HBO Defends The Sex And Violence In ‘Game Of Thrones’

The hit TV show Game of Thrones has come under fire many times for the sex and violence that the show has become known for. But Michael Lombardo, president of programming at HBO, has defended the show and its executive producers, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

While speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival he said,

“I personally don’t see myself as a libertine. I don’t think [graphic scenes] have ever been without any purpose. Dan [Weiss] and Dave [Benioff] are two very sober, thoughtful men. They have books as a map. Which involve wars, violence, sex. We have certainly not given them an edict or a note that they need to tone down the sexual content in the show.”

When he addressed an alleged rape scene from Season 4 between Jaime and Cersei Lannister, he said

“I appreciate there was some controversy and it generated a conversation about what consensual sex is and isn’t. People responsible for programming have two responsibilities. To be responsible, not to have sex and violence that’s gratuitous. That is certainly not who we are.” 

“At the same time we don’t want to be a censor that inhibits the authentic organic creative process by policing how many breasts should be on a show. My job is to be in business with responsible creative forces. And if I am doing that I trust their decisions about what is appropriate for the character or not. And I feel we made the right choice with Dan and Dave and they continue to try to be responsible.”

“As long as I feel that [violence] isn’t the reason [people] are watching the show, that it isn’t a show trying to attract viewers with sex and violence, I am not going to play police.”

Lombardo also mentioned that HBO is an adult channel where “subscribers pay a fee for uncensored shows.”

Having read the books myself, the sex isn’t nearly as frequent as it is in the show. But I found that most of the descriptions in the book are actually of food, hence the fact that the series has a spinoff cookbook. That’s not quite as good TV though, because this isn’t Food Network.

Do you think Lombardo gave a reasonable defense? Do you think the sex and violence is too much in the show?

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