There was a series called Game of Thrones which was very popular here in the United States, a post-Tolkien kind of thing. It was garbage, yet very addictive garbage—because there's lots of violence, all the women take their clothes off all the time, and it's kind of fun. In the end, it's well-produced trash, but there's room for that, too.- SALMAN RUSHDIE, in a recent interview.
If HBO's Game of Thrones is indeed trash, I wonder what he thinks of 99% of what's on TV. . . :/
17 commentaires:
Wow. I wonder what he thinks of True Blood?
God, save me from the literati...
I can imagine it's hard to get into it for a more casual, uninterested viewer. For one, there IS a lot of "trash" in it but it serves the purpose of being deliberately estranging, creepy, gritty, heightened in its effect and so on... It might also come across as structurally a bit shaky. And the sex, yes. Lots of additional nuditiy too.
If you're not really into it, "kind of fun" is still a more positive, if patronising opinion. There is also that that not everyone needs to have the same tastes.
Someone's addicted to death threats. Even worse, he said that The Wire is "just a police show"...
maybe if the girls were younger - he really loves the underage girls - he is also a dick and he hasn't written anything of value since the 80s
those who live in glass hopuses ... you know the rest.
Sounds like sarcasm to me.
I can only assume by 'trashy' he (primarily?)meant the impression made by the surfeit of violence and nudity which, you've gotta admit, comes in spades with GoT. I'm actually looking forward to seeing how his sci-fi series for Showtime turns out.
"Even worse, he said that The Wire is "just a police show"..."
Just because they finally made a more authentic police show, it doesn't mean it's not a police show all the same. It means he thinks in concepts, not just what's currently a big thing (whether I agree with all he says or not, you at least have to be able to understand his way of thinking correctly).
"maybe if the girls were younger - he really loves the underage girls"
Ha, yeah, that sounds like such a more realistic argument.
Rushdie is a great novelist, so anything he does for TV should be interesting, even if it fails. I'm looking forward to the film adaptation of Midnight's Children, one of my favorite books:
http://www.slashfilm.com/salman-rushdies-midnights-children-author-discusses-film-adaptation/
It doesn't sound like he watched more than a few episodes of The Wire - just after a few episodes the broader scope of that series is obvious.
The Wire is not a "police show." It's a show that has police in it but they are hardly the only focus of the show. A "police show" is your L&Os your NCIS, CSI, and any other show where the bad guy gets his just deserts at the end of the hour. Even The Shield wasn't just a police show. Yes it has aspects of a police show, but to call it, "just a police show" shows he clearly missing the wider thrust of the show.
“There was this series called Game of Thrones”
… really? Salman, you’re talking to the Onion AV club. They, like everyone else in North America (and the world), have heard of Game Of Thrones.
“It was garbage, yet very addictive garbage…”
Hmm… Some art just exists to entertain. Game of Thrones arguably has something to say about humanity in the face of violence. Maybe you couldn’t see that, Salman, because you were too busy staring at the boobs.
“In the end, it’s well produced trash, but there’s room for that, too.”
How magnanimous of you, Salman! I’m sure G.R.R. Martin is weeping with relief. After all, he’s only sold a zillion copies of a Song of Ice and Fire. How nice of you to make room on the bookshelf. Now George can feel good about his scribblings sitting next to your salon-set fiction.
To "Anonymous",
If I read it wrong as it seemed a sarcastic comment but it was still to vague to be sure. No matter.
Salman really might have liked the series more if Daeny looked the age she is in the novels. He has a long and illustrious history of banging teenage models. It, and having various fatwas against him are his post 90s claim to continued fame.
Sounds like he doesn't watch too much TV. TV by definition is popcorn, sure there are good and bad shows, but I'm thinking he's comparing it to the entertainment he enjoys - reading, etc. and from that perspective TV shows are light entertainment.
Some guys need to be a little less sensitive and defensive on the subject of their favourite fantasy series.
- paran
I think he liked the show. With this literati who write serious literature you have to be very careful and read between the lines. The key word here is not "trash" but "addictive" if he says that the show was addictive it surely means that he watched all he episodes.
Objecting, Claudi, the focus to me was on the word "trash", which means rubbish, another produced piece of waste and nothing else. Between the lines is written: come on, you stupid fans, really? This is good?" Simply said, it is an offence. Just as he did over 20 years ago.
"Addictive" just helps getting along with us fans. Could also mean we're all junkies.
His notions are nothing else than arrogant and in my eyes shallow. Maybe he should start to read the books and try to write better than GRRM which is simply impossible for him. If GRRM would be threatened by a public mob who wants to see him dead he would write way better books than SR, I state this proudly.
We all know that GoT is more than just trash, in some ways even a mirror to the real world. If SR would be able to write such a complex story he would be a real literate to me. Illiterate don't go for ASoIaF, am I wrong?
Understandably, if you don't read the novels and see the HBO branding, you might scream 'Another slutty historical fantasy mash-up!' Disregard that GoT, like the excellent "Rome" and other productions, has a deep storyline behind it, and the first blush could sour a noted literary aficionado's taste for matters. I wonder how much he watched and if Rushdie actually read the first novel or two by Martin before he commented. Yes, there's death and sex in spades. There is also a compelling storyline that goes to meandering hell in Feast/Dance, but that's another matter.
Rushdie needs to get off his damned high horse and consider that GoT is at least leagues beyond other average dross out there. I have to wonder what he thinks of Mad Men or Community or Parks & Rec....
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