HBO or, more like, HBpOrn

[MagicalPen]

So I've never had HBO before but am staying in a house that has it, and have been watching the Game of Thrones episodes that come on from 10PM - 2AM the last two nights. Its quite good, but reminds me of Softcore porn. The amount of cock, bush, and titties displayed is quite outstanding and I am going to have to re-read the books to see if there was really that much sex going on (I read them years ago).

Last night, I switched to the channel at the end of watching PUSH, and caught the last several minutes of Trueblood. Once again, I was reminded of Softcore porn as all the characters stripped down.

So now I know why people love these two shows. Its essentially watching plot-filled-porn! Its a sad day when TV is reduced to such things in order to be considered a popular show.

[Callie Del Noire]

don't know about HBO these days but back in the old days (say back when I was in high school, Cinemax played softcore porn after midnight.. discovered that on a 'free weekend' when I was taping Heavy Metal for a friend (we made some coin off of copying that tape. :D )

Of course I'm looking forward to Torchwood on Starz so I just added that channel to my lineup (for 15 bucks more a month! durn it!)

[Oniya]

don't know about HBO these days but back in the old days (say back when I was in high school, Cinemax played softcore porn after midnight.. discovered that on a 'free weekend' when I was taping Heavy Metal for a friend (we made some coin off of copying that tape. :D )

You too?

[gaggedLouise]

The BBC's I, Claudius (made back in the seventies and a re-run horse since) includes some scenes that would have been pretty much unthinkable on primetime tv today, even in the UK. There's a scene with the emperor Caligula seducing his younger sister, pinning her hands up in chains in order to sodomize her - she's too drugged to really bother - and ending up killing her. That would never have made it into Stargate, um, not even into Boardwalk Empire or CSI.

On the other hand  though, I feel series such as The Tudors or Boardwalk Empire, while they're technically lavish, tend to get too declamatory. the characters are so obviously speaking at us, in big type, to tell us what's going on, what the characters think of something, what they have misjudged and who's the intrigue master at the moment. You get to see the people and a lot of the action but still it seems to violate the rule "show, don't tell"; there's too much fingerpointing in the dialogue and too little real, credible ensemble acting.

[Callie Del Noire]

I don't care.. I got Starz for one reason only.

Torchwood!!!!!!

[Shjade]

The amount of cock, bush, and titties displayed is quite outstanding and I am going to have to re-read the books to see if there was really that much sex going on (I read them years ago).

So now I know why people love these two shows. Its essentially watching plot-filled-porn! Its a sad day when TV is reduced to such things in order to be considered a popular show.

There is a substantial amount of sex in the books, but it's not really detailed most of the time (unlike the food). It's just sort of "Here are some people. They're screwing. To the left some guys are raping some girls. Moving on..."

To be honest, the softcore aspect of these shows is one of the things I dislike about them. It seems to me that it usually just slows the story down and gets in the way of things I actually want to see/hear about. It's the very definition of gratuitous. When it's important, sure, fine - making sure we actually see the nitty gritty of a certain brother and sister together to make absolutely sure there's no way the rumors and suppositions are exaggerating, okay. But random interludes with prostitutes and between couples? There's no need. It doesn't contribute anything to the story. It's just "Here are some tits. Enjoy." I find that annoying.

[Vekseid]

The big difference between the sex in the television serial and the sex in the books is that the girls on TV are all over 18.

I don't mind the up-aging of the characters too much, as the maturity of many of the Stark children and Dany did seem out of place.

[Shjade]

I don't mind the up-aging of the characters too much, as the maturity of many of the Stark children and Dany did seem out of place.

Different time and upbringing. Kids can grow up fast when they're expected to do so. Never seemed odd to me; for every example of maturity there's a counterpoint of naivete.

[Anjasa]

I was really struck by it the first time I watched Tudors as well, and I was put off by it because it felt like an artificial attention grabber.

Then I figured - better they try to grab my attention with sex, rather than violence.

