Game of Thrones is bad — and bad for you

HBO's hit fantasy series is dulling your mind and rotting your soul

Jaime and Cersei Lannister.
(Image credit: Helen Sloan/courtesy of HBO)

I used to watch Game of Thrones. Then I realized it was endangering my immortal soul.

Game of Thrones is unquestionably the most acclaimed and beloved show on television. But HBO's hit fantasy series, which returns for a seventh season this Sunday, is not a drama for adults. It's not even a soap opera. It is ultra-violent wizard porn — and boring ultra-violent wizard porn at that. Two decades ago, watching it would have gotten you shoved into a locker.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Matthew Walther

Matthew Walther is a national correspondent at The Week. His work has also appeared in First Things, The Spectator of London, The Catholic Herald, National Review, and other publications. He is currently writing a biography of the Rev. Montague Summers. He is also a Robert Novak Journalism Fellow.