Comments on: If politics in Game of Thrones featured attack ads

By: Brenda Vincent

Brenda Vincent — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 05:05:00 +0000

Those armies are raised from the peasants being told fight. The lord has spoken! When the lord, who owns everything in the area requires you, you don’t get paid at all. But when the time comes to pillage the town that’s when you may get some benefit.

By: Kevin Conboy

Kevin Conboy — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 06:21:00 +0000

Hodor, hodor.

By: Sirkowski

Sirkowski — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 05:00:00 +0000

There’s plenty of Super PAC ads that are just as bad (but a lot less funny).

By: malindrome

malindrome — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 03:27:00 +0000

If you ever watch some "professional" political ads, you'll notice that production values are essentially irrelevant. See this New Yorker article for details, but some of the most effective attack ads in history have been pretty crude in terms of "quality". (Exhibit A.) Message is all that counts in political advertising.

By: Adam Fields

Adam Fields — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 03:27:00 +0000

“I honestly could not figure out why they fought as hard as they did for their leaders.”

Bored. No internet in Westeros.

By: Bill Galloway

Bill Galloway — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:38:00 +0000

Buckets, rats.

By: penguinchris

penguinchris — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 22:21:00 +0000

Good point. My comment partially came, though, from the sense I got that the soldiers joined the army because they had nowhere else to go and/or joined for the money – I honestly could not figure out why they fought as hard as they did for their leaders. Also, I don’t really trust anything that the characters say about themselves or their friends, so it’s hard for me to judge whether or not the people really love one king over another :)

Of course it’s obvious that there are direct effects on the population depending on who’s in charge, and that a good king that people like is more likely to stay in power. But I still don’t think that most people in the land care that much about the politics that goes on because most of it doesn’t change anything for them.

I’ve only seen the show and not read the books, so I’m sure there’s a lot I’m missing :)

By: ocker3

ocker3 — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:48:00 +0000

Really? Where do you think armies are raised from, goats? One of Renly’s claims to the throne was that the people loved him, and he wasn’t just talking about the nobles.

By: penguinchris

penguinchris — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 21:01:00 +0000

Funny, but it seems to me that the characters in the books really could not care less about the “unimportant” people or what they think (some characters are worse than others but this aspect is rarely explored) so they don’t really need to run ads.

Might be funny to do something from the point of view of the peasants (e.g. a “Lower Decks” episode). I imagine it’d be like in Monty Python and the Holy Grail where most people have no idea what those in power are doing, or even who they are, and don’t really care as long as it doesn’t affect them (… sort of like the modern USA).

By: Jim Saul

Jim Saul — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 20:23:00 +0000

You read the blurb… they did this in the office. So it was professional!

I hope this becomes a meme… I want to see one treating the Stark words the same way tea-stooges treat global warming.

Days like this I wish the internet had one of those ship-bells that the bartenders at theme restaurants ring when they get a really good tip. Just a big button on the page… today the internet deserves a cheer.

Oh wait. I guess that’s what the thumb is.

Ding. Ding.

By: Buddy Bradley

Buddy Bradley — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 19:57:00 +0000

Noticed that too. Nice touch!

By: Rachael Storey Burke

Rachael Storey Burke — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 19:02:00 +0000

Manhoods, goats.

By: Matt Dowsett

Matt Dowsett — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 18:03:00 +0000

There is no such thing as self respecting when applied to politicians.

By: foxyshadis

foxyshadis — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:34:00 +0000

With BEER!

By: Suburbancowboy

Suburbancowboy — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:20:00 +0000

I love how they used the Demon Sheep from the Carly Fiorina attack ad in the Robb Stark ad.

By: franko

franko — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:49:00 +0000

[spoilers!]
; )

By: irksome

irksome — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:31:00 +0000

Lannister = GOP, except they never pay their debts.

By: Uhclem

Uhclem — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 13:14:00 +0000

Heads, spikes

By: technobach

technobach — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 11:31:00 +0000

Remeber, “Professional” does not mean well done. It means they paid for it

By: Nick Smith

Nick Smith — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 09:42:00 +0000

Remind em not to use Mother Jones for anything professional;…but funny nevertheless.

By: Shashwath T.R.

Shashwath T.R. — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 09:24:00 +0000

Attack ads? Any self respecting Westerosi politician isn't going to bother with some puny ads!

By: Nathan Hornby

Nathan Hornby — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 08:30:00 +0000

By ‘professionally produced’ do they mean ‘knocked up in iMovie’? I assume they do.

Regardless it’s a great idea, kudos :)