[Primarch]

I think when people see show's like True Blood, Game of Thrones, Spartacus, Boardwalk Empire and all these other shows that feature regular sex/nudity they often enough instantly assume the show's are throwing it in to make up for a lacking in some other regard, usually plot or something. I think that's a bit unfair, the shows are intended for a more mature audience, and most of them would still be very enjoyable shows without the softcore porn content (I myself got bored of Boardwalk Empire, but very much enjoy the others mentioned) and I know quite a number of others agree.

Now of course what shows are interesting/enjoyable is a matter of opinion, and for some shows including sex or nudity certainly is to make up for weaker elements. But if a show wants to appeal to another interest is there anything wrong with a show deciding not to fade-to-black when their characters are having sex?

[DudelRok]

And to think... it all started with Sex in the City. I mean, when I was younger the only reason I watched that show was because it had half naked older women. X|

I see something like True Blood and all I see is vampire porn... but I look at Spartacus and that's more based in the history so such things are a bit more acceptable.

I think HBO has pulled off a little "Enough is too much" but they are a regulated station, they don't put that stuff on prime time slots and it isn't all titties all the time so while it might be pushing some boundaries it's currently still in the safe zone.

[Anjasa]

Overall, I don't think True Blood had a lot of episodes with sex in it. I can think of a handful over the past three seasons. Though True Blood, along with The Tudors and Game of Thrones all had sex/nudity in the first episode, I think.

[Zadaris]

I don't think its as simple a matter as people think. HBO is outside the restrictions that all other American networks are under and it can seem (at least for some programming) that the excessive sex, swearing and violence that sometimes occurs only appears because it can. But that's too much of a light brush over the topic. The programming is generally acceptable and well written and conceived. The Wire is a great example as probably the most realistic cop drama made in the states (unlike the bullshit of CSI or Criminal Minds where the characters barely dress professional) with no over the top or exaggerated dialogue. And of course, on topic now, the intimate moments in the show are few and far between and actually add something to the show as opposed to things like TrueBlood where its all just sexposition as they say.

[Braioch]

I'm currently watching Seasons 1-3 of Torchwood and am enjoying it, and am tempted by True Blood.

I guess I never was bothered by HBO shows and their sexual content, it just kinda seemed to fit. I see it like how I see sex scenes on the roleplays here. It's adult shows, and we do adult roleplays, and in the adult world, sex happens...often actually.

Especially in power based shows, which almost all listed here center around, money and power.

-shrug-

[Anjasa]

I'm currently watching Seasons 1-3 of Torchwood and am enjoying it, and am tempted by True Blood.

I guess I never was bothered by HBO shows and their sexual content, it just kinda seemed to fit. I see it like how I see sex scenes on the roleplays here. It's adult shows, and we do adult roleplays, and in the adult world, sex happens...often actually.

Especially in power based shows, which almost all listed here center around, money and power.

-shrug-

Agreed. I don't mind sex for the sake of sex for the most part. It's refreshing to see it once in a while, and I felt that in most of these shows, it fit, even in True Blood. I mean, 'Fang bangers' are a big deal in the True Blood universe and says a lot about the ideology of the characters. As well, the hedonistic orgy party was a huge part of the plot. I think you can tell a lot about a person during sex, since it's so intimate and personal; most people let their real colours out and it can really open up further plot and/or character developments that might not be able to be handled so easily without it. Sure, shows can do it without sex, but so can all our RPs. If we all believed fading to black doesn't detract from the storyline at all, I dare say we'd have a lot less posts, and a lot less stories here ;)

Plus it's just nice to see sex as being a normal part of character's lives.

I don't know. I guess I just didn't see it as such a huge plot derailment in True Blood as some posts in this thread makes it seem.

[Braioch]

Interesting point about the character display during sex.

It was actually Queer As Folk I was watching earlier (I've had a productive morning >.>) and there was something about that kind of thing in there. I'm paraphrasing but it was basically, "even your best friend won't know that things about you that a lover will."

I liked it when it was said because it's true.

If they can display that properly in a show, all the better for it. Though as a side note it's amusing to see when the passion of the character becomes the passion of the actor, you see a bit of the actual actor at those moments moreso than any other acting period, kinda neat to notice. But you're right, during that time, behind closed doors (sometimes) you really do show more of yourself, whether it's a need to be pandered to, a need to take control, or even a need to just let go and go wild.

