with the premise that Game of Thrones is basically pornography.
I read the entire article, and would suggest that characterizing unbelievers as “double-minded” isn’t in tune with Scripture. The pagan, unregenerate minds of men are unilaterally at enmity with God. Such minds are under a deception.
Conversely, Scripture does not (to my knowledge) characterize the Christian mind as deceived, but it does refer to double-mindedness in believers.
It seems to me that Psychology has done more to inform the article and the argument than Scripture. I think the author and publisher could do better….
Hello, Ron – thank you, I believe you are correct. Your clarification on what James seems to be saying with his use of the word in Scripture does seem to align with your comment.
Best, Chris
Thank “God” you guys, the fanatic believers of religions, don’t rule over the world so that the rest of us are safe from your nonsense and non-logical thinking.
By making the sex scenes in the show more relevant than they actually are -the show isn’t anywhere near to be about sex- you are the one giving it more importance than it has, not the makers of the show, less the viewers. Following this kind of logic, a simple joke could easily lead to the conviction of someone, all justified by the beliefs one could have, which in the case of fanatic religious people would be their god. (Look at Charlie Hebdo, the kind of thing that happens when one’s actions feel justified). Are you that obsessed about sex that you are making it bigger than it is in the show? As a one last thing, I’d say that human dignity and religion are far from going together.
Have a good day!
I know this community isn’t exactly for me, but I’m a heathen and avoid Game of Thrones largely because I don’t like violence. Seeing human life and suffering cheapened is the fastest way to ruin my day and rob me of my peace.
That said, I have a slightly different relationship to pornography to y’all. I don’t think it’s pornography that robs people of human dignity, it’s pornographers. People who engage in producing “pornography” because they find it gratifying or exciting is very different(to me, I respect this is your space and you probably have a different standard) from people using sex and sexuality to make money.
One is predatory, and one simply isn’t. It’s money that darkens sex. HBO, is dabbling with, I guess the world would by pornographery in GOT and it’s just not for me.
I hope my perspective is welcome here, I thought it was a very interesting conversation and I hope I’m able to participate.
Hi, Matthew, thank you for joining the conversation in a respectful manner. I really appreciate the ability to discuss with those who have different view points but can converse respectfully. HATS OFF TO YOU!!
I find this to be looked at very differently by men and women. Some of that is, I believe, a God-created difference between men and women and their thought processes. My contribution will be from the female point of view. :)
First, I have never watched this show, and in fact have heard very little about it. I am an outdoors person who also works in a million different places doing bookwork/payroll, managing people, volunteering at an animal shelter, tutoring, etc., so I don’t have a lot of water cooler time. I am not a fan of TV in general just because I find most of it to produces mental shut downs as opposed to anything helpful.
But sex is a very powerful, powerful thing. Men have killed because another slept with someone they loved. Marriages have ended in divorce, or even violence, solely because of sex and all that is connected to it, emotionally, mentally, physically.. Men throughout history have taken it simply because they wanted it with not a single care for the results to the woman. Please, do not take this wrongly. I do not hate men, and I do not think all men are pigs. But some definitely are. Guys themselves say that often.
I see your point that money makes a big difference, and I think to a degree you are right. But I don’t think that is the only difference. Do you? It must be much more than money alone that has the ability to make so many women feel degraded and and so many men believe a connection that can bring them incredible pleasure and thoughts is not worth knowing even the name of the that which was used to give them pleasure. There is no care of how one-time actions may and indeed often do have adverse consequences to the woman. I do wish this conversation could be face to face in a group setting as then you could hear the true inquiry in my tone and the total lack of accusation, etc.
Again, thank you for the respectful discussion. I think it is an interesting attempt to an ages-old debate. Your participation is truly appreciated.