Comments on: What’s in “Game of Thrones” for the ladies? http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2011/04/15/whats-in-game-of-thrones-for-the-ladies/ pop culture + geekery = happiness Sat, 23 Apr 2011 00:49:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Christina Huizar http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2011/04/15/whats-in-game-of-thrones-for-the-ladies/comment-page-1/#comment-19137 Christina Huizar Sun, 17 Apr 2011 02:10:00 +0000 http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/?p=7506#comment-19137 George R.R. Martin responds to the review in his not-a-blog on LiveJournal: "I usually make it a policy not to comment on reviews, especially negative reviewers. When you put your art out there in the marketplace on public view, some are going to like and some are going to hate it. Comes with the territory. And like Superchicken always said, I knew the job was dangerous when I took it. "Normally, I would not even comment on something as spectacularly wrong-headed and condescending as the review of the HBO series GAME OF THRONES recenltly published in the NEW YORK TIMES. There have been dozens and dozens of reviews of the show coming out all over the place, in newspaper and magazines, on television and radio, and of course on the web. Most, I am pleased to say, have been very good, but of course there are some bad ones as well. C'est la vie. "((Okay, I will confess, it does cheese me when I come across a reviewer who simply hates all fantasy. I had hoped that kind of literary snobbism was extinct, or nearly so. Maybe not.)) "But the startling assertion in the TIMES review that women could not possibly like fantasy unless a lot of graphic sex was added to it (??) has prompted me to break my "no comment" rule. At least to extent of this post. "I see this morning that legions of female fantasy readers and self-proclaimed "geek girls" and "scifi chicks" have risen up all over the internet to say all the things that I'm too polite and too busy to say. And a lot more besides. I'd link to their blogs and posts here, but it would take hours. Google will lead you to them, if you're interested. It would seem that so many outraged emails and posts poured into the TIMES that they had to shut down the comments section for the review. "I am not going to get into it myself, except to say (1) if I am writing "boy fiction," who are all those boys with breasts who keep turning up by the hundreds at my signings and readings? and (2) thank you, geek girls! I love you all." George R.R. Martin responds to the review in his not-a-blog on LiveJournal:

“I usually make it a policy not to comment on reviews, especially negative reviewers. When you put your art out there in the marketplace on public view, some are going to like and some are going to hate it. Comes with the territory. And like Superchicken always said, I knew the job was dangerous when I took it.

“Normally, I would not even comment on something as spectacularly wrong-headed and condescending as the review of the HBO series GAME OF THRONES recenltly published in the NEW YORK TIMES. There have been dozens and dozens of reviews of the show coming out all over the place, in newspaper and magazines, on television and radio, and of course on the web. Most, I am pleased to say, have been very good, but of course there are some bad ones as well. C’est la vie.

“((Okay, I will confess, it does cheese me when I come across a reviewer who simply hates all fantasy. I had hoped that kind of literary snobbism was extinct, or nearly so. Maybe not.))

“But the startling assertion in the TIMES review that women could not possibly like fantasy unless a lot of graphic sex was added to it (??) has prompted me to break my “no comment” rule. At least to extent of this post.

“I see this morning that legions of female fantasy readers and self-proclaimed “geek girls” and “scifi chicks” have risen up all over the internet to say all the things that I’m too polite and too busy to say. And a lot more besides. I’d link to their blogs and posts here, but it would take hours. Google will lead you to them, if you’re interested. It would seem that so many outraged emails and posts poured into the TIMES that they had to shut down the comments section for the review.

“I am not going to get into it myself, except to say
(1) if I am writing “boy fiction,” who are all those boys with breasts who keep turning up by the hundreds at my signings and readings?
and
(2) thank you, geek girls! I love you all.”

]]> By: Christina Huizar http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2011/04/15/whats-in-game-of-thrones-for-the-ladies/comment-page-1/#comment-19136 Christina Huizar Fri, 15 Apr 2011 22:31:00 +0000 http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/?p=7506#comment-19136 I'm kind of baffled that anyone thinks ASOIAF is only, or even mostly, appreciated by men. Someone should have told me that my little pea brain couldn't handle it -- I wouldn't have spent so much time reading and re-reading the series every year! I’m kind of baffled that anyone thinks ASOIAF is only, or even mostly, appreciated by men. Someone should have told me that my little pea brain couldn’t handle it — I wouldn’t have spent so much time reading and re-reading the series every year!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2011/04/15/whats-in-game-of-thrones-for-the-ladies/comment-page-1/#comment-19135 Anonymous Fri, 15 Apr 2011 21:26:00 +0000 http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/?p=7506#comment-19135 ARGH. Disqus, why won't you let me use my gif of Lucille rolling her eyes?! ARGH. Disqus, why won’t you let me use my gif of Lucille rolling her eyes?!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2011/04/15/whats-in-game-of-thrones-for-the-ladies/comment-page-1/#comment-19134 Anonymous Fri, 15 Apr 2011 21:25:00 +0000 http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/?p=7506#comment-19134 Wow, she's so right! Women could only like fantasy if it's Sex and the City dressed up in renaissance faire garb! I mean, I never read any of those silly boy books, and I certainly wouldn't watch a tv show or a movie about that stuff if it didn't have hot sex. I'm too dumb to pay attention to political machinations and all that stuff! I think I hurt myself typing that. Seriously, how ridiculous is this reviewer? She didn't even review the SHOW, just ranted on about how it doesn't fit into her neat little world of Women Watch Sex and the City and Nothing Else. Pfft. Wow, she’s so right! Women could only like fantasy if it’s Sex and the City dressed up in renaissance faire garb! I mean, I never read any of those silly boy books, and I certainly wouldn’t watch a tv show or a movie about that stuff if it didn’t have hot sex. I’m too dumb to pay attention to political machinations and all that stuff!

I think I hurt myself typing that.

Seriously, how ridiculous is this reviewer? She didn’t even review the SHOW, just ranted on about how it doesn’t fit into her neat little world of Women Watch Sex and the City and Nothing Else. Pfft.

]]> By: Nanou http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2011/04/15/whats-in-game-of-thrones-for-the-ladies/comment-page-1/#comment-19132 Nanou Fri, 15 Apr 2011 21:06:00 +0000 http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/?p=7506#comment-19132 Oh. My. God!!! So basically she's saying that women are just too stupid to understand a riveting story with complex characters, political maneuvering and scheming, and that the only thing that could possibly make us want to read a book (or watch a TV show) is sex scenes?! Is she for real? And what century is she from? Lady, if your brain can't cope with that kind of storytelling, just stick to chick lit and please don't assume that all women are like you, mkay? Oh. My. God!!!
So basically she’s saying that women are just too stupid to understand a riveting story with complex characters, political maneuvering and scheming, and that the only thing that could possibly make us want to read a book (or watch a TV show) is sex scenes?! Is she for real? And what century is she from?
Lady, if your brain can’t cope with that kind of storytelling, just stick to chick lit and please don’t assume that all women are like you, mkay?

]]> By: Jillyjameson http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2011/04/15/whats-in-game-of-thrones-for-the-ladies/comment-page-1/#comment-19131 Jillyjameson Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:48:00 +0000 http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/?p=7506#comment-19131 Thank you so much for this! When I read the mentioned review I was FUMING. Nice to know I wasn't alone. Thank you so much for this! When I read the mentioned review I was FUMING. Nice to know I wasn’t alone.

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