Now I wonder what my previous partners have seen in me before haha...

...>.>

[Will]

Personally, I don't mind the excessive sex as much as the excessive violence.  Seeing someone get a splintered spear in the neck?  That's totally fine.  Leaving the camera there to show his neck spurting huge jets of blood repeatedly while he lies dead on the ground?  That's a bit much for me, and I really don't have any idea what it contributes to the story besides shock value.

I guess it depends on what you're comfortable with.  Like I said, the sex doesn't bother me in the slightest unless it begins to overtake the plot, which rarely happens.  The blood and gore has a much stronger affect on me. >.>

[TheGlyphstone]

The common joke with Game of Thrones is that setting/plot exposition only happens during sex scenes. Maybe they think people won't be paying attention otherwise...

[Anjasa]

Personally, I don't mind the excessive sex as much as the excessive violence.  Seeing someone get a splintered spear in the neck?  That's totally fine.  Leaving the camera there to show his neck spurting huge jets of blood repeatedly while he lies dead on the ground?  That's a bit much for me, and I really don't have any idea what it contributes to the story besides shock value.

I guess it depends on what you're comfortable with.  Like I said, the sex doesn't bother me in the slightest unless it begins to overtake the plot, which rarely happens.  The blood and gore has a much stronger affect on me. >.>

I have to look away at torture scenes in both Tudors and Game of Thrones. I just can't handle it. There was a few episodes of Season 2 of Battlestar Galactica I had to hide my eyes and cover my ears for too. Tudors had some very graphic scenes of torture. Even the build up for me creeps me out.

[Wolfy]

I was really struck by it the first time I watched Tudors as well, and I was put off by it because it felt like an artificial attention grabber.

Then I figured - better they try to grab my attention with sex, rather than violence.

NO.

Violence is ok.

Sex is not.

Have you never watched TV Before? ;D

lol

[Syauglan]

There was far more sex and nudity in the TV adaption of Game of Thrones than I expected from reading the first book. I'm not complaining though. My partner and friends are mostly 20-30 somethings and we love that HBO shows can be so sexy.

[Marvel]

Compare Game of Thrones to Spartacus: Blood and Sand. There's a clear difference between having sex feel organic to the narrative (Game of Thrones) and having it feel tacked on (Spartacus). Sex on TV only really becomes a problem when the narrative is reduced to sex on TV.

[Lady Kalypso]

I personally have no preference to either.

In True Blood, I felt like the sex added to the character's development. Like (spoilers!) when Bill and Lorena had sex when he was kidnapped and held against his will by the King of Mississippi (I miss him!!!), it was like, "I can't look away because Bill has to screw her.. but DAMN it's so good!" because it added to the fact that Bill didn't want to do it, but was so angry it just ended up happening. Also, the soft gentle moments between Eric and Sookie really add to their development both together and by themselves, personally.

I do, however, have a weakness for sexy, sweaty men pounding away at a woman.. The violence though in Spartacus is a bit extreme. 300-ish was what they were going for, I read somewhere, but I remember that there wasn't nearly as much blood spurting in that movie as in Spartacus. It just seems so triggered towards the males that us females are like "Ew" and turn away. I'll watch it, but I won't be whooping and hollering about it.

[Syauglan]

It just seems so triggered towards the males that us females are like "Ew" and turn away. I'll watch it, but I won't be whooping and hollering about it.

That makes me laugh because whooping and hollering is what I hear when my girlfriend is watching Spartacus. She took to during a week I was too caught up in work to be decent company. I have little idea what's going on but the few times I've passed by all I've ever seen is the aforementioned sexy, sweaty men pounding away at one thing or another.

[didoanna]

Umm...I thought that Game of Thrones was okay but not especially shocking.  Bit like Spartacus.  The 'blood 'n' guts' has to be included otherwise it doesn't work as a show.  The thing is though, I think the sex in Spartacus is a bit 'plastic' and added in to just 'fill' the storyline.

For sexual tension, where nothing is shown, I'd recommend the first few episodes of the X-Files or even going back a bit further, the series "Capital City". *grins*